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THE CIVIL SERVICE AND REAL MADRID: A MISMATCH MADEIN HEAVEN

STUART FULLER

Today the term the Civil Service is still one that is mocked by comedians and commentatorsalike as a lapdog for the latest Government. Red tape, bureaucracy and corridors full of greyingplastic furniture in nameless, faceless buildings sort of sums up the stereotypes still in existencefrom decades gone by. But 150 years ago it was the place to work, something to aspire to aswell as an employee who offered some real social and recreational benefits. Job security waswhat everyone craved after the war and the Civil Service offered just that. As governmentscame and went, the only positions that were seen a sacred were those that existed in thecorridors of Whitehall. But before the monochrome of this story depresses us, let's rewind to themiddle of the 19th century.

In 1863 the newly formed Civil Service club was playing football under both Association andRugby rules in an informal way, often rotating between the two codes every week. They becameone of the founding members of the Football Association in that year and in 1871 they wereinvited to be founding members of the Rugby Football Union as well. In the same year a poshinvitation popped through the letterbox of a certain Mr Warne at the War Office, inviting the "CivilService football team" to take part in the FA's inaugural national tournament, the FA Cup. Theyreadily accepted the challenge and in the draw they were picked to play away to Barnes FC.

On the 11 November 1871 the club walked out into a roped off area of Barn Elms in SouthLondon (which would later be used by Fulham and QPR as their home ground) in front of an

estimated 1,200 spectators. Whilst the team lost 2-0 they were invited to play in the subsequentfour tournaments from 1872 to 1875 although they didn't win a single game.

Outside of the FA Cup the team played a number of friendlies against local sides in London. Inwhat was seen as a brave move they also accepted invitations to play "exhibition" gamesoverseas. The team went on to play a significant role in the introduction of the game in Europeearly in the 1900's undertaking their first continental tour in 1901. Subsequent trips took theminto Eastern Europe and in recognition of their contributions the club is today an honorary lifemember of both Real Madrid and Slavia Prague. In fact the club can lay claim to the mostsuccessful record against Real Madrid, winning twice in Madrid 4-0 and 3-1. Quite what jobs theplayers actually did is a mystery, but in such a regimented occupation it is hard to imagine they

weren't expected to "make their time up" later in the year.

The one rule though that they club stuck by religiously was that they would only draw playersfrom the Civil Service itself and vowed to remain amateur. Players were paid what was seen agood wage by the government, with good long term benefits and so it was seen as an honour tobe picked for the football team. This meant that with the introduction of the Football League inthe later part of the century the club had to look elsewhere for its fixtures. They subsequently

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helped form both the Isthmian and Southern Leagues between and 1905 and 1908, playing for periods in each.

The Civil Service also boasted international honours from among its ranks in 1920 when C.WHarbridge, the club captain, won four caps for England, against Wales, France, Ireland andBelgium. He was among a number of Service players who featured on cigarette cards at thetime, today's equivalent of Top Trumps or Panini stickers.

They still remained a bit of a force in the amateur leagues, winning a number of county cupsprior to the Second World War. In 1971 they were invited back to play in the FA Cup, despiteplaying in the Southern Amateur League as part of the 100th anniversary of the club, and theFA Cup itself. In a bizarre move they were given a free pass directly into the first qualifyinground of the cup. There, they drew Bromley FC at Hayes Lane, well actually they were initiallydrawn at home before the police scoffed and switched the game "for safety reasons" for the firsttime in the competition, setting a precedent that is still causing controversy today.

In his excellent book, 32 Programmes , Dave Roberts recalls the game with fond memories.

"As the teams ran out, I couldn't help notice that the Civil Service players all looked like civil servants. Not in the sense that they wore suits and bowler hats and carried umbrellas, but because they had about them a grey air of resignation combined with earnest endeavour, which we instantly recognised from our work colleagues and were starting to see in ourselves."

At half time Bromley, officially classed as the "worst football team in Britain" in the previousseason by Roberts, were 6-0 up. If it wasn't for the fact that most of the home team were fixatedon trying to score themselves the score would have been more than the ten they eventually

scored. The attending members of the Football Association looked on with resignation that theyhad possibly made a bit of a bad call in offering the Civil Service a place in the competition.

Since that fateful day in BR1 they have disappeared back into the Southern Amateur League,which is part of the Amateur Football Alliance around step 15 of the league structure and hometoday to previous FA Cup winners Clapham Rovers, Old Etonians and Old Carthusians.

They play their home games just off the A316 on the way down to Twickenham at the KingsHouse Sports Ground in front of friends and family, their greatest moments consigned just to thehistory books. However, in 2013 the club will celebrate its 150th anniversary and there arewhispers that a rematch could be on the cards with Los Merengues. Now that would be a

mismatch made in heaven.