- James Richardson Spensley
Infobox Football biography
playername=James Richardson Spensley
fullname = Dr James Richardson Spensley
nickname =
dateofbirth =17 May ,1867
cityofbirth =Stoke Newington
countryofbirth =England
dateofdeath = Death date and age|1915|11|10|1867|5|17
cityofdeath =Mainz
countryofdeath =Germany
currentclub =
clubnumber =
height =
position = "Goalkeeper"," Defender"
years = 1896-1906
clubs = Genoa
caps(goals) = 22 (0)
manageryears = 1896–1907
managerclubs = GenoaDr James Richardson Spensley [cite web | url=http://www.n16mag.com/issue31/5.htm| title=Italian Football| work=N16Mag.com | accessdate=August | accessyear=2007] (
17 May ,1867 -10 November ,1915 ) was an English doctor, footballer, manager,Scout Leader and medic fromStoke Newington ,London . He is considered to be one of the "Fathers of Italian football", [cite web | url=http://www.rsssf.com/players/eng-players-in-it.html| title=English Players in Italy| work=RSSSF.com | accessdate=August | accessyear=2007] due to his association with Genoa CFC and his contribution to the modern day variation of the game inItaly .Biography
He was born in 1867 in the
Stoke Newington district ofLondon to William Spensley and Elizabeth Alice Richardson.cite web | url=http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~grahamf/dat0.htm#899| title=Spensley, James Richardson | work=RootsWeb.com | accessdate=August | accessyear=2007] Although he was born and grew up in London, the Spensley family were originally from theSwaledale area inYorkshire . [cite web | url=http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~grahamf/dat0.htm#503| title=Genealogy Data - Spensley Family| work=RootsWeb.com | accessdate=August | accessyear=2007]Richardson Spensley had the opportunity to travel far and wide as an adult. Amongst the most keen interests which he had acquired whilst travelling were;
oriental religion , languages; he was versed in Greek andSanskrit ,boxing and football.cite web | url=http://www.enciclopediadelcalcio.com/Genoa1.html| title=Storia del Genoa| work=EnciclopediaDelCalcio.com | accessdate=August | accessyear=2007] As well as working as a doctor, he would go on to spend some time as a correspondent for British newspaper the "Daily Mail ".cite web | url=http://www.enciclopediadelcalcio.com/Genoa1.html| title=Storia del Genoa| work=EnciclopediaDelCalcio.com | accessdate=August | accessyear=2007]Football in Genoa
Richardson Spensley arrived in
Genoa during 1896, he initially arrived to cure English sailors on the coal ships.cite web | url=http://www.enciclopediadelcalcio.com/Genoa1.html| title=Storia del Genoa| work=EnciclopediaDelCalcio.com | accessdate=August | accessyear=2007] He joined Genoa Cricket & Athletics Club; acricket and athletics club formed by Britishexpatriates . He opened the footballing section for the club on10 April 1897cite web | url=http://www.enciclopediadelcalcio.com/Genoa1.html| title=Storia del Genoa| work=EnciclopediaDelCalcio.com | accessdate=August | accessyear=2007] and was put in place as its first ever manager. [cite web | url=http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/clubs/genoa.html| title=Genoa| work=Channel4.com | accessdate=August | accessyear=2007] This was innovative as the modern day footballing scene in Italy was in its embryonic stages.In fact, if it wasn't for
Edoardo Bosio inTurin founding clubs, there would have been no football at all in Italy at Richardson Spensley's time of arrival.cite web | url=http://www.lifeinitaly.com/sport/history-italian-soccer.asp | title=Edoardo Bosio and Football in Turin | work=Life in Italy | accessdate=August | accessyear=2007] Richardson Spensley participated as a player-manager for Genoa in the first everItalian Football Championship (which he initiated) during 1898 which his club won. The following season he switched position from defender to goalkeeper, playing on until 1906. [cite web | url=http://www.batsweb.org/sport/Calcio/Campionato/form1898.htm| title=Le formazioni dei campioni d'Italia dal 1898 al 1915| work=BatsWeb.com | accessdate=August | accessyear=2007]Including the first title, Genoa won the Italian league six times while Richardson Spensley was at the helm. After retiring from playing when he was almost 40 years old, he stayed on in the management role for one more year, before leaving entirely.
couting and death
While living in England he had known
Robert Baden-Powell who founded theScout Movement , from whom he had received an autographed copy of "Scouting for Boys ". Along with a Genovese man namedMario Mazza , they founded the first Italian scouting movement called "Federazione Italiana dello Scautismo " in 1910.During
World War I , he worked in the medical field putting his scouting abilities to use as aLieutenant in theRoyal Army Medical Corps .cite web | url=http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~grahamf/dat0.htm#899| title=Spensley, James Richardson | work=RootsWeb.com | accessdate=August | accessyear=2007] [cite web | url=https://www.military-genealogy.com/nameShow?war=1&sid=1031173| title=James Richardson Spensley| work=Military-Genealogy.com | accessdate=August | accessyear=2007] He was injured on the battle field while tending to the wounds of an enemy out ofcompassion , he died atMainz ,Germany in hospital not long after. [cite news|url=http://www.clandeigrifoni.it/clandeigrifoni/index.php?app=clan&clanID=1372c0a3c23f12a2a8676f3da1685f3d&mod=chapters_explorer&chapter_id=267|publisher=Clan Dei Grifoni|title=La Storia del Grifone|date=24 June 2007] cite web | url=http://www.storiadelcalcio.info/?p=128| title=I pionieri: James R. Spensley| work=StoriaDelCalcio.info | accessdate=August | accessyear=2007] His grave was discovered at "Niederzwehren Cemetery" inKassel by two Genoese students during 1990.Honours
*1898
Italian Football Championship (Genoa)
*1899Italian Football Championship (Genoa)
*1900Italian Football Championship (Genoa)
*1902Italian Football Championship (Genoa)
*1903Italian Football Championship (Genoa)
*1904Italian Football Championship (Genoa)References
External links
* [http://www.liguria.agesci.it/main.php?linkmenu=on&link=storia&pag=1 A.G.E.S.C.I. Liguria - Founded by J.R. Spensley]
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