Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterWho on Earth is A.H. Chequer? That was the question asked by spectators when they saw an unfamiliar name on the Wanderers teamsheet ahead of the very first FA Cup final, played between Wanderers and Royal Engineers in March 1872.In fact, A.H. Chequer was a pseudonym for Morton Betts, who usually played for Harrow Chequers (hence A Harrow Chequer). The Chequers had decided to pull out of the tournament after the first round, but that didnt stop Betts playing in the final. Inevitably, he scored the games only goal.Unsporting behaviourThe loaning of players was common during footballs early amateur days, although as the use of the pseudonym suggests the practice of borrowing ringers for big matches was frowned upon as being rather unsporting.More often than not, though, loans were made out of necessity. If an away team turned up a man or two short, perhaps due to injuries or travel problems, they would borrow some players from the home team in order to make up the numbers. The loaning of players didnt really become an issue until football turned professional, and players became bound by contract to their parent clubs.In 1885, Blackburn included three players on loan Great Lever captain Tot Rostron, Preston forward Fred Dewhurst and Accrington half-back George Haworth (or Howarth, according to some sources) for an FA Cup quarter-final against West Brom. However, after a secret meeting in Blackburn, the FA intervened to prevent the loanees from taking part. Even without them, Rovers triumphed 2-0 and progressed to the semi-final, then the final, where they played Scottish trailblazers Queens Park. You may like "I'm gonna take it to the Moon": KSI tells FourFourTwo how he plans to get his new club Dagenham & Redbridge into the Premier League Youd get in your car to leave and someone's nicked your keys Neil Sullivan on breaking through at Wimbledon during the clubs infamous Crazy gang era Aston Villa move for Alejandro Garnacho is a game of risk and reward its a sign of Unai Emerys faith in his methods Surprisingly, George Haworth (transparently named as George Haworth of Accrington in newspaper match previews) was allowed to play for Blackburn in the final, and he helped his adopted team to another 2-0 win. Rovers were accused of having sacrificed any pride by begging permission of the FA to field Haworth. But, as one newspaper pointed out, opponents Queens Park were no strangers to borrowing players and were able to call up all the good players in Scotland. So Rovers had only done what they had to do in order to vanquish their formidable opponents.Athletic objectionsLeading sports paper Athletic News was heavily critical of the loaning of players for cup ties, calling it an objectionable and unfair proceeding. Borrowing players didnt just give teams an unfair advantage, the paper said, but also created unhealthy competition for the services of the best players, increasing the evil of professionalism. Clubs were often making disruptive approaches for players, and players were becoming mercenaries, turning out for whichever clubs paid the most. After the Football League was formed, and expanded to add a second and third division, teams began to borrow players ahead of potentially lucrative test matches the original relegation and promotion play-offs.Get the FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.When will something be done to check the wholesale system of borrowing players to help a club to escape or pull through the test fixtures? asked one football journalist in 1898. This followed Manchester Citys borrowing of England full-back Tommy Clare from Burslem Port Vale for a crucial end-of-season game at Newcastle. City actually lost the game and missed out on the test matches, but the whole affair was regarded as nothing short of a scandal.At a meeting in April 1898, the FA banned the loaning and borrowing of players for special matches. Not all clubs heeded the ban. In 1901, Middlesbrough and Glossop were reprimanded following the loan transfer of goalkeeper James Saunders to Boro, and Preston were fined �5 for signing John Wilkie on loan from Partick Thistle. In the ensuing commotion, it was reiterated that such loans were not allowed under FA and Football League rules, and that any club that was party to them would be severely dealt with.And todays special guest...Loans returned during the Second World War, when Football League competition was suspended and replaced by a regional Wartime League. Many footballers joined the armed forces and it was difficult for clubs to raise teams from their significantly reduced pools of players, so a guest player system was introduced, which allowed clubs to loan players on a match-by-match basis. What to read next Why did Kevin Keegan scrap the Newcastle United reserve team in the mid 90s? One of the great man's most controversial moments revisited Fear and Loathing in Vancouver: Are the Whitecaps moving to Las Vegas? I sat on the bench for two months, so someone tweeted a picture of me to David Gold saying 'Missing person' and he retweeted. It was hilarious Michail Antonio on a curious incident from his early West Ham days This led to some of footballs biggest stars making unlikely appearances for rival clubs. Stan Mortensen of Blackpool guested for Arsenal, Eddie Hapgood of Arsenal guested for Chelsea, and Stan Cullis of Wolves guested for Liverpool, while another notable Liverpool loanee was Prestons Bill Shankly. The future Reds manager made an appearance as a Liverpool player in a 1942 win over Everton.The best players were very much in demand during wartime, and some played for different clubs within the same week, or even on the same day. On Christmas Day 1940, future England international Len Shackleton played for Bradford Park Avenue during the morning and then for Bradford City in the afternoon, finding the net in both matches.One of the most high-profile wartime loanees was Stoke Citys Stanley Matthews, regarded as Englands number one football personality. Matthews joined the RAF and was based near Blackpool, making more than 80 guest outings for the Seasiders and later joining the club on a permanent basis. The England wideman also played some wartime games for Manchester United and Arsenal, and even made an international guest appearance for Scotland.Several professional players were based at the Aldershot Garrison army training camp, which was fantastic news for the original Aldershot FC. The lowly third-division outfit were able to call up England senior internationals Stan Cullis, Joe Mercer, Cliff Britton, Tommy Lawton and Frank Swift, plus Scotlands Matt Busby, to create what must surely be the most formidable team of loanees ever assembled.Radical rulingAfter the war, as football got back on its feet and clubs rebuilt their sides, the guest player system was phased out, and loans were pretty much off the table once more. They were only properly sanctioned following the end of footballs retain and transfer system, which was scrapped in 1963, leading to a loosening of some of the restrictions surrounding players contracts, and also to the abolition of the maximum wage cap.NOW READ THESEThe craziest-EVER season in English football when the champions went down, and Lucky Arsenal annoyed the nationFourFourTwo's 55 shocking football transfers that shook the worldWhats it like to be a big-money flop? 5 men who've been there tell FourFourTwoThen, in 1966, the Football League made what newspapers called a most startling proposal to allow the temporary transfer of players with certain restrictions. Each club could make only two loan transfers per season, and transfer fees could not be paid. Loans had to last for at least three months, and they could only be made between clubs in different divisions.The rules surrounding loan transfers would be changed over subsequent years, notably in 1995 after the Bosman ruling which shook up the entire transfer system and then in 2003 with the lifting of the restriction on loans having to be made between clubs in different divisions. There were also temporary bans, such as in 1980, when loan transfers of players other than goalkeepers were outlawed. But the 1966 proposal effectively put into place the loan system as we know it today.In 1967, Torquay United signed 19-year-old winger John Docker on loan from Coventry. Docker scored twice on his Torquay debut, a 3-0 win over local rivals Exeter, but played only three more games during his loan and never played at all for Coventry. So while he hardly had an illustrious career, Docker can perhaps be remembered as the first signing under the new loan transfer system.TOPICSBlackburn RoversChelseaArsenalBrentfordAccrington StanleyManchester CityMiddlesbroughWolverhampton WanderersPreston North EndManchester UnitedPartick ThistleNewcastle UtdNewcastle UnitedBlackpoolScotlandTransfer newsPremier LeagueFA CupPaul Brown
