Please could clubs attach any team pictures which they would like to appear on their club homepage on this website.

After the FA Cup, the oldest knock-out competition in British Football is The Arthur Dunn Cup. It carries the name of Old Etonian Arthur Tempest Blakiston Dunn (1860-1902), one of the finest footballers of his generation who won five England caps and was the last amateur captain of the national team. In addition to playing for Old Etonians, including in the 1882 and 1883 FA Cup Finals, Dunn also played thirty-two times for Corinthians, scoring twelve goals. In 1901 not long before he died suddenly at the age of just forty-two, Dunn had put forward the idea of an Old Boys cup competition, no doubt mindful that the dominance of the Public Schools in the FA Cup had been broken, and the Arthur Dunn Cup was born in 1903 as a lasting memorial. The first President of the competition was Arthur Fitzgerald Kinnaird, 11th Lord Kinnaird (1847-1923), who had played alongside Dunn as the Captain of Old Etonians. Kinnaird played in a remarkable nine FA Cup Finals, and was on the winning side five times with Eton and the Wanderers. He was later President of the Football Association, and such was his contribution that in 1911 he was presented with the FA Cup itself.

Read the rest of David Bauckham's article at https://dbauckham.exposure.co/old-school-ties and show your gratitude by voting for David in this year's Football Supporters' Federation Annual Awards at ​https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/fsf-awards-2016.

... writes award winning photographer David Bauckham in his latest photoblog featuring AFA football. In this blog he visited the Philathletic Ground for one of amateur football's most famous fixtures: Old Harrovians vs Old Etonians. David also photographed the Arthur Dunn Cup Final in April and we are grateful to him for the many photographs of his which colour our site.

To view the full article visit his blogsite at ​https://dbauckham.exposure.co/the-philathletes. 

Dates
First Round = on or before 12th November 2016
Second Round = on or before 17th December 2016
Quarter-Finals = on or before 6th February 2017
Semi-Finals = on or before 4th March 2017
The Final will be played on Saturday 22 April 2017

1.    The dates for the 1st Round matches are on the site. Please note that all factors (e.g. school half terms/the dates for the opening rounds of the AFA Senior) were considered thus dates may only be changed with the prior agreement of the Hon Secretary. 

2.    Wherever possible, the ties should be played at the school of the home team on a grass pitch.

3.    It has not gone unnoticed that there has been an unwelcome spate of last-minute withdrawals over the past few seasons - with scant regard for the traditions of the Competition and even less regard for the schools who kindly make catering arrangements or indeed those spectators who have made travel plans. 

Given the Arthur Dunn Cup is an invitational tournament, any Club unwilling/unable to fulfil its fixtures is liable to have its invitation to the competition revoked.

For twenty years following the formation of the Football Association in 1863, the game was largely dominated by the clubs formed by the gentlemen amateurs of the Home Counties, most of whom had been introduced to the game whilst pupils at the various public schools. Not surprisingly, it was these sides that also dominated the early years of the FA Cup from 1871. 
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Wanderers [originally founded as Forest FC in 1859] won the first two finals and a further three in the 1870s. Old Etonians meanwhile, played in six FA Cup finals, winning twice in 1878-79 and 1881-82, defeating Blackburn Rovers on the latter occasion. Rovers had been the first provincial side to reach the Final, but the creeping threat from the North had been coming: Sheffield had been quarter-finalists three times; whilst both Nottingham Forest (twice) and Darwen had been semi-finalists.

Read the rest of David Bauckham's article at https://dbauckham.exposure.co/arthurian-legend.

The 4 teams for the Division 5 playoffs were confirmed today. 
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The 4 teams for the Division 5 playoffs were confirmed today. 

They are as follows: 

Old Bancroftians (1) and Old Merchants Taylors (2) from Division 5 North. 

Old Oundelians (1) and Old Tonbridgians (2) from Division 5 South. 

By way of reminder, the top 2 teams from each section face each other (the top team in the North plays the 2nd placed team in the South and vice versa thus it is Old Bancroftians (1N) vs. Old Tonbridgians (2S) whilst Old Oundelians (1S) face Old Merchant Taylors (2N) ) with the 2 winners playing for the right to call themselves the Division 5 champions.

Please note that in a new twist to the promotion chase, the semi-finals will be over 2 legs. 

OAFC win LOB Challenge Cup Final with gritty display
Many congratulations to the Old Aldenhamians who today erased the bitter pain of their defeat against Queen Mary in the 2014 Final by beating Hampstead Heathens to win the LOB Challenge Final at the University of Hertfordshire. 

There were admittedly few moments of samba football but as Allardyce/Pulis will tell you, no-one remembers the losers - the result is all that matters. 

Very well done to them. Whilst writing, may we send good luck to Old Carthusians III in their LOB Junior Final on April 16. 

More to follow – not least a full explanation from Penelope Pitstop of the Arthurian League Committee who managed to confuse Huntingdon/Hatfield and as a result missed the match today.

The squad for the ALRT's match against Lloyds of London has been announced - 3 surprise new debutants
At the traditionally packed press conference, Manager Nick Evans announced the squad for the Arthurian League's Representative Team. 
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When Eyebrows were raised at the composition of the squad (no Tonbridgians at all, no Baby Beddows, no Alex Robinson, several other stalwarts missing), Evans replied that this was due to the demands of the Forest v Tonbridge clash in the Premier Division together with the general injury crisis affecting the ALRT squad. 

However, Evans then revealed that he would be handing debuts to Messrs Lawrence, Moss and Hillgrove from the Old Alleynians. 

Having personally been a witness to their giant killing brilliance (in a pulsating Arthur Dunn quarter-final) Nick admitted that he had no qualms about the Alleynian Musketeers being able to make the step up. 

More worrying for AL observers was the suggestion that Assistant Manager Billy "Billotelli" Jenkins would be bringing his kit for a cameo appearance. 

Some thought this was as bad as naming Lord Mufty as a substitute (as had happened when the ALRT played the SAL) but Evans dismissed those fears with characteristic elegance. 

"Shevjenko", he argued, would not be distracted if the opposition lined the pitch with cupcakes - as had happened to Lord Mufty when the ALRT played the SAL. 

In case you wish to attend, the match details are as follows: 

Ford Sports & Social Club 
Aldborough Road South, 
Newbury Park, 
Ilford IG3 8HG 
Ko: 7.30pm 

The squad is as follows:- 

Jack Francis – Old Foresters (GK) 
Billy French - Old Foresters 
Tom Redmayne – Old Etonians 
Rob Hawkin – Old Salopians 
Andy Moss – Old Alleynians 
Jack Haverson - Old Foresters 
Miles Hillgrove - Old Alleynians 
Daryl Noble - Old Foresters 
Tom Kelly - Old Salopians (Capt) 
Fred Richardson – Old Harrovians 
Tim Downes – Old Carthusians 
Josh Lawrence – Old Alleynians 
Lachie Shaw Stewart – Old Etonians 
Char Avelle - Old Foresters