SOUTHALL are not the only club to be celebrating their 150th anniversary this year, with Uxbridge, Reading, Old Etonians, Henley Town and Horsham also formed in 1871.
Have a look at the NEWS & UPDATES section of this blog site for news about a potential 150th anniversary game against two-time FA Cup winners Old Etonians later this year.
It's fair to say that formations have evolved in the last 150 years.
Take the line-ups from Old Etonians' 1882 FA Cup final against Blackburn Rovers below, for example. Just about the only aspect of the formation from all those years ago that remains the same is the inclusion of one goalkeeper.
In football's early days in the 1800s, players were not classed as defenders, midfielders and strikers. There were no Diamond or Christmas Tree formations, and the only 'False 9' was likely to be a number 6 on the front door of a house that had come loose from one of its screws and swung upside down.
Instead of defenders, midfielders and strikers, there were backs, half backs and forwards. Backs were the defenders, half backs were what we now know as midfielders, and forwards were forwards - but there were more forwards than the backs and half backs put together.
There was no 4-4-2 or five at the back in this game. In fact, the two teams fielded just two backs, two half backs and no fewer than SIX forwards.
It is somewhat ironic then that, given the 12 forwards and only four backs that lined up that day, the game produced just one goal and ended in a 1-0 win for Old Etonians, as they secured their second FA Cup triumph.
So, how about manager Max Howell trying a 2-2-6 formation when Southall return to action?
Here's how the next Southall starting XI might look
Based on some of Max's recent team selections
S. McCalmon D. Mark P. Dean A. O'Connor N. Dennis K. Robinson
B. Long (Captain) L. Henegan
C. Pearce L. Dailey
L. Todd
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