Francis Sparks

Sparks was born in Billericay, Essex, and educated at King's School, Rochester between 1870-1874.{{cite book|last=Warsop|first=Keith|title=The Early F.A. Cup Finals and the Southern Amateurs: A Who's Who and Match Facts, 1872 to 1883|year=2004|publisher=Keith Brown Publications|page=125|isbn=1-899468-78-1}}

Sparks, who had played in his school's football XI between 1872 and 1874, also played for St Albans Pilgrims in 1873. He switched to join Brondesbury later that year for the rest of the season,{{cite book | author=Graham Betts| title=England: Player by player | publisher=Green Umbrella Publishing | year=2006|page=225| isbn=1-905009-63-1}} and was part of the team defeated 5–0 by eventual finalists Royal Engineers in the FA Cup first round in October.

Between 1876 and 1878 he played for Upton Park before joining Hertfordshire Rangers. His first England appearance came against Scotland on 5 April 1879. The match was played at the Kennington Oval and had originally been scheduled for 1 April but was postponed because of heavy snowfall. At half time, England were 4–1 down to the Scots. Charlie Bambridge scored early in the second half and his teammates had levelled the score by the 75th minute. With less than ten minutes remaining, the Scots scored what they thought was the winning goal but the referee disallowed it as offside. The English forwards then raced upfield with Bambridge scoring the winning goal, thus enabling England to claim their first victory over the Scots since 1873 in what was described as "the most exciting England and Scotland game to date".{{cite book |last= Gibbons|first= Philip|title= Association Football in Victorian England - A History of the Game from 1863 to 1900|year= 2001|publisher= Upfront Publishing|page=56|isbn=1-84426-035-6}}{{cite web| title=England 5 Scotland 4, 5 April 1879 (Match summary)| url=http://www.englandstats.com/matchreport.php?mid=9| publisher=www.englandstats.com| access-date=10 February 2008| archive-date=22 May 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522044819/http://www.englandstats.com/matchreport.php?mid=9| url-status=dead}}

Sparks then joined Clapham Rovers, helping them to reach the final of the 1880 FA Cup. In the final against Oxford University Sparks was involved in the winning goal; with the prospect of extra time imminent, Sparks "made a clever run down the wing, crossed to the waiting Clopton Lloyd-Jones who had the simple task of slotting the ball between the Oxford goalposts to secure a one-goal lead."{{cite book |last= Gibbons|title= Association Football in Victorian England |page=58}} This was last appearance in an FA Cup Final for both teams.

In the month before the Cup Final, Sparks had made his last two international appearances. On 13 March he again played in the match against Scotland, this time played at Hampden Park, Glasgow. The match ended in a 5–4 victory for the Scots (the most goals England have ever scored in a game and lost).[http://www.englandstats.com/matchreport.php?mid=10 Scotland 5 England 4, 13 March 1880 (Match summary)] Sparks scored England's third goal, with two of England's goals coming from Charlie Bambridge, whereas Scotland's scorers included a hat-trick from George Ker. His Clapham teammate, Norman Bailey also played in this match, at half back.

Sparks' final England appearance came away to Wales on 15 March, when he was appointed team captain. Six players made their England debut in this match{{cite book |last= Gibbons|first= Philip|title= Association Football in Victorian England - A History of the Game from 1863 to 1900|year= 2001|pages=57–58|publisher= Upfront Publishing|isbn=1-84426-035-6}} which England won 3–2 with two goals scored by Sparks. Tom Brindle, who also scored, had to leave the game in the second half due to injury, and England played on with ten men.[http://www.englandstats.com/matchreport.php?mid=11 Wales 2 England 3, 15 March 1880 (Match summary)]

Sparks later represented Essex and London, and was a member of the Football Association Committee from 1878 to 1880. He also played cricket in the King's School XI and for Hertfordshire.

Sparks entered work as clerk in a City of London merchant's office in 1874, but by 1901 he was a "coal traveller" (or sales representative) based in Dover.

He married in September 1884.{{Cite web|url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamPlyrsBios/PlayersS/BioSparksFJ.html|title=England Players - Francis Sparks}} He died on 13 February 1934 aged 78. He was also a member of the Wanderers club.{{cite book |title=The Wanderers F.C. –"Five times F.A. Cup winners"|last= Cavallini|first= Rob | publisher= Dog N Duck Publications |year=2005|isbn=0-9550496-0-1|page=112}}

Clapham Rovers

• FA Cup winner: 1880

:Scores and results list England's goal tally first.

{{reflist}}

• {{Englandstats}}
• [http://www.englandfc.com/Profiles/php/PlayerProfileByName.php?id=908 England profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514120050/http://www.englandfc.com/Profiles/php/PlayerProfileByName.php?id=908 |date=14 May 2008 }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sparks, Francis}}

Category:1855 births

Category:1934 deaths

Category:Sportspeople from Billericay

Category:English men's footballers

Category:England men's international footballers

Category:Upton Park F.C. players

Category:Clapham Rovers F.C. players

Category:Wanderers F.C. players

Category:Men's association football forwards

Category:Footballers from Essex

Category:Hertfordshire Rangers F.C. players