Philip Novelli

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Philip Novelli
Personal information
Full name Philip Charles Novelli
Date of birth 17 September 1857
Place of birth London
Date of death 4 December 1905(1905-12-04) (aged 48)
Place of death London
Position(s) Left-sided forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1876 Swifts
1876–77 Cambridge University
1878–85 Old Etonians
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Philip Charles Novelli (17 September 1857 - 4 December 1905)[1] was an amateur English footballer and merchant. He won the FA Cup with Old Etonians in 1882 playing as a left-sided forward.

Family background[edit]

Novelli was born in London, the son of Augustus Novelli. He was educated at Eton College, where he stroked the college eight in rowing in 1876. He also played as an Oppidan in the St Andrew's Day Wall Game in 1875, which, unsurprisingly, ended goalless.[2] In 1876, he went up to Trinity College, Cambridge, and graduated in 1880.[3]

Football career[edit]

Novelli played for Eton against external opposition for the first time in December 1875, in a defeat to the Swifts;[4] in the equivalent fixture in 1876, possibly to make up the numbers, he turned out for the Swifts instead, and scored a goal against his school in the Swifts' 3–1 win.[5] He also played for a Cambridge University twelve against an Eton twelve later that year, although he never played in the Varsity match.[6]

He made his debut for the Old Etonians in competitive football at the Kennington Oval in the first round of the 1878–79 FA Cup, in which the Etonians stunned the Cup holders Wanderers with a 7–2 victory, one of the key factors being Arthur Kinnaird having eschewed the Wanderers for his former school; Novelli himself scored twice.[7]

He only played once more in the Cup that season, so missed out on the Etonians' Cup win, and missed out in the 1879–80 season in toto. He returned to the Old Etonians side in the first round in the 1880–81 FA Cup, scoring the second and clinching goal in the second round win over Hendon after Kinnaird hooked back an over-hit cross from Foley,[8] and played in every match up to and including the final. However he did not feature in the newspaper reports for the final, which Old Carthusians easily won.

In the 1881–82 FA Cup, he played for the Etonians in every round except for the fourth round win over Maidenhead, and this time had a much better final, perplexing Blackburn Rovers with his "dashing" runs and shooting narrowly over the bar twice,[9] one observer considering him man of the match.[10]

He played three times more in the following season's competition, but his appearance in the 7–0 win over Rochester[11] was his last competitive match for the O.Es. He played for the Old Etonians until 1885, his last recorded match being against the Old Harrovians in March that year.[12]

Post-football career[edit]

On 19 January 1882, Novelli passed the Intermediate bar examination,[13] and practised briefly as a solicitor. On 24 April 1889, he was made a Grand Steward of the Freemasons under Pro Grand Master Earl of Carnarvon and his Deputy, the Earl of Lathom.[14]

He married Edith Preston on 20 October 1887, in Hove Parish Church, Sussex, by which time he was described as a merchant;[15] the marriage produced one son (also called Philip). Novelli was particularly influential in the affairs of the St. Lawrence Lumber Company.[16]

On 4 December 1905, at his trading offices in Idol Lane, Great Tower Street, London, Novelli stepped onto the balcony fronting his office, and shot himself through the head, his death being instantaneous.[17] There had been no indications of suicidal tendencies, but his estate of £4,240 5/5[18] was notably much lower than the c. £50,000 inheritance he had received from his father,[19] in part due to the earlier collapse of Novelli & Co in 1894.[20]

Honours[edit]

Old Etonians

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Philip Charles Novelli". Find a grave. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  2. ^ Old Etonian Association (1903). The Eton Register: Part IV 1871–89. Spottiswoode & Co.
  3. ^ "Philip Novelli". A Cambridge Alumni Database. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  4. ^ "report". Eton College Chronicle: 936. 15 December 1875.
  5. ^ "report". Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News: 11. 14 October 1876.
  6. ^ "report". Windsor & Eton Express: 4. 2 December 1876.
  7. ^ "Association Challenge Cup". Bell's Life: 4. 16 November 1878.
  8. ^ "Old Etonians v Hendon". Sportsman: 4. 6 December 1880.
  9. ^ "The final tie for the Football Association Challenge Cup". Blackburn Standard: 2. 1 April 1882.
  10. ^ "Notes by "Free-Kick"". Blackburn Standard: 2. 1 April 1882.
  11. ^ "Old Etonians (Holders) v Rochester". Sporting Life: 4. 19 December 1882.
  12. ^ "Old Harrovians v Old Etonians". Daily News (London): 3. 30 March 1885.
  13. ^ "The Law Students' Journal - 1882", p.48
  14. ^ "The Freemason and Masonic Illustrated. A Weekly Record of Progress in Freemasonry, Volumes 22-23", p.236
  15. ^ Hove St Andrew Parish Register. Hove St Andrew Parish. 20 October 1887. p. 141.
  16. ^ Creaghan, Thomas W. (2015). "Ch. 35 - The St. Lawrence Lumber Company". Talented Miramichiers in the Gilded Age. Friesen Press. ISBN 9781460273548.
  17. ^ "Merchant's sensational suicide". Sheffield Daily Telegraph: 12. 5 December 1905.
  18. ^ Wills and Administrations 1906 Nabb - Ryrie. London: HMSO. 1906. p. 43.
  19. ^ "The will of the late Mr A. H. Novelli". Bradford Daily Telegraph: 2. 22 April 1887.
  20. ^ "Money market". Daily Telegraph: 3. 14 November 1894.
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