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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2010 15:43:22 GMT
Throughout the summer I’ve been doing pieces of proof-reading for a football publication due out in the autumn. This week I’ve been checking the Honourable Artillery Companies, Old Cholmeleians, East Barnet Old Grammarians, Crouch End Vampires, Norsemen and Banks of England that make up the Amateur Football Alliance. At times – especially when I’ve been looking over Division 10 (South) - I’ve wondered what it’s all about. Can anybody enlighten me?
The basics are that the AFA’s London and Home Counties activities centre around three leagues: the Amateur Football Combination (itself a merger of the Southern Olympic, old boys, banks and insurance leagues); the Arthurian League (Old Whatnots to a man – the Old Harrovians were champions this year) and the Southern Amateur League. Between them they have nearly sixty divisions and some clubs run all the way down to having 8th and 9th XIs. There’s also a tremendous variety of cup competitions including the AFA Senior Cup, Arthur Dunn Cup (strictly for the Old Boy types) and oddly-titled competitions such as the Senior, Intermediate and Junior Novets.
It’s all strictly amateur – I guess that’s the case in reality as well as on paper? – and entirely self-contained with no clubs progressing up the non-league pyramid. The standard at the top-end is apparently very high and representative teams have done well in FA competitions against Step 7 leagues. There appears to be a big emphasis on clubs playing at well-appointed facilities with a virtual requirement to wine and dine the opponents afterwards.
Has anybody on this site experience of playing or watching AFA football? Is it a set-up strictly for gentlemen or is there a demarcation of “nobs” and “yobs” between different clubs in the various leagues? The scale of the operation – and the lack of eleven-a-side facilities in places – almost suggests that the AFA makes up for the lack of South Devon League-style leagues in parts of London. That, in turn, hints that there must be some “roughs” gracing the AFA because they can’t all be playing on Hackney Marshes or in five-a-side competitions.
And, although I didn’t realise it as a small child, a relative’s garden backed on to the ground of one of the AFA’s strongest clubs, namely the Old Actonians. If you’ve read Paul McGuigan and Paolo Hewitt’s book about Robin Friday - The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw – you may remember references to him playing for the Old Etonians. Given Robin Friday’s West London roots – and (I'm sure) his essential lack of Etonian connections – I rather suspect he actually played for the Old Actonians. Perhaps that says something about the AFA also having local community associations rather than solely acting as a middle-class sporting network.
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merse
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Post by merse on Jul 13, 2010 20:28:42 GMT
Has anybody on this site experience of playing or watching AFA football? Is it a set-up strictly for gentlemen or is there a demarcation of “nobs” and “yobs” between different clubs in the various leagues? The scale of the operation – and the lack of eleven-a-side facilities in places – almost suggests that the AFA makes up for the lack of South Devon League-style leagues in parts of London.  I've never had any involvement with AFA football in London but my understanding of it is indeed that it is a facilities based set up rather than one of any footballing merit ~ more akin to the cricket network than the traditional footballing set ups in almost every other area. One dormant poster on here, Ealinggull  ; has some experience of playing in it and so to does TB1  as far as I know. You are absolutely right about the lack of good natural grass and full sized pitches in Central and Inner London, but that does not eally hold water further out where there are literally acres and acres of good flat and well tended pitches, and contrary to popular myth those at Hackney Marshes are very well kept and routinely rotated so that they rarely become mudbound or waterlogged. What you also have to acknowledge is the large number of long established and indeed fairly affluent football clubs who have always spurned professionalism and hold long held ethics of fraternity and hospitality and playing the game simply for the pure enjoyment of it, hence the large number of players in this community who play the game well into old age dropping down quite cheerfully from First Eleven to Seventh , Eighth and even Ninth teams! I made mention recently of a game featuring the afore mentioned Crouch End Vampires and Alexandra Park Football clubs who both hold long and cherished histories in which the goalkeepers on either side were well into their sixties. Do you remember the manager who's Sutton United team knocked First Division Coventry City out of the FA Cup? Well his name is Barrie Williams and he still manages an Old Boys Team in Walthamstow and he is pushing eighty now I'd guess! Oh, and you're right about Robin Friday ~ he did indeed play for Old Actonians, before joining Hayes I believe...............and Old Actonians is who Ealinggull played for too! |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2010 6:28:22 GMT
One dormant poster on here, Ealinggull ; has some experience of playing in it and so to does TB1 as far as I know. Although I’ve heard him a few times, I only know TB1 by sight so it would be presumptive of me to attempt to pigeon hole him as an Old Wykehamist rather than, say, a Southgate Olympian. And, having trawled all the way down to Minor Seven South, it’s a shame there’s no sign of the Old NAGs or - for that matter- the Old Highweekians. It’s an interesting point about players being members of clubs for years and gracefully dropping down the teams as they age. I guess having multiple teams was a feature of cricket and rugby – with all those mythical Extra B XVs that rugby columnists used to write about – as well as hockey. Leagues have probably changed that for some clubs. There seems to have been skulduggery in the Southern Amateur League last season with some clubs breaking the rule which says that selection should be “top down” meaning – as you would assume – that the 1st XI should be stronger than the seconds, the seconds stronger than the thirds and so on. One or two league titles have been withheld where it’s been apparent the game is not being played. One example is Minor Seven South where Lloyds TSB Bank F hasn’t been awarded the title. Another banking scandal, perhaps? And, yes, the geographical dispersion of the top clubs is apparent with plenty of addresses in Barnet, Chiswick, Southgate, Northwood, Cheam, Tolworth, Chigwell, Snaresbrook, West Wickham, etc. Good suburban sports club territory. |
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merse
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Post by merse on Jul 14, 2010 6:42:24 GMT
Although I’ve heard him a few times, I only know TB1 by sight so it would be presumptive of me to attempt to pigeon hole him as an Old Wykehamist rather than, say, a Southgate Olympian. Actually the old git is an Old Tweenwayvian (the nearest school his parents could find to Paignton Zoo I suppose).............as is Ealinggull and funny enough TB1 does live in Southgate. I do believe he once played for a pub team called Southgate Old Lumpers who specialised in missing penalties and wearing paper bags over their heads. If you go to the sight of Old Stationers FC and click on the photo of their "Mega Vets" (even copy it onto here if you can handle something that I clearly can't) you will see the true nature of Old Boys football with the emphasis very much on the old. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2010 20:36:04 GMT
If you go to the site of Old Stationers FC and click on the photo of their "Mega Vets" (even copy it onto here if you can handle something that I clearly can't) you will see the true nature of Old Boys football with the emphasis very much on the old. Here are the Old Stationers "mega vets" although I must say a few of them look quite young to me:  As for the Old Actonians, they appear to go down to an 11th XI as this league constitution shows: Minor Division 7 South 1 Alleyn Old Boys 6th 2 Bank of England 5th 3 BB Eagles 7th 4 Carshalton 8th 5 Lloyds TSB Bank 8th 6 Lloyds TSB Bank 9th 7 Merton 6th 8 Old Actonians Association 10th 9 Old Actonians Association 11th 10 Old Wilsonians 8th 11 Old Wilsonians 9th 12 South Bank Cuaco 7th |
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merse
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Post by merse on Jul 14, 2010 21:13:47 GMT
Here are the Old Stationers mega vets although I must say a few of them look quite young to me: Well you and I are old men, I was thinking more of the "boys" aspect of it all. Aren't Old Wilsonians the team of Bob "The Cat" Bevan? |
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Jul 14, 2010 21:33:36 GMT
Aren't Old Wilsonians the team of Bob "The Cat" Bevan? Yes they are. I shared a flat at Uni with a guy who used to play for one of their teams. He was quite posh and he was called Conrad. He used to say how he knew the famous Bob "The Cat" Bevan. We used to say we'd never heard of him - but asked if he knew Mari Wilson. |
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Post by jaildodgergull on Jul 17, 2010 21:11:41 GMT
If you go to the site of Old Stationers FC and click on the photo of their "Mega Vets" (even copy it onto here if you can handle something that I clearly can't) you will see the true nature of Old Boys football with the emphasis very much on the old. Here are the Old Stationers "mega vets" although I must say a few of them look quite young to me: As for the Old Actonians, they appear to go down to an 11th XI as this league constitution shows: Minor Division 7 South 1 Alleyn Old Boys 6th 2 Bank of England 5th 3 BB Eagles 7th 4 Carshalton 8th 5 Lloyds TSB Bank 8th 6 Lloyds TSB Bank 9th 7 Merton 6th 8 Old Actonians Association 10th 9 Old Actonians Association 11th 10 Old Wilsonians 8th 11 Old Wilsonians 9th 12 South Bank Cuaco 7th Can't believe U have a photo of Old Stationers. They R a terrific club - introduced me to PORT - shut outs (Port), hat-thicks (Port), Braces (Port), cost me a fortune! Play Golf a few times a year with the geezer (Merrick) in the track suit top. Must of these guys have had the pleasure of playing in the same side as me. U R absolutely correct regarding Bob ' The Cat' Bevan playing for 'Old Wilsonians' |
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merse
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Post by merse on Jul 17, 2010 21:51:46 GMT
Play Golf a few times a year with the geezer (Merrick) in the track suit top.
Must of these guys have had the pleasure of playing in the same side as me. I told you TB1 aka Jaildodgergull is a legend in his own lunchtime!  |
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merse
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Post by merse on Jul 18, 2010 7:39:27 GMT
TB1 once told me of this epic line up of Old Stationers................. (4-4-2) Collier Wood was in goal, whilst that well known full back pairing of Harrow & Wealdstone with Chalfont & Latimer as central defenders. Midfield saw David Beckton on the right, Rick Mansworth and Chorley Wood in the middle and Peri Vale on the left; whilst up front was Warwick Avenue* & Arch' Way.So upset was TB1 that he couldn't get a game that he asked for a transfer and became an Old Cottager!  * Rumour has it that Warwick's elder brother was so good he managed to reach the Amateur Cup Final all on his own, his name? why Walthamstow of course!
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