Jack Rainsden
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St Albans City visited Redbourn to meet the latter team in the Herts County League on Saturday. The visitors met with a mixed reception and during the game never received any applause from the homesters supporters for any good play on their part. If a Redbourn player by any chance robbed one of the Citizens on Saturday, the latter was saluted with groans by the home supporters.
One other instance of the Redbourn sportsmanship was during the second half. The City were pressing and Walker was in the penalty area with the ball when one of the homesters jumped on to his back and heavily grassed him. The referee was quite right in awarding a penalty, but the Redbourn sportsmen crowded on to the field, surrounded the referee and gesticulated violently concerning the decision. After a considerable amount of time had been wasted in this fashion, the referee succeeded in forcing his way through the crowd and, adhering to his decision, he pointed to the mark. Hosier took the kick, but the penalty should have been retaken, as the homesters all stepped over the line and put him off his shot, so that he put the ball outside the posts.
The ground is worth three goals to any home team and as Redbourn won the toss and kicked downhill with a strong wind in their favour, it would not have been surprising if they had been four goals to the good in the first half.
A draw represented the run of play although on one occasion, if Butcher had used his breast instead of his head, St Albans would have had three goals. The Redbourn backs are one of the finest pairs of backs to be found in the County and they certainly are worth their place in any professional club. Griffiths in goal saved one or two good shots, but he was very nervous. The halves played a good game and Holt and Squires were the pick of the forwards although they all played well.
For the Citizens Kerrison played a fine game in goal and Patrick was grand, Rainsden(1) ably supporting him. The halves played well, Sharpe being rather slow ; Davis was good in his headwork, though rather apt to hang too long on the ball ; But Chapman was very quick, beating his man every time. All the forwards performed in good style, though Hosier was too well marked to be able to do much good. Butcher worked hard and played a fine game throughout. Walker and Noel played well, but Noel should put out more to the left wing. Weston was starved, but when he did get the ball he made some good efforts. If the St Albans forwards would only recognise the value of swinging the ball about more they would do much better.
Reprinted from “The Herts Advertiser and St Albans Times” 30th January 1909
1 Jack Rainsden died during the Great War on 27th July 1916. He was 32 years of age. |
