NO. XI. — ERNEST NEEDHAM
— "ABARIS" | 19/11/1899 —

The finest half-back in Great Britain and Ireland to-day is Ernest Needham, captain of the Sheffield United eleven. That is a tallish assertion, I am well aware, when we have Cowan, Raisbeck, Crawshaw, Wreford-Brown, Forman, Nevill, Crabtree, Robertson, Blyth, Boyle, Howell, Gibson, Anderson, Booth, A. Goodall, and many other first-class middle-line men, all playing to the topmost height of their ability. But, to use a good old Lancashire phrase, Needham "is the daddy of 'em all." Not only is he unequalled in his own position — left half — but I would give my vote for him as being the best all-round man playing. Who, on ninety occasions out of a hundred, is the most prominent man when Sheffield United are attacking? — Needham. Who is always certain to be one of the most reliable men in defence when the United are in distressful straits in their own goal? — Needham. Who can best tackle a wing, feed his own, do a turn at forward work, and next moment be keeping the ball away from Foulke's neighbourhood? Who is here, thee, and everywhere, and never out of place? The answer to the whole series is "Needham". If any men should be qualified to assess a man's merits, those men are the old North Enders, and when they gave me their opinion that the Sheffielder is the best half-back playing, and say that they have not seen a better anywhere, I am satisfied that my own idea is not a bad one.

In the old days there was a well known cry in the Midlands. If a man kicked out of play the crowd would let go the yell "Staveley!" That remark was quite an institution, and may be still, and the reason was that in a certain cup-tie the Staveley team, having got a lead early on, did little but kick out of the field for the remainder of the game. But I fancy that Needham must have won back an honourable name for the village. For Staveley in his home, and the place wherein he learnt to play football. It was a good school in the ancient days, and no pupil ever more profitably studied there than Ernest. He came to Sheffield United eight seasons ago as a footballer, and a footballer he has proved himself. He has played inside right, centre-forward, right half-back, inside left, outside left, full back, in fact, in every station but goal, and played well everywhere. A couple of years ago North End were playing the United at Bramall-lane, and Needham was in his place at left half. The Prestonians were doing very little, and the home forwards were impotent too. So Needham went forward himself. There was a perceptible alteration in the attack and in the defence of the team, too, for while the former smartened up, the latter broke down completely before the North Enders, who, with no Needham there to oppose them, slipped on a couple of goals, and won hands down. Next year, curiously enough, Needham was out of his place, again, and this time appeared at outside left. He had a glorious revenge for the previous year's slip, for this time he won the match by himself. He scored both goals — the second such a goal as you see but once in half a dozen seasons. That goal is an item that North Enders still talk of, and will do so as long as any who played in the game remain in the team.

Needham has had many honours in football. He will not be 26 until next January, but he has already played for his county on seven occasions, and six times for the English League against the Irish and Scottish Leagues. But dearest of all to him is the English League championship medal, which he won last season. Sheffield United were not a team of the "class" that we look for in champions. A mediocrity would go to them, and instantly come out a success in his position. And we all wondered. It was extraordinary how that team played. The fact that they did so splendidly is in itself a splendid tribute to Needham. He is the absolute monarch and ruler of the team when they are on the field, and his play, his leading, his generalship, his example and influence, did more than anything else to make that team other than what it appeared on paper — a scrappy and not formidable side. I asked Needham the other day to give me his ideas of captaincy.

"Well, it is easy enough to put it that way," he laughed, "but it is not so simple a matter to answer. Really, there is no great matter in captaincy. A number of trivial things claim the attention of the captain, and I suppose that, taken altogether, they make up a fairly important whole. A captain must always play as well as he knows how to, or he can't ask his men to do so. Then, of course, he must, while paying close attention to his opponents, keep an eye on his own team. If you see that this wing of your opponents is weak, play on it, bring all the strength you can command to bear upon it. If two equal forces oppose each other, they'll wear themselves out, and be none the better placed for it at the end. Look out for loopholes, and, by your play, try to create them where they don't exist"

I thought that this was a fair item to be considered amongst my modest young friends — "trivial things." However, he went on.

"Above all other things, a captain should try and keep all the men of his team on food terms with each other. If the men are all good friends, they're found to play — they can't help it. If, on the other hand, bad feeling exists between this man and that one, they will not work in sympathy. Unpleasantnesses will crop up most unexpectedly, even while a game is going on, and I have known matches to be lost solely through this cause. Many a good team is beaten because of ill-feeling between the players. The cordial relations that existed between our team last season had as much to do with our winning the championship as anything I can think of. Therefore a captain must be always on the look out, and be ready to act, as far as the others will let him, as peacemaker. There is nothing so mischievous as bad blood between the players of a team."

Chatting generally, the skipper told me that, so far as he had seen, there were not so many scientific players in the League this season. "But," he went on, "they are playing harder now than they used to do — I'm sure of it. They are better trained nowadays than formerly, and go right up to the end. The Villa are the best team of the year, and will win the championship, I think. They don't seem able to do much than any other team this season. Cup-ties? Ah, yes; we have done badly. But do you know, I have an idea that we are going to make a show in that competition this season. We have never done ourselves justice in that direction up to now, but it should be remembered that we have been, as a rule, very unkindly drawn. Burslem? Where is it? Don't know the place. And never you mind about it either. Keep your eye on us this season. When am I to have a benefit? Well, it's singular that you should mention it — December 27th is the day fixed."

I wished him luck, as I am sure we all do. There was a sort of national testimonial to John Goodall on the occasion of his benefit, and something on a similar scale should be organised in behalf of Needham. His delightfully clever play has entertained hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts in the four counties, and it seems to me that there would be contributors from all parts if a properly organised fund were opened. I know this iwll catch the eye of the Sheffield United directors, and I make the suggestion in the hope that they will find it one worthy of their consideration. If any footballer ever deserved well of the public it is the man of whom I have written, and, given the opportunity of demonstrating their appreciation of the international's services. I think that the public would not be lax in responding.