 | About Pastime : The Football Journal 1883
See below for the history of this magazine
Another very important publication as it merged with Football" (1882) when it ceased in 1883. It described its self as the "Football Journal" but covered other sports such as "Athletics, Cross Country, Runs, Lawn Tennis, &c, &c." It was founded and edited by "Pa" Jackson.
The presence of Pa Jackson brings his agenda of pro amateurism to the publication.
He had co-founded "Football" with Charles Alcock back in 1882.It came out every Wednesday at the cost of 2d and only lasted until at least 1895 as "Pastime with which is incorporated Football". .
This is a very rare publication and the editions for sale on this site were bought at a Sotheby's auction in 2016 and in the catalogue description they described as "originally coming from the Royal Gunpowder Factory Library in Waltham Abbey". The image is an advert from the 1886 Football Annual and if you click it will enlarge.
A unique and very special publication .
Each magazine has buff wrapper that carries advertisements and inside is the magazine proper with a proper cover. It would have been easy for the original owners to throw away the wrapper and just keep the magazine so it is fantastic that in all these examples the wrapper is present as the advertisements are worth reading just in their own right.
The magazine page numbers continue sequentially across all the magazines so it was made to be bound in a book form.Their condition is very good unless noted in the individual listing.
The cover price is 2d per week and there is an annual subscription availble of 10/6 ,their address is Pastime, Windsor House, Bream's Builkding, London, E.C.
If you are looking for a match report or a team line up from the 1883/84 season then this publication should do the trick.
The period of this magazine run is also a very good ongoing report as the schisms betwen Union and League grew uptil the split in August 1895. Paticularly as it comes from the very specific vantage point of Pa Jackson's stong opinions on amateurism. Great research!
The following website gives you an insight into the man during the late 1890s: https://www.geni.com/people/Nicholas-Jackson/6000000035179813464 .
"As the least progressive of any of the F.A. Council members, N. L. Jackson was finding himself increasingly isolated. When the penalty kick was introduced in 1891, he took it as a slur on the character of gentlemen. If a penalty was awarded against the Corinthians, their goalkeeper stood aside to allow opponents to take the kick unopposed. In 1896, when the F.A. sought to change the rules so that ‘scratch’ teams, beloved by gentlemen amateurs, could be controlled, Jackson was furious. A personal dispute arose between him and the rest of the Football Association that resulted in his proposal that the body be split into amateur and professional sections, each with its own committees. The amateurs based in London and the professionals in Manchester. The proposal was heavily defeated and Jackson was asked to resign for his disloyalty, but he refused.
After the Corinthians first visit to play Devon at Home Park on the 11th April 1896, N. L. Jackson wrote acknowledging he was a Devonshire man, and keen to help Devon football. He also wrote that Devon possessed the material for a good team, but the players had much to learn. Their style was based on the professional game, which was useless unless perfected. He was sure that ordinary teams should cultivate the amateur style.
A year later in 1897, both the Football Association and N. L. Jackson had had enough of each other and he resigned from his position as a Vice-President of the F.A. to concentrate on his other interests. He actively assisted the formation of the Lawn Tennis Association and founded the Stoke Poges Golf Club at Stoke Park, Buckinghamshire, on the large estate where he lived. He was the author of many sporting books and the editor and proprietor of the sporting journals ‘Pastime’ and ‘The Cricket Field’.
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