SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN 



D'Aeth, who have been tried for Kent, and 

 Mr. J. F. Bawtree, a useful cricketer, more 

 than once seen in the ranks of Essex. To 

 complete the list must be added the names 



of Messrs. E. B. Raikes (Norfolk), H. W. 

 Pank (Hertfordshire), C. Gurdon, who took 

 to rowing at Cambridge ; C. B. Smith and 

 W. S. Gurney (Norfolk). 



FOOTBALL 



ASSOCIATION 



The first record of Hertfordshire football 

 appears to be an engraving, entitled ' Foot- 

 ball at Earner.,' in which three or four youths 

 are shown kicking a ball about a street or 

 marketplace. The date is about 1770, and 

 the only known copy is in Mr. Lewis Evans's 

 Herts Collection of Prints, vol. i., now in the 

 County Museum at St. Albans. 



As first played at most of the Hertfordshire 

 schools football was a mixture of the Harrow 

 and Rugby rules. Upon the introduction of 

 the Association game these new rules were 

 generally adopted, and then the history of 

 Association football in Herts really com- 

 menced. 



The schools of Berkhampstead, Bishop 

 Stortford, Hitchin, St. Albans, Harpenden, 

 Elstree and Aldenham frequently turned out 

 good players. F. E. Brunner of Berkhamp- 

 stead was chosen for Cambridge v. Oxford, 

 but unfortunately broke his leg before the 

 match, and so was unable to play. C. P. 

 Wilson, F. G. J. Ford, W. N. Roe, P. H. 

 Morton and A. T. B. Dunn have all been 

 included amongst the Elstree masters. The 

 following record of Aldenham School foot- 

 ball is kindly supplied by Mr. P. J. Rust, the 

 editor of The Aldenhamlan. 'It is not cer- 

 tain when the school first played football, 

 but the first person in the school register 

 who is described as a member of the football 

 eleven is B. G. Wilkinson, who was at the 

 school from 1866-75. E. O. Roper, who 

 was at Aldenham from 1874-9, played for 

 Ireland in International matches. J. Barnard 

 represented London v. Sheffield at Kennington 

 Oval in 1884. In 1886 he played for Hert- 

 fordshire against Huntingdonshire, and also 

 several times for Cambridge University. N. 

 Logan in 1884 played for Middlesex against 

 Essex ; P. O. Ashby several times for Oxford 

 in 1886. E. R. Ross in the same year dis- 

 tinguished himself for Upton Park. E. E. 

 Villiers in 1887 also represented Upton Park 

 against the Casuals in the penultimate round 

 of the London Cup. E. J. W. Disbrowe 

 won his blue for Cambridge in 1889 and 

 1890, as did J. R. Paull in 1890 and R. A. 

 Low in 1894. S. S. Taylor won his blue for 



Cambridge in 1896, and was captain of the 

 team in 1897-8. R. G. Wright also was 

 one of the Cambridge University eleven in 

 both 1900 and 1901. In 1897-8 Aldenham 

 beat Ware by 6-0 for the Hertfordshire Cup, 

 and getting into the final were defeated by 

 Hitchin 21 after a drawn game.' Lud- 

 grove, a new school at Barnet, under the 

 head-mastership of A. T. B. Dunn, the 

 International player, numbers at the present 

 time among its masters two other Inter- 

 national players : W. J. Oakley and G. O. 

 Smith. 



In the sixties football was being taken up 

 by teams outside the public schools. 



In 1862 Mr. T. F. Pratt Barlow, an old 

 Harrovian, started a football club under 

 Harrow rules, which played in a field near 

 Apsley Mill Two Waters, Hemel Hempsted, 

 and had a life of two seasons. In 1872 this 

 club was restarted by Mr. Lewis Evans, at 

 first with Harrow rules. It took to the 

 Association code in 1873, but again only 

 lasted about three seasons. In 1873 or 1874 

 Mr. Evans formed a club at Kings Langley 

 and one at Abbots Langley in the following 

 year. At this time there was a club at 

 Tring, and one was started at Boxmoor. 



The Hertfordshire Rangers were formed in 

 1866, playing under Association rules. They 

 were compelled to take fresh fields on three 

 occasions, and all these grounds, which were 

 in the vicinity of Watford Station, are now 

 covered with houses. The club was chiefly 

 composed of public school and Cambridge 

 University men, Cambridge not having a 

 regular team at the time. It was well sup- 

 ported by Elstree and Aldenham Schools. 

 Owing to the original members gradually 

 giving up the pastime and the withdrawal 

 of the University contingent a scarcity of 

 players came about, and after holding its own 

 for sixteen seasons against the best clubs in 

 the south of England the club was dissolved 

 in 1883. One of the best of its records is a 

 victory over Cambridge University by one 

 goal to none. Mr. Robert Barker of Rick- 

 mansworth, an English International, was the 

 captain and leading spirit of the club, and 

 Messrs. Chas. Humbert of Watford, S. Tap- 

 rell Holland of Otterspool, Lewis Evans of 



