The Royal Engineers Association Football Club is an

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is t ...

team representing the

Corps of Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

, the 'Sappers', of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...

and based in Chatham, Kent. In the 1870s, it was one of the strongest sides in English football, winning the

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competit ...

in 1875 and being Cup finalists in three of the first four seasons. The Engineers were pioneers of the

combination game The Combination Game was a style of association football based around teamwork and cooperation. It would gradually favour the passing of the ball between players over individual dribbling skills which had been a notable feature of early Associati ...

, wher
teammates
passed the ball to each other rather than kicking ahead and charging after the ball. With the rise of professional teams, in 1888 the Engineers joined a newly formed Army Football Association.

History

The club was founded in 1863, under the leadership of Major

Francis Marindin Colonel Sir Francis Arthur Marindin, KCMG (1 May 1838 – 21 April 1900) served with the Royal Engineers and was a key figure in the early development of association football. He was later knighted for his work in public services.Frederick Wall, who was the secretary of

The Football Association The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world ...

1895–1934, stated in his memoirs that the "

" was first used by the Royal Engineers A.F.C. in the early 1870s.Cox, Richard (2002) ''The Encyclopaedia of British Football'', Routledge, United Kingdom Wall states that the "Sappers moved in unison" and showed the "advantages of combination over the old style of individualism". Contemporary match reports confirm that passing was a regular feature of the Engineers' style. An 1869 report says they "worked well together" and "had learned the secret of football success – backing up"; whereas their defeated opponents had "a painful want of cooperation".''Bell's Life'' in ''London and Sporting Chronicle'', 18 December 1869 In February 1871 against Crystal Palace it is noted that " Lieut. Mitchell made a fine run down the left, passing the ball to Lieut. Rich, who had run up the centre, and who pinched another oal By early 1868, a contemporary match report states "For the R.E.s Lieuts Campbell, Johnson and Chambers attracted especial attention by their clever play" Another contemporary match report clearly shows that by 1870, ball passing was a feature of the Engineers style: " Lieut. Creswell, who having brought it up the side then kicked it into the middle to another of his side, who kicked it through the posts the minute before time was called" Colonel thomas tupper carter-campbell of possil

Colonel thomas tupper carter-campbell of possil

The Engineers used their team playing style with effect against the Wanderers, a side considered as early as 1870 to be the MCC of football. In a match of March 1871 against Wanderers their victory was due to "irreproachable organisation" and in particular that both their attacks and their backing up were both "so well organised" In November 1871 similar passing tactics are described in a contemporary account of a game against the Wanderers in which two goals were scored through tactical passing: "

Betts Betts is an English Patronymic surname, deriving from the medieval personal name Bett, a short form of Bartholomew, Beatrice, or Elizabeth. It is also the americanized spelling of German Betz. The surname may refer to * Alejandro Jacobo Betts (1947 ...

, however, soon seized his opportunity, and by a brilliant run down the left wing turned the ball judiciously to Currie, who as judiciously sent it flying through the strangers' goal in first rate style"''Bell's Life'' in ''London and Sporting Chronicle'', 18 November 1871, issue 2, 681 Later in the match it is reported that "Lieut G Barker, turning the ball to Lieut Renny-Tailyour who planted it between the posts" "Turning" the ball clearly points to the short pass. There is evidence that opponents sometimes adjusted their playing style to counteract the organisation and passing of the Engineers. For example, in February 1872 against

Westminster School Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It derives from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the 1066 Norman Conquest, as d ...

, a brief contemporary match report states that: "The school captain took the precaution of strengthening his backs, deputizing HDS Vidal to cooperate with

Rawson Rawson may refer to: Places * Rawson, Chubut, the capital of Chubut Province, Argentina * Rawson Department, Chubut, Argentina * Rawson Department, San Juan, Argentina ** Villa Krause, also named Rawson, the capital city of the department *Rawson, ...

and Jackson and so well did these three play in concert... they succeeded in defying the... RE forwards".''Bell's Life'' in ''London and Sporting Chronicle'', 17 February 1872, issue 2694 What is most notable about this report is that it confirms that the Royal Engineers "played beautifully together" That the engineers were the first side to break the trend of dribbling is shown in a contemporary account of their victory against Crystal Palace in early 1872. This said that: "very little dribbling was displayed" The Engineers played in the first-ever FA Cup Final, losing 1–0 at

Kennington Oval The Oval, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, located in the borough of Lambeth, in south London. The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since it ...

on 16 March 1872, to regular rivals Wanderers. They also lost the 1874 Final, to Oxford University A.F.C. The Royal Engineers were the first football team to go on a tour, to

Nottingham Nottingham ( , locally ) is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east of Sheffield and north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham has links to the legend of Robi ...

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gain ...

and

Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...

in 1873. Wall's memoirs state that this tour introduced the combination game to Sheffield and Nottingham. In

1875 Events January–March * January 1 – The Midland Railway of England abolishes the Second Class passenger category, leaving First Class and Third Class. Other British railway companies follow Midland's lead during the rest of th ...

the Engineers won the FA Cup, considered their greatest triumph. In the final against Old Etonians, they drew 1–1 with a goal from Renny-Tailyour and went on to win the replay 2–0 with two further goals from Renny-Tailyour.When the Sappers won the FA Cup 1875
Royal Engineers Museum The winning side was: * Capt. W. Merriman; Lt. G.H. Sim; Lt. G.C. Onslow; Lt. R.M. Ruck; Lt. P.G. von Donop; Lt. C.K. Wood; Lt. H.E. Rawson; Lt. W.F.H. Stafford; Lt. H. W. Renny-Tailyour; Lt. A. Mein; and Lt. C. Wingfield-Stratford. Their last

FA Cup Final The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. It has regularly been one of the most attended domestic football events in the world, with an official atten ...

appearance came in 1878, again losing to the Wanderers. They last participated in 1882–83 FA Cup, losing 6–2 in the fourth round to Old Carthusians F.C.

Summary of the Royal Engineers early playing style

The evidence above contains detailed descriptions of passing that are lacking in reports of the 1872 Glasgow international. For example, in a lengthy account the

Scotsman newspaper ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its par ...

makes no mention of passing or combination by the Scottish team and specifically describes the Scottish attacks in terms of dribbling: "The Scotch now came away with a great rush, Leckie and others dribbling the ball so smartly that the English lines were closely besieged and the ball was soon behind"''The Scotsman'' - 2 December 1872, page 6 and "Weir now had a splendid run for Scotland into the heart of his opponents' territory". Although the Scottish team are acknowledged to have worked better together during the first half, this contemporary account acknowledges that in the second half England played similarly: "During the first half of the game the English team did not work so well together, but in the second half they left nothing to be desired in this respect." The Scotsman concludes that the difference in styles in the first half is the advantage the Queens' Park players had "through knowing each others' play" as all came from the same club. Unlike the 1872 Glasgow international, the contemporary evidence above shows that the Engineers' team playing style benefited their team play by winning games. Similarly, the 5 March 1872 match between Wanderers and Queens Park contains no evidence of ball passing. The early accounts all confirm that the Engineers were the first club to play a passing game of cooperation and organisation with both their forwards and their defence. Although they could also play rough – as would be expected for an army team – The Engineers are the first side to be considered to play the football "beautifully". All of these developments occurred before and independent of the 1872 match between England and Scotland.

Ireland

It was not only in England that the Engineers helped pioneer

. While stationed in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

during the early 1900s the Royal Engineers, together with other

regimental teams organised and competed in local competitions. In 1902–03 the Engineers won the Munster Senior Cup. The regiment also entered teams in the Munster Senior League.

Later years

Professionalism arrived in

Northern England Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North Country, or simply the North, is the northern area of England. It broadly corresponds to the former borders of Angle Northumbria, the Anglo-Scandinavian Kingdom of Jorvik, and the ...

in the 1880s, with

the Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

starting in 1888. In the early years, the Engineers was one of several amateur teams who could defeat the professionals in challenge matches. The Army Football Association was formed in 1888. Its teams were organised by

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

, and later by

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

. The Engineers' Depot

Battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

won the

FA Amateur Cup The FA Amateur Cup was an England, English football (soccer), football competition for amateur clubs. It commenced in 1893 and ended in 1974 when the Football Association abolished official amateur status. History Following the legalisation of p ...

in 1908. On 7 November 2012, the Royal Engineers played against the Wanderers in a rematch of the 1872 FA Cup Final at

The Oval The Oval, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, located in the borough of Lambeth, in south London. The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since ...

. Unlike the actual final, the Engineers won, and by a large margin, 7–1 being the final score. Ladies team In 2014, Keith Stubbs founded the REAFC Ladies squad which runs in line with the male squad. Veterans REAFC have a serving veterans team that play in exhibition type games. Recently the "Vets" have played games against the House of parliament and invited to some prestigious events.

Honours

**''Winners'':

**''Runners-up'': 1872, 1874, 1878 *

**''Winners'': 1908 * Munster Senior Cup **''Winners'': 1902–03

Army FA Challenge Cup

Various regiments and battalions within the RE Corps have won the Army FA Challenge Cup: ;Service Bn: Won 1903; Runners-up 1904, 1905 ;Depot Bn: Won 1907 ;Training Bn: Won 1937 ; Barton Stacey: Won 1947 ;4th Training Bn: Won 1950, 1957, 1958 ;4th Divisional Engineers: Won 1969 ;32nd Engineer Regiment: Won 1970; Runner-up 1971 ;Training Regiments: Won 1980; Runner-up 1991, 1993 ;28 mphibiousEngineer Regiment: Won 1981, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002; Runner-up 1983, 1988 ;40 Army Engineer Support Group: Runner-up 1985

International players

England

The following six Royal Engineers players played for England. The number of caps gained while playing for club is in brackets. * Horace Barnet (1 cap) *

Alfred Goodwyn Alfred George Goodwyn (13 March 1850 – 14 March 1874) was an English Royal Engineer, who represented his regiment at football. He was a member of the Regiment's team that was defeated in the very first FA Cup final. He also represented England ...

(1 cap) * Herbert Rawson (1 cap) * Bruce Russell (1 cap) * Pelham von Donop (2 caps) *

Cecil Wingfield-Stratford Brigadier-General Cecil Vernon Wingfield-Stratford CB, CMG (7 October 1853 – 5 February 1939) was a British Army officer in the Royal Engineers and an English international footballer who played as a forward. Early life Born in West Malling ...

(1 cap)

Scotland

The following played for

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

.Scotland players – Royal Engineers
/ref> * John Edward Blackburn (1 cap) * Henry Renny-Tailyour (1 cap)

References

External links

{{Commons category, Royal Engineers AFC
Royal Engineers website
When the Sappers won the FA Cup (1875) Association football clubs established in 1875 Football clubs in England FA Cup winners Association football in the British Army 1875 establishments in England Royal Engineers Former Munster Senior League (association football) clubs

Engineers Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considerin ...