The Corinthians

Not everyone was happy with professionalism. One club was dedicated to maintaining the amateur spirit. The Corinthians refused to make any payments to players. They also refused to enter any cup competitions.

The Corinthians believed that 'fair play' was the most important part of football. They hated the idea of 'foul play' and even refused to take penalty kicks. Their players were ordered to miss any penalty they were awarded. For penalties awarded against them the goalkeeper stood at the side of the goal.

Ambassadors

Despite all this, he Corinthians were one of the strongest clubs in the world. They regularly beat the FA Cup winners: winning 8-1 against Blackburn in 1884 and 10-3 against Bury in 1894. In 1886 they supplied nine players for the England team to play Scotland. This is still a record.

The Corinthians were also 'ambassadors' for English football. They travelled to Europe and South America and beat many national champions. They were admired across the world. In Brazil an important club was named after them.