Professional Footballer at Sunderland AFC

[Bill 4423]

Hi all,

I wonder if anyone has any knowledge about the early days of Sunderland AFC?

Hi Looby, here’s a bit of history of Sunderland football club during your ancestor’s time (and before). Although it does not mention him in this match given his standing in the team at that time I suspect he was injured.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1895_World_Championship_(football)

Look at the nationality of both teams. You will realise how he maybe ended up in Sunderland. Sunderland AFC as we know them was started off as Sunderland and district teachers association football club 1879/80 (or something very similar) by a Scotsman – James Allen, from Glasgow (ring a bell?) who was teaching in Sunderland.
They played at a ground off Newcastle road, probably a mile or so from where Roker Park was, until around 1898 when they moved to Roker Park (the football ground).

Hi Bill 4423,
Thank you for your reply.
Agree - Hugh must have been injured to miss such an important match !
I've been researching Hugh's career for some time and find the history of The Scotch Professors very interesting. The first Liverpool football team in 1893 was nicknamed 'The Team of all the Macs' due to the number of Scots on the team.
Samuel Tyzack 'headhunted' or perhaps 'football-boot-hunted' Hugh after he represented Scotland in 1890 playing against Wales. Scotland won 5-0 and Hugh scored the first goal. Whether Tyzack made his approach to Hugh dressed as a priest is not known

Thanks again,
Looby

Much more information on the match I linked to here, including your relative (Sunderland's injured Captin)

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2020/apr/25/even-when-sunderland-ruled-the-globe-club-world-cups-were-controversial

[loobylooayr]

Thank you Bill and apologies for not replying sooner but I didn't notice the email alerting me to your post.

Looby