Harry Cursham

Henry Cursham
Personal information
Full name Henry Alfred Cursham
Date of birth (1859-11-27)27 November 1859
Place of birth Wilford, England
Date of death 6 August 1941(1941-08-06) (aged 81)
Place of death Holme Pierrepont, England
Playing position Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1877 Notts County
1882-1886 Corinthian
1886-??? Grantham
1886-??? Thursday Wanderers
1888–1891 Notts County 9 (2)
National team
1880–1884 England 8 (5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Henry Alfred Cursham (27 November 1859 – 6 August 1941) was an English footballer and cricketer. Cursham was born in Wilford, Nottinghamshire, and played for Notts County, as well as playing first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire. He was born in Wilford and died in Holme Pierrepont.[1][2]

Football career

Harry Cursham began with Notts County shortly after leaving Repton aged 18, and appeared regularly afterwards with his brother, Arthur Cursham. He signed for Notts County in 1877 and made his first–team debut on 16 November 1878 when Notts County were defeated Nottingham Forest 3–1 at Trent Bridge, the then home of Notts County. The match was a First Round tie. In the period from 1877 to 1888 Curshaw largely mostly played for Notts County but he had spells at Corinthian, Grantham and Thursday Wanderers. All sources agree that he played for these teams but the dates are not clear. Within his outstanding goal-a-game aggregate, highlights included six goals against Wednesbury Strollers in a replayed Second Round Tie. Notts County win 11-1 at Trent Bridge on 10 December 1881. He scored four against Basford Rovers as Notts County achieved a record 15–0 win in the First Round tie on 30 October 1886 at Trent Bridge.[3][4]

1888–89 season

Harry Cursham, playing as a full–back, made his League debut on 6 October 1888 at Trent Bridge, when the visitors were Blackburn Rovers. The match ended as a 3–3 draw. Harry Cursham scored his debut League goal on 12 January 1889 in a League match at Trent Bridge against West Bromwich Albion. Harry Cursham, playing at centre–forward put Notts County 2–0 ahead. West Bromwich Albion pulled one goal back but lost the match 2–1. Harry Cursham appeared in eight of the 22 League matches played by Notts County in season 1888–89, scoring twice. Harry Cursham played as a full–back (five appearances) in a Notts County defence that restricted the opposition to one–League–goal–in–a–match once. He also played as a centre–forward (three appearances) in a Notts County forward–line that scored three–League–goals–or–more once. Harry Cursham also appeared in two FA Cup ties scoring one goal[5][6]

1889 onwards

Harry Cursham did not appear in the first–team in season 1889–90. Apparently, according to one source Cursham wrote to the Notts County Board stating his intention to retire in January 1889. However, he played in season 1890–91 with two more first–team appearances, one in the League and one in the FA Cup. Harry Cursham made nine appearances for Notts County in League games and scored two goals. In the FA Cup he played in 44 ties scoring 49 goals. This remains the record by an individual in the FA Cup. Cursham was an advocate and an arch exponent of the dribbling game, when interviewed in 1904 by the 'Football Post', he considered that "Individual play was being too greatly sacrificed to the cry of combination." In the handling code, he was good enough to represent Nottingham shire against Bedfordshire in February 1892. Business commitments as an insurance broker precluded a career in county cricket that totalled two matches for Nottinghamshire.[7][8]

International career

Cursham accrued eight caps for the England national football team, the first of which came in a 3-2 victory against Wales in 1880. Cursham's first international goal came in just his second match, in a 13-0 win against Ireland. He scored another one in a 5-3 home defeat against Wales, and his final three came in a hat trick against Ireland on 23 February 1884; this was his final game for the national side.[9][10]

Cricket career

Cursham's first-class cricket career began in 1880. He debuted in a draw against Surrey. His second and final match was against a team of touring South Africans, coming at the age of 44, some 24 years later. Cursham was a lower-order batsman for the Nottinghamshire team. Cursham's brother, Arthur was also a first-class cricketer and football player, picking up six international caps.

References

  1. ↑ Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Soccer Data. p. 67. ISBN 1 899468 67 6.
  2. ↑ Dykes, Garth (2005). Meadow Lane Men The Complete Who's Who of Notts County. Yore Publications. p. 67. ISBN 0 9547830 6 9.
  3. ↑ "English National Football Archive". Retrieved 2018-02-22. (registration & fee required)
  4. ↑ Dykes, Garth (2005). Meadow Lane Men The Complete Who's Who of Notts County. Yore Publications. p. 67. ISBN 0 9547830 6 9.
  5. ↑ Metcalf, Mark (2013). The Origins of the Football League. Amberley. pp. 114–115. ISBN 978 1 4456 1881 4.
  6. ↑ "English National Football Archive". Retrieved 2018-02-22. (registration & fee required)
  7. ↑ Dykes, Garth (2005). Meadow Lane Men The Complete Who's Who of Notts County. Yore Publications. p. 67. ISBN 0 9547830 6 9.
  8. ↑ Henry Cursham at englandfootballonline.com
  9. ↑ Henry Cursham at englandfootballonline.com
  10. ↑ Henry Cursham at englandfc.com
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