Beyond altruism: British football and charity, 1877–1914

Abstract

The following article will consider the relationship between football and charity from its beginnings in the 1870s to the outbreak of WW1. It will suggest that 'stakeholders' in the game derived significant secondary advantages from what appeared to be purely altruistic endeavours. It will also demonstrate that charity matches and tournaments not only benefited society but assisted the early development of the sport: by bridging the 15-20 year gap between the foundation of football associations and the advent of leagues, they played a significant, if neglected, part in the British association game. Finally, an assessment will be made as to whether the benefits to charity justified the self-congratulatory claims of the football sector. StakeholdersSeveral groups had an interest in the football/charity relationship, not least the charitable institutions themselves who were concerned with obtaining funds for their activities.Football associations authorised, and sometimes organised, charity matches; clubs and their players participated in the games; patrons provided trophies and lent status; and fans 3 paid to watch, thus funding the charities. This section looks at the various stakeholders and possible motives for their involvement. AssociationsThe pioneer in organising regular charity competitions was the SFA, founded in 1873.

Review of periodical literature published in 2010

“…McAnallen looks at Michael Cusack's efforts to develop Gaelic football in Ulster, while Finn considers how universities and elite schools in Ireland privileged team sports in the same way as their English counterparts, but gave it a distinctively Irish tone. Taking a different line, Kay and Vamplew explore the development of the charity football matches, and how this became a less important activity as the commercial side of football increased.…”

The Archive, the Press and Victorian Football: The Case of the Glasgow Charity Cup1

“…However, the charity football match, of which the Glasgow tournament was the pioneer, represents a key stage in the growth of the game, not only in Scotland but throughout Britain, bridging the gap between the foundation of football associations and the advent of leagues. [30] Of some concern to the historian is the way in which the "stories" of its development have been created from dubious and unverifiable primary and secondary sources and it is therefore to traditional materials -the archive and the press -that we must turn in an effort to clarify the origins of the Glasgow Charity Cup. At the same time it has to be acknowledged that these are neither wholly unambiguous, uncomplicated documents nor intrinsically biased texts.…”