The Zulus are one of the most fascinating teams of the time. For all intents and purposes, they were footballs Victorian Era Harlem Globetrotters. This team of “South African Zulus” made a name for themselves at Bramall Lane in 1879, when they contested a fundraiser match against the Town Club (modern day Chesterfield FC). Thousands of spectators showed up to watch one of the most unusual teams ever defeat Town 5-4. The Zulus took to the field in black jerseys, shorts and stockings decorated with feathers and beads, and paraded and performed tribal dances before each game, armed with genuine shields, spears and other weapons shipped directly from the battlefields of Zululand. The Zulu warriors themselves were, however, somewhat less genuine. They were, in fact, mostly composed of players from The Wednesday FC and other local teams, who had blackened their faces with coal and played under Zulu aliases, with the goal of raising funds for the widows and families of soldiers who had died in the Anglo-Zulu War.

 

After success in their first game, The Zulus began touring around the northern parts of the UK. They first played Chesterfield, where they walked around the town in full costume before the game. They then took on and beat Barnsley and a Nottingham/Derby superteam, and surprisingly defeated a strong Sheffield XI, a team made up of the best players of the day, at Bramall lane, 5-4. They played in Edinburgh and had an offer to tour South Africa. The Zulus were eventually forced to disband because the FA did not approve of them taking money to play, even though it was for charity. They were also, in the FA’s opinion, bringing the game into disrepute.

 

Throughout their short existence, The Zulus never lost a match. In addition, they played a pivotal role in popularising football in its early stages. Their approach, however, couldn’t be called politically correct and it’s unlikely they could pull it off today. It’s not widely known that the Zulu Nation had an indirect hand in the history of professional British football. This almost forgotten tale deserves some credit when the history of the sport in the UK is considered. 50 years after the real King of the Zulus visited England, a club called Amazulu was established in the province of KwaZulu-natal, which has since become the pride of millions of Zulus living in the area. 

Achievements: Undertook a successful regional tour, raising interest in the game and considerable funds for Zulu war victims and their families.

Star player: Jack Hunter  - DoB 1852, Sheffield, England

 

Playing for the Zulus under the alias Dabulamanzi, Hunter played for Blackburn Olympic and made seven appearances for the England national team. He didn’t have much luck for the national side though, suffering 7-2, 6-1 and 5-1 defeats to Scotland. He was a journeyman playing for several clubs including Heeley, Providence, The Wednesday and Sheffield Albion, before picking up a job as a pub manager in Blackburn, where he signed for Olympic as player and coach. He taught the team the art of passing and trained them up to a point where they could beat their classier rivals, Blackburn Rovers, and more importantly, the snobs from Old Etonians for the 1883 FA Cup final. He decided to take the team to Blackpool for a few days rest prior to the game, and it paid off. He eventually shuffled off to Blackburn Rovers when Olympic declined and became their groundsman while working as a pub licencee. He died of tuberculosis.