John Charles Clegg - Early Life and Playing Career

Early Life and Playing Career

Charles Clegg was the son of Mary and William Johnson Clegg, who would go on to have a total of 6 children. His father was a trainee solicitor at the time of Charles' birth. Two years later he became a highway rate collector but re-entered the profession after the Great Sheffield Flood in 1864. He prepared claims against the water company responsible. This would lead to him to become a fully qualified solicitor and found his own firm, which became known as Clegg & Sons. He would also go on to be mayor of Sheffield three times.

Charles joined his father's law firm after leaving school and would eventually become a solicitor in 1872. In the same year he married Mary Sykes with whom he would have 3 children. Both Charles and his brother were noted athletes with a flair for football. Charles was also an outstanding runner winning prizes at the 100 yards sprint and the quarter mile. Locally he played for Sheffield F.C., Perseverance and Broomhill but his favoured club became Sheffield Wednesday.

He and his brother represented the Sheffield Association the first inter-association match against the FA at Bramall Lane on 2 December 1871, won 3-1 by Sheffield, and would become a regular feature in inter-association matches.

The highlight of his career came when he represented England in the first international played on 30 November 1872. However he did not enjoy the experience later stating that his team mates were 'snobs from the south who had no use for a lawyer from Sheffield'. This would prove to be the only cap that he would earn. He and William would go on to become the first brothers to win English caps when his brother earned his first cap the next year.

In the Football Annual of 1875 by Charles Alcock, he was described as "very fast with the ball, passing it with great judgment and, when within sight of the enemy's goal-posts, an unerring kick."

Towards the end of his career he earned one last distinction. When it was decided to experiment with the first floodlit match he and his brother were chosen to captain the two sides involved. On the night of 15 October 1878 a crowd of 20,000 turned up at Bramall Lane to see the Reds (captained by Charles) beaten by the Blues 2-0. The game was declared a huge success.