Shrewsbury V Charterhouse: 100 years of football fixtures

Former Director of Shrewsbury School Football and current Chief Executive of ISFA, Mark Dickson, reflects on the history of this Shrewsbury V Charterhouse fixture.

In some ways it seems strange that Shrewsbury and Charterhouse only began playing each other in 1922, the reason surely being geographical distance.  In the early years of the game, these two schools were arguably the two most important and distinguished football playing schools in the country, both playing notable roles in the early history of the game.  Charterhouse’s fixture with Westminster remains the oldest in the world, having been played annually, including the War Years, under Association Rules since those rules were agreed, and The FA founded, in 1863.  Shrewsbury first started playing Association Rules in 1876, the first school match was against Uppingham in Spring 1877 and the annual fixture with old rivals Repton was first played in 1894.

Shrewsbury School Football Team in 1870

In the nineteenth century, before the days of professionalism, Salopians and Carthusians were amongst the leading players of the day, playing in FA Cup Finals and international fixtures.  Charterhouse’s most famous player was GO Smith, the Harry Kane of his day, scoring 11 goals in 20 England appearances.  Similarly, Shrewsbury’s WJ Oakley played 16 times for England and MM Morgan-Owen appeared for Wales on 11 occasions.  Smith and Oakley became firm friends whilst playing for England and later became joint Headmasters of Ludgrove Preparatory School for over 30 years.

So it was perhaps overdue when the two schools arranged their first fixture in autumn 1922.  It was played at Charterhouse and resulted in a 0-0 draw.  In the 1920s, 3 fixtures were played on neutral territory – the old Crystal Palace ground where the early FA Cup Finals were played – but eventually the schools settled on the traditional format of home and away fixtures in alternate years, that still exists today, for many years necessitating an overnight stay for the visitors at the home school.

Fog prevented the 1927 match taking place and there were no fixtures during the Second World War or during the covid pandemic.  For many years, away victories were extremely rare.  This was because the sand based Charterhouse pitch, Big Ground, differed markedly from Shrewsbury’s clay-based surface on Senior.  As a result Shrewsbury’s pitch was traditionally a mud-bath by November and both schools struggled to adapt to the unfamiliar conditions in their away fixture.  “Get it down the shallow end, Shrewsbury” was a familiar cry on Senior in the winter months until the arrival of legendary groundsman Ken Spiby in the 1960s, who oversaw gradual but steady improvements to the pitch conditions, progress maintained by similarly skilled successors Alan Lewis and Andy Richards.  Both schools now enjoy high quality surfaces to play on.

Shrewsbury’s best victory in the fixture was a 10-1 triumph in 1938, whilst Charterhouse will prefer to remember their 7-1 victory three years earlier.  However, perhaps the most famous match of all came in the 2000 Boodles ISFA Cup Final, played at Leicester City’s old stadium, Filbert Street.  Charterhouse had won the regular fixture earlier in the season but Shrewsbury turned the tables to win the Final 1-0 and lift the Cup for the first time.  Both schools have won the Boodles ISFA Cup twice, Shrewsbury in 2000 and 2010, Charterhouse in 2008 and 2011. 

The respective Old Boys sides have also proved longstanding rivals.  The first Arthur Dunn Cup Final in 1903 was played between Salopians and Carthusians, resulting in a 2-2 draw.  In a match attended by cricket legend, WG Grace, extra-time was not played because there was insufficient time, with both teams having agreed to dine at the Café Royal in Regent Street that evening; and when the replay was also drawn, 2-2, they agreed to share the trophy.  It was all so gentlemanly in those days! 

Coincidentally, 100 years later, the same teams also met in the Centenary Arthur Dunn Final in 2003, with the Salopians victorious 2-1.  However, the Carthusians can claim to be the dominant force in Arthur Dunn football overall, having won the Cup on 32 occasions, more than anybody else, with the Salopians standing on 12 victories.

School or old boys, this is indeed an historic fixture to be celebrated.

We look forward to Friday’s fixture, when we welcome Charterhouse to Shrewsbury for the 5^th Independent Hudl League fixture since it began in 2017.