Corinthian-Casuals: The Global Football Influence Hidden in our Lower Leagues
- Maisie Baldwin
- May 2, 2023
- 4 min read
The team that inflicted the heaviest-ever defeat on Manchester United, the team that beat Chelsea to the Club World Cup in 2012, the team that inspired Real Madrid’s famous white kit, and the team that Brazilian football legend Socrates once played for. You wouldn’t have guessed that all four were down to a non-league football club based in South London.
But there in Kingston upon Thames is one of football’s most historic hidden gems. This is just the start of the influence Tolworth’s Corinthian-Casuals has had on the global game.
Sadly now, ‘The Casuals’ face unfortunate relegation from the Isthmian Premier Division after 5 consecutive seasons in the league, following a disappointing season of results. As the Chocolate and Pinks deal with the impact of relegation, we take a look at the legacy and history they carry with them through the "Corinthian Spirit".
An insight into a match day at King George's Arena. Here, they play Carshalton Athletic on March 11, 2023.
Where It All Began
As they're known, The Corinthian-Casuals were founded in 1939 by merging two already successful sides, The Casuals, and the well-known name, The Corinthians. Their famous founding side was formed in September 1882, by the Honourable Secretary of the Football Association, Nicholas Lane “Pa” Jackson, as part of an aim to develop an elite club of English players who could prove to be a bigger challenge for Scotland in their international matches.
Their other founders, The Casuals, were founded just after in 1883 by a group of former students from prominent English public schools. Quickly, The Casuals grew into a strong amateur side, as they went onto provide many players for The Corinthians long before the sides' merged.
The club’s Community Officer John Forrest highlighted some of this valuable hidden history to me. “In the late 19th and early 20th century, they (The Corinthians) were considered, with some justification, to be the world’s best team”.
“A total of 86 Corinthians have represented England at full international level and on two occasions the national squad consisted entirely of Corinthian players.”
“We still hold the record for Manchester Utd’s heaviest defeat (11-3 back in 1904) and Real Madrid adopted their famous white shirts in honour of the Corinthians.”
"The term 'Corinthian spirit' is still used today to represent good sportsmanship and fair play so that's quite a legacy!"
Dominic Bliss, Committee member for media and heritage, highlighted how the club’s history helps to make them so appealing. “Most football lovers will have grown up learning about the history of the game and seeing the name ‘Corinthians’ crop up over and over again, but very few of those people know where we are based or even if we still exist.”
“The impact this club had on the early development of the England national team and on the spread of the game around the world is hugely significant. The origin stories of football in so many countries include a visit from either the Corinthians or the Casuals, and we’re proud of that global influence, particularly now that we are a small non-league club.”
“It’s what sets us apart from every other team at our level.”
From Britain to Brazil
Bliss also talked about the club’s South American influence, which many will recognise the Corinthian name from.
“The fact that our first trip to South America led to the founding of Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, now one of Brazil's and the world’s biggest clubs, is something we can be incredibly proud of.”
“We now have a sizeable following on the other side of the ocean, which makes us unique at our level,”
The famous Brazilian Corinthians side, Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, have won their national title 7 times as well as winning the Club World Cup twice, most recently beating English side Chelsea 1-0 in the 2012 final. They credit their founding to the English Corinthians after 5 Brazilian railway workers founded the club after watching their South America tour back in 1910.
Famously later in 1988, Corinthian-Casuals returned to Brazil to play for the first time since World War One. During this tour, they played a Corinthians Paulista XI, with the only goal scored in the game by Brazilian football star Socrates. In this game, the midfielder played most of the second half for the team from Tolworth.
The Reality of Relegation
After 5 years in the Isthmian Premier Division, Corinthian-Casuals’ time in the league came to an end on the 8th of April after their 1-0 lost to Cray Wanderers, cementing a 21st-place finish this season. Despite a solid run in the division, a disappointing season put the club back down, which is something that some expected but still found tough.
“It was a long and difficult season for everyone - but it’s also fair to say that we’ve been punching above our weight in the Premier Division for a few years so we probably shouldn’t be too disheartened now that it’s over.”
“It’s been a really tough experience for everyone involved with the club. It was an enormous achievement to be promoted to this level in the first place, and to remain there for five years was nothing short of a miracle.” Bliss explained the harsh reality of relegation on Corinthian-Casuals, which is sadly the case for other lower league clubs in England.
Maintaining Values
Forrest proudly said, “Football has become a multi-billion-dollar entertainment industry but it’s important to remember that, at the grass-roots level, this is still a game and it’s supposed to be fun."
Corinthian-Casuals remain one of the only clubs built up of volunteers, which is a rare site in the modern football pyramid.
"Every other team in our league is semi-professional but we only pay our players’ expenses. This creates a huge challenge for us when it comes to competing but it also earns us an awful lot of respect and ensures that every player who represents Corinthian-Casuals wants to be there." Bliss said.
Forrest added to this, highlighting how much those involved with the club really value their philosophy and history.
"I think many of us who volunteer at the club see ourselves as custodians of a unique and historic national treasure, but we’re also very much focused on keeping the club going in the 21st century."
"We’re proud of the history but we’re much more than just a museum piece."
Corinthian-Casuals will be playing their games next season at King George's Field in the Isthmian League Division One.
If you want to know more about this historic club, you can find more on their website: http://www.corinthian-casuals.com
Or, you can take a look at other reads and information here:
Comments