OTD E0129 — 09 Mar 1907: The Last Sheriff’s Shield — Amateurs vs Pros, and the Schism That Ended the Fantasy

09 Mar 1907: Newcastle United (Football League champions) beat Corinthians 5–2 at Craven Cottage in the rain — the final Sheriff of London Charity Shield, the charity showpiece that pitted England’s best professionals against its best amateurs. We trace the widening gap after professionalism (1885) and the Football League (1888), the rare amateur shocks (1900; the 10–3 madness of 1904), and the 1907 rift that produced the Amateur Football Association. One year later, the FA Charity Shield replaces it — the ancestor of today’s Community Shield.Ideas: [email protected]