THE BEST OF ALL TIME!
THE PAST AND THE PRESENT
— James Catton | 09/04/1928 —

Inspired as the players of Huddersfield Town are by the ambition to link their club with Preston North End at their zenith, and with Aston Villa in their most victorious vein, they stand out as a band of footballers who seek to challenge comparions with those who are so often regarded as the bes teams of all time.

There is a tendency as old as the hills to praise the past at the expense of the present.

When Aston Villa equalled the deeds of Preston North End by becoming champions of the League and holders of the Association Cup in 1896-97, they contended that their achievement was greater than that of Preston, who disported themselves when the game was in its infancy; in fact, Preston were monarchs of all they surveyed.

As there were only about eight years between the double events, football must have bounded to full growth.

HONOUR THE ERA.

If Huddersfield Town win both the glittering prizes of this season, and their players take all the golden problems of unrivalled power, will this Yorkshire team assume the attitude of Aston Villa and declare that football is now so different from 31 years ago that all this hero worship is mere vapouring by old people who have lost their sense of proportion and are not in harmony with these latter days?

The veteran dwells in the distant past far too often. The youth thinks that there is no day like his day. To each era let honour be rendered.

Many lovers of ball games would be dleighted if Huddersfield did remain undefeated in the Cup and did agin become League champions, if only to silence those who so often contend that there are no giants in these degenerate days.

There is a feeling that there are giants in Yorkshire. Frankly, so be it for Huddersfield have already madde a more enduring and a greater record than any other. 

PRESTON'S UNBROKEN RUN.

In 1888-89 Preston North End had won the League championship before they played the second round of Cup-ties. Twenty-two matches comprised the entire League programme, because there were only twelve clubs. Not a League match was lost — 18 wins and four draws, with a goal average of 74-15. Aston Villa had to yield three points.

In the Cup-ties Preston defeated Bootle, Grimsby, Birmingham St. George's, West Bromwich Albion, and Wolverhampton Wanderers by an aggregate of 11 goals to none. Thus they never lost a League match and never surrendered a goal in the Cup.

Their most trying tie was in the semi-final stage at Bramall-lane, when they scored the one goal of the contest against West Bromwich Albion. It should never be forgotten that preston won that Cup without the assistance of James Trainer, the most consistently clever goalkeeper ever known.

What did John Goodall say to the writer? "if we got a goal we could leave the rest to Jimmy Trainer."

Again, Preston had not, during the season, the help of Nicholas John Ross, a merciless master of back play, for he had gone to Everton. And in that final Sandy Robertson, the genial and glorious half-back, had to me ommited as he was out of form. Yet they toyed with Wolverhampton Wanderers after the first half-hour in that final.

There is just another testimony to Preston, for in that season of 1888-89, between September 1 and May 28, the club played 70 matches, won 53, lost nine, drew eight, and registered 201 goals to 74.

The North End had more wonderful figures than these — for in 1885-86 they lost only two games out of 59 and scored 318 goal to 60, but the record for this historic season is even so truly handsome.

MASTERS OF THE GAME.

The Prestonians were beaten once at Deepdale by Cambuslang on December 31 — as the old year was departing. The only English clubs which beat the North End were Sheffield Wednesday, Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland, and the Corinthians. Clearly there were teams who could play in those days. Yet Preston were superb.

Why? It is not an exaggeration to say that every member of the team was a master of the game. Their average height was 5ft. 9in., and their poundage 12st. each. John Graham was the n32 years of age, but he was five years older than any other member of the team.

There will never be another Preston combinationa because the club was able to pick and choose their men without real competition.

Not only were they masters, but they happened to blend into a team just as if each man had been created by a designer for this particular pastime and for this one club.

Preston's team, in the assembly of it, was the finest example of fortune that football has ever known. But Major Sudell — "Billy" Sudell, the boss, as he was called — and his players took fortune at the flood.

Trainer, Howarth, and Holmes were thought readers, and position players unsurpassed in defence. Graham, David Russell, and Robertson, the half-backs, were breakers-up and builders. Maybe there was a devil-may-care spirit about Russell, but his wing partners were docile if hefty. Johnny Graham loved honest charging, and in the matches with the Corinthians of that era he had his fill of enjoyment.

Jack Gordon, the outside right, had a long, loping stride, and was a fine player. Being thin, sinewy, and bony he could leave a bruise, and his partner Ross junior — or "Jimmy" Ross — was to football what Machiavelli was to the political school of his age. James Ross was as fine a player as he was a storytelle, but in everything he was waspish.

John Goodall was relatively like an old sheep in disposition, but not in movement. The canniest of schemers, he was a gem of a player. So was Sam Thomson, of Lugar Boswell. His fine head and lint locks were arresting, but not half so arresting as his feet became.

Georgie Drummond could play anywhere and do anything. The complete footballer and the accepted jester of the side. Fred Dewhurst, the outside left, was tall and muscular — an Andrew Cunningham with the craft of Alec Jackson. Of course, such a lot played as nearly perfectly football as such a game permits.

VILLA'S REMARKABLE RECORD.

The Aston Villa team of 1896-97 had, like Preston, eleven points in hand of the runners-up in the League, but the programme had then grown to 30 matches, of which, the Villa won 21, lost four, and drew give by 73 goals to 38.

Aston Villa, who won more points away from home than at Perry Barr, were defeated by Burnley and Everton on that ground, and in their out-matches by Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion.

In the Cup the Villa had a much harder task than Preston, as they were called upon to meet Newcastle, Notts County, Preston (a thrice-played tie), Liverpool, and Everton, but they emerged the victors by 17 goals to 6.

Of course, this was a splendid feat, but in the second round, when they met Notts County at Perry Bar, the Villans were very lucky to win, as Charles Bramley, the swarthy Notts half-back, broke his leg, and was carried away on a hurdle while smoking a cigarette as if all the world was gay. Even then the Villa only won by utilising a corner kick in the last minute.

Preston have the more meritorious record, and if we consider Aston Villa's figures for the seson — 55 matches, 34 wins, 9 losses, 12 draws, 132 goals to 74 — they do not impinge upon judgment so forcibly as Preston.

The principal players of Aston Villa at that time were just as fine as the best men Preston had. it is not possible to have men more skilful and strategic than Howard Spencer, James Crabtree, and John Devey.

The half-back trio, John Reynolds, James Cowan, and Crabtree, was perhaps rather cleverer than that of Preston. Certain it is that they had more finesse, artistry, and speed, but in no other section of the team were the Villa superior to Preston.

FINEST FORWARD LINE.

Trainer, Howarth, and Holmes, as a rearguard, were rather more reliable than Whitehouse, Spencer, and Evans in that they made fewer mistakes.

Preston had the finest set of forwards ever seen. Athersmith was faster than Jack Gordon, but he had no other advantage. Although John Cowan was more versatile as a footballer than Dewhurst he was not so effective at outside left.

But it is extremely difficult to discriminate as between the three inside forwards of each camp. John Devey, John Campbell, who returned to the Celtic, and Fred Wheldon were wonderful: Devey as a general and an initiator, Campbell as a centre who gripped his wings and led the line, and Wheldon as a master of the ball and a deadly shot.

Yet the uniform standard of Preston's vanguard would just turn the opinion of most old footballers in their favour. How glorious it is to have had two such teams — so technically equipped and so finely balanced in all parts.

HUDDERSFIELD TIDAL WAVES.

Football is proverbially a fickle affair, but as Huddersfield have nearly twice as many matches to play at Leeds-road as they they have League engagements on the grounds of their adversaries it would seem as if they have a reasonable hope of earning eight more points from their eight fixtures, despite the lapse at home on Saturday.

That does not look an extravagant estimate. Everton would have to win every match to exceed the total that Huddersfield would then have.

The final tie has been fruitful in surprises, but if Blackburn Rovers can win then their forwards must have a capacity cunningly concealed that the general community have never dreamed of. Huddersfield believe in themselves, and that is an asset.

The Yorkshire club has forwards capable of astounding defences and reducing them to comparative impotence. They are known to have tidal waves of such power that none can withstand, and it is rare that they fall below their normal high tide.

The team as a whole will bear comparison with these historic elevens of the past, and in consistency they emulate even Preston at their mightiest, paying due regard to the greater demands made upon modern teams by the number of matches and the general advance of the average of skill.