The People's Poet of Cricket and Football, Popularist and Parodist: Albert Craig 1849-1909

摘要

The centenary of the death of Albert Craig is an appropriate moment for a retrospect of his contribution to the popular sporting poetry of the time. Occasional brief personal reminiscences or short appreciations of Craig have surfaced after his death. This article attempts to remedy the previous lack of a full-length study of a remarkable figure who entertained huge numbers of sporting spectators with his compositions and his conversation. Craig's progress through an unrivalled career is followed chronologically and thematically. It is supported by contemporary reports and by collecting together some 500 surviving examples of his work culled from sources previously unconsidered.