DR. TINSLEY LINDLEY
— Trentsider | 17/03/1930 —

Looking back on my career in the football world I sometimes marvel at my own activities (Said Dr. Tinsley Lindley).

» I yield to none in my admiration of the Association game, which I played with such zest, and, although I think there has been some deterioration since my playing days, I can still watch a match with the greatest interest.

» I learned my football while I was going to the Notthingham High School. I always had a ball with me.

BALL, STREET, WALL.

Lindley: As I went through the streets I used to kick it against the wall, and when itreturned on the rebound I tapped it back, making progress all the time. That taught me the angle the ball would take, and I became able to judge the exact sport to which it would come.

» I became captain of the school team, and when I was little over 16 years of age I joined Nottingham Forest, playing with some regularity for them for two years. In my first game for the Forest against Wolverhampton at Stafford-road I scored three goals.

» Going up to Cambridge I secured my colours in my first year, and I was captain for two years — in 1886-1887. Being elected a member of the Corinthians I remained a playing member of that organisation until I retired from football in 1895 or 1896.

» My first game with the Corinthians was against Blackburn Rovers, who were then the holders of the F.A. Cup, and we beat them 8—1. In our side were M. J. Rendall, who became Headmaster of Winchester, Andy Watson, a Scotsman, W. F. Beardshaw, a Sheffield man, A. Amos, C. Holden-White, E. E. Saunders, F. W. Pawson, B. W. Spilsbury, A. J. Miller — the nom-de-plume of Dr. John Smith, the old Queen's Park centre-forward — W. N. Cobbold, "the prince of dribblers," or as Dr. Smith always called him, "the king of dribbles," and myself.

» In the early days of the Corinthians Cambridge players predominated and their style of play was generally adopted. It is still played by the Corinthians of to-day. It consists of keeping the ball under control on the ground, and passing quickly and always forward to the other players while on the move.

CORINTHIAN'S WAY.

Lindley: At this early stage of the game there was a good deal of uncertainty with regard to the formation of a side — whether there should be six forwards or five. Considerable successes were gained by Cambridge with five forwards and three half-backs instead of two, and this led to the general adoption of the formation which has existed ever since.

» I played my first game against Preston North End in December, 1885. The North End team cosisted of: Rose, Howarth, Nick Ross, Robertson, Ferguson, Graham, Gordon, Goodall, Thomson, Dewhurst, Drummondm abd guess who were the linesmen! They were Major W. Sudell and N. L. Jackson, the father of the Corinthians.

» North End played the Corinthians' game with this difference; they were slightly too clever and elaborated too much, and therefore lost time on the way, the Corinthians being quicker in getting from one end to the other. That is as far as my experience goes.

» At the same time, North End were the finest side who ever stepped on to a football field, and they were got together by Major Sudell within two years of the adoption of professionalism.

£3 TO £40 A WEEK.

Lindley: We played North End in a charity match in London in 1886 or 1887 at the same time that the London Scottish were playing a Rugby game with Blackhealth, and that was the very first game ever graced by Royalty. The Prince of Wales, later, of course, King Edward VII., attended, accompanied by his son, the Duke of Clarence.

» I have always had a great fondness for professionals, and I always found them to be just as much gentlemen as any other players. Years ago I expressed my views with regard to the maximum wage clause.

» I held then, and I hold now, that if a man is worth £5 a week he should receive it, whilst if he is worth £40 a week he should still receive that sim. To say that he shall not be paid what he is worth is absurd.

» Before leaving all reference to the Corinthians, I may point out that in their December tour of 1884 they played six games in one week, there being 20 players on tour. They beat Blackburn Rovers on the Monday 8—1, lost to Darwen on the Tuesday 1—2, drew with Blackburn Olympic on the Wednesday 4—4, beat Sheffield on the Thursday 2—1, lost to Bolton Wanderers on the Friday 0—7, and lost to Preston North End on the Saturday 1—3, whilst the following Monday they lost to Notts County 2—3.

» Our defence was rather weak, for we were without the brothers A. M. and P. M. Walters, but amongst those who assisted us was J. A. Dixon, of Notts County and afterwards captain of the Notts county cricket eleven.

» Two of the best inside forwards I ever played with were Fred Dewhurst and John Goodall, both of Preston North End. Both seemed to know exactly what their fellow-players were going to do before it happened. Their intuition was really amazing, and they actually made openings for the man who was running with the ball.

» It is often said that the man with the ball should make the opening, but it is just as much the duty of the other forwards to get into position so that they can play up to him.

GAME'S FINER POINTS.

Lindley: Along with these two I would bracket the brothers W. F. and R. C. Gosling of the Corinthians, and I must record what two powerful backs P. M. and A. M. Walters were.

» David Russell, of Preston North End and Nottingham Forest, was the best half-back I ever played against. He seemed always to know what one was going to do, and it was difficult to deceive him. He was quick and had a wonderful knowledge of the finer points of the game.

» Two other players I would like to refere to are Dennis Hodgetts, os Aston Villa, and Billy Bassett, of West Bromwich Albion. I remember that Nottingham Forest once played West Bromwich Albion in a Cup semi-final at Derby during a snowstorm, and Bassett was so elusive that it was said he hid behind the snowflakes!

» That story is rivalled by one cocerning a game between the Forest and Preston North End. The encounter took place on the old Town ground at Nottingham, which was noted for a profuse growth of crocuses every spring. The Forest won, and North End explained their defeat by saying that they could not see the ball for crocuses.

» Another semi-final in which I played for the Forest at Derby was against Queen's Park, the Scottish amateurs, and the result was a draw; but when the teams met a second time at Edinburgh the Scotsmen won easily.

ENGLISH RECORD.

Lindley: I played in 13 International games — five against Scotland, four against Wales, and four against Ireland. I was captain of the team which defeated Scotland by five goals to none at Glasgow in 1888, that being the biggest victory ever gained by England in these encounters, and the first in the last ten played.

» I would not like to say that that was the best team which ever represented England, but Dennis Hodgetts, writing about it afterwards, said that it had the finest forward line.

» Perhaps the side which accomplished such a splendid performance will be of interest. It was as follows:

» W. R. Moon (Old Westminsters); P. M. Walters (Old Carthusians), R. Howarth (Preston North End); Holden-White (Swifts), J. Allan (Wolverhampton Wanderers), G. Howarth (Accrington); J. Woodhall (West Bromwich Albion), J. Goodall (Preston North End), T. Lindley (Nottingham Forest), F. Dewhurst (Preston North End), and D. Hodgetts (Aston Villa).

» I was always ready to accept and invitation to play, and the following list will give you some idea of the part I took in the game. I played for —

» England, North and South, Cambridge and Oxford, The Corinthians, Nottinghamshire and Sheffield and District, Londong and Middlesex, Preston North End, The Notts. clubs, The Swifts, The Casuals, The Crusaders, and Gentleman v. Players.

» At Rudgby football I played for Cambridge Notts, and the Old Leysians.

» My jerseys, you will agree, were of many colours.

» In all my games I took the greatest delight. My appearance for Notts County proved costly to the club. Their usual centre-forward, James Oswald, was under suspension, and, being in a dfficulty about filling his place, the committee asked me to take it. The game was against Aston Villa, and we succeeded in making a draw.

RUBBING IT IN.

Lindley: The Villa were very annoyed and lodged an appeal with the League, and Notts were fined £5 and ordered to have one point deducted. Notts were dissatisfied with the decision and lodged another appeal, and there was some consternation amongst their officials when their fine was increased to £30 and two points were deducted from their record!

» I also played once for Preston North End's first professional team, and I may say that I was always very fond of them.

» It is impossible for me to tell how many goals I scored, but I know I played in matches in which plenty were obtained without kicking one myself. I remember playing in a game on Wandsworth Common in which I appeared for Swifts against Clapton Rovers, when Mr. Hughes, the chairman of the Swifts, offered to bet me that I would not score.

» I hit the bar, the post, and the goal-keeper, but at half-time I had not put the ball through. Playing between E. Bambridge and Dr. Smith, I had not scored ten minutes from the finish, and Mr. Hughes doubled the bet. Then everything went right and I put on five goals. We spent the evening at the Criterion.

MODERN FAULTS.

Lindley: In one Oxfored and Cambridge match, when I was captain, I went straight through from the kick-off and scored without an Oxford player having touched the ball, and I repeated that performance in a game at Preston. I consider that this should be done more frequently than it is.

» Ball control nowadays is bad, and shooting is as faulty as it can ben. Forwards won't get their knees over the ball. They shoot off the toe-cap instead of off the instep.

» Players should be taught the principle of tangents and angles. With a moving ball the players on the wings should have their feet at a certain angle, which requires working out, tap it when they receive it, and they would see it go back to the player who is dashing through.

» From my point of view the changes that have been made in the game have brought about deterioration. The result of playing what us called the W formation is that at least one or two players are often off-side. The forwards should help each other and go ahead together.

TWO REFEREES.

Lindley: Another reason for the decline is that, some reason or toher, the backs and half-backs play the wrong game. In my opinion is the duty of the half-back to watch the outside forward and for the back to take the inside man. The reverse action is often seen, and it is a mistake policy.

» In a lecture I have to the Notingham Forest club in 1905 I dealt with referees, past, present, and future. Old players, in my opinion, make the best referees, because they do their work in the spirit of the game. No amount of theory can create that splendid breath for football that comes from actual practice.

» Another point upon which I feel strongly is that referees should base their decisions on the intention of the act and not on the merc consequences of it.

NO PENALTY LINE.

Lindley: Then again, I consider that there should be two referees — one for each half of the field.

» I also hold that the oenalty line should be abolished, for players should not be allowed to know where they can or cannot trip with impunity.

» I do not consider it right that a player should be able to say to himself: "Inside that line I must not be unfair; outsider it I can be so if I like."

» I would, therefore, do away with the lines and give powers to referees to award penalty kicks for four play over a much larger area than at present.