Lives in Cricket No 19 - Frank Sugg

to improve the cricket club’s precarious financial position.) Sugg played in Derby County’s third match of the 1884 season against Notts County at Trent Bridge, Derby losing 3-1. But Derby County’s archives do not include complete records for pre-1888 appearances. Among the known facts are that Frank has the distinction of scoring the first hat-trick for County in a competitive match (against Stafford Road on 15 November 1884) and that he played in Derby County’s first-ever FA Cup tie in the same year, on 8 November, when County suffered a 7-0 defeat at the hands of Walsall. 46 Apart from these, it seems that Frank’s appearances were in ‘friendlies’ or minor matches, though it should be added that a ‘friendly’ before the onset of organised Football League matches could still involve games with other leading clubs. There is no evidence that Frank Sugg was captain of Derby County. An earlier chapter has described how Frank Sugg came to move from his position at Derby to one at Burnley where he had a secretarial position and played both cricket and football for the Burnley club. Once again, there are no comprehensive statistics on Frank’s appearances for the football club but his first known match was on 21 September 1885, when he scored one goal in Burnley’s easy 9-0 win against Derby St Luke’s at Turf Moor. He appeared in three FA Cup ties for Burnley, on 23 October 1886 in a 3-3 draw against Astley Bridge, on 15 October 1887 in a 4-0 victory against Darwen Old Wanderers and on 5 November 1886 against Accrington when Burnley lost 2-3. His versatility is demonstrated by appearances at centre-forward, centre- or wing-half and even, occasionally, in goal. His popularity at Burnley Football Club was recognised when Albert Craig, the ‘Surrey rhymester’, who in the thirty years before the First World War made a living by writing and selling verses about the celebrated cricketers and footballers of his time, wrote a rhyme about Frank with the title, Good Lad Frank . Here is one of its four verses: Frank puts his whole heart in the business That’s the reason he is prized by all He’s a champion centre-half back, And most brilliant at kicking at goal. He’s genial and kind in manner And always in thorough good trim. Frank Sugg the Footballer 45 46 See Anton Rippon and Andrew Ward, The Story of Derby County, 1884-1991 , Breedon Books, 1991.