SKU: 70136950676

The Early Years of the FA Cup: How the British Army Helped Establish the World's First Football Tournament (Hardcover)

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The Early Years of the FA Cup: How the British Army Helped Establish the World's First Football Tournament (Hardcover)The 150th anniversary of the first FA Cup competition, the earliest knockout tournament in the history of football, will be celebrated during the 2021 2022 season. The first set of matches was played on 11 November 1871, with the Engineers reaching the final played at Kennington Oval on 16 March 1872. During the first decade of the competition three teams associated with the military, Royal Engineers, 1st Surrey Rifles and 105th Regiment, were

The 150th anniversary of the first FA Cup competition, the earliest knockout tournament in the history of football, will be celebrated during the 2021-2022 season. The first set of matches was played on 11 November 1871, with the Engineers reaching the final played at Kennington Oval on 16 March 1872. During the first decade of the competition three teams associated with the military, Royal Engineers, 1st Surrey Rifles and 105th Regiment, were involved in 74 matches. They won more than half of them and scored 154 goals. The Army also produced one of the most respected administrators in the history of football, in the form of Major Francis Marindin, who was involved in the founding of the FA Cup, played in two finals, and refereed a further nine. Military men and units provided a number of ‘firsts’ in the early years of football. The Royal Engineers played in the first ever FA Cup final; Lieutenant James Prinsep of the Essex Regiment was the youngest footballer to appear in an FA Cup final until 2004, although he remains the youngest to complete a full match; Lieutenant William Maynard of the 1st Surrey Rifles played for England in the first ever official international match against Scotland; Captain William Kenyon-Slaney of the Grenadier Guards scored the first ever goal in an official international match, while playing for England; and Lieutenant Henry Renny-Tailyour of the Royal Engineers scored the first ever goal for Scotland in the same match. At a time when there has been talk of a financially-motivated breakaway European Super League, James gives the reader the opportunity to look back at a time when football was played for the game itself. Using his vast knowledge concerning Victorian football and military history, The Early Years of the FA Cup explores the fascinating history of the Army’s involvement in the early years of the world’s most popular sport. With detailed descriptions of the finals and other matches involving the military teams during football’s heyday, this book, for the first time, then follows the men as they went on campaigns to build roads and bridges in hostile territory, provide maps for commanders in famous conflicts such as The Zulu War, Afghanistan, the Sudan, and the Boer Wars, and saw active service on the Western Front during the First World War. In some cases they never returned. Often great footballers are referred to as ‘heroes’ – in the case of the men who played for the Army teams in the early FA Cup competitions, such an epithet is genuinely true.
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SKU: 70136950676

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James Russo
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 5
Beautiful Angel Girl with Birds!!
Just buy it so seeet. I purchased 3 for Morhers day one for my Aunt, one for my sister, and one for myself. Love the pastel colored birds that add color during the day when not lit. Birds light pretty at night I love mine and keep it on a shelf in my screened in porch, so I can enjoy it daily!!!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2026
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A.Lamb
Belleville, US
★★★★★ 4
Beautiful Solar Angel Garden Statue
I honestly teared up a little when I opened this because it’s even more beautiful in person than I expected from the listing. The angel design with the birds perched across the arms is peaceful and eye catching, and once it’s placed in the garden it really becomes a focal point. I positioned mine in a sunny spot and surrounded the base with a few decorative stones to help hold it in place since the statue itself is fairly lightweight. The solar feature works great, I’ve had it outside charging during the day and the birds automatically glow at night with a soft warm light that looks really pretty once the sun goes down. It gives off a calm, cozy glow that makes the yard feel really inviting in the evenings. The resin construction seems durable for outdoor use and overall the detail is really nice for the price point, though if you look very closely you can see a little bit of glue around the birds. Once it’s set up outside though, those little details fade away and the overall effect is just beautiful. Overall I’m really impressed with this piece and it’s a lovely addition to the garden.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2026
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Cowboy Frank
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 5
Angel garden
Very affordable, & timely
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Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2026
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angie
Natrona Heights, US
★★★★★ 5
Beautiful
So beautiful at night on my porch!! I'm buying another one!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2026
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L Mm
Cuba, US
★★★★★ 3
Poor quality
This is really cheap looking in the daylight but it is quite pretty when it lights up at night. I wish the birds weren’t multicolored and could match the white tone of the angel (what makes it look cheap), but when it lights up at night you don’t see the multicolor. It’s just a beautiful glowing soft white. My problem with this is that it tipped over in a light breeze because it’s super light weight and several of the birds popped out and are hanging by their wires and will not stay in after trying to pop them back in. I will probably have to crazy glue them back on. If I put this figure in a sheltered place, then it doesn’t get the sunlight it needs to light up at night. And after the fall, it’s not lighting up well. I’m not sure if that’s because it didn’t get enough sunlight when I sheltered it or some of the wires became dislodged. This is not a good item for a garden. It has no weight to it to make it stable outdoors. *** Additional added note - after the fall, this statue completely stopped working and doesn’t light up at all. A waste of money!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2026

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