The Corinthian Legacy

A Brief History of the Corinthian Football Club

(Revised March 2025)

Of the clubs Andrew Watson played for, Queen’s Park and Corinthians stand apart. No other clubs can claim such unique footballing legacies in the history of the world’s most popular game. That Watson played for and captained both teams emphasises not only his ability as a player and leader, but also his importance to the history of the game.

Founded in 1882 and originally called the 'Wednesday Club', the Corinthians' first two seasons did not suggest they would be anything other than a mid-week scratch team, made up of mostly mediocre players wanting to play more football. But in 1884, Nicholas Lane 'Pa' Jackson became the general secretary, and their fortunes changed remarkably. Pa would later suggest that he used the Corinthians as a solution to England’s footballing woes, but this may have simply been Pa's tendency for self-aggrandisement. However, the Corinthians would become the world's most famous underdogs under his influence.

Since 1876, England had only won one game against Scotland, and their two most recent results, when Andrew Watson led the Scots to a 1-6 defeat at the Oval in 1881 and, in the following year, a 5-1 thrashing, had been humiliating and embarrassing defeats for the English. The superior Scottish style and technique exposed the weaknesses in the English game. Pa Jackson, an FA committee member at the time, suggested that the key to the Scottish team’s success was that the backbone had always been players from one club, Queen’s Park.

Pa later claimed that he created the Corinthians to serve the English national team similarly and that, under his influence, he successfully put this theory into practice. During his tenure as the manager of the club, a steady stream of Corinthians players received their call-ups for the national team. On two occasions, the club would provide the full squad for two international games.

The first biography of Pa Jackson was published in 2023 by Pitch Publishing.

Pa's masterstroke was bringing together the best amateur players from both sides of the border, including Andrew Watson and Dr. John Smith, plus other Scottish amateurs. Inviting players skilled in the superior Scottish tactics and techniques to join the English amateurs arguably gave birth to the modern game. It allowed the English players to absorb the Scottish style and begin playing the game in their own way. For the Corinthians, it resulted in what would eventually be called 'The Corinthian Style', making them a formidable opponent for the professional sides of the North of England.

Jackson, for all his faults, and there were many, came from a working-class background and was an incorrigible social climber. However, he was also a highly talented administrator. Under his guidance, the Corinthians would become famous, attracting huge crowds to their matches, where they would occasionally score unimaginable victories over some of the biggest and best teams of the day.

Nicholas Lane 'Pa' Jackson Jun.

The Corinthians represented English amateur football’s interests at a time when professionalism began taking hold of the game. In the North of England, football had become a business, and many believed the game's commercialisation would strip it of its honesty and integrity.

There can be no doubt that elements within the ranks of the amateurs in the south of England detested the professional game in the north and actively tried to discredit it. Pa manipulated the tension and organised fixtures between the Corinthians and the best teams in the North.

Pa’s first Corinthian Tour in March 1884 was the only tour the Corinthians would make before the legalisation of professionalism. It would record one of the many remarkable results in Corinthians history. The 8-1 defeat of FA Cup winners Blackburn Rovers would announce the arrival of the Corinthian Football Club. (The Rover's team included Fergus Suter - see Netflix - 'The English Game').

Andrew Watson was in the team that day, playing his eighth game for the club. His friend and fellow Scot, Dr John Smith, scored, as did Tinsley Lindley (2), the Reverend F.W. Pawson (2), Nevill Cobbold, Cecil Holden-White (and one own goal) had humbled the best and most famous team in the land.

Corinthian would also meet Preston North End on the same tour, but probably due to having played five games in five days, they lost 3-1. However, Pa would arrange a return fixture at the Oval against 'The Invincibles' the following month and beat them 3-2. This would be Watson’s last game for the club. Although he would never know it, he had helped to influence a massive sea-change in the development of the beautiful game.

The Corinthians would chart their own course over the following decades but would eventually fall out with the increasingly professional FA, and in 1907 left the Association in favour of the Amateur Football Association. This move meant Corinthian were banished from the FA and could not arrange fixtures with the professional teams they had built their reputation on. Only able to play games against other AFA members, they looked overseas for fresh challenges.

Corinthian became famous for their tours in Europe and further afield. They visited South Africa, North and South America, spreading their gospel of football wherever they went. In 1910, they were invited to tour Brazil, and after a a game in Sao Paulo, the 'Corinthian Style' impressed a group of local football enthusiasts, who founded a club called Sporting Club Corinthian Paulista. SCCP would evolve into become the biggest club in Brazil and two-time World Club Cup Champions.

When touring, the Corinthians played local clubs and inspired the creation of football associations and cup competitions and the formation of clubs and a love of the game. They even challenged the national teams, scoring victories over Brazil, France, Holland, Belgium, Sweden and Germany. Perhaps, unsurprisingly, these nations embraced the game and would later become dominant in world football.

The Corinthian Spirit

They would also remain devout followers of the amateur code. Unlike their professional cousins, they chose not to accept payments, holding the ethos of fair play and sporting integrity as their motivation. This belief became known as the ‘Corinthian Spirit’. The essence of this remains in British sport and is still considered very important as part of an sporting education. The FA’s 'Respect' campaign of recent years is a aligned with the Corinthian legacy.

PostScript

It is open to debate if the Corinthian influence on the English national team improved the results against Scotland. Admittedly, results became more even, and the English would only lose by a single goal or draw. It was not until six years later, in 1888, that the English finally inflicted a 5-0 defeat of the Scots at Hampden Park. In the Scottish team, that day were only four Queen's Park players, yet three of them, Arnott, Hamilton and Lambie, had played for Corinthian. The English team contained no less than five Corinthians.

The Corinthians comprised the whole squad for two international matches, both against Wales.

Cecil Henry Holden-White
(1860-1934) - (c) CCFC

Holden-White was the best-man at Tinsley Lindley's wedding!

Also, in the English team that day was Cecil Henry Holden-White, the Corinthian's first captain, who led them to a 2-1 win in their inaugural game in 1882.

Born in Notting Hill to an Australian wine merchant, Holden-White was not in the typical Corinthian mould. He was not a public schoolboy, had not attended Oxford or Cambridge Universities and was modest, shy and kept a low profile. He first played football with Clapham Rovers and with them would win the London Cup and London Charity Cup twice. He was a founding member of the Middlesex FA and the first Honorary Secretary. He played over thirty times for London and Middlesex and made six appearances for The South vs. The North. His two international appearances were two high-scoring wins over Wales and Scotland.

Rarely photographed, this picture of Holden White with the Corinthians in 1885 is one of a few he posed for. He played for Corinthian for nine years, appearing 69 times, his only goal for the club coming in the 8-1 dismantling of the Blackburn Rovers team in 1884. Like many other Corinthians, he also played over 20 times for The Casuals FC. An injury against Queen's Park at the Oval in 1891 ended his career.

The Corinthian-Casuals Football Club

Decimated by the loss of players in the First World War, Corinthian regrouped and tried to carry on, occasionally scoring famous victories, but the interest in amateur football was declining. The universities and public schools had rejected football for rugby, believing the professionalisation of football was no longer a sport for gentlemen. As a consequence, the pool of high calibre amateur footballers reduced and by 1939, they faced collapse. Much to the disgust of several prominent members of the Club, a merger with The Casuals Football Club was agreed.

The Corinthian-Casuals Football Club stil exists in the eighth level of the English Football League. It continues to adhere to the amateur code and coach the Corinthian Spirit in their Youth Section.

A Brief History

The first club to take Football outside Europe and are credited with having popularised the game around the World.
Corinthian FC beat the national teams of Brazil, Holland, Franch, Sweden, and Germany, among others.
Inspired the term, ‘The Corinthian Spirit’
Still hold the record defeat of Manchester United in 1904 of 11-3.
The only English club to fully represent the English National Side (twice). (Queen's Park did it twice in Scotland)
The only football club to be honoured with a Royal Coat of Arms for services to football.
The number of players (130+) lost during WW1 was more than that of any other association football club, amateur or professional.
Inspired Real Madrid to wear white shirts.
The first Black International player was a Corinthian, Andrew Watson
The only association football club to ever beat the Barbarians at Rugby.
Former players are England Cricket captains, World Record Holders, and Olympic and Wimbledon Tennis Champions.
Inspired the foundation of Brazil's biggest club, SC Corinthians Paulista.
In 1988, Corinthian-Casuals settled in Tolworth and created its first youth section.
For over 100 years, Corinthian held the record for providing the highest number of players to the English National team, more than any other club. Spurs overtook them in 2016.
Jimmy Hill was the club president for many years. Today, cricket legend Mickey Stewart is the president.
The white and navy kit worn by the Corinthian F.C. team was replaced by the famous Casuals F.C. pink and chocolate kit because the club couldn’t afford an away kit. Colour clashes were rarer with pink and chocolate!

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