Huge thanks to Oxford City historian Chris Byrne who has sent us a copy of this 1920 FA Amateur Cup game at what wasn't even being described as the Valley at the time, just the ground "adjoining Charlton Lane and Church Lane."
We lost this game 1 - 2 in front of nearly 4,000 fans.
Charlton turned professional a few months later, a controversial decision opposed by many fans.
Who knows, if we had won and gone of a good run we might have stayed amateur and become a Dulwich Hamlet or Bromley rather than the football league side we would be by 1921.
Comments
Club members and supporters will be interested to know that Capt. I H Benn, C.B., D.S.O., M.P., the club President, having returned from Canada, signified his intention to attend if at all possible, this being his first visit to the new enclosure. Team meet on ground 1.30 sharp; kick-off, 2.15 prompt. Half-an-hour extra must be played if the game in a draw.
There was a crowd of nearly 4,000 on the Charlton ground last Saturday, when Oxford City were entertained in the first round of the English Amateur Cup. The result was a win for Oxford by 2 goals to 1. It was a highly interesting and enjoyable game throughout. Oxford scored first, H Hartley doing the needful, but A. Sheppard quickly equalised. Then the interval arrived. Upon resumption, play continued very even and there was little to choose between the teams. A T Jakeman netted a second for Oxford. and although the Charlton forwards attacked with great energy and forced many corners, they were unable to draw level.
After the match last Saturday, the home team and officials adjourned to the club headquarters, to take tea. Mr. T. Kirkup, of the L.F.A. and Mr. E. Eden, of the L.L., were the guests, and, after the meal, made short speeches, congratulating the players on the splendid performance and saying that the defeat in no way reflected the club record, rather did it enhance the already high respect which was held the club in football circles, and they also tendered very valuable advice.
"Reference has been made to the remarkable remarkably bare conditions of the Charlton ground, and some description of the playing pitch and its surroundings is necessary. The approach to it from the town was truly rustic, the roadway resembling nothing so much as a strip of muddy field littered with old cans and other debris of the ash heap type, and it led steeply down to the bottom of what was once a chalk quarry. On the other hand cliffs rose to a considerable height, and in the space between them the Charlton club are laying out the ground. It is their ambition to make their ground and its appointments “the envy of many amateur clubs”, and one would say unhesitatingly that this site and its surroundings lend themselves admirably to the fulfilment of that aim. There is immense space for the accommodation of spectators on the sloping cliffs, and it was this fact which made the attendance of over 3,000 seem comparatively scanty. The Charlton club has already done wonders in clearing and levelling the actual playing pitch and fencing in the ground, but it was the City’s luck to pay their visit while all this work of preparation is still in its infancy. Of covered shelter for spectators there was absolutely none, the enclosure containing but a single row of forms behind the ropes, while the dressing room for the teams was a very ordinary little wooden hut.
Sporting Opponents
It was, however, the appearance of the actual playing piece that most astonished the Oxford folks so used as they are too good turf and plenty of grass. It was just a stretch of bare ground with little patches of grass here and there, and, while it had been cleared of brick-bats and big stones it was still what one would call rough and gravelly. Certainly, it was a ground on which a heavy fall might have a very painful consequence, but it was the fact that the ball was bound to the unusually lively made the Oxford people a little apprehensive as to the outcome of the game. Charlton are quite a local team of young working men, but they have been doing very well this season in the London Senior and Kent Leagues. By force of circumstances they are compelled to play against professionals in a professionals’ competition, but at heart the club is purely amateur, and in Saturday’s game, exciting though the situation often was, the players were always thorough sportsman."
1 to 22 but players didn't wear numbers on their shirts then
He also played in the 1920 Olympics, GB losing in the first round to Norway, 3-1. In what was clearly an unfair act of outrageous gamesmanship, the organising committee saw fit to appoint only one Englishman among the three officials. Disgrace.
Hunt went on to be a teacher and could count Murray Walker as one of his pupils.
I don't believe they wore numbers at all.
I remember this from owning the British MovieTone News Cup Finals VHS, of which we were featured in 3 (League War Cup vs Arsenal, then Derby & Burnley).