An early gold F.A. Cup winner's medal awarded to Bill Astley of Blackburn Olympic in 1883, the obverse designed with a football in raised relief flank

An early gold F.A. Cup winner's medal awarded to Bill Astley of Blackburn Olympic in 1883, the obverse designed with a football in raised relief flanked by laurel, the reverse inscribed THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, CHALLENGE CUP, 1882-3; sold with a press clipping carrying Bill Astley's obituary; and a Player's cigarette card featuring the Blackburn Olympic 1883 F.A. Cup winning team (3) This very early F.A. Cup winner's medal relates to only the 12th year in the history of the oldest football knockout competition in the world. It was also an extremely significant watershed final. For the first time the Cup's dominance by the southern amateur public school sides was broken by a northern working class team, Blackburn Olympic, who beat Old Etonians 2-1 after extra time. It was also the dawn of a new style of football, Blackburn playing the passing 'combination game', as opposed to the public schools' traditional tactics of 'rushing' and 'scrimmages.' In the 1883 F.A. Cup Final was played at The Kennington Oval in London on 31st March and drew a crowd of 8,000 spectators. Old Etonians started strongly and opened the scoring through a goal by their England international Harry Goodhart. But as the game progressed Olympic's superior fitness became apparent and equalized early in the second half through Arthur Matthews. In the 3rd minute of extra-time Jimmy Costley scored what proved to be the winning goal. Jimmy Costley. The Olympic players returned to a heroes' welcome in Blackburn with thousands turning out to cheer their boys and deafen the sounds of no less than three brass bands on the town streets. The team celebrated their success with a lunch at the Hunter's pub. Full-blown professionalism was still a year or two away, but the Blackburn Olympic victory helped light the pathway in the towns and cities of northern England. Reference books describe the recipient of this medal William Astley variously as a weaver and a newsagent. Provenance: by family descent