A HISTORY OF SURREY 



shire ; but owing to inability to fit in the dates 

 only the two former counties were played. 

 Yorbhire, as has always been the case in her 

 matches with Surrey, won,^but Northampton- 

 shire was defeated by three goals and one try 

 to one try. 



In 1887-8 W. P. Carpmael succeeded H. T. 

 Keeling as captain. The minutes of the 

 annual general meeting held on 17 October 

 1887 contained, for the first time, a list of the 

 clubs represented thereat. The list is inter- 

 esting, as showing who supported and helped 

 to resuscitate Surrey Rugby football ; it is as 

 follows : Clapham Rovers, Croydon, Eaton 

 Rovers, Guy's Hospital, Harlequin, Kensing- 

 ton, Kingston, Lennox, Old Leysians, R.I.E. 

 College, St. Thomas' Hospital, Surrey Wan- 

 derers and Wasps. Matches were played 

 against Northamptonshire (won by a goal to 

 a try), Yorkshire (lost by three tries to nil), 

 and Midland Counties (lost by two goals, both 

 dropped, to one goal). 



In 1888-9 a more ambitious programme 

 was arranged. Five matches in all were 

 played, but the only one in which Surrey was 

 successful was that against Kent, who were 

 beaten (for the first time) by two goals and 

 three tries against one try. Defeats were sus- 

 tained from the Maories (who were that 

 season touring in England), Midland Coun- 

 ties, Yorkshire and Oxford University. 



W. J. Olivey having completed his medical 

 studies went to India in the summer of 1889, 

 and was, therefore, compelled to relinquish 

 the post of hon. sec. He had done excellent 

 service, and to him, as well as to F. W. Bur- 

 nand, must all praise be given for their efforts 

 to re-establish county football in Surrey. 

 With the assistance of such enthusiasts as 

 G. F Berney, W. P. Carpmael, A. B. Cipriani 

 and L. F. Elliott, they were successful in 

 putting matters on a more businesslike foot- 

 ing. G. F. Berney (Croydon) became hon. 

 sec. on Mr. Olivey's resignation. 



Fixtures for 1889-90 were arranged with 

 Northamptonshire, Middlesex, Yorbhire, 

 Kent and Essex. The last-named match fell 

 through owdng to frost, but Northampton- 

 shire and Kent were beaten, and the other two 

 were lost, 44 points being scored by Surrey 

 against 18 by their opponents. During this 

 season G. F. Berney was elected on the Rugby 

 Union Committee to fill the vacancy caused 

 by the death of J. D. Vans Agnew ; the only 

 other Surrey man to receive this honour since 

 the reorganization of the County Union in 

 November 1886 having been F. W. Burnand. 

 The Rugby County Championship scheme 

 came into existence during 1 890-1, in which 

 season A. AUport (Blackheath) succeeded W. 



P. Carpmael as captain. The efforts made by 

 the executive bore fruit this season, for 

 Surrey, by defeating Kent and Middlesex, 

 became winners of the South-Eastem Group 

 in the County Championship. The team 

 then journeyed north to Wakefield and Man- 

 chester to play Yorkshire and Lancashire, 

 the respective winners of the North-Eastern 

 and North-Western Groups, losing to the 

 former by ii points to nothing, and to the 

 latter by 14 points to nothing. Matches 

 were also played, and won, against Suffolk and 

 South Midlands. W. R. M. Leake (Harle- 

 quins) played for England in all three Inter- 

 national matches in 1890-1. In April 1891 

 Surrey sustained a very heavy loss by the de- 

 parture of her president, F. W. Burnand, for 

 St. Petersburg, where he has since resided. 

 He had been of the utmost value to Surrey, 

 and his services were greatly missed, both on 

 the executive and on the Rugby Football 

 Union Committee, where his place was taken 

 by W. R. M. Leake. 



L. F. Elliott (Kensington) became presi- 

 dent for 1 891-2, with A. Allport again in the 

 captaincy. G. F. Berney, owing to pressure 

 of business and the amount of time needed to 

 attend to his duties on the R.F.U. Committee, 

 felt compelled, while continuing as hon. trea- 

 surer, to give up his post as hon. secretary ; he 

 was succeeded by H. E. Steed, of the Lennox 

 Club. A great effort of the executive about 

 this time resulted in a material increase in the 

 affiliated clubs, whose numbers rose during 

 the season from sixteen to twenty-two. Two 

 Colts matches, against the Middlesex and 

 Kent Colts, were played. In addition, four 

 engagements in the county championship 

 were fulfilled : those against Eastern Counties 

 and Sussex being won, while defeats were 

 sustained from Middlesex and Kent. The 

 South Midlands beat a weak Surrey team 

 towards the end of the season, when also a 

 trial match was played, to enable the com- 

 mittee to view players who had developed 

 promise during the past season. During the 

 season of 1 890-1 W. P. Carpmael had sug- 

 gested the institution of a cup competition 

 among Surrey clubs, in order to encourage 

 Rugby football. Opinions were equally 

 divided on the subject, and the project 

 fell through for the time being. The new 

 hon. secretary however at once took the 

 matter up and collected sufficient funds 

 among supporters of Rugby football in Surrey 

 to purchase a handsome silver challenge 

 cup, which was presented to the County 

 Union for competition. The rules for the 

 Cup Competition were passed at a special 

 general meeting held on 31 March 1892. 



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