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.