Reg Birkett
Encyclopedia
Reginald Halsey Birkett (28 March 1849 – 30 June 1898) was an English
football player who played for Clapham Rovers
, as well as the English national side
. He also played international rugby union
for England
in 1871
, in the first ever international rugby match. In this match he scored England's first ever try.
. His parents were John Birkett (born 1816, Hackney, London) a surgeon, and Lucy Matilda Janson (born 1823 in Tottenham, London). Reginald got his middle name, Halsey, from his maternal grandfather Halsey Janson. He had a number of brothers and sisters including Percival (born 1851), Evelyn (born 1864), Arthus (born 1861) and Louis (born 1853). He was educated at William Jacob's school in Calne
and Lancing College
, for whom he later played club football. His brother was another rugby international, Louis Birkett.
as well. Clapham Rovers were one of the twenty-one London and suburban football clubs that followed Rugby School
rules that assembled at the Pall Mall Restaurant
in Regent Street
and formed the Rugby Football Union
on 26 January 1871 and Brikett was not only present but also became one of the thirteen original committee members. Despite his strong ties to rugby, he was known to be "found playing the Association game almost as often as Rugby" and indeed Clapham Rovers, the team he was a member of, and captained in the 1871-72 season, steadfastly remained a dual-code club.
Birkett was selected for the first ever international rugby match for England
vs Scotland in 1871
. In this match he scored England's first ever try, although at the time a try did not gain points, but rather was the means by which a team was granted the opportunity of converting the try into a point scoring goal. His brother Louis and his son John
later also played for England. Of his rugby ability a near contemporary account states that he "was very useful both forward and behind the scrummage, and had plenty of pace."
, played at Kennington Oval on 29 March 1879, Clapham Rovers were runners-up to Old Etonians F.C.
. Birkett was the goalkeeper and was beaten at close range by a shot from Charles Clerke
. However, despite letting in the only goal of the match, Birkett's prowess as a keeper was well respected and he went on to be selected for the England vs Scotland friendly international a week later on the same ground. He wore the number 9 shirt, rather than the number one tha is now customary for goal keepers. Despite conceding four goals, he was on the winning side, England prevailing 5-4.
The following year Clapham Rovers once again made it to the FA Cup final. The opposition this time was Oxford University A.F.C.
. Clopton Lloyd-Jones
scored for Clapham and combined with Birkett's clean sheet, Clapham prevailed 1-0.
, West Sussex
. They had at least two sons, Gerald (born 1883) and John
(who would later captain the England rugby union side) (born 1884). A skin and fur broker by profession, he died of typhoid following an accident.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football player who played for Clapham Rovers
Clapham Rovers F.C.
Clapham Rovers was from its foundation in 1869 a leading English sports organisation in the two dominant codes of football, association football and rugby union. It was a prominent club in the late 19th century but is now defunct...
, as well as the English national side
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
. He also played international rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
for England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
in 1871
1870-71 Home Nations rugby union matches
The 1870-71 Home Nations rugby union matches was a single international friendly held between the England and Scotland national rugby union teams...
, in the first ever international rugby match. In this match he scored England's first ever try.
Early life
Reginald Halsey Birkett was born in London on 28 March 1849. He was baptised on 31 May 1849 in St Botolph Bishopsgate in the City of LondonCity of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. His parents were John Birkett (born 1816, Hackney, London) a surgeon, and Lucy Matilda Janson (born 1823 in Tottenham, London). Reginald got his middle name, Halsey, from his maternal grandfather Halsey Janson. He had a number of brothers and sisters including Percival (born 1851), Evelyn (born 1864), Arthus (born 1861) and Louis (born 1853). He was educated at William Jacob's school in Calne
Calne
Calne is a town in Wiltshire, southwestern England. It is situated at the northwestern extremity of the North Wessex Downs hill range, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty....
and Lancing College
Lancing College
Lancing College is a co-educational English independent school in the British public school tradition, founded in 1848 by Nathaniel Woodard. Woodard's aim was to provide education "based on sound principle and sound knowledge, firmly grounded in the Christian faith." Lancing was the first of a...
, for whom he later played club football. His brother was another rugby international, Louis Birkett.
Rugby career
Birkett was an important figure in the formation of the Rugby Football UnionRugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
as well. Clapham Rovers were one of the twenty-one London and suburban football clubs that followed Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
rules that assembled at the Pall Mall Restaurant
Pall Mall Restaurant
The Pall Mall Restaurant was a hostelry situated at Number 1 Cockspur Street, Westminster, London, just off Pall Mall and near Trafalgar Square...
in Regent Street
Regent Street
Regent Street is one of the major shopping streets in London's West End, well known to tourists and Londoners alike, and famous for its Christmas illuminations...
and formed the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
on 26 January 1871 and Brikett was not only present but also became one of the thirteen original committee members. Despite his strong ties to rugby, he was known to be "found playing the Association game almost as often as Rugby" and indeed Clapham Rovers, the team he was a member of, and captained in the 1871-72 season, steadfastly remained a dual-code club.
Birkett was selected for the first ever international rugby match for England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
vs Scotland in 1871
1870-71 Home Nations rugby union matches
The 1870-71 Home Nations rugby union matches was a single international friendly held between the England and Scotland national rugby union teams...
. In this match he scored England's first ever try, although at the time a try did not gain points, but rather was the means by which a team was granted the opportunity of converting the try into a point scoring goal. His brother Louis and his son John
John Birkett
John Guy Giberne Birkett was an English international rugby union player who played for England between 1906 and 1912, and also captained the side on more than one occasion...
later also played for England. Of his rugby ability a near contemporary account states that he "was very useful both forward and behind the scrummage, and had plenty of pace."
Football career
When Reg Birkett was playing association football and rugby football the two codes had not long been separated and the term football could still apply to either. Whilst at school he played both codes and was a member of Lancing's senior soccer team in 1866-67. He then joined Lancing Old Boys, and then on to Clapham Rovers FC, a club that played both codes of football and had distinguished itself in both. Birkett also represented Surrey FC. In 1879 Birkett had a season in which he both reached the FA Cup final and was selected to play for England. In the 1879 FA Cup FinalFA 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. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
, played at Kennington Oval on 29 March 1879, Clapham Rovers were runners-up to Old Etonians F.C.
Old Etonians F.C.
The Old Etonians Football Club is an English football club whose players are taken from previous attendees of Eton College, in Eton, Berkshire.-History:...
. Birkett was the goalkeeper and was beaten at close range by a shot from Charles Clerke
Charles Clerke (footballer)
Charles John Clerke was an English amateur footballer who scored the only goal in the 1879 FA Cup Final.Clerke was born at Hanover Square, London and christened at St George's, Hanover Square in December 1857...
. However, despite letting in the only goal of the match, Birkett's prowess as a keeper was well respected and he went on to be selected for the England vs Scotland friendly international a week later on the same ground. He wore the number 9 shirt, rather than the number one tha is now customary for goal keepers. Despite conceding four goals, he was on the winning side, England prevailing 5-4.
The following year Clapham Rovers once again made it to the FA Cup final. The opposition this time was Oxford University A.F.C.
Oxford University A.F.C.
Oxford University Association Football Club is an English football club representing the University of Oxford.-History:Formed in 1872, the club was a giant of the 1870s, winning the FA Cup 2-0 against Royal Engineers in 1874 and finishing the competition as runners up in 1873, 1877 and 1880, the...
. Clopton Lloyd-Jones
Clopton Lloyd-Jones
Clopton Allen Lloyd-Jones was an English businessman and sportsman, best known for football and cricket. He played for the Clapham Rovers when they won the FA Cup in 1880.-Life:...
scored for Clapham and combined with Birkett's clean sheet, Clapham prevailed 1-0.
Honours
Clapham RoversClapham Rovers F.C.
Clapham Rovers was from its foundation in 1869 a leading English sports organisation in the two dominant codes of football, association football and rugby union. It was a prominent club in the late 19th century but is now defunct...
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winner: 18801880 FA Cup FinalThe 1880 FA Cup Final was contested by Clapham Rovers and Oxford University at the Kennington Oval. Clapham Rovers won 1–0, the only goal scored by Clopton Lloyd-Jones.-Teams:-References:**... - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
runner-up: 18791879 FA Cup FinalThe 1879 FA Cup Final was contested by Old Etonians and Clapham Rovers at the Kennington Oval. Old Etonians won 1-0, the only goal scored by Charles Clerke.-The Final:...
Career and later life
Reginald married Lizette Crunden in 1881 in CuckfieldCuckfield
Cuckfield is a large village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England, on the southern slopes of the Weald. It lies south of London, north of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester. Nearby towns include Haywards Heath to the southeast and Burgess...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
. They had at least two sons, Gerald (born 1883) and John
John Birkett
John Guy Giberne Birkett was an English international rugby union player who played for England between 1906 and 1912, and also captained the side on more than one occasion...
(who would later captain the England rugby union side) (born 1884). A skin and fur broker by profession, he died of typhoid following an accident.