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The St. John's College, Cambridge, soccer XI in 1880. Percy Exham is the player holding the ball

The staff of Repton School in 1907. Percy Exham has thickened out a little since his sporting days. The mathematics master known to the boys as 'Pat' is on the front row extreme left. His relaxed pose mirrors that of his youth - perhaps he was struggling to stay awake

PERCY GEORGE EXHAM (1859-1922) is one of only 19 men to earn the distinction of being labelled a 'Derbyshire Double' - that is, he played at least one first-class game for both Derbyshire County Cricket Club and Derby County Football Club.

Unlike some of that rare breed - whose lives have been well documented - comparatively little is known of Percy Exham. This may be because his cricket and football careers were of rather short duration - in fact a handful of cricket appearances for Cambridge University, a sole game for Derbyshire and one for Derby County!

Percy George Exham was born in Cork, Ireland, on 26 June 1859. After his schooling he went up to St. John's College, Cambridge, where he demonstrated a proficiency for sport. Whilst at Cambrdge he played five first-class matches for the cricket XI, and played 'soccer' for his college.

In the early 1880s he moved to Derbyshire to take up a teaching appointment at Repton School, and while there earned his 'Derbyshire Double'.

His one match for Derbyshire was against Yorkshire at the County Ground in 1883, when he batted once and made twelve runs.

His one competitive game for Derby County was not a great success. Exham played left-half in Derby County's first ever F.A. Cup tie, a home match at the County Ground against Walsall Town on 8 November 1884. Perhaps the occasion proved too much, for Exham and his colleagues were rather overwhelmed - Walsall ran out 7-0 winners.

Exham had more enduring success as a teacher. He stayed at Repton School fully 36 years, and was Housemaster of the Orchard from 1827-1919. Known to the boys as 'Pat', his subject was mathematics, and although he had a brilliant brain, he gained a reputation for falling asleep at inopportune moments and in the oddest of places.

The story is told that when Exham gave a boy lines for failing to understand a problem, the chastened pupil was asked by his housemaster - 'Why didn't you ask Mr. Exham to explain it to you again?' The boy replied: 'Well sir, he was asleep on a hatpeg and I did not like to disturb him.'

No doubt a similar state of alertness explained Exham's all-too-brief association with top-notch cricket and football.

Percy George Exham died aged 63 at Laurel Hill, Repton, on 7 October 1922.

Peter Seddon November 2007

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