Earliest days of ATFC with Tot and Jammy

Contributor Clive Lombari says: “As the games were local derbies, losing was not an option! It was more than a game. The pride of the village was at stake.”

In those days matches were played at Long Meadow, Lamb Meadow and on the common. “This meant you were not allowed to charge a gate” Clive explains. Pitch markings weren’t introduced until 1904, and at Arlesey’s first game in 1892 against Biggleswade, there were complaints that cow dung had not been removed from the pitch. (Biggleswade won 4-1 despite this.)

Archie Williams, then head teacher of Arlesey school, was heavily involved with the club, coaching his boys to become members. There was no proper kit and lads usually played in long trousers and work boots.

By all accounts, games could get very heated and on a number of occasions, players invaded the pitch. In 1912, the landlord of The Lamb Inn told the club they could no longer play on Lamb Meadow due to crowd trouble. The players transferred to Arlesey Bury.

Just before WW1, the team had become league champions. Clive says: “I liked some of the players’ nicknames like Cuddler Worbey, Tot Templeman and Frank ‘Jammy’ Rainbow.