Barnes Rugby Football Club

Barnes
Full name Barnes Rugby Football Club
Union Rugby Football Union
Founded November 1862 (1862-11)[1]
Ground(s) Barn Elms
Chairman Michael Whitfield
League(s) National League 2 South
National League 3 London & SE 2014–15 2nd (promoted)
Team kit
Official website
www.barnesrfc.org

Barnes Rugby Football Club, formerly known simply as the Barnes Club, is a rugby union club which is claimed by some sources to be the world's first and oldest club in any code of football. It is claimed that Barnes RFC was founded in as early as 1839 but there is no actual evidence, so the club itself states to have clear documents about its activities from the 1920s.[1] If the claim is true, then Barnes is the world's oldest football club in all codes. The club, from Barnes, London, also played a major role in the early years of association football, and was one of the teams in the first ever game of football. The club currently play in the fourth tier of the English league system, National League 2 South.

History

Accounts of the date that the club was formed are contradictory: club records give 1839,[2] while other accounts[3] give credit to eminent club member Ebenezer Cobb Morley, in 1858 or 1862. Its earliest recorded result was in November 1862 versus Richmond, played at Barn Elms. The club won that match and the replay that followed later in the year.

The Barnes Club was a founder member of the Football Association and Morley is often said to be the "father of The Football Association".[4] On December 19, 1863, Barnes participated in the first ever match under FA rules, again against Richmond.[5] It also competed in the first ever FA Cup and continued to do so through to the 1885–86 competition.[6] The first three secretaries of the FA were members of Barnes.

Barnes forward Charles Morice represented England in the first ever international football match between Scotland and England played at Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow in 1872.[7]

"Of the 'only and original' clubs forming the Football Association the Barnes Club alone has throughout the ages been an active and faithful member of The Football Association. This is a matter of historical fact."
— Geoffrey Green, The History of The Football Association, The Naldrett Press, London, (1953); p.428

For many years the club played at the Harrodian Club before moving to its Barn Elms location in 1987 when the grounds were sold to form a school.

Barnes RFC first XV has been promoted eight times since being positioned in Surrey Division Three in 1987.

Club honours

Current standings

2015–16 National League 2 South Table
Club Played Won Drawn Lost Points For Points Against Points Difference Try Bonus Losing Bonus Points
1 Cambridge 21 18 1 2 664 368 296 18 0 92
2 Old Albanian 21 16 1 4 646 344 302 16 3 85
3 Bishop's Stortford 22 15 1 6 607 348 259 14 5 81
4 Taunton Titans 20 16 0 4 625 384 241 13 2 79
5 Redruth 20 14 0 6 463 373 90 9 4 69
6 Old Elthamians 22 12 2 8 493 496 -3 5 3 60
7 Barnes 22 9 3 10 509 542 -33 11 3 56
8 Clifton 21 9 1 11 556 509 47 9 4 51
9 Worthing Raiders 22 9 1 12 476 494 -18 6 4 48
10 Redingensians Rams 22 8 0 14 479 550 -71 7 5 44
11 Bury St Edmunds 22 8 0 14 457 554 -97 6 6 44
12 Dorking 21 8 0 13 402 535 -133 5 6 43
12 Canterbury 21 8 0 13 446 600 -154 6 4 42
14 Chinnor 22 7 0 15 496 599 -103 7 7 42
15 Southend Saxons 21 6 3 12 411 572 -161 5 2 37
16 Launceston 20 0 1 19 230 692 -462 2 5 9
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background is the promotion place. Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places.
Updated: 13 February 2016
Source: "National League 2 South". NCA Rugby. 

    References

    1. 1 2 History of the club at Barnes RFC website
    2. ↑ Inverdale, John: Telegraph article November 2, 2005
    3. ↑ Butler, Bryon: The Official History of the Football Association, page X. ISBN 0-356-19145-1
    4. ↑ "Miscellaneous Football". Sheffield & Rotherham Independent XLIV (2826) (British Newspaper Archive). 30 October 1863. p. 4. Retrieved 29 June 2014. (subscription required (help)).
    5. ↑ "The History of The FA". The Football Association. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
    6. ↑ Barnes at the Football Club History Database
    7. ↑ 1872 Scotland vs England football match

    External links

    Coordinates: 51°28′30.28″N 0°14′13.03″W / 51.4750778°N 0.2369528°W / 51.4750778; -0.2369528

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