First Hitchin FC Professionals

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anthony.brown
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First Hitchin FC Professionals

Post by anthony.brown »

At the Hitchin FC AGM on 24th July 1906, the Club secretary Mr Charles Horton Baylis (a local relieving officer) acknowledged that he 'was the introducer of professionalism into the Club, but at that time it was sadly needed to save the Club from obscurity'. In season 1905/6 the professional wages and expenses were £21 'only'.
It had been a popular decision to introduce professionalism in 1901, and in 1902 Mr Baylis had been presented with a 'handsome silver cigarette case' subscribed for by the players; 'a proceeding which appeared to give unbounded satisfaction to the Club's supporters generally'.
In debt by 1905, the Club eventually folded in 1908, 'after a disastrous season','due chiefly to the lack of support and also to the fact that many of the players joined other clubs'. The final home match on 25th April 1908 was a 0-3 home defeat by Norwich City '. The Hitchin FC which folded in 1911 was an amateur club (I'd call it the second Hitchin FC). The town eventually got HTFC3 in 1928.

Interesting to note that FA Rules at the time state that a club is considered professional even if only one player in the team is a pro. How many pros would Hitchin's £21 have paid for (wages and expenses) in that season 05/06? I think this explains the ambiguity relating to the Club's status in Edwardian times; Hitchin were largely an amateur club employing the occasional pro; what we would call now 'semi-pro'.


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Re: First Hitchin FC Professionals

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At a well attended meeting of the Football Club on Wednesday evening, it was unanimously decided to play next season as a professional club.
Herts & Cambs Reporter Friday 22nd April 1898


Owing to heavy liabilities the Hitchin Town Football Club have dispensed with paid players for the present. Mr Harry Williams, who formerly played for Luton, is the hon.secretary.
Luton Times & Advertiser Friday 8th September 1905.
Last edited by anthony.brown on Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: First Hitchin FC Professionals

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Harry Furr, goalkeeper.
Harold Frederick Furr 13 Jan 1887, Barnet - 23 Nov 1971, Hitchin.
Also played for Hitchin St Johns, Hitchin Union Jack, Hitchin Blue Cross, Croydon Common, Brentford, Leicester Fosse, Letchworth Town, and Hitchin St.Michaels.

George Furr, outside right.
George Melville Furr 14 Aug 1885, Barnet - 2 Jan 1967, Letchworth.
Also played for Hitchin St Johns, Biggleswade, Watford, Manchester City, and Croydon Common.

William Furr, outside right
William Stanley Furr 22 Jul 1891, Barnet - 1975, Biggleswade.
Also played for Brentford, Leicester Fosse, Luton Town, Eccles Borough, and Letchworth Town.

George Payne, inside left
George Clark Payne 17 Feb 1887, Hitchin - 21 Aug 1932 Jaywick (boating accident).
Also played for Hitchin Union Jack, Barnet Alston, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace, Sunderland, Leyton, and Woolwich Arsenal.

William Grimes, winger
William John Grimes 27 Mar 1886 - 6 Jan 1936, Arlesey.
Also played for Glossop, Bradford City, and Derby County.

Frank Cannon, centre forward
Frank Cannon 8 Nov 1884, West Mill, Hitchin - 15 Feb 1916, Potijze, Ypres Killed in Action (acting Company Sergeant Major). On Hitchin and Pirton War Memorials.
Also played for QPR, West Ham & Gillingham (and possibly New Brompton, Port Vale, Coleville and Halifax).

Arthur Mander, goalkeeper. Amateur player at Hitchin 1906/7.
Arthur John Mander 12 Aug 1881, Luton - 26 Feb 1980, Luton.
Waller Street School, Luton Invicta, Westminster College, Luton Reserves.

William 'Billy' Lindsay, full back
William Lindsay 10 Dec 1872, Stockton-on-Tees - 27 Feb 1933, Luton.
Came to Hitchin at the end of a long professional career at Everton, Grimsby, Newcastle, Luton, and Watford. Probably played as an amateur for Hitchin?
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