Harry Cursham, Notts County & England

Harry Cursham, Notts County & England

The Greatest Footballer You’ve Never Heard Of

If you think football’s great goalscorers began with the Football League, Harry Cursham is here to ruin that timeline.

Born Henry Alfred “Harry” Cursham (1859–1941), he was a star of the game’s formative decades — a time when the FA Cup mattered as much as any league title would later, when crowds treated the competition as a national drama, and when individual brilliance could define a club’s identity. Cursham wasn’t just a prominent player; he was a phenomenon — for Notts County, and for England.

The FA Cup’s record goalscorer — and possibly more

Cursham’s most astonishing legacy remains his relationship with the FA Cup:

49 FA Cup goals in 44 matches.

That figure still stands as the all-time FA Cup goalscoring record, a statistic that has survived every era since. Yet even this remarkable total may understate his true achievement. Contemporary match records show that in at least two FA Cup matches Cursham played in, the individual goalscorers were not recorded, leaving two goals unaccounted for. It is therefore entirely possible — even likely — that his true FA Cup tally was higher still.

In other words, football history’s most enduring Cup record may itself be incomplete.

What is beyond dispute is the scale of his dominance. Cursham regularly produced match-winning performances that sound almost mythical today, including:

• Six goals in a single FA Cup tie during an 11–1 victory over Wednesbury Strollers (1881)
• Four goals in a 15–0 FA Cup win against Basford Rovers (1886)

In an era when the FA Cup was the game’s primary national stage, Cursham owned it.

Notts County’s early-era icon

Cursham signed for Notts County in 1877, still a teenager, and quickly became central to one of the most competitive cup sides of the age. His versatility was notable: sources place him at times in defensive roles, but most frequently as a centre forward, a reflection of both the fluidity of Victorian football and his exceptional all-round ability.

When the Football League was formed in 1888, Cursham did appear — making nine league appearances and scoring twice — but his legend had already been forged in the Cup competitions that defined his era.

England: brilliance in brief

Cursham also represented England, winning eight caps between 1880 and 1884 and scoring five international goals. His international career included a hat-trick against Ireland, a feat that would be far more widely celebrated had it occurred a generation later.

The small number of caps reflects not a lack of quality, but the realities of early international football: infrequent fixtures, inconsistent selection, and a rapidly evolving game.

Why history forgot him

Cursham sits at a crossroads in football history. His peak came just before:

• full professionalism
• systematic record-keeping
• weekly league football
• mass media coverage

He himself later lamented the tactical direction of the sport, favouring dribbling and individual expression over the passing combinations that would soon dominate. Whether right or wrong, his views offer a rare window into football’s transformation — seen through the eyes of one of its greatest early practitioners.

The image and the wider purpose

The accompanying print presents Harry Cursham of Notts County in a period-evocative style, aiming not to modernise or embellish, but to restore a visual presence to a footballer whose achievements deserve far wider recognition.

It also forms part of a broader project to expose the remarkable variety of historic club colours across British football — a time when identity was expressed through bold splits, sashes, cuffs, collars, and fabrics long before standardisation dulled that richness. Cursham’s era is precisely where that visual story comes alive.

Product details:

• You will only pay shipping/postage for 1 item, no matter how many items you purchase.
• Discounts are given for multiple purchases.
• Size: A3, A4, A5
• Single Sided
• Paper: 400gsm premium art stock
• Print quality: Museum-grade, high-resolution
• Finish: Unframed
• Watermark shown in images does NOT appear on the final print
• Carefully packaged for safe delivery

A striking piece of football history — ideal for collectors, historians, and lovers of our national game.

Any issues please contact me at paul@worldvintagecolours.com by clicking the hyperlink and I will get back to you ASAP.