John Walter Fletcher
Encyclopedia
John Walter Fletcher, 11 May 1847–28 February 1918 is widely regarded as the "father of Australian soccer
" (Association football
). He was also prominent in New South Wales
(NSW) as a teacher
and a magistrate
.
Fletcher was born in London, the son of Harriet Fletcher (later Bathurst) and John Rolt. He was educated at Redhill School, in Redhill, Surrey
and at Cheltenham College
. In 1866, Fletcher entered Pembroke College
, Oxford University and graduated in 1869 with a Bachelor of Arts
(second class honours). While at Oxford, he took a keen interest in sport, especially long distance running, and acquired a blue in athletics. In 1879, Fletcher obtained his Master's degree from Oxford.
In the meantime, he had emigrated to Australia in 1875 and worked as a teacher at a private school
called Oaklands, at Mittagong, New South Wales
. In 1877, Fletcher established his own private boys’ school in Sydney, which he named Coreen College. During this period, Fletcher met Anne Marian Clarke, whom he married at St Thomas’s Church of England, North Sydney. The couple settled in Woollahra
and Fletcher served as secretary of Paddington
Cricket Club. He also began to work towards the establishment of Association football in Sydney. The first club, Wanderers was formed on 3 August 1880, with Fletcher as its secretary. On 14 August, the first official game was played, between Wanderers and the King's School
rugby team, at Parramatta Common, Parramatta
.
In 1882, he formed the New South Wales English Football Association (some sources refer to it as the South British Football Soccer Association), Australia's first soccer association and one of the first to be established outside the United Kingdom. The word "English" was necessary to distinguish the association from organisations related to Rugby football
, which had already been established as the most popular code of football
in the Sydney area.
Fletcher was in the NSW cricket squad
that played Victoria
in Melbourne in December 1882, although he was never a member of the playing team. Anne Fletcher also achieved sporting notability in 1883, by embroidering the velvet bag in which "The Ashes of English Cricket
" were returned to England with the England cricket team. It is possible that Fletcher himself poured The Ashes into their urn.
He moved Coreen College to Katoomba
in 1884, and renamed it Katoomba College. Fletcher was involved in the establishment of soccer clubs in the Blue Mountains and from 1891 to 1894, served as President of the Katoomba School of Arts. In 1893, a major economic downturn
forced Katoomba College to close, and Fletcher joined the Bar
that same year.
In May 1898, he took up a position with the New South Wales Department of Justice. In 1899, he was appointed police magistrate at Wilcannia
, and was transferred to Moree
in 1902. In 1904 he became a relieving police magistrate, before retiring in 1914. He then lived in Neutral Bay
. Fletcher is buried at Gore Hill
Cemetery.
Fletcher had six children, including John William Fletcher, a prominent pastoralist
and public figure in Queensland.
In 1999, John Walter Fletcher was inducted into the Australian Football (Soccer) Hall of Fame.
Football (soccer) in Australia
Soccer is a popular recreational and professional sport in Australia. The sport has a high level of participation in Australia. The fully professional A-League domestic competition has been operating since 2005 and the national team competes in the Asian Football Confederation...
" (Association football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
). He was also prominent in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
(NSW) as a teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and a magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
.
Fletcher was born in London, the son of Harriet Fletcher (later Bathurst) and John Rolt. He was educated at Redhill School, in Redhill, Surrey
Redhill, Surrey
Redhill is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead, Surrey, England and is part of the London commuter belt. Redhill and the adjacent town of Reigate form a single urban area.-History:...
and at Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College is a co-educational independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.One of the public schools of the Victorian period, it was opened in July 1841. An Anglican foundation, it is known for its classical, military and sporting traditions.The 1893 book Great...
. In 1866, Fletcher entered Pembroke College
Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located in Pembroke Square. As of 2009, Pembroke had an estimated financial endowment of £44.9 million.-History:...
, Oxford University and graduated in 1869 with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(second class honours). While at Oxford, he took a keen interest in sport, especially long distance running, and acquired a blue in athletics. In 1879, Fletcher obtained his Master's degree from Oxford.
In the meantime, he had emigrated to Australia in 1875 and worked as a teacher at a private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
called Oaklands, at Mittagong, New South Wales
Mittagong, New South Wales
Mittagong is a town located in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, in Wingecarribee Shire. At the 2006 census, Mittagong had a population of 7,460 people. The town can be seen as the gateway to the Southern Highlands when coming from Sydney. The town is close to Bowral, Berrima,...
. In 1877, Fletcher established his own private boys’ school in Sydney, which he named Coreen College. During this period, Fletcher met Anne Marian Clarke, whom he married at St Thomas’s Church of England, North Sydney. The couple settled in Woollahra
Woollahra, New South Wales
Woollahra is a suburb in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Woollahra is located 5 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Woollahra. The Municipality of Woollahra takes its name from the...
and Fletcher served as secretary of Paddington
Paddington, New South Wales
Paddington is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Paddington is located 3 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of the City of Sydney and the Municipality of Woollahra...
Cricket Club. He also began to work towards the establishment of Association football in Sydney. The first club, Wanderers was formed on 3 August 1880, with Fletcher as its secretary. On 14 August, the first official game was played, between Wanderers and the King's School
The King's School, Sydney
The King's School is an independent Anglican, day and boarding school for boys in North Parramatta in the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831, it is Australia's oldest school and forms one of the nine "Great Public Schools" of New South Wales. Situated within a site, Gowan Brae,...
rugby team, at Parramatta Common, Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
.
In 1882, he formed the New South Wales English Football Association (some sources refer to it as the South British Football Soccer Association), Australia's first soccer association and one of the first to be established outside the United Kingdom. The word "English" was necessary to distinguish the association from organisations related to Rugby football
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, which had already been established as the most popular code of football
Football
Football may refer to one of a number of team sports which all involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball with the foot to score a goal. The most popular of these sports worldwide is association football, more commonly known as just "football" or "soccer"...
in the Sydney area.
Fletcher was in the NSW cricket squad
New South Wales Blues
The New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...
that played Victoria
Victorian Bushrangers
The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...
in Melbourne in December 1882, although he was never a member of the playing team. Anne Fletcher also achieved sporting notability in 1883, by embroidering the velvet bag in which "The Ashes of English Cricket
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
" were returned to England with the England cricket team. It is possible that Fletcher himself poured The Ashes into their urn.
He moved Coreen College to Katoomba
Katoomba, New South Wales
Katoomba is the chief town of the City of Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia and the administrative headquarters of Blue Mountains City Council. It is on the Great Western Highway 110 kilometres west of Sydney and 39 kilometres south-east of Lithgow. Katoomba railway station is on the...
in 1884, and renamed it Katoomba College. Fletcher was involved in the establishment of soccer clubs in the Blue Mountains and from 1891 to 1894, served as President of the Katoomba School of Arts. In 1893, a major economic downturn
Australian banking crisis of 1893
The 1893 banking crisis occurred in Australia when several of the commercial banks of the colonies within Australia collapsed.During the 1880s there was a speculative boom in the Australian property market...
forced Katoomba College to close, and Fletcher joined the Bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
that same year.
In May 1898, he took up a position with the New South Wales Department of Justice. In 1899, he was appointed police magistrate at Wilcannia
Wilcannia, New South Wales
Wilcannia is a small town located within the Central Darling Shire in north western New South Wales, Australia. This was the third largest inland port in the country during the great river boat era of the mid-19th century. At the 2006 census, Wilcannia had a population of 596.- Geography...
, and was transferred to Moree
Moree, New South Wales
Moree is a large town in Moree Plains Shire in northern New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the banks of the Mehi River in the centre of the rich black-soil plains....
in 1902. In 1904 he became a relieving police magistrate, before retiring in 1914. He then lived in Neutral Bay
Neutral Bay, New South Wales
Neutral Bay is a harbourside suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Neutral Bay is located 5 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of North Sydney Council....
. Fletcher is buried at Gore Hill
Gore Hill, New South Wales
Gore Hill is an urban locality on the North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Gore Hill is located in the western part of the suburb of St Leonards....
Cemetery.
Fletcher had six children, including John William Fletcher, a prominent pastoralist
Station (Australian agriculture)
Station is the term for a large Australian landholding used for livestock production. It corresponds to the North American term ranch or South American estancia...
and public figure in Queensland.
In 1999, John Walter Fletcher was inducted into the Australian Football (Soccer) Hall of Fame.