A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE 



FOOTBALL 



Football became a universally popular game 

 in the towns and the villages of the county dur- 

 ing the second half of the 19th century; and it 

 is now played almost everywhere by regularly 

 organized clubs. The principal is the Bedford 

 Rugby Football Club, wrhich was formed in 1885 

 by the amalgamation of two earlier clubs — The 

 Swifts and The Bedford Rovers, The Swifts 

 being the older club of the two. After playing 

 in various grounds, the Bedford Rugby Football 

 Club finally rented one of the Town Cricket 

 Club, on the Goldington Road. The club has 

 enjoyed a successful career, and has counted 

 among its members such players as H. W. 

 Finlinson and F. G. Brooks, both of the English 

 International, and Basil Maclear, of the Irish 

 International. Most of the smaller clubs in 

 the towns and villages play the Association 

 game. 



Football was made a compulsory game in the 

 Bedford Grammar School so long ago as 1850 ; 

 the game was then played in a field not far from 

 the present Midland station. The Rev. F. L. 

 Sharpin (Rector of Millbrook), who was then at 

 the Grammar School, states that ' it was not the 

 Rugby game, but was more like what would 

 now be called the Association game, and was 

 probably of the Winchester type, the head master 

 and several other chief masters being Winchester 



men.' Later the Rugby game was introduced 

 and is still played. A field on the Goldington 

 Road was used until the school occupied what 

 was a part of its present ground near Kimbolton 

 road. For a long time the Grammar School 

 has held a high position among the public schools 

 which play Rugby, and many of its old pupils 

 have attained international and other honours in 

 the football world. 



When Rugby football first became an insti- 

 tution at the Bedford Modern School, it was 

 played at Goldington village. Subsequently the 

 boys played in a field near the present Midland 

 station, next in a field on the Goldington Road 

 now occupied by the Goldington Avenue, until 

 the school acquired grounds of its own about the 

 year 1885. Among the more prominent players 

 whom the Modern School has sent out have been 

 A. O. Jones, the well-known ' back,' A. J. 

 Turner who has played for Blackheath, R. E. H. 

 Anderson who has played for the ' Harlequins,' 

 C. E. Chase who has played for Richmond, 

 E. R. Mobbs who has captained the Northamp- 

 ton team, and H. Willett who has played for the 

 East Midland. 



Rugby football is played by all the secondary 

 schools in the county, and as Bedford is a very 

 considerable educational centre, Bedfordshire 

 players are to be found everywhere. 



AQUATICS 



As Bedford possesses an exceptionally fine 

 reach of the River Ouse, rowing is one of the 

 principal local recreations. The first annual 

 regatta took place on 25 August 1853. It has 

 been held every year since, with the exception 

 of the year 1902, with varying degrees of suc- 

 cess, the occasion being regarded as one of the 

 principal summer holidays. A great stimulus 

 was given to local aquatics by the establishment, 

 in 1854, of the boat-building and boat-letting 

 business of Messrs. Chetham, Sons & BifFen. 

 In the early sixties of the 19th century there 

 was already an informal rowing club in existence, 

 and the Grammar School had begun to enter the 

 competitions. The first regular club (recognized 

 by the ' Rowing Directory ') was the * Argo- 

 nauts,' who rowed for the first time — and suc- 

 cessfuUy^in 1866. The present Town Rowing 

 Club has been in existence since 1886. Among 

 the competitors at the regattas have been many 

 crews from London, from various colleges of 

 both universities, and other places, as well as 

 from the Bedford and other public schools. The 

 Bedford Grammar School and the Bedford 

 Modern School holds each its own regatta every 



year. Old Grammar School boys have rowed 

 in the university race — Lord Lucas and Henry 

 Cross for Oxford, and G. H. Branson for Cam- 

 bridge. The Grammar School has an annual 

 eight-oar race with Shrewsbury School, on the 

 Ouse and Severn alternately ; and has also sent 

 an eight-oar crew to Henley to row in the 

 Junior Ladies' Plate. Old Boys from Bedford 

 Modern School have rowed in the University 

 race — W. Mansfield Poole in the Oxford boat, 

 and A. D. Flower in the Cambridge boat. 

 When there was a Public Schools' race at 

 Henley (afterwards changed to Barnes and Mort- 

 lake) the Modern School sent a crew, and won 

 the race the last year it was rowed. The 

 Modern School boys have also rowed for the 

 eight-oar Junior Ladies' Plate at Henley, as well 

 as in the Henley Visitors' coxwainless fours. 



The Bedford Swimming Club was formed by 

 the amalgamation of the Bedford Newnham and 

 Bedford Amateur Swimming Clubs. During the 

 summer several events are held either in one 

 of the public river baths or in the open river, 

 with swimming, diving, water-polo, &c., com- 

 petitions. 



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