SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN 79 matches were played, 53 won and 9 lost. Its place in the east division is now taken by the Cheshunt Club, which was formed by many of the old Hoddesdon players. Since its formation in 1889 this club has been the means of obtaining a large sum of money for charities. A rather interesting fact is that F. Holford has played for the club during the whole eleven seasons of its existence. St. Albans has played good football from the earliest days, the club always being one of the strongest in the county. Professionalism was adopted and met with much success for a short time, but financial troubles ensued and the paid player was abandoned. The Town Club is now called St. Albans Amateurs. In 19001, its first season, it was most suc- cessful, winning the County Cup, the County League, Mid Herts League and the Bingham Cox Cup. Some of the best known St. Albans men were S. F. P. Moore, the finest dribbler in the county, the Rev. S. M. Stanley, J. W. Sharpe, E. N. Sharpe, J. W. Dickerson and C. Miskin. The County Association was formed in 1886, Boxmoor United, Hoddesdon, Bishop Stortford, Wheathampstead, Hitchin, Watford Rovers, Aldenham School, Silesia College, Hertford, Hemel Hempsted and St. Albans forming the members for the first season. Mr. R. Cook of St. Albans and Mr. W. A. Sargent of Watford were the first joint hon. sees. The County Cup was first won by Hoddesdon. The following is a complete list of the winners : 1886-7, Hoddesdon ; 1887 8, Hoddesdon; 1888-9, Watford Rovers; 1889-90, Hoddesdon ; 1890-1, Watford Rovers; 1891 2, Watford Rovers ; 18923, St. Albans; 1893-4, West Herts; 1894-5, Hitchin; 1895-6, Hitchin; 1896-7, West Herts; 1897-8, Hitchin; 1898-9, Ware; 1899-1900; Hitchin; 1900-1; St. Albans Amateurs. In recent years the Association, which now affiliates upwards of eighty clubs, has instituted and carried out competitions for a County League, Junior Cup and lastly a Charity Cup. St. Mary's Cup Competition was started in 1889. Open to all players in West Herts ex- cept the eleven members of the Watford Rovers, who won the County Cup, it has excited keen competition. It was first won by the Watford Grove, and presented to the winners on the Watford Recreation Ground by the Earl of Clarendon. In 1891 a great impetus was given to football in the district by the formation of the West Herts Association and the West Herts League. This League was the first to be formed in the south of England. The Association took over the management of the St. Mary's Cup Competition and organized a band of excellent local referees, whose reputations and services extended to the neighbouring divisions. Teams were entered for the County Cup by this Associ- ation in 18923 and 1893-4,1116 Association each time running into the final round. The St. Mary's Cup Competition, West Herts Association and League Competition were initiated by Mr. A. J. Millar, who was hon. sec. from 1891 to 1899, when he re- signed on his election as hon. sec. of the County Association. District associations were afterwards formed in the remaining parliamentary divisions of the county, with a League Competition in each. A large amount of interest has been aroused in Mid Herts by the competition for a cup presented by Mr. Bingham Cox. From 1886 the Apsley Club has won many trophies, including the County League, West Herts League, St. Mary's Cup, County Junior Cup and the local Charity Cup. The Charity Festival promoted by this club has handed 200 to local charities during the last few seasons. Other prominent clubs are Berkhampstead, Hemel Hempsted, Rickmansworth, Hertford, Ware, Stevenage Town, Hitchin Blue Cross Brigade, St. Albans Stanville. The Watford and District Elementary Schools Football Association was formed in 1899 and instituted a League Competition which has been won by Callow Land School, Watford, in 1899-1900 and 1900-1. This school was also successful in winning the cup presented in 1900 by Mr. E. N. Wix, H.M. Inspector, for competition by the elementary schools of Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Huntingdonshire. RUGBY Hertfordshire being easily accessible from London and possessing such a famous nursery of the game as it does at Haileybury College in the ordinary course of events ought to have taken a prominent position as a Rugby playing county. But if we except Haileybury, the carrying game has never gained a firm footing in any part of Hertfordshire. From time to time Rugby clubs have existed in different districts, but only to go over, the majority of them, to the Association code with its additional attrac- tions of cups and leagues. In a record of Rugby Union football in Hertfordshire Hailey- bury claims precedence, first because the game was there introduced into the county, and 383
