The Outcasts FC: The Suspended 1909 United Team

The first meeting of the Association Football Players Union in 1907 was chaired by United player Billy Meredith. At the time, the FA put a £4 wage cap on the players’ salaries and lacked compensation for injured players. This union campaigned against the FA to make things fairer for footballers.

Two years later, the FA withdrew its recognition of the union because it didn’t like its authority questioned. The players were ordered to resign from the union or have their registration cancelled. Many players did resign, but not all, whilst the whole of the Manchester United team refused. They trained alone and became known as The Outcasts FC. When the FA backed down on union membership, the Manchester United team wore AFPU armbands to the first match of following season.

The Outcasts FC is part of a new series of 297 x 420mm (A3) stenciled artworks from Quiet British Accent, inspired by football activism and injustices. It’s a signed, numbered edition of 50, on Somerset 250gsm velvet archival cotton stock.

To win one of these prints, simply tweet a link to this article with the hashtag #TheOutcastsFC

The print can be ordered for £25 + p&p from here.