With Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney recently stalling on signing a new contract for his team until he was made the world's highest paid footballer at £250,000 a week (£12 million a year), it is hard to believe that once upon a time footballers truly WERE proper role models.
The story of Oscar Linkson would make Rooney feel ashamed of himself should he ever read it.
Linkson, born in 1888, the year that Jack the Ripper performed his vile deeds in London's East End, was signed in 1908 by Manchester United after scouts spotted him playing for his local factory works team, Barnet Alston FC.
He made his united debut in October of that year against Nottingham Forest, and was a member of the first Manchester United team ever to win the FA Cup, when they beat Bristol City 1-0 at Crystal Palace (these were the days before Wembley existed) in London in 1909.
In August 1914, war broke out against Germany and millions of young men were called up. One of them was Linkson and he joined the 1st Football Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment.
Poor Oscar would never play for Manchester Utd again because, on 8th August 1916, he was killed as the Somme.
The Manchester United star who died at the Somme - story of a TRUE football hero
By Zoe Linkson
13/11/2010
At just 20 Oscar was a Man Utd star.. Eight years later he died at the Somme .. he was my great grandad..
Oscar Linkson has been laid to rest at Delville Wood in France
Last month I walked hand in hand with my nieces and nephew across a field in France toward Delville Wood.
To a casual observer we could have been any family taking a walk, but every footstep we took followed the path of my great grandfather, Oscar Linkson, on his first day at the Battle of the Somme.
On that quiet, chilly morning as we made our way through the trees it was almost impossible to imagine how it would have been 94 years ago when our Oscar took in the same view under a barrage of gunfire, the air filled with the cries of his fallen comrades.
As a child I always knew he was someone special. In a family where no one talked of their past or of previous generations, he was the exception. My grandmother ensured that from a young age we knew he had played for Manchester United.
When I started tracing my family tree that small piece of information was all I had. Slowly, I uncovered there was a much more valid reason to be proud. Born and raised in Barnet, Herts, he was the youngest son of William Linkson, a decorator, and Rebecca.
By the time Oscar was born in 1888 his parents had already lost four children.
Then in 1901 their eldest remaining son Sidney died of injuries sustained in the Boer War, leaving just Oscar and his three sisters.
He attended Trent Boys' School until the age of 15 when he started working with his father as a painter.
In 1907 he started playing football for the local factory works team, Barnet Alston FC.
He played a season with them before being spotted by scouts from Manchester United in the summer of 1908 who offered him a place.
It was a move that changed the course of his life significantly. Being from a close family, he chose to remain based at home and make the long journey north for games.
He was rewarded with his debut on October 24 in a match against Nottingham Forest. In his five years with Manchester United he played in 55 league games and four FA Cup games, and helped the club win the 1909 FA Cup and 1911 league title.
Manchester United star Oscar Linkson died at the Somme
He was by no means the greatest player to ever wear the number 2 shirt for United but he was described by the newspapers as "a nicely built lad, nimble on his feet, and kicks well and has the makings of a fine back".
One report tells of how he completed one match having had his jaw broken during the first half. Footballers were real men in those days.
After five seasons, Oscar moved to Dublin to join Shelbourne FC. It was his first move away from home and he left behind his 17-year-old wife Olive, who at the time was heavily pregnant with my grandfather Eric.
By the time war was declared in August 1914, Olive was again pregnant with their daughter in Dublin.
Sandy Turnbull (out of shot) scores Manchester United's winning goal against Bristol City in the 1909 FA Cup Final at Crystal Palace. The United team included Oscar Linkson. United are in white.
That summer, the press became critical that the healthiest men in the country played football when they could be fighting.
The Pals Battalions were formed, encouraging whole towns and villages to sign up.
Under this scheme came the creation of the 1st Football Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment. It was envisaged that the ranks would be filled with not only professional and amateur footballers but also fans who would serve alongside their heroes.
By March of 1915 over a hundred players had joined, including England international Frank Buckley. The battalion suffered heavy losses at Delville and nearby at Guillemont. Among those lost was Oscar.
Oscar has no known grave and until our visit last month, the only place to remember him was a name engraved among the 72,000 other men on The Memorial to the Missing at Thiepval.
Our visit had a greater purpose though, as a few hundred yards along from Delville Wood in a quiet corner of Longueval, the Football League dedicated a memorial as "an apt reminder... of how footballers and fans came together to contest the toughest match of their lives".
It was a proud moment for our family as we stood surrounded by other descendants, servicemen and footballers. A referee's whistle was blown and all fell silent to honour those who died. Among them, Oscar, our very own hero.
mirror.co.uk
The story of Oscar Linkson would make Rooney feel ashamed of himself should he ever read it.
Linkson, born in 1888, the year that Jack the Ripper performed his vile deeds in London's East End, was signed in 1908 by Manchester United after scouts spotted him playing for his local factory works team, Barnet Alston FC.
He made his united debut in October of that year against Nottingham Forest, and was a member of the first Manchester United team ever to win the FA Cup, when they beat Bristol City 1-0 at Crystal Palace (these were the days before Wembley existed) in London in 1909.
In August 1914, war broke out against Germany and millions of young men were called up. One of them was Linkson and he joined the 1st Football Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment.
Poor Oscar would never play for Manchester Utd again because, on 8th August 1916, he was killed as the Somme.
The Manchester United star who died at the Somme - story of a TRUE football hero
By Zoe Linkson
13/11/2010
At just 20 Oscar was a Man Utd star.. Eight years later he died at the Somme .. he was my great grandad..
Oscar Linkson has been laid to rest at Delville Wood in France
Last month I walked hand in hand with my nieces and nephew across a field in France toward Delville Wood.
To a casual observer we could have been any family taking a walk, but every footstep we took followed the path of my great grandfather, Oscar Linkson, on his first day at the Battle of the Somme.
On that quiet, chilly morning as we made our way through the trees it was almost impossible to imagine how it would have been 94 years ago when our Oscar took in the same view under a barrage of gunfire, the air filled with the cries of his fallen comrades.
As a child I always knew he was someone special. In a family where no one talked of their past or of previous generations, he was the exception. My grandmother ensured that from a young age we knew he had played for Manchester United.
When I started tracing my family tree that small piece of information was all I had. Slowly, I uncovered there was a much more valid reason to be proud. Born and raised in Barnet, Herts, he was the youngest son of William Linkson, a decorator, and Rebecca.
By the time Oscar was born in 1888 his parents had already lost four children.
Then in 1901 their eldest remaining son Sidney died of injuries sustained in the Boer War, leaving just Oscar and his three sisters.
He attended Trent Boys' School until the age of 15 when he started working with his father as a painter.
In 1907 he started playing football for the local factory works team, Barnet Alston FC.
He played a season with them before being spotted by scouts from Manchester United in the summer of 1908 who offered him a place.
It was a move that changed the course of his life significantly. Being from a close family, he chose to remain based at home and make the long journey north for games.
He was rewarded with his debut on October 24 in a match against Nottingham Forest. In his five years with Manchester United he played in 55 league games and four FA Cup games, and helped the club win the 1909 FA Cup and 1911 league title.
Manchester United star Oscar Linkson died at the Somme
He was by no means the greatest player to ever wear the number 2 shirt for United but he was described by the newspapers as "a nicely built lad, nimble on his feet, and kicks well and has the makings of a fine back".
One report tells of how he completed one match having had his jaw broken during the first half. Footballers were real men in those days.
After five seasons, Oscar moved to Dublin to join Shelbourne FC. It was his first move away from home and he left behind his 17-year-old wife Olive, who at the time was heavily pregnant with my grandfather Eric.
By the time war was declared in August 1914, Olive was again pregnant with their daughter in Dublin.
Sandy Turnbull (out of shot) scores Manchester United's winning goal against Bristol City in the 1909 FA Cup Final at Crystal Palace. The United team included Oscar Linkson. United are in white.
That summer, the press became critical that the healthiest men in the country played football when they could be fighting.
The Pals Battalions were formed, encouraging whole towns and villages to sign up.
Under this scheme came the creation of the 1st Football Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment. It was envisaged that the ranks would be filled with not only professional and amateur footballers but also fans who would serve alongside their heroes.
By March of 1915 over a hundred players had joined, including England international Frank Buckley. The battalion suffered heavy losses at Delville and nearby at Guillemont. Among those lost was Oscar.
Oscar has no known grave and until our visit last month, the only place to remember him was a name engraved among the 72,000 other men on The Memorial to the Missing at Thiepval.
Our visit had a greater purpose though, as a few hundred yards along from Delville Wood in a quiet corner of Longueval, the Football League dedicated a memorial as "an apt reminder... of how footballers and fans came together to contest the toughest match of their lives".
It was a proud moment for our family as we stood surrounded by other descendants, servicemen and footballers. A referee's whistle was blown and all fell silent to honour those who died. Among them, Oscar, our very own hero.
mirror.co.uk
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