Inside Corinthian-Casuals
Carly Doyle, England
A new tournament in Budapest is marking the 70th anniversary of the death in the Superga air disaster of legendary manager Ernő Egri Erbstein. The inaugural Egri Erbstein Tournament will be hosted by the pioneering coach’s first club, Budapesti Atletikai Klub (BAK), reformed last summer by a group of local enthusiasts.
Historic English club Corinthian-Casuals will join BAK and two other historic Budapest amateur clubs – BEAC and Testveriseg – in a four-team tournament to be played over the weekend of June 15-16 at the Szőnyi úti Stadion in Budapest. Budapest was the first European city that the Corinthians visited, back in 1904, at which time they were arguably the best team in the world.
Ahead of the tournament, we documented the stories of BAK and Corinthian-Casuals through the eyes of their players and staff. Carly Doyle is the physiotherapist at Corinthian-Casuals and has been with the club since 2010.
Who is in the photos? Where were the photos taken?
The photos were all taken at the club on a match day. They show a combination of players, management, loyal club workers, and supporters.
What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning with the photos?
I tried to show that it is the variety of awesome people that make Casuals the club it is, and a combination of behind the scenes in the dressing room and the general daily (and match day) running of the club.
What is your favourite photo?
My favourite photo is of the supporters who turn up every game in their Casuals shirts to support the boys whatever the weather. They are always so friendly and welcoming.
Why is the Corinthian-Casuals story so unique and important?
It’s so unique and important, as it is such a fabulous story and Casuals were so instrumental in football being played around the world and being the sport it is today. The club is very rich in history and it is still spoken about by everyone at the club, who are proud of making it what it is today. The amateur status of the club is also regarded as unbelievable by a lot of people.
What role does Corinthian-Casuals play in the local community and around the world?
Corinthian Casuals brings lots of different parts of the local community together - a wide variety of supporters and different people from all walks of life come to support the club and are all welcoming, friendly and supportive. We also have lots of youth teams with the youngsters aspiring to one day being in the first team!
What does football mean to you?
Football is the best sport in the world - the excitement, highs, lows and emotions that come with it. I’m incredibly lucky to have been on tour with these boys and to watch them and help them behind the scenes every week. My dad used to play football, so I grew up with football and was introduced to the team by a friend to the former Casuals manager Brian Adamson.
What is the future for Corinthian-Casuals?
Hopefully Corinthian Casuals can continue to surprise people, perform and bring people together through football - and continue onwards and upwards!
Why is the connection with BAK and Hungary so important for the club?
Corinthian Casuals embraces its history and having a new tournament in a new place set up to honour this is fantastic for the club, management, players and supporters.
