Victorian football in the snow
When we look back at those early organised football days, we could be forgiven for thinking "why didn't they choose the summer months in which to play?" and, indeed, why didn't they? Presumably it was because that would get in the way of the already-established cricket; after all, most football matches would have been played on public parks, just like cricket, so just imagine the uproar that would have caused when both cricket and football clubs argued over who had priority. That's probably what happened to cause football to be banished to the winter months.
No climate-controlled stadiums existed back then and footballers had to brave the elements that winter brought to the game. Football pitches were always a challenging terrain to navigate. In fact, the reason why football pitches are so called is because the majority of the time they were situated on sloping ground, hence the description of 'pitch', which means slope. Just imagine when the snow fell how slippery those pitches could be, which only exacerbated the other problems the winter months brought to the lovely game.
Modern boots like players have today were not even thought of in Victorian times. As the old saying goes 'they were science fiction waiting to become science fact'. Made of leather, the boots would have offered little protection against the cold and damp. On the really bitterly cold days, players were reported to have bound their feet in cloth or wool, in an attempt to keep the cold away. However, such adaptations didn't always do the trick, resulting in numbness or even frostbite if the players were really unlucky.
Games were rarely postponed in the 1800s because of snow. But it wasn't just limited to those days. Even I can remember Cray Wanderers playing in snowstorms back in the 1960s at Grassmeade. Yet, in the early days passion was high for games to take place in all weathers, with snow-covered pitches creating a unique spectacle incorporating the grace of the sport with the harshness of winter.
Skill and fortitude were put to the test when it snowed. The ball itself was heavy anyway but became more so as it got wetter with the leather absorbing the dampness. Players had to learn new techniques that incorporated short passes and dribbling, useful tactics that became crucial when long balls were impossible to control. And oh, how their heads must have ached after they had headed the sodden ball. But, for all of that, the adverse weather added an air of unpredictability to the game, so much so that every match became a thrilling adventure.
Victorian footballers had an air of physical toughness about them. They were not known to roll around on the ground if an opponent accidentally stamped on their big toe. Yet, when it came to the snowy weather, playing in freezing conditions put that toughness to the ultimate test. Players used up much more energy running in snow conditions and they had to keep up their endurance for the whole game as there were no substitutes back then. If a player got injured by slipping on the icy conditions and then had to retire from the game, his team had to gallantly play on with ten men. Players were known to collapse onto the pitch after each game on a snow-covered pitch from sheer exhaustion.
Yet the dreadful freezing conditions were not limited to the players. Victorian football supporters huddled around the touchlines to brave the elements. Suitably bundled up in layer upon layer of clothing, they would maybe have shared flasks of hot tea or cocoa just to stay warm, with camaraderie winning through even if their team failed to.
Nowadays we can enjoy the modern comforts of fleece-lined jackets, gloves and even blankets when attending football matches. Beanie hats and snoods have also been wonderful inventions that supporters in Victorian times would have loved to have had. How lucky the modern-day supporters are now.
Trevor Mulligan