Charles W. Alcock facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Charles William Alcock | ||
| Date of birth | 2 December 1842 | ||
| Place of birth | Sunderland, England | ||
| Date of death | 26 February 1907 (aged 64) | ||
| Place of death | Brighton, Sussex, England | ||
| Playing position | Centre forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1862–1876 | Forest/Wanderers | ||
| Harrow Pilgrims | |||
| Upton Park | |||
| National team | |||
| 1870–1875 | England | 5 | (1) |
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Charles William Alcock (born December 2, 1842 – died February 26, 1907) was a very important English sportsman. He was also an organizer, writer, and editor. Charles Alcock helped create modern football and cricket. He is most famous for starting the FA Cup, which is a huge football tournament.
Contents
Early Life and School
Charles Alcock was born in Sunderland, England, on December 2, 1842. His father, also named Charles, built and owned ships.
From 1853 to 1859, Charles went to Harrow School. This was a famous school where he learned to play football. After he left Harrow, his family moved to Chingford, Essex.
Football Player
Playing for Forest and Wanderers
In 1859, Charles and his older brother, John Forster Alcock, started a football team. It was called Forest Football Club. They wanted to keep playing the game they loved from school.
In 1863, Charles helped create a new, more famous team called Wanderers F.C.. Many players on this team were also from Harrow School. Charles Alcock was the captain when Wanderers won the very first FA Cup final in 1872. During that game, he scored a goal, but it was not allowed because of an earlier handball.
The Wanderers team was very important for football. They were like the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) of football. This means they were a leading club that helped shape the game. Charles also played for another team called Upton Park.
Playing for England
Charles Alcock was the captain for England in five matches against Scotland. These games were played between 1870 and 1872. However, these matches are not officially recognized as "full internationals" today. This is because the "Scotland" team only had players who lived in London.
On March 6, 1875, he captained the official England team. They played against Scotland. Charles scored a goal in that game, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
Playing Style
Charles Alcock was a pioneer in how football was played. He believed in teamwork and passing the ball. As early as 1870, he saw the benefit of playing football in a "scientific" way.
In 1874, he was the first to talk about the "Combination game". This was an early form of the modern passing style. He said, "Nothing succeeds better than what I may call a 'combination game'." He thought Sheffield FC helped start this modern passing game.
Football Organizer
Forest FC, Charles's first club, helped start The Football Association (FA). The FA is the main group that organizes football in England. Charles's brother, John, was at the first meetings in 1863. Charles later joined the FA's committee in 1866.
FA Committee Member (1866-1870)
Charles Alcock wanted to make football more popular. He suggested that the FA hold special meetings to get more schools and universities to use their rules. He also helped change some rules. For example, he helped remove the "touch down" rule, which was a way to decide ties.
FA Secretary (1870-1895)
In 1870, Charles Alcock became the main secretary and treasurer of the FA. He held this important job for 25 years! During his time, many big things happened in football. International matches started, the FA Cup was created, and professional football began.
First International Matches
Charles Alcock was key in setting up the very first international football matches with Scotland. The first games were in 1870, followed by more in 1871 and 1872. Some people in Scotland felt their team should have more players from Scotland.
Alcock then suggested more games with a Scottish team chosen from Scotland. He even offered to play in the north of England to make travel easier. The newspaper "The Scotsman" called the 1870 and 1871 games "international."
In 1872, Alcock helped make a statement in the FA's notes. It said they would send a team to Glasgow to play Scotland. The official 1872 international match happened on November 30. Charles Alcock could not play because he was injured. Instead, he was the umpire for the game.
Creating the FA Cup
On July 20, 1871, Charles Alcock had a great idea. He suggested that the FA should create a "Challenge Cup." All clubs in the FA would be invited to compete. This is how the FA Cup was born! It was the world's first national football tournament.
The idea came from his school days at Harrow. There, teams played in "sudden death" competitions. Fifteen teams played in the first FA Cup in 1872. Charles was the captain of the winning Wanderers team. The final game was played at The Oval, which was fitting. Charles had just become the secretary of Surrey County Cricket Club the month before.
Professional Football
As the FA Secretary, Charles Alcock was very involved in the discussion about professional players in the 1880s. Some clubs were giving money to players, which was against the rules. Alcock helped create rules for professional football. He knew about professionalism from cricket, where players were already paid.
Referee
Charles Alcock also worked as a referee. He was the referee for the FA Cup Final in 1875 and again in 1879.
Cricket
Charles Alcock also played cricket. He was the captain of Middlesex in their first county match in 1867. He later played for Essex.
From 1872 to 1907, Alcock was the secretary of Surrey. He also helped arrange the first Test match played in England. This was England against Australia at The Oval in 1880.
Writer and Editor
Charles Alcock supported his family by working as a writer and editor. He wrote for and edited many sports books and magazines.
Newspapers
In the late 1860s, Alcock started working at a newspaper called The Sportsman. He became the editor for athletics, football, and cricket news. In 1882, he started his own successful newspaper, Cricket: A Weekly Record of the Game. He also tried to start a football magazine, but it was not as successful.
Annuals
Charles Alcock started and edited the Football Annual from 1867 until he died. He also started and edited James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual from 1872 to 1900. These books were like yearly guides for sports fans.
Death
Charles Alcock passed away on February 26, 1907. He is buried in West Norwood Cemetery in south London, England.
See also
In Spanish: Charles W. Alcock para niños
