TOURING TRAILBLAZERS

Not much was known about our very first overseas tour back in May 1905, which saw us head to Austria for the first of seven friendly matches on the continent. So, JON RAYNER delved into the history books to discover a tale of a nation enraptured by the visit of an English team and details never before published by the club from our fixtures in Vienna.

- JON RAYNER

It was the influence of Hugo Meisl, one of the key figures in the early days of Austrian football, that enabled us to embark on a ground-breaking tour in 1905, as we headed overseas for the first time in our history.

Meisl worked closely with FA secretary Frederick Wall to secure an Austro-Hungarian tour for ourselves and Everton, regarded as two of England’s finest sides at the time. The Toffees had just finished as Division One runners-up, just a point behind champions Newcastle United, while we were a strong Southern League team with our 1901 FA Cup success still fresh in the memory.

Apparently, both clubs received a sum of £600 for the trip, which consisted of us playing five matches each against Austro-Hungarian teams as well as two prestigious encounters against each other.

Following a brief playing career with Vienna Cricket and Football Club (known as Cricketer), Meisl took up a role within the Austrian FA and was instrumental in persuading the English FA to tour the region in 1908. Indeed, England played their first four matches overseas between 6-13 June in that year with Meisl – a qualified referee – taking charge of the Three Lions’ clash with Hungary on 10 June. He would also go on to officiate at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics.

In 1919, Meisl took charge of the Austrian national side having moved into a coaching role after his playing days, and he oversaw their rise to prominence in the late 1920s and early 30s. So impressive was his side that they were dubbed the ‘Wunderteam’ and were among the favourites for the 1934 World Cup, although lost to Italy in the semi-finals.

VIENNA BOUND