Corinthians were perhaps the most famous of the early amateur sides. They were founded in 1882, to provide players for the nascent England team who had developed a habit of losing to Scotland. Within four years they provided nine players to the England side, and later provided the entire selection. They beat the ‘Invincibles’ of Preston in 1889 and still hold the record for Man Utd’s worst ever defeat. Their greatest legacy comes in South America, where Corinthians of Brazil, one of the continent’s most successful sides, was set up in response to a tour by the English amateurs. In the 1930s, they combined with Casuals to become Corinthian-Casuals, who still play in the Isthmian League to this day.
But while the story or Corinthians is well known, what of Casuals? The other half of the arrangement are often overlooked as the history of the club is detailed, and the only obvious lasting legacy is the current club’s distinctive brown and pink kit. But there is a history there, and it deserves to be told.
Initially founded just a year after their sister club, in 1883, Casuals was intended to provide a side made up of players from three of the most prestigious public schools in the country; Eton, Charterhouse, and Westminster. There is some dispute over where the famous colours have come from; the most likely explanation appears to be that it was a mixing of the school colours of Charterhouse and Westminster, although they may also have been the racing colours of founding member Thomas William Blenkiron. Later, they would expand to take players from all public schools, as professionalism took hold and working class players began to dominate. This presented a problem for casuals, who took part in the FA Cup in the first five seasons following their creation, and lost in the very first round each time (no qualifying rounds at this stage). Casuals would have to wait until the divide between the professional and amateur game to start to make their mark.
As it happened, that divide came in 1893. Concerned by the dominance of professional sides, Sheffield FC suggested the creation of an amateur competition, and although initially rebuffed, the FA eventually created the FA Amateur Cup. Corinthians’ founder “Pa” Jackson was appointed head of the amateur committee, and the competition kicked off in a quarter-final stage. For Casuals however, whose opponents Chirk had withdrawn, the real action began in the semi-finals. A 1-0 win over Sherwood Foresters set up a final against Old Carthusians to be played at the Athletic Ground, in Richmond. A tight game saw Casuals fall to a 2-1 defeat, but they had arrived on the amateur stage.
Player records at this stage are a little confusing, especially at the amateur level. Registrations did not exist as we would recognise them, and each club was more like a social and athletic society than the more professional outfits we see today. All of which means that players were often playing for more than one club (Casuals shared a lot of players with Corinthians, making the eventual merger much smoother). What we can say for certain is that in the late nineteenth century, four players registered with Casuals played for England. Although dwarfed by the 86 that came from Corinthians, it is still an achievement for an amateur side whose players had to be selected alongside the professionals.
In 1905, Casuals were founder members of the Isthmian League, and won the inaugural Amateur Football Alliance Senior Cup in 1908, losing the final the following year as well. They won it again in 1913. Despite never winning the league, they developed such a reputation that they were able to tour the country playing exhibition matches, receiving plaudits for their playing style, if not having the same lasting impact of Corinthians. They remained in the Isthmian League for the following thirty years, retaining their amateur status even as others around them professionalised, or at least started paying their players. The current Corinthian-Casuals retain the proud amateur heritage, the only side at their level that do.
The clubs zenith, ironically, came not long before the merger with Corinthians that created the current club. In the 1935-36 edition of the FA Amateur Cup, Casuals made their way through round after round until, for the first time since before the First World War, they made the final again. A 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park saw a replay take place at Upton Park, where 28,000 fans turned up in support. Casuals took the game 2-0. Such was the quality of that side that Casuals were even able to provide a player to the England national side; Bernard Joy, who in being selected became the last amateur to ever represent his country.
The following season, as both sides continued to struggle commercially against the increasingly saturated London football market, Corinthians and Casuals put together a joint committee that pre-empted the official merger of the sides in 1939. Casuals played their final match as a solo-side on 6th May 1939, an exciting 4-3 victory over local rivals Wimbledon. The combined side managed to play just the one game before war broke out, and following its conclusion, Corinthian-Casuals took Casuals place for their first ever season in the Isthmian League.
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