Ancient blade
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This contribution was inspired by that of will.i.am last Saturday:
(1) The Belgrave Medical Centre on Asline Road is part of the Mathews Practice. The original practice
was located on London Road at the corner with Fieldhead Road. The building is still there with its
steps leading up to the front door. As stated by will.i.am, the Centre covers the area where Fatty
Foulke lived.
The name "Mathews" refers to the family of that name. Dr. Robert Mathews (1930-2009) was the most
recent member of the family to practice there (and was for many years my family doctor). The relevant
point is that his father, also called Dr.Robert Mathews, was the Sheffield United club doctor for many
years. He, passed on, I believe in the early 1970s.
(2) Below is a report of the FA Cup Final of 1899 which appeared in The Observer newspaper on 16 April
1899. The match was played at Crystal Palace and was attended by 78,833 spectators according to
the official United History published 1989. The report is accompanied by a pen sketch with the caption
"Needham, Sheffield's captain, makes one of his brilliant dashes in this illustration of the 1899 FA Cup
final".
UNITED'S CUP RUNNETH OVER
Derby took the lead but Sheffield United were worthy winners of the 1899 Cup final
The chief honours of the Association season have fallen to Sheffield United, who yesterday, at
Crystal Palace, beat Derby County by four goals to one in the final tie for the Cup. Such a score
suggests that the winners were immeasurably the better side, but this was far from being the case
for the greater part of the game. In fact, Derby scored the only goal of the first half and held their
head(sic) for another quarter of an hour, but during the remaining thirty minutes Sheffield United
showed all their wonderful powers of finishing. Not only were they much the stronger during this
period, but they were better together, and gained their great triumph most meritoriously. After the
heavy rains of the previous days the weather improved during the morning, and the game was
played under almost ideal conditions. The ground, well covered with grass, seemed very little the
worse for the soaking it had had, and throughout the sun shone with a genial warmth that added
very materially to the enjoyment of the huge crowd. The exact number of the great company could
scarcely be estimated but probably there were fully 60,000 surrounding the admirable arranged
enclosure. Sheffield were fortunate enough in having their full side, but Derby County were without
Archie Goodall , their centre-half and Oaken, their outside-right. Possibly, the absence of the Irish
international affected the defence of Derby County, but in the first half they played with such
splendid dash and skill that they had distinctly the better of the play, although the wind, which blew
diagonally down the ground, was against them. MacDonald and Boag were prominent in many
spirited attacks, and Bloomer and Arkesden did good combined work on the right. Showing plenty
of pace Derby forwards were often dangerous, and after 12 minutes of fast and exciting play Boag
rushed the first goal. Following this Derby did even better, the Sheffield team all around seeming
unable to settle down. Still the game was for the most part fairly even and full of incident, although in
their promptness in getting the ball Derby inspired their supporters with the hope that they would
at least retain their lead. It was not long after change of ends that, however, that they began to show
signs of flagging, while United improved correspondingly. Needham and Morren, who all along had
played grandly at half, became even more conspicuous as the game turned in their side's favour
and it was Needham who led up to the equalising goal. He was right up among his forwards, and
tricking the back put in a long centre, which Bennett cleverly headed past Fryer. For a little while
after this Derby struggled gamely but Beers got through with a clever dribble that gave his side the
lead, after Fryer had stopped the first shot. Very soon after Almond placed the result beyond doubt,
scoring an easy goal after capital work by the right wing. Bennett and Beers has been causing the
Derby defence endless trouble, the former with his sprints down the wing and accurate centres
being very largely responsible for the heavy scoring from a fine long pass. This was almost a
minute before time, and all that remained to be done was for for United 11 to receive the cup and
medals from Mr A.J. Balfour, who with Lord Rosebery, was among the spectators.
SHEFFIELD UNITED: Foulke, goal: Thickett and Boyle, backs: Johnson, Morren and Needham
half-backs: Bennett, Beers, Hedley, Almond and Priest, forwards.
DERBY COUNTY: Fryer, goal: Staley and Methuen, backs: May, Peterson and Cox, half-backs:
Allen, MacDonald, Boag, Bloomer and Arkesden, forwards.
(3) Roy Hattersley (please read on) wrote a novel called "The Maker's Mark" which was published in
1990. It's about a Sheffield family who have a manufacturing business here and decide to send
their grown-up son to set up a similar business in Nottingham. In chapter 29 of the book occurs
the following passage:
" ....... he had abandoned playing football and become an enthusiastic spectator at
Meadow Lane. He had not become a supporter of Notts County, for he remained faithful
to Sheffield United and much of his pleasure was derived from making unfavourable
comparisons between the team of his affections and the clear incompetents whose
antics he witnessed every other Saturday afternoon. Watching County - as he bored the
men around him on the terraces with stories of United - gave him a rare feeling of
indisputable superiority."
There is good in every Wednesday fan.
(1) The Belgrave Medical Centre on Asline Road is part of the Mathews Practice. The original practice
was located on London Road at the corner with Fieldhead Road. The building is still there with its
steps leading up to the front door. As stated by will.i.am, the Centre covers the area where Fatty
Foulke lived.
The name "Mathews" refers to the family of that name. Dr. Robert Mathews (1930-2009) was the most
recent member of the family to practice there (and was for many years my family doctor). The relevant
point is that his father, also called Dr.Robert Mathews, was the Sheffield United club doctor for many
years. He, passed on, I believe in the early 1970s.
(2) Below is a report of the FA Cup Final of 1899 which appeared in The Observer newspaper on 16 April
1899. The match was played at Crystal Palace and was attended by 78,833 spectators according to
the official United History published 1989. The report is accompanied by a pen sketch with the caption
"Needham, Sheffield's captain, makes one of his brilliant dashes in this illustration of the 1899 FA Cup
final".
UNITED'S CUP RUNNETH OVER
Derby took the lead but Sheffield United were worthy winners of the 1899 Cup final
The chief honours of the Association season have fallen to Sheffield United, who yesterday, at
Crystal Palace, beat Derby County by four goals to one in the final tie for the Cup. Such a score
suggests that the winners were immeasurably the better side, but this was far from being the case
for the greater part of the game. In fact, Derby scored the only goal of the first half and held their
head(sic) for another quarter of an hour, but during the remaining thirty minutes Sheffield United
showed all their wonderful powers of finishing. Not only were they much the stronger during this
period, but they were better together, and gained their great triumph most meritoriously. After the
heavy rains of the previous days the weather improved during the morning, and the game was
played under almost ideal conditions. The ground, well covered with grass, seemed very little the
worse for the soaking it had had, and throughout the sun shone with a genial warmth that added
very materially to the enjoyment of the huge crowd. The exact number of the great company could
scarcely be estimated but probably there were fully 60,000 surrounding the admirable arranged
enclosure. Sheffield were fortunate enough in having their full side, but Derby County were without
Archie Goodall , their centre-half and Oaken, their outside-right. Possibly, the absence of the Irish
international affected the defence of Derby County, but in the first half they played with such
splendid dash and skill that they had distinctly the better of the play, although the wind, which blew
diagonally down the ground, was against them. MacDonald and Boag were prominent in many
spirited attacks, and Bloomer and Arkesden did good combined work on the right. Showing plenty
of pace Derby forwards were often dangerous, and after 12 minutes of fast and exciting play Boag
rushed the first goal. Following this Derby did even better, the Sheffield team all around seeming
unable to settle down. Still the game was for the most part fairly even and full of incident, although in
their promptness in getting the ball Derby inspired their supporters with the hope that they would
at least retain their lead. It was not long after change of ends that, however, that they began to show
signs of flagging, while United improved correspondingly. Needham and Morren, who all along had
played grandly at half, became even more conspicuous as the game turned in their side's favour
and it was Needham who led up to the equalising goal. He was right up among his forwards, and
tricking the back put in a long centre, which Bennett cleverly headed past Fryer. For a little while
after this Derby struggled gamely but Beers got through with a clever dribble that gave his side the
lead, after Fryer had stopped the first shot. Very soon after Almond placed the result beyond doubt,
scoring an easy goal after capital work by the right wing. Bennett and Beers has been causing the
Derby defence endless trouble, the former with his sprints down the wing and accurate centres
being very largely responsible for the heavy scoring from a fine long pass. This was almost a
minute before time, and all that remained to be done was for for United 11 to receive the cup and
medals from Mr A.J. Balfour, who with Lord Rosebery, was among the spectators.
SHEFFIELD UNITED: Foulke, goal: Thickett and Boyle, backs: Johnson, Morren and Needham
half-backs: Bennett, Beers, Hedley, Almond and Priest, forwards.
DERBY COUNTY: Fryer, goal: Staley and Methuen, backs: May, Peterson and Cox, half-backs:
Allen, MacDonald, Boag, Bloomer and Arkesden, forwards.
(3) Roy Hattersley (please read on) wrote a novel called "The Maker's Mark" which was published in
1990. It's about a Sheffield family who have a manufacturing business here and decide to send
their grown-up son to set up a similar business in Nottingham. In chapter 29 of the book occurs
the following passage:
" ....... he had abandoned playing football and become an enthusiastic spectator at
Meadow Lane. He had not become a supporter of Notts County, for he remained faithful
to Sheffield United and much of his pleasure was derived from making unfavourable
comparisons between the team of his affections and the clear incompetents whose
antics he witnessed every other Saturday afternoon. Watching County - as he bored the
men around him on the terraces with stories of United - gave him a rare feeling of
indisputable superiority."
There is good in every Wednesday fan.
