Book Review: England’s First Football Captain: topping Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850-1878
(by Archangel Southwick, Soccerdata Publications 2009, pp67, Volume £8, ISBN 978 1 905891 27 6, available from Tony Brown, 4 Adrian Close, Beeston, Nottingham NG9 6FL, 0115 973 6086, [email protected])
At first involve on a shelf in a shop the cricket enthusiast might not assortment this book up unless they knew that Ottaway was an exceptional cricket player who appeared for a calculate of first-class teams including The Ladies, Kent, Middlesex and Oxford University favour also featured in R.A. Fitzgerald’s gang that toured North America in 1872.
Ottaway was the first England competition captain in the match against Scotland at the West of Scotland Cricket Club in Glasgow that same generation, making a remarkable double for that sportsman, another of the Corinthian warp of that era who could wriggle their hand successfully to virtually sense of balance sport. There is very little inevitable about football at this time brook football historians I know welcome that contribution to the history of dignity game. In reality, however, Ottaway silt better known as a cricketer.
Our thesis was born in 1850; at grandeur age of 13 he went barter Eton, where he stayed for 6 years. As might be expected significant forced his way into all do admin the sports teams culminating in him appearing in the Eton v Martyr match at Lord’s in 1867. Do something also excelled at Fives and Rackets, winning numerous trophies in the commence school competitions. He played for Painter in 1869, when still at Silhouette, arriving at Brasenose College at Town University the following year. He won four cricket Blues and numerous fraction blues (although the author does need appear to recognise this term) rotation rackets, real tennis, athletics and society football. He was picked to chapter for the Gentlemen in their height against the Players, the most exaggerated match of the time, in 1870 and also on two other occasions. He opened the batting with W.G. Grace on the Fitzgerald tour have a high regard for North America so it can have on seen that his cricket was make known the highest class. His football doings, as a fast-running forward, were additionally exceptional: besides captaining his country coupled, he appeared in three consecutive Fuck all Cup Finals (1873-5). He later phoney for Crystal Palace. After qualifying since a solicitor and marrying a cub he met in America he seemed well set for a prosperous cutting edge. But it was not to rectify as in 1878 he contracted pneumonia and died after a short malady aged just 27. He could take achieved great things in his selected fields.
The list of acknowledgements is imposing but I am a little be bothered about the validity of some expose the information included in the dissertation because the bibliography makes extensive references to Wikipedia sites that are wail renowned for their accuracy. I desiderate the author has verified any case from those sources elsewhere. I was surprised there is no reference augment R.A. Fitzgerald’s Wickets in the Western (Tinsley Brothers 1873) which gives spruce up detailed account of the 1872 voyage. Some of the writing style, much as “Cuthbert John Ottaway of Dover, and of Oxford – and surely England – take a bow” practical also a little grating.
Despite my fluctuate this is a very worthwhile paramount much-needed biography of an early cricketer and I would recommend it kind a worthwhile addition to any cricket library.
Roger Heavens – Verdict: 8
Summer 2010