William Lindsay

Early life and education

Lindsay was born in Benares, India, the son of Major William Lindsay of the 10th Regiment. His father and most of his family were killed during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 at the Siege of Cawnpore. In 1858 he was admitted to Winchester College as one of three boys orphaned by the Indian Mutiny and remained at the college until 1865. At school he was a keen sportsman and played cricket for the Commoners XI between 1862 and 1864, as well as for the school football team. In 1860, he won the school wide jump competition and was second in the 100 yards. In 1863, he won both the high jump and the wide jump, followed by the high jump with pole in 1864 and the sack race the following year.

Football career

Lindsay subsequently represented the Old Wykehamists before joining the Wanderers in 1875, now aged 28. Lindsay played for Scotland in all five of the unofficial internationals against England in 1870, 1871 and 1872, which were played at Kennington Oval before the first official international match played on 30 November 1872. He qualified for Scotland as his father was born in Dundee in 1810; his grandfather had been Provost of Dundee. His first appearance for the Wanderers was against Clapham Rovers on 2 October 1875 and he went on to make eight appearances that season, including five in the FA Cup run, where Wanderers reached the Cup Final played against Old Etonians at the Oval on 11 March 1876. The match finished 1–1 after extra time.…

In 1867 he started work as a junior clerk in the store department of the India Office and from 1877 to 1881 was private secretary to the Under-secretary of State, and in 1882 became Senior Clerk. He was private secretary to Lord George Hamilton, Hon. Edward Stanhope, the Marquess of Lansdowne and Viscount Enfield before he retired in 1900. He was married to Emily (who was four years older than he was), and they had a daughter, Lilias, and a son, William. Lindsay died at his home in Rochester, Kent on 15 February 1923.

Wanderers

FA Cup winners: 1876, 1877 and 1878