The Civil Service Football Club was a highly important club during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although their list of trophies and competitive accomplishments is a relatively short one, their importance during this era cannot be understated. For one, Civil Service FC was a founding member of  the Football Association. Also, they were one of fifteen entrants to the first ever F.A. Cup tournament in 1871.  Several members of the team played a prominent role in organising the first international matches between England and Scotland in the 1870’s. Scotland’s captain James Kirkpatrick was a member of the Civil Service team, in addition to countrymen Charles and William Baillie-Hamilton and William Lindsay, who also represented the Scots. The England squad included Service FC members  William Butler and Evelyn Freeth.

As professionalism rose in English football, the club made the decision to remain an amateur side, and was subsequently involved in the Amateur Football Alliance, Isthmian League and Southern Amateur Football League. Their greatest period of success came between 1901 and 1913, with wins in several competitions to their credit, such as the London Senior Cup, Middlesex Senior Cup and the Amateur Football Association Cup, as well as the Southern Amateur League title, all in the lead up to World War One.

Civil Service FC is most notable, however, for the introduction and popularization of football in Europe during the 1900’s through touring, regularly playing teams that are now giants of the game, including Barcelona and Real Madrid. Through their connections from the War Office, Service visited places such as Prague, Vienna and Budapest. There exists a picture of the Crown Prince of Germany watching a Civil Service game from a dining table by the sideline in 1905. For this contribution, the club is an honorary life member of both Real Madrid and Slavia Prague. Today, this team is the sole surviving club from the 11 clubs who founded the Football Association. They recently played in the first official football game at Buckingham Palace, decked out in replicas of their original 1893 kit, to mark the 150th anniversary of the FA. Prince William was present and joked, If anyone breaks a window, you’ll have to answer to the Queen!” For their contribution to the spread of football throughout Europe, and their involvement in the early days of British football, this team deserves to be remembered.

Achievements: London Senior Cup – Winners x1
                         Middlesex Senior Cup – Winners x2
                        Amateur FA Cup – Winners x1
                        Southern Amateur League – Champions x2

Star player: William Lindsey, DOB 3 August 1847, Benares, India
Lindsey was the son of Major William Lindsey who was stationed in India as part of the 10th Regiment at the time of his birth. His father, along with most of his family, were killed during the 1857 Indian Rebellion at the Seige of Cawnpore. As an orphan of the Indian mutiny, Lindsey was admitted into Winchester College where he played several sports, including football. He eventually joined the Wanderers and played for Scotland in all of the 5 unofficial international games against England. He played once for the England national team as well, but was never picked again following a 3-1 defeat by Scotland. In the 1877 FA Cup final, the same game in which Arthur Kinnaird scored his own goal levelling the score, Lidsney scored the winning goal.  He also made an appearance in the following FA Cup. He eventually played for the original Crystal Palace, Civil Service, Gitanos and South Norwood. For his day job, Lindsey worked as private secretary to the Under-secretary of State, and as secretary for Lord George Hamilton and Edward Stanhope.