Corinthian Casuals

[Matt]

To get us away from the misery of Wednesday's performance - here is the history of the Casuals, which makes for interesting reading, and you can see why they are one of the world's oldest and once most prestigious clubs.

 

The Corinthians were founded in 1882 and the Casuals in 1883. N.L.Jackson, who was then Assistant Honorary Secretary of the Football Association, aimed to develop a club side capable of challenging Scotland at international level. A meeting was held at Jackson’s offices in London’s Paternoster Row and thus the club was born. The name came from a suggestion from H.A.Swepstowe who was an England international and was accepted unanimously. Within four years there were nine Corinthians in the England team which drew 1-1 with Scotland. Between 1883 and 1890 of the 88 caps awarded against Scotland, 52 went to Corinthians. The Corinthians fielded the full England side twice, in 1894 and 1895, both matches were against Wales.

 

The Corinthians original constitution stated that the club will not play in any competition was not broken until 1900 when the Sheriff of London Shield was competed for. Aston Villa, who were Football League Champions at the time, were beaten 2-1 as Corinthians lifted their first trophy. Four years later Corinthians inflicted Manchester United’s record ever defeat to the tune of 11-3.

 

After the Great War Corinthians entered the FA Cup for the first time. If they had done so in the 1880’s/90’s then surely the club would have won the cup on several occasions. 1922/23 saw Corinthians take Brighton to a second replay and a year later Blackburn Rovers were beaten 1-0, before 50,000 people witnessed the 0-5 defeat at West Brom. In 1925 the FA Cup was reorganised into its present structure and Corinthians gained a bye to the third round with the Division One and Two clubs. 70,000 saw the two games against Manchester City who finally won 4-0 after a 3-3 draw at Crystal Palace. The bye to the third round continued until the end of 1932/33 season and Corinthians notable results were the 4-0 thrashing of Walsall in 1927, Norwich City 3-0 in 1929 and taking Millwall to a second replay in 1930. The club was also runners up in the Charity Shield losing 2-1 to Cardiff City in 1927.

 

In 1939 the Corinthians decided to amalgamate with The Casuals. This was occurred after years of a sort of entente. A meeting in March 1939 set the ball rolling and, after several problems ironically raised by the younger members of the club, it was completed for the start of the new season.

 

Perhaps the Corinthians greatest contribution to the game was their ‘missionary’ works abroad touring in South Africa, South America, Canada, the US and every corner of Europe. The tour of Brazil in 1910 inspired a certain club called Corinthians Paulista to be formed.

 

The Casuals entered the FA Cup for the first years after their formation, with little success, never getting past the First Round. In 1890/91 Aston Villa knocked out Casuals 13-1 and, Stoke did the same 3-0 the following season and, a year later, it was Nottingham Forest’s turn 4-0. The FA Cup though, was rarely entered after this, right up until way past the amalgamation.

 

In 1894 the Casuals made a lasting impression on the Amatuer Cup by reaching the first Final where Old Carthusians finally won 2-1 at Richmond. The Casuals jointly won the London Senior Cup in 1886/87 after drawing with Old Westminsters and were runners up another five times and the London Charity Cup was won a total of six times in this early period.

 

The Casuals were also founder members of the Isthmian League in 1905 and the Southern Amatuer League in 1907 winning the first AFA Senior Cup in 1908. The Casuals rejoined the Isthmian League in 1919. Whilst they were members they won the Surrey Senior Cup in 1930 beating Nunhead 2-1 in the Final. The Amatuer Cup was collected in 1936 in what was the club’s greatest achievement when, after a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace, Ilford were finally beaten 2-0 in a replay at Upton Park. Casuals were also Isthmian League runners up that year.

 

The newly formed club only played one game before the outbreak of the war, but on the restart of football in 1945 took up their place where they were to stay until 1984. In 1954 the Surrey Senior Cup was collected after defeating Epsom 2-0 and in 1956 Corinthian Casuals were runners up in the Amatuer Cup to Bishop Auckland after a 1-1 draw at Wembley. The replay saw the northerners run out 4-1 winners. A year later the Semi Final of the Amatuer Cup and Final of the London Senior Cup was reached.

 

The club went into decline despite an appearance in the FA Cup First Round in 1965/66 losing 1-5 to Watford. In 1973 the club was relegated for the first time into Division Two, where the club stayed until 1978 when relegation to the basement division occurred.

 

1981/82 saw the club pick up with a final placing of sixth, followed by an eighth a year later. The best season though for some time in 1983/84 ironically ended in relegation to the London Spartan League, due new rules on ground sharing. Despite a placing of fifth and reaching the First Round of the FA Cup (lost in a replay at Bristol City) and the Fifth Round of the FA Vase the club was thrown out.

 

The first season in the Spartan was a disaster with a second consecutive relegation resulting. A year later the club bounced back emphatically as Champions of the Senior Division. Corinthian Casuals remained in the Premier Division of the London Spartan League until 1996.

 

1988 was a historic year as the club secured it’s first ever home ground and was also the year that the Tour to Brazil happened when Socrates made an appearance during one match for the Casuals. Despite this club was almost relegated, but things improved. Two consecutive fifth places followed by a ninth saw the club build a platform which resulted in being runners-up in 1993 and finish in strong positions for the next three years before the switch to the Combined Counties League in 1996. In 1995 the League Cup was also won.

 

The Combined Counties League was a great experience for Corinthian Casuals as the club finished runners-up and won promotion back into their rightful place in the Isthmian League. 1997/98 saw the club finish in a very creditable tenth place in the first season back.

 

1998/99 saw the Casuals recover after a disastrous start where only four points out of the first 21 were collected. The club finished in 11th position but were back in the wars in 2003 when they finished 21st in the newly formed Ryman Division One South.

 

 

[Matt]

The source for that was http://www.pyramidfootball.co.uk/Clubs/Corinthian%20Casuals.htm

[Nathan]

You might have got it off their website if it hadn't closed down.

[Barry Scott]

and wasn't that what was in the programme with a few bits added in?

[Nathan]

No, I don't think so.

[Roger Rebel]

Did they ever play the Mighty Swifts?

[Nathan]

What mighty swifts? I didn't know that there were any mighty swifts?