When the Saints went marching in

IF St Augustine’s FC – inaugural winners of the second oldest football league in the world – are the historic, lost team of North-East football, then the team’s founder, William Nolli, is the great, forgotten character of the early years of football in the region.

His obituaries in 1912 declare that the Scot was not just the founder of the Saints, but he was also the man who brought serious football to Darlington.

Willie Nolli 'founder' of football in Darlington in hid Seaforth Islanders uniform

An account in The Northern Despatch – the Echo's former evening sister paper – describes the Edinburgh man as “the father of the Saints”, and contains a colourful tale of a young Mr Nolli, born in 1857, coming to the town in the early 1880s as a former Hibs player but not being able to find a team.

So Mr Nolli, who ran and later owned The Dun Cow pub in the town, taking a football to the South Park and kicking it about himself. “A rumour spread,” the Despatch continues, “that a Scotsman with bare legs and an Irish shirt was running amok.” His antics attracted a crowd of hundreds.

The Northern Echo obituary was a little less excited but, nonetheless, was full of praise for Mr Nolli, a centre half. “To him belongs the proud distinction of having been the very pioneer of the great winter game in the Darlington district,” says the Echo, repeating the South Park lone player story. “Soon afterwards, he got several men from St Augustine’s Church to play with him, and thus the first football team in Darlington was formed."

These obituaries may not be strictly accurate. For example, there is no record of Nolli ever playing for Hibs’ first team, and other sources suggest that Haughton-le-Skerne FC was the first team to be formed in Darlington, several years before Nolli's park antics in 1880.

But it is certain that the Saints were established before the Quakers – Darlington FC were founded in 1883.

In 1889, when the Saints won the Cleveland Cup, Nolli was presented with a inscribed clock in the Dun Cow. The Echo's report of the occasion says that the Saints were formed eight years previously – therefore 1881 – and it adds: “Nolli was chiefly instrumental in the club developing from very humble beginnings, from a park team, in fact, into the important football organisation which it is today...Irish and Scotch songs were naturally well to the fore.”

With the club formed, Nolli's fame spread across the region. He was renowned as a header of the ball. A phrase was heard in several grounds: "Who kicked that ball? Nolli, with his head."

He was also a well-known amateur sprinter. His most famous race was against Arthur Wharton, the world 100 yards champion who played in goal for the Quakers. Wharton won by a single yard.

Willie Nolli with his brother Jack taken after both Saints' players, both Scots, represented Durham County

By September 1889 St Augustine’s, who had previously played at least some games at Feethams, had their own, brand new, ground, Chestnut Grove on Valley Street where Sherwoods garage is today – convenient for the Irish Catholics of Albert Hill. Reporting on the opening match attended by 2,500 against Durham Cup champions, Sunderland Albion (a 4-2 defeat) ‘Correspondent,’ the Echo’s correspondent said: “Then shout hurrah! For Erin go bragh,” a reference to the Saints' Irish Catholic leanings.

The ground was so good that Darlington FC gave serious thought to abandoning Feethams for it 40 years later in 1930, and part of it existed as Darlington Boxing Arena as late as 1975.

So, in a few short years, Nolli, the man who kicked the ball about alone with his bare, Scottish legs in his Irish shirt, now had his park team attracting crowds of between 2,000 and 5,000 each week.

Some indication of the club’s standing includes the facts that Saints were the first team to play Sunderland when the side wore red and white stripes and, according to at least one account in The Northern Echo, were the first side to play Middlesbrough at Ayresome Park much later in 1903.

St Augustine's were inaugural winners of The Northern League on 'goal average.' However a short sighted referee had not allowed a clear goal for Newcastle West in a late game, which would have meant the team were runners up

There were epic games against Darlington and it was the Quakers – then nicknamed the "Skernesiders" or just "Town" – who won the most important early derby. The clubs contested the Cleveland Cup final of 1887 at Middlesbrough’s then Linthorpe Road ground, more than 3,000 making the trip for a 0-0 draw. However, in the replay, "Town" won 4-1 with Wharton, returning from illness, playing a blinder in goal.

Afterwards the two teams dined together and Darlington’s captain, Smeddle, proposed a merger of the clubs. William Nolli, probably smarting from defeat, declined the offer of effectively burying the club he had himself founded. Still, the Echo's correspondent often noted, there was really only room for one major club in the town. This was a rivalry to the death.

Willie Nolli 'founder' of football in Darlington, landlord and later owner of The Dun Cow pub in Darlington

Nolli's decision not to merge was vindicated two years later when Saints crushed Redcar 5-1 at Stockton in front of “a vast crowd” in the final of the Cleveland Cup. The Echo reported: “A crowd of some 2,000 persons awaited the return home of the victorious Saints at Bank Top Station. Capt Nolli was carried shoulder high along Parkgate into the centre of the town, the procession being headed by a brass band.”

What would prove to be even more historic glory was round the corner the following season when St Augustine's were crowned champions in the first season of the very first season of The Northern League. And yet the achievement was not without serious controversy.

At this point a new character in the Saints story, should be introduced, Charles Craven, former goalkeeper for Haughton-le-Skerne, secretary of Darlington Football Club and the founder of The Northern League. In all other accounts, Mr Craven goes down as a hero of early North-East football, helping to create a structure for serious football to flourish.

A plaque presented to by St. Augustine's Football Club to Willie Nolli 'founder' of football in Darlington. The plaque was on a clock and indicates Saints were founded in 1881.

But in the history of the Saints, he was a sinner.

St Augustine’s FC, with their big crowds, new ground, new management team and Cleveland Cup trophy, were not invited even to attend a meeting to discuss a new league by Mr Craven, who was no doubt trying to establish Darlington FC as the town’s premier club.

The Northern Echo’s ‘correspondent’ was indignant. “In the event of the Newcastle club (East End) refusing to join the league, the Cleveland Cup holders are to be asked to come in...The winners of the Cleveland Cup are considered too small fry to have even the courtesy of an invitation.”

St Augustine’s were eventually allowed to join the new league only to make up an even number of teams, but there was even greater controversy to come, once again involving one Charles Samuel Craven. This time the trouble involved what the Echo described as the "Saints new men" - Scots players who were almost certainly professionals. The Echo's correspondent reported the exciting transfer news with former Hibs and Hearts players heading south to play for St Augustine's and a check of regular teams from season to season shows there were five changes from the Cleveland Cup winning team of 1889 which helped the Saints become the Northern League champions of 1890.

Professionalism doesn't seem to be the problem as much as having the players registered on time. Mr Craven hadn't complained when Saints, who had voted him on to the FA, were beaten 1-0 at Feethams in an early league game at which Darlington doubled the admission price to take advantage of intense interest. The chance of revenge for St Augustine's came swiftly in an FA Cup game at Chestnut Grove few weeks later in front of "an immense crowd" and Saints hammered "Town" five goals to nil.

The only known picture of the Chestnut Grove ground taken in the 1890s. The ground opened in 1889 and was thought to be the region's best, capable of holding 5,000

This time Mr Craven did complain to the FA and tried to get the match disqualified due to the Saints not registering players properly. The Echo's correspondent was absolutely scathing against Darlington and Mr Craven for not providing any evidence for the claim which was recorded as "not proven" by the FA.

In the same edition of The Northern Echo which reported the Saints' 5-0 victory over Town, something of the religious bigotry and anti-Irish feeling common to the period was made plain. A letter was published which said: "As the Saints increased their score you could hear expressions like these: ''look in his (Saints' player's) face and you see what he is,' etc. If Pat carries his nationality in his face, where is the discredit? He is ready to recognise his superior and acknowledge him, at work or at play."

Winning the inaugural Northern League was a glorious moment but the following year the Saints finished bottom and, suffering financial difficulties, were booted out of the league for a season although they were eventually allowed to return.

A later highlight was finishing second in the Northern League in the 1900-01 season and they once again won the Cleveland Cup that same year.

Saints finished second bottom in 1914-15, the year the Northern League was suspended for the war. Some accounts have Saints struggling on in some capacity until 1917 although the real first team disbanded and the story of the region's great forgotten team was finally over.