Thomas Hooman
Encyclopedia
Thomas Charles Hooman was a leading English association football player of the Victorian era
. He played for Wanderers
in the 1872 FA Cup Final and was also chosen to represent England
on several occasions.
, Worcestershire
, the son of a carpet manufacturer. He attended Charterhouse School
and represented the school at cricket
.
, one of the leading clubs of the 1870s, as a forward
. He was described by contemporary commentators as "the fastest dribbler of the day, and an accomplished player". In 1871 he was chosen to play for the England national team
in two matches
against Scotland
at The Oval
, although these matches are not now regarded as official international matches by The Football Association
. He was also chosen to play in what is now regarded as the first official international match
, between England and Scotland in Glasgow
in 1872, but was unavailable due to other commitments. He was also selected for teams representing Middlesex
and London
.
Hooman played for Wanderers in the 1872 FA Cup Final, the final of the first FA Cup
competition, and helped his team to a 1–0 victory over Royal Engineers
. He was still playing for the club a year later, when Wanderers played in the 1873 Final, but was unavailable on the day of the final.
and rowing at the Henley Royal Regatta
. He was also adept at boxing and golf. He went into business as a merchant ship broker and later as a manufacturer of Portland cement
. His son Charles
(born 1887), played for Kent County Cricket Club
.
at the age of 87 following an operation. His obituary was published in The Times
, and contained the claim that he had scored the winning goal in the 1872 Cup final. This contradicts all known contemporary newspaper reports on the match, all of which state that Morton Betts
scored the Wanderers' goal. The obituary also contained other statements about the match, drawn from a recent interview with Hooman, which are demonstrably incorrect, suggesting that the claim concerning the goal was also drawn from Hooman's reminiscences and that at his advanced age he was confusing the final with another match in which he played.
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
. He played for Wanderers
Wanderers F.C.
Wanderers Football Club is an English amateur football club, based in London, that plays in the Surrey South Eastern Combination. Founded as Forest Football Club in 1859, the club changed its name to Wanderers in 1864....
in the 1872 FA Cup Final and was also chosen to represent England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
on several occasions.
Early life
Hooman was born in KidderminsterKidderminster
Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, the son of a carpet manufacturer. He attended Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
and represented the school at cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
.
Football career
Hooman played football for WanderersWanderers F.C.
Wanderers Football Club is an English amateur football club, based in London, that plays in the Surrey South Eastern Combination. Founded as Forest Football Club in 1859, the club changed its name to Wanderers in 1864....
, one of the leading clubs of the 1870s, as a forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
. He was described by contemporary commentators as "the fastest dribbler of the day, and an accomplished player". In 1871 he was chosen to play for the England national team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in two matches
England v Scotland representative matches (1870–1872)
Between 1870 and 1872, the Football Association organised five representative association football matches between teams from England and Scotland, all held in London. The first of these matches was held at The Oval on 5 March 1870, and the fifth was on 21 February 1872. The matches, which were...
against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
, although these matches are not now regarded as official international matches by The Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
. He was also chosen to play in what is now regarded as the first official international match
Scotland v England (1872)
Scotland v England was the first ever official international football match to be played. It was contested by the national teams of Scotland and England. The match took place on 30 November 1872 at West of Scotland Cricket Club's ground at Hamilton Crescent in Partick, Scotland...
, between England and Scotland in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in 1872, but was unavailable due to other commitments. He was also selected for teams representing Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Hooman played for Wanderers in the 1872 FA Cup Final, the final of the first FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
competition, and helped his team to a 1–0 victory over Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers A.F.C.
The Royal Engineers Association Football Club is an association football team representing the Corps of Royal Engineers, the "Sappers", of the British Army. In the 1870s it was one of the strongest sides in English football, winning the FA Cup in 1875 and being Cup Finalists in four of the first...
. He was still playing for the club a year later, when Wanderers played in the 1873 Final, but was unavailable on the day of the final.
Outside football
Hooman also competed in various other sports, representing England in athleticsTrack and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
and rowing at the Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...
. He was also adept at boxing and golf. He went into business as a merchant ship broker and later as a manufacturer of Portland cement
Portland cement
Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world because it is a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco and most non-specialty grout...
. His son Charles
Charles Hooman
Charles Victor Lisle Hooman was an English cricketer who played for Kent County Cricket Club between 1907 and 1910. He made 38 first class appearances, scoring a total of 1758 runs. He was the son of Thomas Hooman, who played association football for Wanderers and appeared in the 1872 FA Cup...
(born 1887), played for Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
.
Death
Hooman died in HytheHythe, Kent
Hythe , is a small coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the District of Shepway on the south coast of Kent. The word Hythe or Hithe is an Old English word meaning Haven or Landing Place....
at the age of 87 following an operation. His obituary was published in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, and contained the claim that he had scored the winning goal in the 1872 Cup final. This contradicts all known contemporary newspaper reports on the match, all of which state that Morton Betts
Morton Betts
Morton Peto Betts was a leading English sportsman of the late 19th century. He was notable for scoring the first goal in an English FA Cup Final....
scored the Wanderers' goal. The obituary also contained other statements about the match, drawn from a recent interview with Hooman, which are demonstrably incorrect, suggesting that the claim concerning the goal was also drawn from Hooman's reminiscences and that at his advanced age he was confusing the final with another match in which he played.