Who Were Football's Bedouins?

21/01/2022  -  12.23

John Sanderson

Introduction

The starting point for this research, in this significant anniversary year of the FA Cup, was my reading of Phil Annets’ ‘FA Cup 150’. In micro print on pages 89-96 are the names of every team ever to have entered the competition. Many I had never heard of but one in particular appealed to me - Bedouins. Who were they and where did they come from? My usual sources of football information seemed to know little of the team, so I determined to find out more. By trawling through the British Newspaper Archive primarily, supported by reference to the English National Football Archive and the Welsh Soccer Archive, I am beginning to piece together something of those who played for Bedouins but there are many gaps and so many other questions unanswered.

The Formation of Bedouins FC

The club was founded in August 1930. It was to be represented primarily by current and former university players with the intention of providing a top class amateur team to win the FA Cup and possibly become a League team. At its inception and throughout its existence, it was often given the epithet ‘the Corinthians of the North’ and, indeed, in its lofty objectives, its modus operandi and the organisational and logistical problems Bedouins must have faced, there were many similarities.

Bedouins FC and the FA Cup

Bedouins entered the FA Cup on four occasions, each time losing in the Extra Preliminary Round to Willaston White Star (1931/32), Middlewich Athletic (1933/34), Whitchurch (1934/35) and Shredded Wheat (1935/36). The team were based in Chester and were affiliated to the Cheshire FA. In their first three FA Cups, they were in a qualifying rounds group covering North Wales (which may be the origin of the suggestion Bedouins were a Welsh team) and Cheshire. However, in their final FA Cup they were in a qualifying rounds group centred on Hertfordshire.

Games by Invitation

I have found no record of Bedouins FC competing in any league and Bedouins did not enter the Amateur Cup or the Welsh Cup. Apart from the FA Cup, their main activity seems to have been playing invitation games in England, Wales and Ireland, especially around Christmas and Easter when, in the early years in particular, they went on two or three game tours. Through the British Newspaper Archive, I have found 43 friendly/invitation games. It would appear once having established a link with a club, Bedouins often returned. For instance, for three years, 1930, 1931 and 1932, Truro City featured in their Christmas programme, then later for two years, 1934 and 1935, a Christmas Day fixture against Kingstonian followed by a Boxing Day fixture against Colchester United. Bedouins’ opponents in these games included a significant range across the football spectrum from the Kent League, Division 2 to League Division 3 both North and South. Most newspaper reports of games are pre-match intended to publicise the game and big-up the opposition. A feature of Bedouins was to announce a pre-match team or squad that included some of their better players but to turn up and play a much changed, and presumably weaker, team. On two occasions, I have found newspaper reports of them making nine changes to the team given pre-match. This is, of course, understandable given the logistics that must have been involved in getting players from diverse origins to a variety of destinations across the country, players who would have other commitments including, for some, other footballing ones.

Cheshire Senior Cup

Apart from the FA Cup games the only competitive games Bedouins appear to have engaged in relate to the Cheshire FA. They were drawn to play HoyIake away in the Qualifying Round of the Senior Cup on 05 December 1931. By 1934, they seem to have downgraded to the Amateur Cup, drawn in the 3rd Round at ‘home’ to Halton on 10 November. I don’t have the result for either game but in both instances it is the opposition, rather than Bedouins, that appear in the next round.

Venues

Apart from Bedouins’ first three FA Cup ties, all their games appear to be recorded as away fixtures. Bedouins are reported as having up to 200 members scattered around the country which probably means they had no home ground and almost certainly explains why they did not compete in any league and also played mainly during holiday periods. Although the results of Bedouins’ first three FA Cup ties are usually reported as though Bedouins were the home side they were surely played at the home of the ‘away’ team. The only report of a Bedouins FA Cup tie that I have found comes from the Crewe Chronicle, 12/09/31, reporting Bedouins’ first FA Cup match. The game is clearly at the ground of the ‘away’ team, Willaston White Star. For the 1935 FA Cup tie against Shredded Wheat, several newspapers fixture lists for that day have Bedouins as though Bedouins were the home side but the Daily News (London) of 07/09/35 specifically says the game is at Welwyn. Records of the FA Cup generally place Bedouins as the away side.

Who were the Bedouins?

Unfortunately, I have found no information on who was the driving force behind Bedouins in either its formation or its day-to-day running. Who fulfilled the tasks usually associated with a Club Secretary: arranged their fixtures; organised the players for a particular game; and, made sure players got to venues on time? Bedouins’ first coach (that is the term that was used) was Tommy Clay, an ex-Tottenham Hotspur and England (capped 4 times) full back. Clay had at least won the FA Cup playing in Spurs’ victory in 1921. Clay, who also became a pub landlord and resident of St Albans in October 1930, was probably with Bedouins one season as he was coaching St Albans City in 1931-32. The fact that Bedouins were always the away side makes tracking Bedouins players via newspaper reports difficult. Post-match reports were often brief and it is a minority of them that record an away team line up. Reporters would be unfamiliar with many Bedouins players and often recorded their names and affiliations incorrectly. Where Bedouins’ players are mentioned in reports it is most often the goalscorers and the goalkeeper who is regularly noted for a fine performance under sustained pressure. I have found players named in reports relating to 26 of Bedouins games. In total, I have 134 names, in some cases only a surname. The main sources of Bedouins’ players were:

1. Universities

The most common distinguishing feature of Bedouins was that they were current or former university players. For a game at Nuneaton in April 1931,10 of the team reported pre-match were given as Intervarsity or Intervarsity trialists. That is how the majority of university players are referred to but in the 30 instances where an individual university is given in a player’s affiliation or it has been reported separately,10 are from Cambridge, 5 each from Bristol and Birmingham and 3 each from University College of the South West (Exeter) and Manchester. Some appear to have played for Bedouins in their university days and then slipped out of regular football. Some ‘registered’ with professional clubs and a very small number played with higher level amateur teams. It is surprising that a club whose aim was to win the FA Cup as an amateur team had so few players with links to top level amateur clubs.

2. The Military Services

Army and RAF players appear more frequently in later year Bedouin teams. In some games perhaps making up the team with players stationed locally, e.g. from local Army bases in a game at Guildford in April 1933 or from local RAF bases in a game at Peterborough in March 1935. Names in the 134 found that are given military service affiliations are listed in the table below (noted here as reported). I think in terms of associations with Bedouins. That includes being named in a pre-match team/squad only or named in a post-match report. We can only be confident those with confirmed post-match associations did actually play for Bedouins. In some cases, we have post-match teams and know some players with pre-match associations did not play on the day. The two associations are listed separately below. The date of first and last or only association is in brackets.

Name                                          Pre-Match Only                    Post-Match

Army

G Blackburn(e)                                                                               3

Welsh Guards

(03/11/34 to 20/04/35) 

W Murray (1)                                                                                  3

Irish Guards

(03/11/34 to 20/04/35)

Capt Kelleher (2)                              1                                            2 

Irish Guards

(03/11/34 to 20/04/35)

Corp Jones                                                                                      2

(24/12/32 to 26/12/32)

J Jones (3)                                                                                      2

(30/03/35 to 20/04/35)

Sgt Randall (4) Welsh Guards         1                                            1   

(03/11/34 to 30/03/35) 

R Bellam                                                                                         1

(19/04/33)

H Bennett (5)                                                                                 1

(19/04/33)

A Burnett (5)                                                                                  1

(19/04/33)

H Hutchinson                                                                                  1

(19/04/33)

F Newton                                                                                        1

(19/04/33)

C S Jones                                                                                        1

(03/11/34)

Royal Air Force

Corp J R Stewart                                                                            1

RAF Westwood

(11/01/36)

Noble                                                                                              1

(11/01/36)

Jenner                                              1

(30/03/35)

Scrutton                                           1

(30/03/35)

A/C Calvert                                      1

(30/03/35)

A/C Jones                                        1

(30/03/35)

Corp Kennynas Capt Kenny          2                                               

(presumably 1 person)

(14/03/31 to 28/11/31) 

Royal Navy

H L ‘Rigger’ Coates (6)                   1

(30/08/30)

A Dodd                                               1

(28/11/31)

Notes

(1) Reported as an Irish International forward. This is not Irish Amateur International forward Gerry Murray. He was playing for Belfast Celtic on 30/03/35, the day W Murray was playing for Bedouins at Peterborough. No W Murray appears to have represented N I at full or amateur level.

(2) Captain Kelleher played in goal for the Army’s representative team and is reported to have played in the Irish League.

(3) Centre half but this appears not to be Lance Corporal and Lieutenant Jack Jones (he left KOSB in 1930), Linfield centre-half who won 5 Amateur International caps 1928-30 and 23 full International caps 1930-37 but was playing for Linfield on 30/03/35, the day J Jones was playing for Bedouins at Peterborough.

(4) Sergeant Randall won 1 Amateur International cap for Wales in January 1935.

(5) With such similar names, I wonder if this is a reporting error, giving a similar name to two players.

(6) An inside forward with Southampton. Gained 8 Amateur International caps for England 1927-33. Worked on the Royal Yacht for at least part of the time he was playing for Southampton. 

3. Local Football

A small number of players also appear to have come from local football, in the early years mainly from Cheshire and Liverpool (as was the case with G Roberts - see below) and perhaps in Bedouins last year from London.

4. Professional Footballers

A smaller number still appear to have been professional footballers, perhaps playing for Bedouins between clubs.

Most Associations with Bedouins

The following are the leading Bedouins in terms of reported appearances and associations with pre-match teams/squads (but excluding cases where we know they did not play on the day). Of course they may have other unrecorded appearances/associations.

Player                 Affiliation                       Associations
                                                                   Timespan           Post -match      Pre-match only

R Edwards           Bristol University                11/31 to 03/35          9                        1

E Fish                   Cambridge University         08/30 to 11/31         3                        6
                          
G Roberts            Cheshire & Everton             03/32 to 04/35         2                        5

H W South           Bristol University               12/30 to 12/31           4                        2

A M Moore           Birmingham University       03/31 to 03/32        3                        2

R Banks               Birmingham University       03/31 to 03/32         2                        2

Edwards is also by far the Bedouins leading scorer with 11 goals in 9 confirmed appearances. There may, of course, be other unconfirmed goals and appearances.

Amateur Internationals

Of the 134 players identified, I believe 13 players won Amateur International caps, 9 for England and 4 for Wales.

England

Gibbins 12
Coates 8
Tewkesbury 6
Morrish 4
Millington 1
Banks 1
Mulrenan 1
Sanders 1
Bradbury 1

Wales

Davies 10
Ellis 5
Lewis 1
Sgt Randall 1

Four players from Bedouins’ inaugural game (Millington, Ellis, Gibbins and Coates) had a combined career total of 26 caps. By the end of January 1931, of the players known to have made appearances/associated with the club, Tewkesbury, Morrish and Davies added a further 20 to that total. Players identified subsequently as playing for Bedouins gained only 6 Amateur International caps between them. 

Conclusions and Unanswered Questions

In aiming to win the FA Cup and possibly play League football, Bedouins hugely underestimated their task and overrated their ability. They fell at the first hurdle in each of their four FA Cup competitions and, of those I have identified playing League football, barely a handful made more than 10 appearances. The line-up for Bedouins’ first two games perhaps shows the calibre of player they hoped to attract - established players in their own sectors of the game. Coach Clay had had a fine career in the League and Gibbins and Coates were probably the top two amateurs in the professional game at the time being at the height of their League careers. Ellis and Morrish were both top players with amateur clubs. All four players were current amateur internationals and Gibbins and Ellis had two full international caps each.

However, after that initial flurry Bedouins struggled to attract that quality of player. Bedouins’ record in friendly/invitation games is poor. Of the 32 games for which I have a full time score they won 2, drew 4 and lost 26. Their biggest margin of defeat being 10-1 to Newport County, albeit a County forward line including four players who scored a combined total of 34 goals in League Division Three (South) that season. Other surprisingly heavy defeats came at Burton Town, 9-1, to Tunbridge Wells Rangers, a Kent League side, 8-1, and to Barrow Reserves 6-0.

Bedouins were far from the ‘crack amateur touring team’ some of their hosts expected. Their play was not that of a ‘Corinthians of the North’ but Bedouins had many similarities to Corinthians. They had the same pattern of invitation games and tours. They played some of the same teams, sometimes in succession to each other, and they sought some of the same players. Corinthians themselves were not without the organisational and logistics problems Bedouins experienced.

Increasingly, Bedouins appear to have struggled to put out a team, especially a higher quality one and I suspect their credibility with those who might play for them and their potential opponents was wearing thin. From the start of the 1933/34 season the number of games played gradually reduced. All-in-all it is not surprising the 1935/36 season seems to have been their last. I have found no record of Bedouins’ end. Was there a formal decision to disband, did the enterprise just fizzle out, did the driving force behind the team move on to other things or even die? There are many unanswered questions but two areas that particularly interest me and in which readers may be able to help are:

Raison d’Etre 

I would like to find an account of someone involved in the setting up or running of Bedouins that explained their belief that they could win the FA Cup and why they thought they could succeed where similar teams had failed. In modern parlance, what did Bedouins think they could bring to football’s table that others could not? There are some suggestions that Bedouins considered themselves more inclusive, e.g. an unnamed Bedouins’ representative telling a local reporter that the team was open to players from all backgrounds and all classes. Something that could not be said of Corinthians or Casuals. Personally, I like the attempts they made to engage with local football. I wonder if they played a higher proportion of local players in the Cheshire FA’s cup competitions? If Bedouins did value inclusivity was that a matter of principle or practicality?

Players from the Military Services

I have made reasonable progress in identifying Bedouins’ university based players. Recently I have put together playing records for Bedouins stalwarts R Edwards and Reg Banks whilst at university. I would like to know more of the Bedouins’ players from the military services. Although the individual players often played fewer games for Bedouins than players from elsewhere, their contributions were often significant. In a game at Ramsgate (20/04/35) G Blackburn(e) is singled out as one of Bedouins’ star performers. Corporal Jones and H Hutchinson are amongst the 16 players I have found recorded as scoring goals for Bedouins.

Annexes available on request

Annex A
A full fixture list including all Bedouins’ games and results, as far as I have them.

Annex B
A matrix listing the 134 players’ names I have against the game(s) they are associated with

Annex C
Names associated with Bedouins that appear in the English National Football Archive’s list of players.

Comments on the article are most welcome as is any information that sheds light on the key unanswered questions or any other matter raised. Please reply via e-mail to: sanderjo@hotmail.co.uk

Biography

John Sanderson is a Sheffield United fan from the age of eleven but never one so partisan for it to inhibit a broader and long standing interest in football, its competitions, clubs and their players. Proud to be from the home of modern football. He has been resident in London since 1979, which has helped develop a keen interest in non-league football. John finds the history, depth and competitiveness of non-league football in London and the South East fascinating. He has always been interested in what he would call the socio-geographical setting of football. Now retired, John can pursue mainstream and more quirky aspects of football as they take his fancy.