SOME FAMOUS PLAYERS
— G. O. Smith | 14/10/1899 —

A pen abler than mine is needed to do justice to the subject of this article. I can only quote the words of Antony, "I am no orator like Brutus is... I only speak right on," and hope that should the subjects of my theme by any chance scan these lines they will grant me pardon for having dealt with them in a manner far beneath their merits.

It is but fitting that, in attempting to portray some of the most famous players of the present time, I should begin with Mr. C. Wreford-Brown, the captain of last season's victorious team against Scotland. Throughout the football world Wreford-Brown is as well known as any of those who have ever taken part in the winter game, not only for being a splendid player, but also as a thorough sportsman, who always does his best for the true interests of football. "Wreford," as his friends call him, learnt his football at Charterhouse, and very proud should his old school be of him, for it is impossible to point out anyone who has done more for the old Carthusians: for many years — I should not like to say how many — he has helped them in almost every match and has been a large factor in their success. He talks of giving up football and taking up hunting as a means of exercise; however, he has been going to retire from the game for the last few years, and as he is still almost always to be seen wherever a game is played, there is some ground for us to hope that his resolve is not irrevocable, and that for many years to come be will be a prominent figure on the football field. Without wishing to disparage his play during the last six years or so, I should say that he has never been so consistently good as in the season which is just past; be played throughout with the greatest vigor, a sure sign that his powers are in no way diminishing; and a bad day, indeed, would it be for amateur football if he was to take it into his head that old age was creeping on apace and determine to be a spectator instead of a player. From seeing him casually you would never imagine that he was one of the most brilliant centre half-backs of the day; he looks rather slack than otherwise when off the field, and as if he had not sufficient energy to carry him through a game; on the field, however, the picture is altogether reversed. There no one could be more active, no one could work harder, and Wreford would, I believe, be willing to do all the work of the side if he only had the chance. He is a wonderful tackler, and sticks to his opponent in grim carnest, but he is at his best in an attacking game, as he feeds his forwards beautifully, and can pass the ball as well with his head as with his feet.

He is perhaps rather inclined to wander, but this generally means that he has polished off all his own work and goes about asking, like Oliver Twist, for more. The only thing he cannot do is to shoot, and his efforts to score a goal create the greatest amusement: if you talk to him about it and say you have never seen him get a goal, he will tell you he won a match for the South against the North sometime in the eighties by shooting a marvellous goal. The story goes that Pa Jackson betted him a sovereign a good many years ago that he would never score a point, but last year in some match — I forget which, though it ought to have been ever memorable — Wreford turned the tables on him and proved that such a thing was possible. Besides being such a fine player, he is no mean judge of the game, and though he doesn't talk much, it is always worth while listening to what he does say. He is continually in a hurry, and generally travels by night whenever a match is some way off. On tour at Glasgow you get up in the morning to find Wreford just arrived from London, but he will play against Queen's Park as if he had spent the night in the most refreshing slumber. He is, in fact, a marvel, and if he only does half as well as a solicitor as he has done as a football player, his career will be a most successful one.

An even better player — in fact, a player that to my mind has no equal in England — is Ernest Needham, captain of Sheffield United. He fulfils the whole duties that are required of a half-back — that is to say, he can defend like an extra-back and can attack like an extra-forward; he is as active as a kitten, is to be seen here, there, and everywhere, and is always a most dangerous man to reckon with. For many years he has been selected to do battle for his country, and no English team could be possibly considered representative unless he was included in it. A determined tackler, a fine dribbler and passer, a dangerous shot, he is of the utmost value to any side, and it is impossible to say of what service he has been to his country and to his club. It was largely owing to him that Sheffield United gained their proud position at the head of the League, and his untiring energy pulled them through many a contest. His place is on the left wing, and most unlucky are the two forwards of the opposite side that are pitted against him. However good they may be, he generally manages to make them appear poor players and spoils all their attempts at combination: he has a wonderful knack of always being in the right place and seems to know by instinct just what his opponents are going to do. Playing forward against Sheffield United you can often congratulate yourself on having got past the backs, and on having a good try for goal, when you find to your great disappointment that Needham is there to bar the way. In any crisis to his side, whether they are being pressed or are attacking, he seems to rise as if by magic from the ground and give his assistance just when it is most needed. Popular with amateur and professional alike, it is, I am sure, everyone's wish that he may long continue to earn fresh laurels on the football field.

Aston Villa could boast of two fine forwards last year in the persons of Athersmith and Wheldon.

It is difficult to discuss the one without the other, as, though Athermisht at outside-right is separated from Wheldon at inside-left by no inconsiderable distance, they play together in a wonderful manner; the way, indeed, in which Wheldon takes the centres of Athersmith is little short of marvellous. They seem always to go his way, and he either manages to head the ball into the goal-mouth or to bring off a swift shot with his foot. My advice to the opponents of Aston Villa is to look after Wheldon whenever Athersmith seems likely to centre. Never leave him unmarked, as he rarely misses a good chance of scoring. To deal with them individually, Athersmith is very fast, and few people would care to match themselves against him in a 100 yards race; besides this, he passes beautifully, and with a good man next him puts in some brilliant combination; he rarely fails to make a good centre, and is far too good a player to shoot when he ought to middle — though when he does get a chance he can send in a stinger, as his opponents will, I am sure, agree. Though perhaps not so good as Bassett at his prime, he is not far behind him, and so it is no small praise for him to be so near that prince of outside-rights. Wheldon is fairly fast too, but at inside-left he cannot get as many opportunities of displaying his pace; he is a wonderful shot, and scored, I believe, more goals than anyone else in the League last year, but the chief point about his play seems to me to be his wonderful passing; his short passes are excellent, and he has a most useful knack of drawing off an opponent by pretending to go one way and then going the other. A dangerous man on any side, he rarely leaves the field without having scored a point, and Aston Villa may indeed be proud of her two representatives, who were in no small degree responsible for the success of England in her International matches last year.

Another player, who cannot be passed over in dealing with such a subject as famous footballers, is the Corinthian, W. J. Oakley. For the last three years he has been chosen to take part in all the International matches, and as far as one can judge he is likely to go on adding to his list of honors for many years to come. He is an all-round athlete, and, besides playing football, can pull an oar, hurdle, long jump, put the weight, and throw the hammer with equal success. Cricket he has so far not done much at, for the simple reason that he has had little time to devote himself to it, but during the last two years he has given signs of becoming a most useful bat and a wicket-keeper of no small merit. As a left-back he has, in my opinion, no equal at the present day. He can kick equally well with either foot, and his weight and pace make him a tower of strength to his side, while to judge from the distance he sends the ball, his head must be made of granite. His kicking, however, it is which makes him superior to all other backs of the day. You never see him indulge in the gallery kicking, which is only too often to be seen; he is far too good for that, and always takes the utmost care to send the ball as low as possible and pass it to a forward whenever an opportunity presents itself. In this way he makes the forward's task much easier and it is a real pleasure — and one which the writer luckily often enjoys — to play in front of him. Another favorite plan of his is to block the ball with his foot when tackling, and since his leg is more or less like a weaver's beam he generally emerges from a throng of opponents with the ball at his feet. Though heavy, he is a most gentle player, and never uses his weight, unless it is necessary. When occasions arise for him to charge, he does so in grim earnest, and I am sorry for the unfortunate forward who gets in his way. He and Lodge made a wonderful pair, and when they played together for the Corinthians a goal wanted a great deal of getting. His profession is that of a schoolmaster. He has thus every chance of keeping in training, and it will, we hope, be a long time before he deprives the game of his invaluable presence.

Though perhaps a little past his prime, John Goodall, of Derby County, is still a great exponent of the game. There is hardly a position on the field that he cannot fill, and wherever he plays he always shows up well. At present he usually plays outside right, with Bloomer inside, and together they form a wing which it is hard to beat. Without the brilliancy of his partner, he is as steady as Old Time and goes through any match game to the last; it is a wonderful thing for a man of his age to go through the strain of a football season and to always play up with untiring dash and energy. The writer never, unfortunately, saw him when he played for Preston North End, but he has seen quite enough of him to thoroughly appreciate his wonderful powers of making openings for others. If fate had ordained that he should have been a soldier hewould have made a magnificent general; in fact, though age has somewhat dimmed his own abilities, it will be long before his value to his side can be counterbalanced. He is a marvellous passer with hear or foot, and when playing with him you will always gind him in the right place to be passed to. His shooting is not as good as it was, but though his shots lack sting they are always sent where the goalkeeper has least chance of saving. You cannot witness a match between Derby County and another side without seeing John Goodall always to the fore, and you may be sure that if his side prove victorious it is in no small degree due to his skill and leadership. Not only as a player has he gained universal admiration, but as a man of whom it is known that he will have recourse to nothing that can be called for a moment underhand, and will always play the game as it ought to be played. Search amongst amateurs and professionals and you will not find a fairer or more gentlemanly player, and both alike are proud to reckon him amongst the number of their friends. May good-luck always attend him.