Lightning Fred Sexli — the first legend of British football

Fred Spixel is the man who became a football star before this sport has become internationally popular. He's famous because he scored a lot of goals, but in his biography there are many other wonderful moments. Spixii played with Charlie Chaplin in the theatre, was able to work as a coach on three continents and deftly escaped from Germany before the First world war. The life story of this athlete is that you knew her.

Fred Spixii was born in 1870 in Hansboro in Lincolnshire, in the North of England. His family was unremarkable and certainly not associated with sports. Senior Spixii worked in the boiler room and the boy's mother was a housewife.

Fred Spixii

No one could assume that a skinny big-eyed boy will eventually glorify British football and will train teams from Europe, USA, Peru and Mexico. Fred's career started casually, in an obscure town club "Gainsborough Trinity", the owners of which then never regretted that sheltered a young player. The second team was the same seedy "Sheffield Wednesday". It was the efforts of Sexli this little-known club became popular and was able to get to the national level.

The "Wensday" (Spixel is the rightmost in the second row), 1891

In the game of Sexli was incredibly moving. Here as he talked about his manner of playing Ernest Needham, the captain of the English team and, according to many, the best player of the turn of XIX-XX centuries:

Bill Bassett, another well-known ally of Sexli the club also talked about him not only as a "very fast player in English football". Fred was unparalleled dribbler and this skill he honed back in those days when a boy drove a heavy rubber ball on the pavement native Gainsboro.

Team England (Spixel lower left, 1893

A proprietary "chip" of Spixel to spin the ball outside of the foot brought to a frenzy of competitors who could not oppose such manner of playing. Mark Metcalf, one of the authors of the biographical book about Fred Spixel "Flying over an olive grove," said of him:

Spixii scores a goal against Scotland

When Fred left the "Wednesday" what happened 10 years later, the club was already the reigning champion of the First League and already got my first FA Cup. During his career at the club, Sexly scored over a hundred goals and were quite happy with the mascot.

After that, Sexly played in England, where his career was full of UPS and downs. Despite this, fate Fred was not necessary — he became a famous and well earned. After that it was "Leeds", "Watford" and "southern United", but to fully reach their potential player there, was unable due to a serious knee injury. Spixel had no idea how he could use his illness 10 years later, when in Europe broke out the First world war.

Not being able to play for health reasons, Fred was not sitting idly by. He got a job in the circus, where he was immediately noticed by theatre impresario Fred Karno. He gave the athlete role in the skit "Football match", which was the audience choice.

Fred Karno

In the sketch was described dramatic, but no less funny story of the confrontation of two football teams. Spixii was not the only athlete in this performance — Carnot've invited a few virtuosos of the ball, able to perform various stunts.

Another member of the sketch was the young Charlie Chaplin. Great actor in the future impresario Fred Karno described as a "dark person, pale and extremely wishy-washy". Carnot believed that Chaplin will not be able to play in the theater because of his almost painful shyness. Now we know exactly how wrong of an experienced impresario.

Fred Spixii (left) with the Sweden national team

The chance to go to Tottenham and QPR, he missed, and the club "Watford" denied Fred in place because of his addiction to gambling. It was not in vain — jump could be considered second passion in life, Sexly after sport. Despite the setbacks in his native Kingdom, the player does not miss the chance and became one of the most popular football coaches in the beginning of XX century in the world.

Fred Spixii taught to play football in Sweden, Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, USA, Peru and Mexico. Only thanks to his efforts, the Swedish national team has reached the international level, and the club "AIK Stockholm" became the champion. After 17 years of success have made another club, where he worked as a coach Spixii German "Nuremberg".

The only one who didn't show with Sexli as the preceptor of no interest — it's the English clubs. Late in his career, the footballer failed a couple of years to work in Fulham, but the performance of the team is affected. In the world of Spixii was the unquestioned authority and his technique of lightning fast passes and movement were a huge number of fans.

Fred Spixii (left) and his team from the club "Nuremberg"

In 1914, before the outbreak of the First world war, Fred Spixii trained the German "Nuremberg". When in Germany there was an order to arrest all foreigners, aged from 17 to 45 years, 44-year-old coach and his son was in jail on meager rations of a prisoner of water and bread.

Wife of Fred, Ellen, managed to secure the release of her husband and son, using his football club and the influence of the American Consul. But after his release from prison the family of Spixel had to flee from Germany to his home in England. There football was beset with a new problem — a universal army draft. But in this case had a knee injury that plagued the athlete all his life — the medical Commission found him unfit for military service.

The Racecourse at Goodwood (our days)

Spixii could become the greatest coach in England, but did not do so for one simple reason — he suffered from compulsive gambling, severe. Horseracing, after football, was all for Fred. Sometimes he was lucky and he brought home a bag of money, but most bets were unsuccessful and the player lost everything. In 1909 he lost so that he was declared bankrupt.

For British companies reputation plays a big role, so to a great football player treated with prejudice. After completion of sports career, Sexly entirely devoted himself to the sweepstakes. Even died the genius of British football at the races at Goodwood from a heart attack. Witnesses said that at the time of death 78-year-old Sexly clutched in the hands of the ticket, appeared later winning.