Old Etonians F.C.

Old Etonians

Full name	Old Etonians Football Club
Nickname(s)	OEs
Founded	c. 1871[1]
Ground	Dutchman's Playing Fields Pococks Lane Eton (Capacity: tbc)
Chairman	James Scobie
Manager	not applicable
League	Arthurian League Premier Division
2010–11	2nd
Home colours

The Old Etonians Football Club is an English football club whose players are taken from previous attendees of Eton College, in Eton, Berkshire.

History

Founded by Lord Kinnaird, they were the last amateur or "true blue" club to win the FA Cup on 25 March 1882 when they beat Blackburn Rovers 1-0 at The Oval. They lost 2-1 after extra time to another Blackburn club, Blackburn Olympic, the following year.

In all, they reached the final six times in nine years between 1875 and 1883, winning twice. They also supplied a number of players for the England team, including three in one match against Wales in 1879.

In modern times, Old Etonians are members of the Amateur Football Alliance and field three teams in the Arthurian League. The 1st XI have won the league's Premier Division title on two occasions.

List of honours

• FA Cup winners 1879, 1882; runners-up 1875, 1876, 1881, 1883
• Arthurian League
  • Premier Division Champions 1992-93, 2004-05
  • Division One Champions 1985-86
  • Division Two Champions (2nd XI) 1992-93, 1997-98, 1999-2000, 2003-04
  • Division Three Champions (3rd XI) 1995-96, 2004-05
  • Division Four Champions (4th XI) 1989-90, 1993-94
  • Arthur Dunn Cup winners 2004-05

International players

Several Old Etonians players were capped for England, either while with the club or subsequently.

The following eight scholars played for England whilst with the club (with the number of caps received whilst registered with Old Etonians F.C.)^[2]:

• Rupert Anderson (1 cap)
• Lindsay Bury (1 cap)
• Edward Christian (1 cap)
• Arthur Dunn (2 caps)
• Harry Goodhart (3 caps)
• Robert Cunliffe Gosling (5 caps)
• John Hawtrey (2 caps)
• Herbert Whitfeld (1 cap)

Anderson, Bury and Whitfeld made their only appearances together, on 18 January 1879 against Wales. Whitfeld scored in a 2-1 victory.

Other Old Etonians who later played for England include:

• Alexander Bonsor
• Percy de Paravicini
• Alfred Lyttelton
• Reginald Macaulay
• Cuthbert Ottaway
• John Frederick Peel Rawlinson
• Thomas Clough OE

Club founder Lord Kinnaird made one appearance for Scotland in 1873, the second ever international match.

References

1. ^ England Online gives the date as 1865, however the Arthurian League website gives 1871. The official club website^{[dead link]} states that the club was "officially" founded in 1871 but suggests that it had been active as early as 1863
2. ^ England Players' Club Affiliations - Old Etonians

Sources

• Club profile on the Arthurian League website
• Old Etonians at the Football Club History Database

Coordinates: 51°29′41.73″N 0°35′49.61″W / 51.494925°N 0.5971139°W / 51.494925; -0.5971139