THE score in the 1883 FA Cup final, played at Kennington Oval, London, was standing at 1-1 when a shout was heard above the noise of the 5,000 spectators.

The 21-year-old player, dressed in the pale blue colours of Blackburn Olympic, called for a pass from one of his team mates.

He then controlled the ball before driving hard to score the goal that gave his side a 2-1 victory over Old Etonians.

The result meant the cup went north for the first time.

The player who scored was Jimmy Costley, who lived at Pollard Street in the Daisyfield area of Blackburn.

At the aged of 19, he was a cotton spinner, along with his brother Tommy, at the gigantic Brookhouse Mill that dominated the area in which they lived.

Jimmy spent the first five years of his football career playing for Brookhouse Rangers until, while playing in a local knockout tournament, he accepted the invitation to play for the junior second XI of Blackburn Olympic.

Jimmy soon forced his way in to the first XI and scored in the semi finals to book the team’s place in the 1883 FA Cup final.

Next season, with Jimmy again in the side, Olympic reached the FA Cup semi-final, but were beaten by Queens Park at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. Their deadly rivals Blackburn Rovers, who reached the final, then defeated the Scots and went on the win the trophy three times in a row.

In 1886 Jimmy began lending his services to the leading clubs in Lancashire.

Players were not tied down by contract then and a man playing for Olympic on a Saturday, say, could turn out for other teams during the week.

Costley took advantage of this, also playing for Everton in 1887, making his debut in a match against Rawtenstall.

He later returned to play for Blackburn Olympic where a knee injury put a premature end to his football career. He spent the rest of his life in Blackburn at his home in Boland Street. He was buried in Blackburn Cemetery.

His brother Tommy, born in 1865, also began his football career with Blackburn Olympic, then moved to Everton, making his debut in 1886 against Accrington Stanley.