Tiverton Preedy (22 January 1863 – 26 April 1928) was an English clergyman who worked in
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
and London from 1887 until his death, where he was noted for his work with the poor. He was particularly interested in the use of sport within ministry, and founded a church
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team in
Barnsley
Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
which became the modern
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club is a professional football club based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in . Nicknamed "the Tykes", they were founded in 1887 by Reverend Tiverton Preedy and moved into Oakwell stadium the following yea ...
In 1883 he moved to
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
to become curate of a church in
Islington
Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the ar ...
, and later opened a nearby mission. He opened a boxing club at the mission and organised dances for local flower sellers. In recognition of his work, he was appointed a
prebendary of
St. Pauls Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
in 1926. He died two years later and is buried in
Islington Cemetery. In the 1990s supporters of Barnsley F.C. located and restored his grave.
Early life
Preedy was born in
Hunstanton
Hunstanton () is a seaside town in Norfolk, England, which had a population of 4,229 at the 2011 Census. It faces west across The Wash, making it one of the few places on the east coast of Great Britain where the sun sets over the sea. Hunstant ...
in the county of
Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
in 1863, the second son of a local estate agent. He attended
Bloxham School near
Sleaford
Sleaford is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. Centred on the former parish of New Sleaford, the modern boundaries and urban area include Quarrington, Lincolnshire, ...
,
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...
before entering
Lincoln Theological College in 1885, where he trained to become a minister in the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
. In 1887 he was ordained as a deacon, and in the same year was appointed to the position of Assistant Stipendiary Curate at St Peter's church in the centre of
Barnsley
Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
. The church had originally been set up as a mission to tend to the people of the poverty-stricken area, but was licensed as a parish in its own right in 1887. Preedy was engaged to assist the vicar, John Lloyd Brereton.
During his time at Theological College, Preedy had become keen on the concept of using sport to engender moral values, an idea much in vogue at the time and known as
muscular Christianity. To this end, he decided to join a local sporting club, through which he hoped to come into closer contact with the local people. He initially joined a
rugby football
Rugby football is the collective name for the team sports of rugby union and rugby league.
Canadian football and, to a lesser extent, American football were once considered forms of rugby football, but are seldom now referred to as such. The ...
club, but resigned in protest at the team's decision to play a match on
Good Friday
Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...
.
Formation of Barnsley Football Club
Shortly after his split from the rugby club, Preedy encountered by chance a group of young men discussing the idea of forming an
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
club. Preedy was taken with the idea, not least because football was seen in the area as the "poor man's sport" and his involvement would therefore bring him into greater contact with the poor people he wished to help through his ministry. To this end he formed a football club in September 1887. Preedy acted as principal fundraiser and organiser of the club, dubbed Barnsley St Peter's F.C., and even played in its first match.
[Vamplew et al.] A keen supporter of the
Temperance movement
The temperance movement is a social movement promoting temperance or complete abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and its leaders emph ...
, Preedy demanded high standards of behaviour from his players, and once refused to allow St Peter's to play a match against local rivals Ardsley Old due to the conduct of the latter's supporters.
![Oakwell_beckett_stand](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Oakwell_beckett_stand.jpg)
Preedy was also responsible for securing the use of the land on which the
Oakwell
Oakwell is a multi-purpose sports development in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England used primarily by Barnsley Football Club for playing their home fixtures, and those of their reserves.
While the name 'Oakwell' generally refers to the main s ...
stadium still stands.
[''The Independent''] After being refused permission to hire a field belonging to the owners of the Barnsley Brewery, Preedy's appeal to the wife of one of the owners ultimately led to the club being granted permission to play at Oakwell.
[Lupson, p. 21] In 1891 Preedy was instrumental in the formation of the Barnsley Charity Football Association and the creation of the Barnsley Charity Cup. St. Peter's reached the inaugural final but were surprisingly defeated by underdogs Ecclesfield.
[Lupson, p. 22]
Departure from Barnsley
In 1893 Preedy moved to
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
to become curate of St. Clement's Church in
Islington
Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the ar ...
. Such was the regard in which the clergyman was held in the town that a civic reception was held to mark his departure, and tributes were printed in the ''Barnsley Chronicle''.
The St. Peter's players presented him with a walking stick, a pipe and a tobacco pouch. Four years after his departure, the club severed its links to the church and became known simply as
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club is a professional football club based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in . Nicknamed "the Tykes", they were founded in 1887 by Reverend Tiverton Preedy and moved into Oakwell stadium the following yea ...
[Barnsley F.C.]
Preedy spent four years at St. Clement's before being appointed to run a nearby mission in what was then an extremely deprived area of the city. At the time of his appointment the mission operated out of converted cowsheds and the house with which Preedy was provided had no furniture. Preedy once again endeavoured to use sport as part of his ministry and opened a boxing club at the mission. Future world champion
Terry Allen boxed at the club as a youngster, and among the wrestlers who trained there was future British champion and
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
competitor
George MacKenzie George Mackenzie may refer to:
People
*George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh (1636–1691), Scottish lawyer
*George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie (1630–1714), Scottish Secretary of State
*George Mackenzie, 2nd Earl of Seaforth (died 1651), Highland cl ...
. Preedy also organised dances for the girls who sold flowers on local streets.
Preedy remained in contact with the football club he had founded in Barnsley and was a guest of honour at the
1912 FA Cup Final
The 1912 FA Cup Final was the 41st FA Cup final. It was contested by Barnsley and West Bromwich Albion. It took two matches to determine a winner. The first took place at Crystal Palace on 20 April 1912 and the second on 24 April at Bramall Lan ...
, in which Barnsley defeated
West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pla ...
to lift the trophy. The victorious team presented him with the match ball, which he displayed in his study until his death.
Later years
![Islington St Pancras Cemetery](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Islington_St_Pancras_Cemetery.JPG)
In 1926 Preedy was appointed a
prebendary at
St Pauls Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
, in recognition of his work in Islington. At around the same time he began to suffer from heart problems, and died in his sleep in April 1928. His funeral was attended by several thousand mourners, and he was buried at
Islington Cemetery in
Finchley
Finchley () is a large district of north London, England, in the London Borough of Barnet. Finchley is on high ground, north of Charing Cross.
Nearby districts include: Golders Green, Muswell Hill, Friern Barnet, Whetstone, Mill Hill and H ...
. His obituary in the ''Islington Gazette'' described him as "a generous friend to the poor" and the Bishop of Stepney in his eulogy called him "a wonderful parish priest and a splendid friend", and made particular reference to his use of sport in his ministry.
In 1997 representatives of the club he founded located his grave in London and laid wreaths in the club's colours.
[Sadler] Full restoration of the grave was later carried out by the Barnsley F.C. Supporters' Trust.
Honours
*
Barnsley Hall of Fame
Notes
References
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External links
Tiverton Preedy dedicated website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Preedy, Tiverton
1863 births
1928 deaths
Barnsley F.C. players
People from Hunstanton
19th-century English Anglican priests
20th-century English Anglican priests
Burials at St Pancras and Islington Cemetery
Association footballers not categorized by position
English footballers