Cuthbert Ottaway - The Full Wiki The Full Wiki More info on Cuthbert Ottaway Wikis Advertisements Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles . Related top topics Encyclopedia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Cuthbert Ottaway, first captain of the England international football team, was regarded by contemporaries as perhaps the most versatile sportsman of his generation. Cuthbert John Ottaway (19 July 1850 - 2 April 1878) [1 ] , one of the most talented and versatile sportsmen of the 1870s, was the first captain of the England football team and led his side in the first official international football match . Ottaway was also a noted cricketer until his retirement shortly before his early death at the age of only 27.

Contents 9 External links Early life, professional career and death Cuthbert Ottaway was born in Dover and educated at Eton (where he was a King's Scholar ) and at Brasenose College , Oxford , where he displayed a versatility as a sportsman matched only by his near-contemporary Alfred Lyttelton . Winning Blues for representing his university at football (1874), cricket (1870-73), rackets (1870-3), athletics (1873) and real tennis (1870-2), Ottaway trained as a barrister and was called to the bar in 1873. He married, in August 1877, Marion Stinson of Hamilton, Ontario , whom he met while touring Canada with an England cricket team, [2] and practised law until his death, in London , as a result of complications "from a chill," according to some accounts, "caught in the course of a night's dancing." Ottaway, whose death family sources more plausibly attribute to "tubercular trouble", had one daughter, Lilian, who was born after his death. He is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery .

Club career Ottaway's greatest successes came as a footballer. He attended school and university at a time when the new Association code was gaining considerable popularity, and - as was often the case in the earliest days of the amateur game - represented several teams, playing for Old Etonians , Oxford University , Crystal Palace and Marlow As a club player, Ottaway took part in three successive FA Cup finals between 1873 and 1875, losing 1-2 with Oxford University against Wanderers in 1873, winning 2-0 with Oxford against Royal Engineers a year later, and then representing Old Etonians against Royal Engineers in 1875. He was noted for his speed and dribbling ability - this at a time when "the dribbling game", in which one man retained control of the ball for as long as possible until tackled, had yet to be superseded by the "combination" (passing) game. Ottaway played an important part in two of his three finals. In 1874 he captained Oxford and helped to pin the Engineers back in their own half for long periods with extended excursions into opposition territory.

[3] He also participated in a three-man dribble that took the ball almost the whole length of the pitch and resulted in the scoring of his team's second and decisive goal. In 1875, Ottaway represented Old Etonians in a match notable chiefly because it was played in a "howling gale". The conditions considerably favoured the Eton team, which had the wind at its backs for all but 10 minutes of the 90, and all 30 minutes of extra time (teams in this period changed ends after every goal). Ottaway himself received a severe hack on his ankle 37 minutes into the final and was forced to leave the field; in his absence, the Old Boys were regarded as fortunate to have held on for a 1-1 draw. Ottaway failed to recover in time for the replay, held only three days later, and Etonians also lost the services of three other players who had prior commitments. Unable to obtain adequate replacements, the Old Boys arrived at the ground an hour late and lost the delayed replay 0-2.

International career As an international, Ottaway was selected to lead the England team travelling to Partick to meet Scotland on 30 November 1872 in what is now recognised as the first international match to be played. (England had met a "Scotland" team in at least five earlier friendlies, but these matches are not regarded as official as the "Scotch" players were drawn solely from those then domiciled in England). England dominated the match, played before a crowd of around 4,000 at the West of Scotland Cricket Club, but were unable to break down an obdurate Scottish defence, a failing probably attributable to the "rampant individualism" indulged by Ottaway's forwards in this early and formative period of the Association game. The game ended in a 0-0 draw. Ottaway did not play in the return fixture, arranged in London for 8 March 1873, but again captained his country in the third England-Scotland international, played once again at Partick on 7 March 1874. On this occasion the result was a 2-1 victory for Scotland.

The reason for Ottaway's selection as England captain in 1872 is clear: the Glasgow Herald of 27 Nov 1872 says 'Mr C.W. Alcock, the captain of the English team, met with an accident recently, and it is very doubtful if he will be so far recovered as to be able to play in this match'. The 10 March 1873 edition: 'The command in the first match was given to Mr C.J. Ottaway (of Oxford University), owing to an accident which prevented their regular captain, Mr C.W. Alcock from again marshalling the forces of England'. And The Field 7 Dec 1872: 'Mr C.J. Ottaway being unanimously selected by the Englishmen as best worthy to take the command.' Playing style and reputation Cuthbert Ottaway played principally as a centre forward in the seven- and eight-man attacks in vogue during the early 1870s, and was described as "an excellent forward, being fast and very skilful in piloting the ball".

As a striker, another contemporary appreciation noted, "he can certainly hold his own against all rivals"; he was "an elegant dribbler and plays well." It would appear that the player depended more heavily on skill and control than most footballers of his period; at a time when play of the most robust sort - including body-checking and "hacking" - was in vogue, Ottaway was praised for his grace. "His beautiful science," another report observed, "exhibited how a ball ought to be taken through a host of foes." Ottaway appears to have been well-regarded by his team-mates, but there are hints that he practised the snobbery not uncommon among men of his class and time. The Sheffield amateur J.C. Clegg (later Sir Charles Clegg, President of the Football Association ), who played alongside him in the first England-Scotland international, remarked in later years that none of the southern amateurs in the side would speak to him. Cricketing career As a cricketer, Cuthbert Ottaway represented Oxford University, Gentlemen , South of England , Middlesex , Kent and M.C.C. , also touring the United States with an England team in 1872.

He played as a right-handed batsman and scored two first-class centuries, both notched at the end of his career, while accumulating a total of 1,691 runs at an average of 27.27. "As a steady, defensive player," according to one obituarist, "he had not many superiors." [4] In his best year, 1873, Ottaway stood fifth in the national first-class batting averages. Though Ottaway represented Gentlemen against Players three times (in 1870, 1872 and 1876) - the highest honour available to a cricketer in the years before the advent of Tests - he is perhaps better known for playing in four Varsity Matches against Cambridge . The most notable of these was the first, in 1870 - a game still remembered as "Cobden's Match" . Scoring 69 in Oxford's second innings and taking an exceptional catch one-handed at long on, Ottaway played a full part in helping his team-mates to a position in which, with three wickets remaining, they needed to score four runs from the final four-ball over to win the game.

Bets were taken among the spectators at 100-1 on for Oxford to win from this position, but they were thwarted by the Cambridge bowler Frank Cobden , who - having conceded one run from the first ball of the over - took a hat-trick with his last three balls to leave Ottaway's team two runs short of a draw and three short of the total required for victory. [5] [6] "By superior bowling and infinitely superior fielding," commented Geoffrey Bolton's History of the OUCC, "Oxford reached a position where they could not lose; and they lost." Honours ^ Jackson's Oxford Journal, 6 April 1878. ^ The Sporting Gazette and Agricultural Journal, 11 January 1879. ^ London Daily News, 16 March 1874. ^ Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle, 6 April 1878. ^ Glasgow Herald, 30 June 1870. ^ Derby Mercury, 6 July 1870. Works consulted Bolton, Geoffrey (1962). History of the OUCC. Oxford: Holywell Press. Gibbons, Philip (2001).

Association Football in Victorian England: A History of the Game from 1863 to 1900. Leicestershire: Upfront Publishing. ISBN 1-84426-035-6. Gibson, Alfred, and William Pickford (1906). Association Football and the Men Who Made It. London, 4 vols.: The Caxton Publishing Company. Wall, Sir Frederick (2006 reprint of 1935 original). 50 Years of Football 1884-1934. Cleethorpes: Soccer Books. Warsop, Keith (2004). The Early FA Cup Finals and the Southern Amateurs. Beeston: Soccer Data. ISBN 1-899468-78-1 External links Cuthbert Ottaway: England's sporting genius rediscovered - BBC Sport BBC Sport Cuthbert Ottaway: England's sporting genius rediscovered By William Kremer Read more about sharing. England's first football captain was arguably the greatest sportsman of his - or perhaps any - era.

Cuthbert Ottaway lifted the FA Cup as skipper of Oxford University, represented them at five different sports ranging from athletics to real tennis, and once shared a 150-run partnership with WG Grace in the highest level of cricket. His most notable achievement was captaining England in the first ever international football match though. About 4,000 spectators, including a "large number of ladies", gathered to watch the historic game against Scotland at the West of Scotland Cricket Club in Partick on 30 November 1872. It was reported to have been an exciting match yet, like many an international friendly since, ended in a 0-0 draw. Find out more Get the World Football podcast So Ottaway - who was also a barrister and died at the age of only 28 after "catching a chill on a night out dancing" - had quite a sporting CV. Yet when Michael Southwick, a handyman from Winlaton, near Newcastle, decided to find out more about this character with the olde-worlde name, he drew a blank. Even Ottaway's place of burial was unknown.

When Southwick finally traced it to Paddington Old Cemetery, he found a faceless stone slab, as the granite memorial it had once supported had been removed by Westminster Council in the 1970s. So he set out on a three-year mission to write Ottaway's biography, discovering a man of breath-taking sporting ability and versatility. Ottaway first established himself as a sportsman at Eton, after winning a scholarship to the famous school. He won championships in rackets - a predecessor to squash - and played the Eton field game, their version of football. But it was in the national sport of the day, cricket, that he truly excelled. As a 16-year-old, he played for Eton against Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), scoring 55 runs, and then went on to clock up nine centuries in a single season in 1869. Oxford University's only FA Cup-winning side - Ottaway is sitting on the far left Later that year, he won a place at Brasenose College, Oxford, and went on to represent the University at the top level in five different sports - athletics, rackets, real tennis, cricket and football - which remains a record.

Ottaway's sporting genius reached its zenith in 1872. Following his 150-run partnership with Grace, the sporting superstar of the day, in a Gentlemen v Players match - the highest level of cricket at the time - he was invited to take part in a "Gentlemen of England" tour of North America. Effectively, it was an invitation to play for the national cricket team. They played eight undefeated matches - five in Canada and three in the United States - with Ottaway opening the batting with Grace as well as keeping wicket. In the first match, against Montreal, he made nine stumpings and shared in a 100-run opening partnership. During this time, football was emerging as a means for old-boys from different public schools to play ball games against each other. An original ticket to the famous match And in November, Ottaway, fresh from his cricket tour of North America, was appointed as England's captain for the first ever international football match, against Scotland. It's fair to say his side's style of play was primitive. "England would run with the ball in a rolling maul, like in rugby, but with the ball at the feet rather than in the hand," says Southwick.

A player dribbling would be protected by his team-mates barging opponents out the of way. In contrast, their Scottish opponents ran forward in pairs, passing the ball between themselves. It was called the "combination game", an early version of modern football. Anarchic and amateurish as the early game might seem now, Ottaway was undoubtedly an effective forward. "He was a flair player," says Southwick. "He was very fast - after all he was a sprinter and long jumper - and also agile. Pace would have been an important part of his game." Exciting and historic the match may have been, yet it still ended goalless. In March 1873, Ottaway played for Oxford University in only the second final of the Football Association Challenge Cup - the world's oldest football competition, which became known as the FA Cup - against Wanderers at Lillie Bridge in London. His side lost 2-0 though. A year later he made amends, captaining Oxford to a 2-0 win over the Royal Engineers at the Kennington Oval thanks to goals from Charles Mackarness and Frederick Patton.

Evolution of the beautiful game 1863: The Football Association is formed 1866: Catching the ball is deemed illegal 1881: The referee is introduced 1882: Pitch boundary is marked out 1887: 12-yard penalty line introduced 1912: Handling by goalie restricted to penalty area Shortly afterwards, Ottaway captained Oxford University in their first varsity football match against Cambridge University, a match which must have been a bizarre spectacle. All 11 Cambridge players stood on their own goal line for almost the entire game. Ottaway instructed his men to hang back and tempt the enemy out and eventually they scored to win 1-0. In 1875, he played in his third consecutive FA Cup final, this time for Old Etonians against the Royal Engineers. The game, again held at the Kennington Oval, was played in a howling gale and ended 1-1. It led to the convention of the teams swapping ends at half-time, to equalise the effect of the wind. Previously, teams had changed ends only when a goal was scored or if a half ended goalless.

This became Ottaway's last-known football match, as in the 37th minute he received a "severe hack" to his ankle and was forced to leave the field and miss the replay, which the Royal Engineers won 2-0. Ottaway subsequently married and began to focus on his burgeoning career as a barrister. Then, on 2 April 1878, at the age of just 28, he died, from pneumonia caught on a night out dancing. In the ensuing years, Ottaway seems to have been gradually forgotten. Until now that is. Southwick's biography of him was published in 2009 and read by Paul McKay, a player for the England Fans' Football Club, who was "horrified" by the dilapidated state of Ottaway's grave when he visited it. He promptly set about raising funds for a new memorial and it was unveiled in a ceremony last week, while two commemorative football matches took place at one of Ottaway's former clubs, Marlow FC.

Cuthbert Ottaway's grave in 2006 and Paul McKay and Mick Southwick standing next to the new memorial The day before the recent friendly against Scotland at Wembley, England captain Steven Gerrard admitted he had only recently heard of Ottaway. "He had the honour of being the first England captain and it is great that what he achieved is being recognised in this way," the Liverpool player said of the new memorial. But for McKay, whose day job is as a senior manager at Nottinghamshire County Council, the battle to revive Ottaway's name is not over. He is now lobbying the FA to name a hospitality suite after him at St George's Park, the national football centre. "Bobby Moore's grave would never have been allowed to go into that state of disrepair," McKay says. "It is very difficult to compare the great Sir Bobby Moore with Cuthbert Ottaway, but he was England's first football captain.

Bobby Moore followed in his footsteps." The first England captain and the latest one Occupation Cuthbert John Ottaway – England’s First Football Captain | The Dover Historian Cuthbert John Ottaway – England’s First Football Captain Posted on April 27, 2013 by Lorraine Cuthbert Ottaway (1850-1878) First England football Captain Public schools, in the mid 19th century, started to look upon sport as an important part in boys’ education to encourage such qualities as fair play, self-control and team spirit. The different public schools developed different versions of the game of football with different sets of rules. Attempts at uniformity were made at Cambridge University between 1846 and 1863 but it was not until 26 October that year, at a meeting at Great Queen Street London, that the Football Association (FA) was formed. The meeting was attended by representatives of 11 clubs it was agreed to play by a prescribed set of rules and they named their version Association Football. Over time, Association was shortened to ‘soc’, which eventually became ‘soccer’.

While all of this was going on, England’s football squad’s first captain, Cuthbert John Ottaway, was probably kicking a ball around in Dover – where he was born on 20 July 1850! Cuthbert’s father, James Ottaway was a local surgeon and active in local politics. Indeed, in 1852, he was elected Councillor, appointed a magistrate eleven years later and was Dover’s Mayor in 1859-60, when the Stone Hall was restored. Dr Ottaway resided at 7 Camden Crescent and according to Dover’s historian, John Bavington Jones, is to be remembered for introducing a poor box in the Police court for the relief of distressed prisoners. Camden Crescent & Hammond Place near the seafront 1844 Cuthbert was born at Hammond Place, near the seafront, Dover and christened at St James (Old) Church on 14 August 1850. He spent his early years attending a small school in St James’ Street and gained a place at Eton having passed the College Election examination as a King’s Scholar. This meant that his fees were wavered.

It was while at Eton that Cuthbert showed considerable acumen in sports. This versatility came to the fore when Cuthbert was an undergraduate at Brasenose College, Oxford reading law. He represented the University in real tennis (1870-1872), cricket and rackets (1870-1873), athletics (1873) and football. As was usual in the early days of the FA, he played for several teams besides Oxford University including the Old Etonians, Marlow and Crystal Palace. In 1872, Charles Alcock, the secretary of the FA, launched the FA Cup competition. The following year Cuthbert represented Oxford University against Wanderers, losing 1-2 in the final. The following year, as captain, he again represented Oxford University and took his team to a decided 2-0 victory against the Royal Engineers. In 1875, he represented the Old Etonians again in the final against the Royal Engineers, but sustained an injury to his heel and left the field in the 37 minute. The game ended in a one all draw and Cuthbert was not fit enough for the re-match.

The Old Etonians, unable to get an adequate substitute, lost 2-0. Charles Adcock also set up the first international football game; this was against Scotland and took place at West Scotland Cricket Club, Partick on 30 November 1872. Cuthbert was selected as a forward due to his speed, ability as a striker and dribbling technique. At the time the essence of the game was retaining control of the ball for as long as possible and tackles – it was not until later that passing the ball to other players became the major feature of soccer. Camden Crescent today. Alan Sencicle An accident prior to the game put Charles Alcock, who was to be the captain, out and Cuthbert was appointed in his place. Thus, a Dovorian became the first to captain the England team in an International competitive match! This was played before a crowd of 4,000 and throughout England dominated but the game ended in a one all draw. The return match was at Kennington Oval and although Cuthbert did not play, England won 4-2. A third international match was on 7 March 1874.

Again, this was against Scotland as the only other country participating in international soccer at the time. Although, Cuthbert was appointed captain England lost 2-1. Cuthbert was also part of the 1872 England cricket that toured the United States. The following year he was ranked as fifth in the national first-class battering averages and gained two full England caps. It was while on tour in Canada that he met and married Marion Stinson of Hamilton, Ontario. When Cuthbert was not involved in sport he took his law studies seriously and was called to the Bar in 1873. However, on 2 April 1878, having suffered chest complications, possibly tubercular in origin but attributed by some to a chill following a nights dancing, he tragically died at his home in Pimlico, London. He was aged 28. Lillian, his only child, was born after his death. Cuthbert is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery, West London.

Published: Dover Mercury 17 June 2010 Share this: Cuthbert Ottaway: England's sporting genius rediscovered - BBC Sport BBC Sport Cuthbert Ottaway: England's sporting genius rediscovered By William Kremer Read more about sharing. England's first football captain was arguably the greatest sportsman of his - or perhaps any - era. Cuthbert Ottaway lifted the FA Cup as skipper of Oxford University, represented them at five different sports ranging from athletics to real tennis, and once shared a 150-run partnership with WG Grace in the highest level of cricket. His most notable achievement was captaining England in the first ever international football match though. About 4,000 spectators, including a "large number of ladies", gathered to watch the historic game against Scotland at the West of Scotland Cricket Club in Partick on 30 November 1872. It was reported to have been an exciting match yet, like many an international friendly since, ended in a 0-0 draw.

Find out more Get the World Football podcast So Ottaway - who was also a barrister and died at the age of only 28 after "catching a chill on a night out dancing" - had quite a sporting CV. Yet when Michael Southwick, a handyman from Winlaton, near Newcastle, decided to find out more about this character with the olde-worlde name, he drew a blank. Even Ottaway's place of burial was unknown. When Southwick finally traced it to Paddington Old Cemetery, he found a faceless stone slab, as the granite memorial it had once supported had been removed by Westminster Council in the 1970s. So he set out on a three-year mission to write Ottaway's biography, discovering a man of breath-taking sporting ability and versatility. Ottaway first established himself as a sportsman at Eton, after winning a scholarship to the famous school. He won championships in rackets - a predecessor to squash - and played the Eton field game, their version of football. But it was in the national sport of the day, cricket, that he truly excelled.

As a 16-year-old, he played for Eton against Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), scoring 55 runs, and then went on to clock up nine centuries in a single season in 1869. Oxford University's only FA Cup-winning side - Ottaway is sitting on the far left Later that year, he won a place at Brasenose College, Oxford, and went on to represent the University at the top level in five different sports - athletics, rackets, real tennis, cricket and football - which remains a record. Ottaway's sporting genius reached its zenith in 1872. Following his 150-run partnership with Grace, the sporting superstar of the day, in a Gentlemen v Players match - the highest level of cricket at the time - he was invited to take part in a "Gentlemen of England" tour of North America. Effectively, it was an invitation to play for the national cricket team. They played eight undefeated matches - five in Canada and three in the United States - with Ottaway opening the batting with Grace as well as keeping wicket.

In the first match, against Montreal, he made nine stumpings and shared in a 100-run opening partnership. During this time, football was emerging as a means for old-boys from different public schools to play ball games against each other. An original ticket to the famous match And in November, Ottaway, fresh from his cricket tour of North America, was appointed as England's captain for the first ever international football match, against Scotland. It's fair to say his side's style of play was primitive. "England would run with the ball in a rolling maul, like in rugby, but with the ball at the feet rather than in the hand," says Southwick. A player dribbling would be protected by his team-mates barging opponents out the of way. In contrast, their Scottish opponents ran forward in pairs, passing the ball between themselves. It was called the "combination game", an early version of modern football. Anarchic and amateurish as the early game might seem now, Ottaway was undoubtedly an effective forward. "He was a flair player," says Southwick. "He was very fast - after all he was a sprinter and long jumper - and also agile.

Pace would have been an important part of his game." Exciting and historic the match may have been, yet it still ended goalless. In March 1873, Ottaway played for Oxford University in only the second final of the Football Association Challenge Cup - the world's oldest football competition, which became known as the FA Cup - against Wanderers at Lillie Bridge in London. His side lost 2-0 though. A year later he made amends, captaining Oxford to a 2-0 win over the Royal Engineers at the Kennington Oval thanks to goals from Charles Mackarness and Frederick Patton. Evolution of the beautiful game 1863: The Football Association is formed 1866: Catching the ball is deemed illegal 1881: The referee is introduced 1882: Pitch boundary is marked out 1887: 12-yard penalty line introduced 1912: Handling by goalie restricted to penalty area Shortly afterwards, Ottaway captained Oxford University in their first varsity football match against Cambridge University, a match which must have been a bizarre spectacle. All 11 Cambridge players stood on their own goal line for almost the entire game.

Ottaway instructed his men to hang back and tempt the enemy out and eventually they scored to win 1-0. In 1875, he played in his third consecutive FA Cup final, this time for Old Etonians against the Royal Engineers. The game, again held at the Kennington Oval, was played in a howling gale and ended 1-1. It led to the convention of the teams swapping ends at half-time, to equalise the effect of the wind. Previously, teams had changed ends only when a goal was scored or if a half ended goalless. This became Ottaway's last-known football match, as in the 37th minute he received a "severe hack" to his ankle and was forced to leave the field and miss the replay, which the Royal Engineers won 2-0. Ottaway subsequently married and began to focus on his burgeoning career as a barrister. Then, on 2 April 1878, at the age of just 28, he died, from pneumonia caught on a night out dancing. In the ensuing years, Ottaway seems to have been gradually forgotten. Until now that is.

Southwick's biography of him was published in 2009 and read by Paul McKay, a player for the England Fans' Football Club, who was "horrified" by the dilapidated state of Ottaway's grave when he visited it. He promptly set about raising funds for a new memorial and it was unveiled in a ceremony last week, while two commemorative football matches took place at one of Ottaway's former clubs, Marlow FC. Cuthbert Ottaway's grave in 2006 and Paul McKay and Mick Southwick standing next to the new memorial The day before the recent friendly against Scotland at Wembley, England captain Steven Gerrard admitted he had only recently heard of Ottaway. "He had the honour of being the first England captain and it is great that what he achieved is being recognised in this way," the Liverpool player said of the new memorial. But for McKay, whose day job is as a senior manager at Nottinghamshire County Council, the battle to revive Ottaway's name is not over. He is now lobbying the FA to name a hospitality suite after him at St George's Park, the national football centre.

"Bobby Moore's grave would never have been allowed to go into that state of disrepair," McKay says. "It is very difficult to compare the great Sir Bobby Moore with Cuthbert Ottaway, but he was England's first football captain. Bobby Moore followed in his footsteps." The first England captain and the latest one Occupation Learn and talk about Cuthbert Ottaway, Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford, England international footballers, English cricketers, English cricketers of 1864 to 1889 This article's lead section may not adequately summarize key points of its contents. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. Please discuss this issue on the article's talk page . (August 2013) Cuthbert Ottaway, first captain of the England international football team, was regarded by contemporaries as perhaps the most versatile sportsman of his generation. Cuthbert John Ottaway (19 July 1850 – 2 April 1878), [1] was an English footballer . He was the first captain of the England football team and led his side in the first official international football match .

Representing his university at five different sports – a record that remains unmatched [2] – Ottaway was also a noted cricketer until his retirement shortly before his early death at the age of only 27. Contents 9 External links Early life, professional career and death[ edit ] Cuthbert Ottaway was born in Dover , the only child of James Ottaway, a surgeon and former mayor of the town. [3] He was educated at Eton (where he was a King's Scholar ) and at Brasenose College , Oxford , where he displayed a versatility as a sportsman matched only by his near-contemporary Alfred Lyttelton . Representing his school in the annual cricket match against Harrow , [4] twice victor in the Public Schools' Rackets Doubles Championship, [5] and winning Blues for representing his university at football (1874), cricket (1870–73), racquets (1870–73), athletics (1873) and real tennis (1870–72), Ottaway was – an Oxford newspaper remembered after his death – "a great cricketer...

the best amateur racquet player of his time, a capital football player and a fair sprint runner. It has fallen to the lot of few amateur cricketers to attain greater popularity, and his reception on the day when he took his degree at Oxford was something to be remembered." [6] Ottaway read Classics at Brasenose, [2] and, after going down, trained as a barrister and was called to the bar in 1873. He married, in August 1877, Marion Stinson of Hamilton, Ontario – whom he met, when she was just 13, while touring Canada with an England cricket team [7] [8] – and practised law until his death, in London, as a result of complications from a chill caught in the course of a night's dancing. [9] The precise cause of death remains a matter of speculation. Diabetes ran in the Ottaway family, and this may have increased his susceptibility to respiratory diseases. It is also possible that he had earlier contracted tuberculosis . [9] Ottaway had one daughter, Lilian, who was born after his death. He is buried in Paddington Old Cemetery .

[10] Club career[ edit ] Ottaway's greatest successes came as a footballer. He attended school and university at a time when the new Association code was gaining considerable popularity, and – as was often the case in the earliest days of the amateur game – represented several teams, playing for Old Etonians , Oxford University , Crystal Palace and Marlow . As a club player, Ottaway took part in three successive FA Cup finals between 1873 and 1875, losing 1–2 with Oxford University against Wanderers in 1873, winning 2–0 with Oxford against Royal Engineers a year later, and then representing Old Etonians against Royal Engineers in 1875. He was noted for his speed and dribbling ability – this at a time when "the dribbling game", in which one man retained control of the ball for as long as possible until tackled, had yet to be superseded by the "combination" (passing) game. Oxford University's F.A. Cup winning side of 1874 (Ottaway sitting at front, first on the left). Ottaway played an important part in two of his three finals.

In 1874 he captained Oxford and helped to pin the Engineers back in their own half for long periods with extended excursions into opposition territory. [11] He also participated in a three-man dribble that took the ball almost the whole length of the pitch and resulted in the scoring of his team's second and decisive goal. In 1875, Ottaway represented Old Etonians in a match notable chiefly because it was played in a "howling gale". The conditions considerably favoured the Eton team, which had the wind at its backs for all but 10 minutes of the 90, and all 30 minutes of extra time (teams in this period changed ends after every goal). Ottaway himself received a severe hack on his ankle 37 minutes into the final and was forced to leave the field; in his absence, the Old Boys were regarded as fortunate to have held on for a 1–1 draw. Ottaway failed to recover in time for the replay, held only three days later, and Etonians also lost the services of three other players who had prior commitments.

Unable to obtain adequate replacements, the Old Boys arrived at the ground an hour late and lost the delayed replay 0–2. Although the precise nature of Ottaway's ankle injury remains unknown, there is no evidence that he never played senior football again after the 1875 Cup Final. His biographer, Michael Southwick, suggests that "the damage sustained to his ankle... signalled the end of his footballing career." [12] International career[ edit ] As an international, Ottaway was selected to lead the England team travelling to Partick to meet Scotland on 30 November 1872 in what is now recognised as the first international match to be played. (England had met a "Scotland" team in five earlier friendlies , but these matches are not regarded as official as the "Scotch" players were drawn solely from those then domiciled in England). England dominated the match, played before a crowd of around 4,000 at the West of Scotland Cricket Club , but were unable to break down an obdurate Scottish defence, a failing probably attributable to the "rampant individualism" indulged by Ottaway's forwards in this early and formative period of the Association game.

The game ended in a 0–0 draw. Ottaway did not play in the return fixture, arranged in London for 8 March 1873, but again captained his country in the third England-Scotland international, played once again at Partick on 7 March 1874. On this occasion the result was a 2–1 victory for Scotland. The precise reasons for Ottaway's elevation to the captaincy in 1872 are not known. Southwick suggests that he owed his selection solely to Charles Alcock , who had originally been chosen to captain the team by the committee of the Football Association. Alcock was injured playing for Old Harrovians some time before the international, and, writes Southwick, "it being too late to call a committee meeting... it fell, almost certainly, to Alcock, and Alcock alone, [to decide] who would fill the breach." [13] The Field, on the other hand, suggested that the decision was made by general acclaim, writing: "Mr C.J.

Ottaway [was] unanimously selected by the Englishmen as best worthy to take the command." [14] Playing style and reputation[ edit ] Cuthbert Ottaway played principally as a centre forward in the seven- and eight-man attacks in vogue during the early 1870s, and was described as "an excellent forward, being fast and very skilful in piloting the ball". As a striker, another contemporary appreciation noted, "he can certainly hold his own against all rivals"; [15] he was "an elegant dribbler and plays well." [15] It would appear that the player depended more heavily on skill and control than most footballers of his period; at a time when play of the most robust sort – including body-checking and "hacking" – was in vogue, Ottaway was praised for his grace. "His beautiful science," another report observed, "exhibited how a ball ought to be taken through a host of foes." [15] Ottaway appears to have been well regarded by his team-mates, but there are hints that he practised the snobbery not uncommon among men of his class and time. [3] The Sheffield amateur J.C.

Clegg (later Sir Charles Clegg, President of the Football Association ), who played alongside him in the first England-Scotland international, remarked in later years that none of the southern amateurs in the side would speak to him. Cricketing career[ edit ] As a cricketer, Cuthbert Ottaway represented Eton College, Oxford University , Gentlemen , South of England , Middlesex , Kent and M.C.C. , also touring the United States and Canada with an England team in 1872. He played as a right-handed batsman and first came to public notice in 1868, when his 108, scored in the Eton-Harrow match at Lord's , was largely responsible for his team's victory in the fixture by an innings and 108 runs. [16] Ottaway went on to score two first-class centuries, both notched at the end of his career, while accumulating a total of 1,691 runs at an average of 27.27.

"As a steady, defensive player," according to one obituarist, "he had not many superiors," [17] and Southwick writes that he was "considered to have both the best defensive and most correcting batting action. of his day." [18] In his best year, 1876, Ottaway stood fourth in the national first-class batting averages. [18] Though Ottaway represented Gentlemen against Players three times (in 1870, 1872 and 1876) – the highest honour available to a cricketer in the years before the advent of Tests – he is perhaps better known for playing in four Varsity Matches against Cambridge . The most notable of these was the first, in 1870 – a game still remembered as "Cobden's Match" . Scoring 69 in Oxford's second innings and taking an exceptional catch one-handed at long on, Ottaway played a full part in helping his team-mates to a position in which, with three wickets remaining, they needed to score four runs to win the game.

Bets were taken among the spectators at 100–1 on for Oxford to win from this position, but they were thwarted by the Cambridge bowler Frank Cobden , who – having conceded one run from the first ball of his four-ball over – took a hat-trick with his last three balls to leave Ottaway's team two runs short of a tie and three short of the total required for victory. [19] [20] "By superior bowling and infinitely superior fielding," commented Geoffrey Bolton's History of the OUCC, "Oxford reached a position where they could not lose; and they lost." References[ edit ] ^ Jackson's Oxford Journal, 6 April 1878. ^ a b Southwick, Michael. England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, p. 24 ^ a b Southwick, Michael. England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, p. 14 ^ Southwick, Michael.

England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, p. 17 ^ Southwick, Michael. England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, p. 18 ^ Jackson's Oxford Journal, 27 April 1878. ^ The Sporting Gazette and Agricultural Journal, 11 January 1879 ^ Southwick, Michael. England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, pp.32–33 ^ a b Southwick, Michael. England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, p. 49 ^ Southwick, Michael.

England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, p. 51 ^ London Daily News, 16 March 1874. ^ Southwick, Michael. England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, p. 43 ^ Southwick, Michael. England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, p. 35 ^ The Field, 7 December 1873 ^ a b c Warsop, Keith. The Early F.A. Cup Finals and the Southern Amateurs, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2004, p. 111 ^ Southwick, Michael. England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, p.

19 ^ Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle, 6 April 1878. ^ a b Southwick, Michael. England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, p. 45 ^ Glasgow Herald, 30 June 1870. ^ Derby Mercury, 6 July 1870. Works consulted[ edit ] Bolton, Geoffrey (1962). History of the OUCC. Oxford: Holywell Press. Gibbons, Philip (2001). Association Football in Victorian England: A History of the Game from 1863 to 1900. Leicestershire: Upfront Publishing. ISBN 1-84426-035-6 . Gibson, Alfred, and William Pickford (1906). Association Football and the Men Who Made It. London, 4 vols.: The Caxton Publishing Company. Southwick, Michael (2009).

England's First Football Captain: A Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878. Nottingham: Soccer Data. ISBN 978-1-905891-27-6 . Wall, Sir Frederick (2006 reprint of 1935 original). 50 Years of Football 1884–1934. Cleethorpes: Soccer Books. Warsop, Keith (2004). The Early FA Cup Finals and the Southern Amateurs. Nottingham: Soccer Data. ISBN 1-899468-78-1 Original courtesy of Wikipedia: — Please support Wikipedia. This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia . A portion of the proceeds from advertising on Digplanet goes to supporting Wikipedia. We're sorry, but there's no news about "Cuthbert Ottaway" right now. Limit to books that you can completely read online Include partial books (book previews) Oops, we seem to be having trouble contacting Twitter Support Wikipedia A portion of the proceeds from advertising on Digplanet goes to supporting Wikipedia. Please add your support for Wikipedia! Searchlight Group Digplanet also receives support from Searchlight Group.

Visit Searchlight Copyright © 2009-2017 Digparty. All rights reserved. Britain’s Greatest Sportsmen – Part 3: Cuthbert Ottaway | A Halftime Report September 17, 2015 / 0 comments Britain’s Greatest Sportsmen – Part 3: Cuthbert Ottaway The third instalment of our look at Britain’s four greatest all-round sportsmen sees us turn our attention to one Cuthbert John Ottaway. Whilst the tale of C.B. Fry was tinged with tragedy, as Fry failed to reach the heights he should have in a number of his pursuits, before eventually falling into madness and having a growing admiration of Adolf Hitler, Ottaway’s story is a genuine tragedy, and the least well-told. He represented Oxford University at five different sports – football, cricket, racquets, athletics and real tennis – making him the first and still the only person to ever represent their university in five sports. He was the first ever captain of the England football team, in the world’s first officially recognised international football match.

He also played in three consecutive FA Cup finals, winning one, and was widely regarded as one of the finest cricketers of his generation, twice scoring first-class centuries despite being a largely defensive player. Ottaway was born on the 19th of July 1850 in Dover. His father, James Ottaway, worked as a surgeon and also served as the Mayor of Dover. His family were wealthy and comfortable, and Ottaway was sent to Eton for his education. Like Fry, Ottaway succeeded in both his sporting and academic interests, and also like Fry who succeeded him, Ottaway’s academic interests centred upon the Classics. He was a King’s Scholar at Eton, immediately recognised for his academic promise, but his sporting abilities soon came to the floor. A talented footballer and cricketer, Ottaway hit a century – 108 in total – in the annual cricket match played between Eton and Harrow at Lords. From Eton, Ottaway headed to Brasenose College, Oxford, to read Classics. At Oxford, Ottaway played five different sports to ‘blue’ level, the only man to have ever done so.

At a time when almost all sports were an amateur affair, Ottaway did not see his sporting pursuits as any replacement for his non-sporting work prospects. He soon switched from the Classics to training as a barrister. In 1973, at the age of 23, Ottaway was called to the bar. A year earlier, he had become the first captain of the England football team. It was actually the sixth game played between a group of English and Scottish players, but as the previous five had only consisted of Scottish players playing in the English leagues, and more specifically London, they were never recognised as official international matches. It was this only this tie which became known, and officially recognised by FIFA, as the first ever international football match. The date was November 30th 1872, when the England team, led by Ottaway, headed to Partick to face Scotland at the West of Scotland Cricket Club. It is said that Charles Alcock was originally set to captain the team, but after he was injured whilst playing for the Old Harrovians, the armband was handed to Ottaway.

Alcock himself was a fine multi-sportsman, playing a key role in creating international football and cricket, as well as the FA Cup. How exactly Ottaway replaced Alcock is up for debate, with some reports suggesting that the decision was left to Alcock to decide his replacement and others stating that it was a unanimous decision made by the England squad. Either way, it was Ottaway who led the team out in front of a 4,000 crowd on a cold Saturday afternoon in Scotland. England were the stronger side, seeing the lions share of the ball, but struggling to break down a resilient Scottish defence. Eventually the tie ended with a 0-0 draw being the outcome. Two more games were to follow, a return leg played at Lords featured two very young sides, with an overall average age of just 22.8, and there were goals in this tie, as England ran out 4-2 victors, although Ottaway missed the game. The third game was played back at Partick, and Ottaway returned as captain once more, although the Scots exacted revenge on home soil, winning the game 2-1. This was a time when football was a very different game.

The style of play was firmly bedded within the era known as ‘rampant individualism’. Noted for his grace and elegance on the ball and burning pace, unsurprising given that he was a highly competitive sprinter, Ottaway was known as one of the finest dribblers of his day. Respected by the England team but not loved, some took a dislike to his seeming snobbishness. At club level, Ottaway played for Old Etonians, Oxford University, Crystal Palace and Marlow. He played in three consecutive FA Cup finals, the first two with Oxford and the last with Eton. The second final he played in was his only victory in the competition, as Oxford beat the Royal Engineers 2-0 in 1874, in front of a 2,000 crowd at the Kennington Oval, with Ottaway captaining his team to cup glory. The following year Ottaway reached his third and last FA Cup final, this time with the Old Etonians, and he faced the Royal Engineers once more.

Ottaway’s side found themselves one up in a game they were dominating, when Ottaway was hacked down by Richard Ruck and suffered a painful ankle injury in the 37th minute. The Old Etonians had the wind on their side on a day which featured “howling gales” for 80 of the 90 minutes in which the game was played. But down to 10 men and up against a strong Engineers team, they did well to hang on to a 1-1 draw. In the replay, Ottaway was still injured, and the Engineers won the game 2-0. There is no further record of Ottaway playing football again, it is believed the injury ended his career and the 1875 cup final was his last game, aged 25. His cricket career went on past the injury though. Ottaway had been highly regarded within the sport ever since his century at Lords whilst playing for Eton against Harrow, and in 1870 he played in his first Gentlemen vs Players and his first Varsity Match, widely regarded as the highest honours for a cricketer in the days preceding Test matches.

His first Varsity Match for Oxford was the famous game that has become known as ‘Cobden’s Match’, in which Oxford lost from a position where it appeared impossible for them do so. Ottaway scored 69 to help Oxford to a position where they needed just 4 runs from 3 wickets to win the game, but Frank Cobden, the Cambridge bowler, took a hat-trick of wickets with his last three balls to win the game for Cambridge. A right-handed batsmen, Ottaway played for the likes of Kent and Middlesex, as well as representing his country, his university and the south of England. He toured the United States and Canada with the England cricket team in 1872, and was considered to have one of the finest batting techniques in the country at that time. He hit a total of 1,691 career runs, with a batting average of 27.27. In 1876, Ottaway had the fourth highest first-class batting average in England. Despite being a defensive player, he managed two first-class centuries, both coming at the tail end of his career.

It was whilst on his tour of the United States and Canada that Ottaway met his wife-to-be. The then 13-year-old Mario Stinson was a young lady who hailed from Hamilton, Ontario. Ottaway and Stinson married in August 1877. He played his last football match in the 1875 FA Cup Final and his last cricket match in the 1876 Gentlemen against Players match. He continued to work as a barrister until his death on the 2nd of April 1878. Ottaway was just 27 years old when he lost his life, leaving his teenage wife widowed and pregnant. The exact cause of Ottaway’s death is unknown. It is known that he spent the night of his death out dancing, and is thought to have caught a chill. His family had a history of diabetes, increasing the chances of respiratory diseases, and it has also been suggested that Ottaway had been living with tuberculosis for some time before his eventual death in the Spring of 1878. His wife, Marion, was 18-years-old and 5 and a half months pregnant when Cuthbert lost his life.

She remained strong, and went on to live a remarkable life as a philanthropist and war worker. She had lost her father to tuberculosis at the age of 6 and perhaps her husband at the age of 18, and spent much of her life devoted to fighting the infectious disease. Once WWI broke out, Stinson turned her attentions to the war effort, even transforming her home into a hospital for returning soldiers and becoming heavily involved in the Canadian Red Cross Society. She is remembered as one of the great female figures in Canadian history, and her son – but not Ottaway’s – Harry Crerar, went on to become Canada’s leading field commander in WWII. The true tragedy of Cuthbert Ottaway, perhaps, is not his untimely death at the age of 27, or the fact that he never got to meet his child, but rather the manner in which history has forgotten him. He was widely known in his era as an exceptional sportsmen, but whilst the legacy of the likes of C.B. Fry and Max Woosnam remains strong, Ottaway has been almost forgotten about.

His grave, at Paddington Old Cemetery, was practically in ruins before, in 2013, it was finally restored by the F.A. His name though is still only known by a few, and this is a great shame for the man who was England’s first football captain, an exceptional cricketer, the finest amateur racquet player in the country and perhaps the most diverse university sportsman in history. Share this: cuthbert ottaway : definition of cuthbert ottaway and synonyms of cuthbert ottaway (English) 9 External links Early life, professional career and death Cuthbert Ottaway was born in Dover , the only child of James Ottaway, a surgeon and former mayor of the town. [3] He was educated at Eton (where he was a King's Scholar ) and at Brasenose College , Oxford , where he displayed a versatility as a sportsman matched only by his near-contemporary Alfred Lyttelton .

Representing his school in the annual cricket match against Harrow , [4] twice victor in the Public Schools' Rackets Doubles Championship, [5] and winning Blues for representing his university at football (1874), cricket (1870–73), racquets (1870–03), athletics (1873) and real tennis (1870–02), Ottaway was – an Oxford newspaper remembered after his death – "a great cricketer... the best amateur racquet player of his time, a capital football player and a fair sprint runner. It has fallen to the lot of few amateur cricketers to attain greater popularity, and his reception on the day when he took his degree at Oxford was something to be remembered." [6] Ottaway read Classics at Brasenose, [2] and, after going down, trained as a barrister and was called to the bar in 1873.

He married, in August 1877, Marion Stinson of Hamilton, Ontario – whom he met, when she was just 13, while touring Canada with an England cricket team [7] [8] – and practised law until his death, in London , as a result of complications from a chill caught in the course of a night's dancing. [9] The precise cause of death remains a matter of speculation. Diabetes ran in the Ottaway family, and this may have increased his susceptibility to respiratory diseases. It is also possible that he had earlier contracted tuberculosis . [9] Cuthbert Ottaway had one daughter, Lilian, who was born after his death. He is buried in Paddington Old Cemetery . [10] Club career Ottaway's greatest successes came as a footballer.

He attended school and university at a time when the new Association code was gaining considerable popularity, and - as was often the case in the earliest days of the amateur game - represented several teams, playing for Old Etonians , Oxford University , Crystal Palace and Marlow As a club player, Ottaway took part in three successive FA Cup finals between 1873 and 1875, losing 1-2 with Oxford University against Wanderers in 1873, winning 2-0 with Oxford against Royal Engineers a year later, and then representing Old Etonians against Royal Engineers in 1875. He was noted for his speed and dribbling ability - this at a time when "the dribbling game", in which one man retained control of the ball for as long as possible until tackled, had yet to be superseded by the "combination" (passing) game. Ottaway played an important part in two of his three finals. In 1874 he captained Oxford and helped to pin the Engineers back in their own half for long periods with extended excursions into opposition territory.

[11] He also participated in a three-man dribble that took the ball almost the whole length of the pitch and resulted in the scoring of his team's second and decisive goal. In 1875, Ottaway represented Old Etonians in a match notable chiefly because it was played in a "howling gale". The conditions considerably favoured the Eton team, which had the wind at its backs for all but 10 minutes of the 90, and all 30 minutes of extra time (teams in this period changed ends after every goal). Ottaway himself received a severe hack on his ankle 37 minutes into the final and was forced to leave the field; in his absence, the Old Boys were regarded as fortunate to have held on for a 1–1 draw. Ottaway failed to recover in time for the replay, held only three days later, and Etonians also lost the services of three other players who had prior commitments. Unable to obtain adequate replacements, the Old Boys arrived at the ground an hour late and lost the delayed replay 0-2.

Although the precise nature of Ottaway's ankle injury remains unknown, there is no evidence that he ever played senior football again after the 1875 Cup Final. His biographer, Michael Southwick, suggests that "the damage sustained to his ankle... signalled the end of his footballing career." [12] International career As an international, Ottaway was selected to lead the England team travelling to Partick to meet Scotland on 30 November 1872 in what is now recognised as the first international match to be played. (England had met a "Scotland" team in five earlier friendlies , but these matches are not regarded as official as the "Scotch" players were drawn solely from those then domiciled in England). England dominated the match, played before a crowd of around 4,000 at the West of Scotland Cricket Club , but were unable to break down an obdurate Scottish defence, a failing probably attributable to the "rampant individualism" indulged by Ottaway's forwards in this early and formative period of the Association game. The game ended in a 0–0 draw.

Ottaway did not play in the return fixture, arranged in London for 8 March 1873, but again captained his country in the third England-Scotland international, played once again at Partick on 7 March 1874. On this occasion the result was a 2–1 victory for Scotland. The precise reasons for Ottaway's elevation to the captaincy in 1872 are not known. Southwick suggests that he owed his selection solely to Charles Alcock , who had originally been chosen to captain the team by the committee of the Football Association. Alcock was injured playing for Old Harrovians some time before the international, and, writes Southwick, "it being too late to call a committee meeting... it fell, almost certainly, to Alcock, and Alcock alone, [to decide] who would fill the breach." [13] The Field, on the other hand, suggested that the decision was made by general acclain, writing: "Mr C.J.

Ottaway [was] unanimously selected by the Englishmen as best worthy to take the command." [14] Playing style and reputation Cuthbert Ottaway played principally as a centre forward in the seven- and eight-man attacks in vogue during the early 1870s, and was described as "an excellent forward, being fast and very skilful in piloting the ball". As a striker, another contemporary appreciation noted, "he can certainly hold his own against all rivals"; [15] he was "an elegant dribbler and plays well." [15] It would appear that the player depended more heavily on skill and control than most footballers of his period; at a time when play of the most robust sort - including body-checking and "hacking" - was in vogue, Ottaway was praised for his grace. "His beautiful science," another report observed, "exhibited how a ball ought to be taken through a host of foes." [15] Ottaway appears to have been well regarded by his team-mates, but there are hints that he practised the snobbery not uncommon among men of his class and time. [3] The Sheffield amateur J.C.

Clegg (later Sir Charles Clegg, President of the Football Association ), who played alongside him in the first England-Scotland international, remarked in later years that none of the southern amateurs in the side would speak to him. Cricketing career As a cricketer, Cuthbert Ottaway represented Eton College , Oxford University, Gentlemen , South of England , Middlesex , Kent and M.C.C. , also touring the United States and Canada with an England team in 1872. He played as a right-handed batsman and first came to public notice in 1868, when his 108, scored in the Eton-Harrow match at Lord's , was largely responsible for his team's victory in the fixture by an innings and 108 runs. [16] Ottaway went on to score two first-class centuries, both notched at the end of his career, while accumulating a total of 1,691 runs at an average of 27.27.

"As a steady, defensive player," according to one obituarist, "he had not many superiors," [17] and Southwick writes that he was "considered to have both the best defensive and most correcting batting action. of his day." [18] In his best year, 1876, Ottaway stood fourth in the national first-class batting averages. [18] Though Ottaway represented Gentlemen against Players three times (in 1870, 1872 and 1876) - the highest honour available to a cricketer in the years before the advent of Tests - he is perhaps better known for playing in four Varsity Matches against Cambridge . The most notable of these was the first, in 1870 - a game still remembered as "Cobden's Match" . Scoring 69 in Oxford's second innings and taking an exceptional catch one-handed at long on, Ottaway played a full part in helping his team-mates to a position in which, with three wickets remaining, they needed to score four runs to win the game.

Bets were taken among the spectators at 100–1 on for Oxford to win from this position, but they were thwarted by the Cambridge bowler Frank Cobden , who – having conceded one run from the first ball of his four-ball over – took a hat-trick with his last three balls to leave Ottaway's team two runs short of a draw and three short of the total required for victory. [19] [20] "By superior bowling and infinitely superior fielding," commented Geoffrey Bolton's History of the OUCC, "Oxford reached a position where they could not lose; and they lost." Honours References ^ Jackson's Oxford Journal, 6 April 1878. ^ a b Southwick, Michael. England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, p. 24 ^ a b Southwick, Michael. England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, p. 14 ^ Southwick, Michael.

England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, p. 17 ^ Southwick, Michael. England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, p. 18 ^ Jackson's Oxford Journal, 27 April 1878. ^ The Sporting Gazette and Agricultural Journal, 11 January 1879 ^ Southwick, Michael. England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, pp.32-33 ^ a b Southwick, Michael. England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, p. 49 ^ Southwick, Michael.

England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, p. 51 ^ London Daily News, 16 March 1874. ^ Southwick, Michael. England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, p. 43 ^ Southwick, Michael. England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, p. 35 ^ The Field, 7 December 1873 ^ a b c Warsop, Keith. The Early F.A> Cup Finals and the Southern Amateurs, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2004, p. 111 ^ Southwick, Michael. England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, p.

19 ^ Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle, 6 April 1878. ^ a b Southwick, Michael. England's First Football Captain: a Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878, Nottingham: Soccerdata, 2009, p. 45 ^ Glasgow Herald, 30 June 1870. ^ Derby Mercury, 6 July 1870. Works consulted Bolton, Geoffrey (1962). History of the OUCC. Oxford: Holywell Press. Gibbons, Philip (2001). Association Football in Victorian England: A History of the Game from 1863 to 1900. Leicestershire: Upfront Publishing. ISBN 1-84426-035-6 . Gibson, Alfred, and William Pickford (1906). Association Football and the Men Who Made It. London, 4 vols.: The Caxton Publishing Company. Southwick, Michael (2009). England's First Football Captain: A Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850–1878.

Nottingham: Soccer Data. ISBN 978-1-905891-27-6 . Wall, Sir Frederick (2006 reprint of 1935 original). 50 Years of Football 1884–1934. Cleethorpes: Soccer Books. Warsop, Keith (2004). The Early FA Cup Finals and the Southern Amateurs. Nottingham: Soccer Data. ISBN 1-899468-78-1 External links Restored headstone for first England captain and former Marlow Football Club player Cuthbert Ottaway (From Bucks Free Press) Restored headstone for first England captain and former Marlow Football Club player Cuthbert Ottaway THE restored gravestone of a legendary Marlow footballer, who played in the first ever official international match, is set to be unveiled tomorrow. Cuthbert Ottaway was the Captain of the England team that played Scotland in 1872. There will be a ceremony at Paddington Old Cemetery in London to re-instate the headstone of the former Marlow Football Club player.

And on Wednesday, to coincide with the England v Scotland International at Wembley, marking the FA's 150th anniversary, there will be two games in Marlow at Riley Park. It has been organised by EnglandFans FC. Marlow Mayor Suzanne Brown and the chairman and directors from Marlow FC attend the ceremony. EnglandFans FC spokesman Garford Beck said: "Cuthbert Ottaway was a great sportsman excelling also at cricket, athletics, rackets, and real tennis - he tragically died at the early age of 28. "Football historians recently discovered his grave and headstone in a dilapidated state in Paddington Old Cemetery in London. The ceremony is open to the public, it’s free, and it would be nice to see as many England fans there, as possible." On Wednesday Marlow FC Vets XI will play EnglandFans FC Vets XI at 10am at Riley Park, formerly the Crown Ground where Marlow F.C. played from 1870 until 1916. The Marlow veteran’s team will include some recent Marlow favourites, including, Steve Croxford, Kieron Drake, Mattie Glynn, Kevin Stone and James Pritchard.

At 1pm at the Alfred Davis Memorial Sports Ground EnglandFans FC will play against Tartan Army Select FC. Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Scotland legend, Frank Gray, only man to play for two different English clubs’ in a European Cup Final, will manage the Scots for the Cuthbert Ottaway Memorial Cup. Admission is free to both games, there will be ample, free car-parking. For more information call 07944-828527 or e-mail garfordbeck@hotmail.com .

Question: Cuthbert Ottaway was the first captain of which national football team in their first official international match?
Answer: England