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The history of rugby can be found in these fascinating football annuals from Victorian times. The first four CD-ROM's in this section are now available covering Rugby Union and Association Football between 1885 and 1895. Each contains match results, reports about from the clubs and their champions, laws of both games, hints on how to play, and contemporary advertisements for all of the equipment required to play.

The Image to the left is from the first page of the Hints on the Rugby Game section from the 1885 annual.

This annual from 1885 is packed with fascinating facts from the past when players wore knickerbockers and a football pitch was between 100 and 200 Yards long, and between 50 and 100 yards wide. In Rugby Union a scrummage took place when a player placed the ball on the ground and continued until the ball was in touch or in goal. Details of Public Schools can be found with notes on their Champions and matches played including Eton College and Rugby School. The Provincial Associations include Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool Lindon, Liverpool Ramblers and Liverpool Rovers. A summary of the season for the Principal Clubs includes Llanelly, Richmond and The Royal Indian Engineering College. Football abroad includes the American Football Association, Anglo-Australian Association, Natal Association and the Otago Rugby Football Union. Also included are contemporary advertisements for all that was required for the games.

ISBN1903129621 List price: £9.95

This annual from 1886 is packed with fascinating facts from the past when players wore garters, knee breeches and caps. In Rugby Union a scrummage took place when a player placed the ball on the ground and continued until the ball was in touch or in goal. Details of Public Schools can be found with notes on their Champions and matches played including Harrow School, The Royal Military College Sandhurst and Rugby School. The Provincial Associations include Portsmouth Town, Portsmouth Sunflower, Upton Rovers and Upton Park. A summary of the season for the Principal Clubs includes Corinthians, The Kent Rovers and Preston North End. Football Abroad includes the Anglo-Australian Football Association, The Canterbury Rugby Union, The Otago Rugby Union and The Wellington Rugby Union. Also included are contemporary advertisements for all that was required for the games.

ISBN1903129788 List price: £9.95

This annual from 1888 is packed with fascinating facts from the past when players wore well shrunk flannel knickers and leather garters. In Rugby Union the use of the name London Scottish by a minor organisation was considered to be very bad taste and disregard of all rules of etiquette among true sportsmen. Details of Public Schools can be found with notes on their Champions and matches played including Harrow School and Westminster School. The Provincial Association clubs include Aston Villa, Marlow and Royal Arsenal. A summary of the season for the Principal Clubs includes Blackheath, Gloucester and The Royal Engineers. The first team of English football players toured Australia and New Zealand where an amazing fifty three matches were played between April 28th and October 3rd by a squad of twenty one, the number was unfortunately reduced to twenty by the death of the captain R.L. Seddon, who was drowned while sculling on the River Hunter at Maitland in New South Wales.

ISBN1903129664 List price: £9.95

This annual from 1895 is packed with fascinating facts from the past when players wore 'Football Knickers' made from swans-down, and a football pitch was 100 to 200 Yards long, and 50 to 100 yards wide. In Rugby Union the ball weighed between 13 and 14 ½ ounces compared to a weight of between 14 and 15 ½ ounces today. Details of Public Schools can be found with notes on their champions and matches played including Brighton College, Rugby School and Winchester College. A summary of the season for the Principal Clubs includes Aston Villa, Everton, Leicester Fosse and Sunderland. Aston Villa beat West Bromwich Albion 1-0 in the Football Association Cup Final, and Middlesbrough beat Old Carthusians 2-1 in the Amateur Cup Final. International honours were fairly earned by England who beat Ireland 9-0 in their international match played at Derby. Also included are contemporary advertisements for all that was required for the games.

ISBN190312963X List price: £9.95