Lives in Cricket No 7 - Richard Daft

Chapter Twenty-One Winding Up In the 1890s, the family’s focus shifted onto the football career of Harry, now a professional, with Notts County F.C. 4 In 1893/94, while in Division Two, they defeated Bolton Wanderers 4-1 in the F.A. Cup Final at Goodison Park. There was great rejoicing in Nottingham and the team were photographed with the Cup. As it was stolen a year later, while on display in Birmingham, they were the last holders of the original. In 1897, County returned to Division One. A sign of the times was the appointment during the season of 1894/95 of William Gunn, still only 38 years old and one of the leading batsmen of the age, as a director of the Club. Richard tells of his visit to The Oval during the season of 1890/91, when Notts County were to play Blackburn Rovers there in the Cup Final: Knowing there would be an awful crush in the trains on the day of the match, I decided to go up to London the day previously. On the morning of the match, I soon encountered a large body of men who, from the cards in their hats, I easily discerned were supporters of the famed Lancashire club. . . . I saw many of them eyeing me with great apparent interest, but as I was attired in a tall hat and frock coat, they . . . were rather doubtful of my identity . . . they let me get 15/20 yards past them when one of the party raised the cry at the top of his voice, ‘Play up, Notts.’ This caused me to turn round quickly, whereupon the Lancastrians immediately gave me a hearty cheer. These rosy images give no idea how Richard’s business life deteriorated in the 1890s. When he gave up the first-class game after the season of 1880, he should have had the edge on Shrewsbury and Gunn, who were still heavily committed to play with Nottinghamshire, but they were young and active men 126 4 Harry also played for Corinthians, the London-based amateur side, from 1887 to 1890. His appearances included a famous match at Richmond-upon- Thames in November, 1889, when the amateurs beat Preston North End 5-0 in the season after the Lancashire club had won both the FA Cup and the League.