In Search of the Double: AFC Sunderland 1912-13

In Search Of The Double! - Sunderland AFC 1912/13

Mark Metcalf and Paul Days

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First published in 2011 by Empire Publications

Smashwords Edition

© Mark Metcalk & Paul Days 2011

ISBN: 1901746 828

The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

Published by Empire Publications at Smashwords

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Dedication

This book is dedicated to the memory of Sunderland AFC footballer Albert Milton who died at Passchendaele, Belgium on 11 October 1917. He was Killed In Action, fighting for his Country in World War 1 with the Durham Light Infantry.

Bombardier Milton played 27 league and 7 FA Cup ties for Sunderland during the 1912/13 season.

Foreword

It’s a pleasure and a privilege to be asked to write the foreword for this book on one of Sunderland’s truly great sides. Sadly too many Sunderland supporters know too little about the history of the club and any book that reminds fans that we’ve won the top flight on six occasions - more than the likes of Newcastle United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Wolverhampton Wanderers or Leeds United - can’t be bad.

Two years ago Paul Days and Mark Metcalf did a great job of bringing alive the Sunderland side of 1935-37 in a book titled Total Football, a term the great Liverpool manager Bill Shankly used in honour of Raich Carter’s team who he compared to the fabulous Dutch side of the 1970s.

Now in this latest book we get to find out how the 1912-13 side almost became the first side in the 20th century to win the League and FA Cup ‘double’ as they, and another great side, Aston Villa made it through to the Cup final whilst both finishing ahead of the rest in the League. In the end we took the League and the Villains the Cup in a final played before a then World Record crowd of 121,919 which remains the largest crowd at any Sunderland match during the club’s 132-year history.

As someone who loves the history of our club I was fascinated to find out more about the players from this fabulous season including the likes of George Holley - the First Divison top scorer in 1911-12 and a man who scored a hat-trick at St James’ Park in December 1908 when Newcastle were thrashed 9-1. Jackie Mordue scored 15 times in the 1912-13 season but the undoubted star of the show was one of Sunderland’s greatest players - possibly the greatest ever - in Charlie Buchan, who notched 27 league goals,

Then there’s ‘keeper Joe Butler, who arrived after the season started, to make some fine-match winning saves and strengthen a defence in which centre half Charlie Thomson was outstanding. Throw in Harry Martin on the wing, Frank Cuggy and Harry Low as wing-halfs plus two outstanding fullbacks in Albert Milton and Charlie Gladwin then what you find inside this book is the tale of a very fine side. One all Sunderland supporters like myself can feel proud of.

Haway the Lads

Gary Rowell

Introduction

The passage of time does funny things to the game of association football and its legion of fans. People are inclined to forget the distant past and see a context for the game in the here and now. Today is all that matters.

For football historians, the game of football is a one to be cherished because of its past. It tells them who their club once was and perhaps indicates what it could be again, given the right circumstances.

For most supporters of Sunderland AFC the past would probably be represented in the names of Gurney and Carter, undoubted Wearside footballing legends. The name of Charlie Buchan also looms large even today in the tale of a football club whose history can be cut like a knife; pre-war separates from post-war very easily. One demonstrates ultimate success and a continuous strive to be the best, the other doesn’t.

Although Charlie Buchan might still be a revered figure on Wearside, his team mates aren’t and yet the 1912/13 season, which is the subject of this book, produced arguably the finest Sunderland team ever to grace the famous red and white striped shirts.

It came the closest the club has ever come to winning the double, almost became the first English football club to achieve it in the 20th century, yet the names of Albert Milton, Frank Cuggy, Jackie Mordue and the rest of Sunderland’s league champions and FA Cup finalists that season have long since been cast into the annals of the club’s history. Even the football club’s near talismanic and perhaps finest ever captain Charlie Thomson is seemingly forgotten. The was team guided by Bob Kyle, Sunderland AFC’s longest serving manager, he too forgotten.

This book looks at the matches and the characters that shaped an immensely successful 1912/13 season for Sunderland AFC and its followers. Although they were crowned league champions, perhaps an enduring highlight, although it ultimately ended in defeat, was the now legendary FA Cup final which took place at The Crystal Palace in April 1913, before a world record crowd. For the first time in the 20th Century England’s top 2 football teams contested for the most coveted domestic knockout cup competition in world football and what a tale it tells; an iconic match.

Finally, to give the book a social context and a flavour of the times, we have captured the main news stories of the 1912/13 period which includes some momentous incidents such as the sinking of the Titanic; another iconic event.

Paul Days & Mark Metcalf

May 2011

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the following people who made this book possible at this time:

Photographs and player postcards – George Hoare, John Taylor and Paul Days

Match Reports Courtesy of – NCJ Media

Transcription of Match Reports – Dave Harrison & Paul Days

The manual player records maintained by John Musgrove (RIP) now passed to Paul Days

Kevin Stirling, Aberdeen FC

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/ which proved a valuable resource as did http://www.allfootballers.com/

Lee Stoddart from Sunderland City Council for permission to use the 1913 Town Crest that the Sunderland players wore on their match shirts for the FA Cup Final, although the crest at that time was an unofficial Coat Of Arms.

Bibliography

The following publications were referred to by way of double checking accuracy:

Sunderland The Complete Record - Rob Mason

All The Lads - Garth Dykes & Doug Lamming

Meet Me In The Roker End - Martin Howey & David Bond

A Lifetime In Football - - Charlie Buchan

The Official History Of Sunderland AFC -Paul Days et al

1879 to 2000

The Story Of The Football League - Sutcliffe, Brierley & Howarth

1888 to 1938

Pre Season 1912/13

Prior to the start of the new season the Sunderland Echo reported on Wednesday August 14th 1912 that Sunderland had made five new signings in the close season. One was George Hollander a right back from Edmondsley Rovers, aged 21 years. He stood 5 feet 7 inches, weighing in at 12 stone. The other new men were William Hopkins, James Richardson, John Connor and Fred Martin.

Some notable players had left: James Gemmell returned to Scotland with Third Lanark, whilst Tommy Tait accompanied him north of the Border to Dundee. Gavin Jarvie left for Hamilton Academicals having made over 100 league and cup appearances for Sunderland and Henry Forster made the trip to West Ham United, again after more than a century of appearances.

Perhaps the most high profile departure was that of Arthur Bridgett who became the Secretary-Manager for South Shields FC.

Season ticket prices had been announced. They would be 15s for the shilling stand; £1 1s for the 1/6d stand and £1 11s 6d for the vice-president enclosure

Since the close of the 1911/12 season there had been one change in the laws governing the game in that the goalkeeper was no longer permitted to use his hands anywhere within his own half of the field.

‘It is a change which should give forwards a better chance, and so improve the game in front of goal, where improvement is most needed.’

It was also decided that extra-time would be played if the Cup Final ended all square after 90 minutes.

Prior to the season opener the Whites played The Stripes at Roker Park in two fiercely contest fixtures. On 21 August 1912 the former defeated the latter 4-1. Scoreless at half-time Hinds broke the deadlock after 50 minutes with further strikes from Hindmarsh and Thomson effectively sealing the game. Although Westall reduced arrears on 85 minutes Hindmarsh scored his second with 3 minutes of the game remaining.

Although there is no match report available for the second game the Sunderland Echo reported that ‘the teams were photographed as they came out’. No trace of such a picture can now be found, long lost in the annals of time.

Football in 1912

Whilst a form of football has probably existed for as long as men have had feet with which to kick things, the modern game as know it today was just 50 or so years old in 1912. Various forms of football had come into being in the major public schools during the second or third decade of the 19th century. However the first attempts to unify the different strands and establish a unified system of rules failed in 1848.

Happily there was more success in 1862 and in November that year a match at Cambridge took place between Cambridge Old Etonians and Cambridge Old Harrovians on a level playing field under a set of rules that almost 150 years later most football fans could recognise. Happily the rules, which included eleven players on each side, worked and the revised Cambridge rules of 1863 became the basis for the first laws of the Football Association [FA] that was formed on October 26th 1863.

Within eight years, on November 11th 1871, the first ever matches in the longest running competitive football competition in the world took place when eight sides lined up in the FA Cup. Its success and that of the first international matches that followed soon led to the establishment of a Football League [later Division 1] in 1888 with twelve clubs.

Although Scottish side Queens Park are believed to have been the first side to have recognised the value of ‘letting the ball do the work’ it is Preston North End, as winners of the first two championships, who are credited with inventing the passing game. This brought with it the need to adopt team formations for both attack and defence leading to the 2-3-5 set up of two full backs, three half backs and five forwards of which two, at inside right and left, were expected to support the forwards in attack and the defenders when under attack.

With more and more clubs seeking entry, promotion and relegation was introduced in 1890 with Sunderland becoming the first side ever to be promoted, replacing relegated Stoke City. A second league was formed in 1892-1893 as football’s popularity as a spectator sport increased across the country leading to an increasingly professional sport.

At the start of the 1912-13 season the FA introduced a major change in the rules of the game. Goalkeepers, who it had been decided would now wear a different colour shirt to the rest of their team, would be restricted to handling the ball in their own penalty area thus overturning the rule that previously allowed them to handle the ball anywhere in their own half. The hope was that this would encourage greater attacking play and lead to more goals.

Sunderland AFC - Season 1912/13

In 1904 and 1905 both Manchester City and Newcastle United had come within a whisker of winning the elusive league and cup double. Sunderland were to become the next team to witness heartbreak as they chased this momentous achievement. The 1912/13 season was perhaps the best season the Wearsiders ever had. Again the FA Cup proved to be the Holy Grail that would disappoint.

The season started terribly, with 5 defeats and only 2 draws in the first 7 games. With 18 goals conceded relegation looked a sure bet. However an astonishing turnaround saw Sunderland not only go on to win the title but do so with record points. Add to this an FA Cup final appearance and it was truly a season to remember.

The A team also started badly, with 2 defeats in the first 3 games, but like their senior counterparts would rally.

The first game of the season was at St James Park, Newcastle and in front of over 54,000 Sunderland gained a 1-1 draw. Shepherd had given the Magpies the lead, crashing a shot home off the underside of the bar before Mordue shot past Lawrence in the black and white goal. The game was a family affair with the Low brothers facing each other.

The Defeats

A 0-4 reverse at Ewood Park, initially put down to the exertions against Newcastle was followed by home defeats to Derby and Blackburn, in the former game the Rams goalkeeper Scattergood was outstanding. Oldham then defeated Sunderland so capturing a North East double, having disposed of Newcastle earlier in the season. Tottenham came north and drew before a trip to London produced a 0-3 drubbing at Chelsea; Whittingham scoring the opener just 30 seconds before the interval.

The Turning Point

On 12 October 1912 at Roker Park Sunderland demolished Middlesbrough 4-0. It was the first home victory of the season and was played in pea soup like fog. Sunderland remained unbeaten for the rest of October winning The Hospital Cup against Newcastle United.

Part of the reason for the upturn in fortune had been two astute purchases. Joe Butler from Glossop took over in goal from Anderson and Blackpool’s Charlie Gladwin came further north. The right back weighed in at a hefty 14 stone and stood 6 ft 1in. It was rumoured that even the much respected captain of Sunderland, Charlie Thomson, was wary of Gladwin.

Mordue and Holley then started to score freely with the security of Gladwin behind them. Sunderland won 25 of the next 31 league games.

Notts County were beaten 4-0, Buchan scoring a brace, Sunderland gained there fourth successive win at Valley Parade, 5-1, Buchan scored after 7 minutes and Sunderland never looked back. For the Manchester United game at Roker, Holley was unable to play but it didn’t stop Sunderland running out 3-1 victors.

This made it five wins in a row, six if you count the Hospital Cup. There was a temporary blip, with two defeats in three games. The match at Hyde Road, then home of Manchester City, was lost to a penalty with a Taylor goal disallowed for offside. Then Sunderland played Liverpool and a record tumbled.

The date was 7 December 1912, the score 7-0, it was Sunderland’s biggest win since the 9-1 defeat of Newcastle United at St James Park in 1908 and for Charlie Buchan it was a personal triumph scoring five times, including a second half hat -trick. Strangely the man of the match was the Livers goalkeeper Campbell who was outstanding but for him it would have been double figures.

At Goodison Park, Sunderland completed a memorable Merseyside double winning 4-0. There was a sensational start to the match as Richardson slotted home in the very first minute and from thereon in The Toffees had no answer to a rampant red and white display. The Sunderland team that day had shown two changes, including the return of Gladwin who had recovered from a rheumatism attack.

The greatest game played at Roker that season was against Bolton Wanderers, with never a dull moment. The first half was a treat to watch and even though Sunderland triumphed 2-1, the winner was the game of football itself. Sunderland’s last gasp sickener for the visitors came from a Mordue penalty in the last minute, after Whiteside had handled in the box.

Having beaten Sheffield Wednesday at Owlerton on Xmas Day, Sunderland then succumbed to The Owls at home on Boxing Day, a first home defeat since 18th September. However Sunderland consoled themselves with a 2-0 success over the Magpies on the 28th of December, a game in which Buchan ran riot and but for the sterling vanguard play of Wilson it would have been a bigger defeat for the black and whites.

The 4-1 victory on New Year’s Day over Woolwich Arsenal was completed without the services of George Holley, however for the visiting player Payne it was a return home. The Wearsider was The Gunners centre forward. In fact he set up the visitors’ only goal for Lewis.

The next league game at Roker was against Oldham Athletic, who for the first time left Wearside with a point. By the time Sunderland defeated Spurs at White Hart Lane they lay fourth in the table, although Tottenham had taken the lead through Minter from a capital cross by Middlemiss.

Avenging Sunderland’s earlier defeat at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea were defeated at Roker Park before The Black Cats travelled on to Teesside and registered a 2-0 win at Ayresome Park. In defeating Derby County at The Baseball Ground Sunderland moved to the top of the table.

The home game against Sheffield United was designated as a benefit for Sunderland stalwart Harry Low, and the 25,000 crowd was needed as he had been guaranteed £500 by the club.

By now the FA Cup was in full swing and whilst the season registered a first for the club; an FA Cup Final, it was a Sunderland born football administrator who had beaten the club to such an accolade.

Charles Alcock, elected to the Committee of the Football Association in 1866, played for the Wanderers in the very first FA Cup final of 1871/72, gaining a winner’s medal at the expense of The Royal Engineers. He also refereed the Royal Engineers v Old Etonians in 1874/75 and the 1878/79 game between Old Etonians and Clapham Rovers.

The English Cup Final of 1913 was contested between the two best sides in the country at that time. It was quite simply the game that all football followers had waited for. Generally recognised as the best Cup final since the Everton v Aston Villa Diamond Jubilee final in 1897, it was estimated that in excess of 10,000 Sunderland fans