It was probably even worse in cricket, and lasted much longer. Len Hutton was the first professional captain of England in over 60 years in 1951. The below extract is from Wisden in 1928 (source: http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/151713.html) The Gentlemen vs Players match was a regular fixture until the early 1960s, and the Gentlemen (amateurs) referred to the Players (professionals) by their surname while the Players had to use Sir or Mr.. In Scotish football certainly into the 1990s it was customary to call the referee by the same titles when addressing him, which has similar origins from the advent of professionalism. People forget the impact this belief of the morale superiority of the amateur sportsman had on the British FA's decision to leave FIFA. The idea that an amateur could receive payment in lieu of work was abhorrant even in the 1920s.
Yes it lasted much longer in cricket. By the time this book was written, amateur players had more or less been pushed out of top-level football. But the middle-class amateur influence continued in the media and in administration. It is still there as far as administration is concerned. Hence the continuing theme of the FA's men in suits being out of touch with the game. As you say, "broken time" payment for footballers in the supposedly amateur Olympics was a major reason for the British associations leaving FIFA. Other reasons were a desire to maintain control over the laws of the game, and a reluctance, relayed by government, to play against countries with whom Britain had recently been at war. In fact there was a reluctance to play any international football outside the British Isles, less it interfered with the traditional domestic programme. These were not necessarily the views of players and supporters, but they had no say, and the English game was held back during the 1920s and beyond.
One of my chief observations from this first batch of profiles is the focus of the time on the physical attributes of the players. In most cases there is some reference to say either "he didn't look much like a footballer" or the opposite of that. In today's game it seems that is expressed a bit less, unless the player is particularly short or slight. Few people look at, for instance, John Terry and think he was a born or natural footballer based on his physique. To me this harks back to some of the Victorian perceptions of sport as an arena in which to prove one's manliness and virility, so those who don't look great athletes seem more surprising.
Howard Spencer "Aston Villa typify all that is best in Association football and Howard Spencer typifies everything that is best in Aston Villa." "The captain of Aston Villa will probably be known to fame as the most gentlemanly professional that ever played the game. He is something more than that. He is probably among famous footballers the most scrupulously fair player known to the game." "How then is it that this paragon of the football virtues is so effective? He does not charge his opponent so often or so vigorously as the law allows, and yet he has been about the best back playing in England for the past six years." "His secret, if it can be called a secret, is honest, straightforward play, and sheer skill. When he has a man to tackle he goes mainly, if not solely, for the ball. The ball is his objective, the man is a subsidiary matter."
S.S. Harris "This wonderful player combines in himself many of the best attributes of the old and the new schools of forwards. If one could imagine a blend of W.N. Cobbold, R.C Gosling, R.E. Foster and G.O. Smith, one might piece together an epitome of S.S. Harris. He possesses a few of the attributes of each of these players. He has something of Cobbold's pertinacity, something of the close dribbling power of all of them. something of the deadly intent of Gosling, something of the pedal dexterity of Foster, something of the scientific passing of G.O. Smith, and a good deal of the shooting of all these players. He may not fill so big a place on the page of football history as that occupied by Cobbold and Smith, but he is essentially a personality, a man who is likely to dominate such a line of forwards even if they were all internationals." "Harris belongs to that somewhat rare class of forward who is capable of winning a match by himself. He is essentially a scorer. Tall, graceful, perfectly poised, he seems to glide along the ground rather than run. His movements with the ball at his toe are serpentine rather than direct. He never attempts the hurrican rush of, say, a (Harry) Hampton. He believes that the sortest way to goal is around his opponents rather than through them. One could imagine him threading his way through the mazy waltz as he slips one man, glides around another and eludes a third. He is a most fascinating figure to watch. Once the eye has been attracted to him it is difficulto to look at anything else. To a certain extent he is to the football field what Ranjitsinhji is in the cricket field. He seems to make everything so simple. Grace, ease and fluency are his natural movements." "It might be well for the game if we had a few more players of the class and calibre of Harris. The Old Cantab introduces initiative and enterprise to his methods. He also brings brains. It is not at all a bad thing for a footballer to think occasionally." "At this moment the chief business of a forward appears to be to pass the ball whether his comrade is in a favourable position or not - to pass almost for passing's sake seems to have become the rule. Harris, it need hardly be said, does not belong to this type of forward. He can, and does, pass accurately and well, and if occasionally he does not pass often enough, is that, then a more grievous fault than passing too often? The whole future of forward play may depend on a satisfactory answer to that question."
W.J. Oakley "The number of great amateur backs is perhaps proportionately larget than that of any other position on the field. One has only to mention Arnott, Dunn, Oakley, Harrison, the brothers Walters, Lodge and Herbert Smith to verify this statement. It would be difficult amidst the multitude of professionals to name eight to equal the amateurs. There are Nick Ross, Howarth, Holmes, Crompton, Spencer, Doyle, Nick Smith, and Drummond, but the balance of talent undoubtedly inclines to the amateurs." "In appearance Oakley was not a typical back. He was built for speed rather than resistance. One could imagine him as a great forward, and doubtless had accident or inclination led him that way he would have been equally great in attack as he was in defence. His great speed no doubt contributed to his success as a full back, but it was his judgement and pluck that gave him a niche among the immortals. Any one can kick if he get (sic) time and elbow-room, but it is not every back that can kick coolly and cleanly with a couple of forwards in close proximity. Oakley was one of those cool exasperating men that never get flurried, that never even for a moment lose their head, that never find themselves caught in two minds. He always seemed to have a clear-cut course of action even when surprises were sprung upon him. Perhaps he never allowed himself to be surprised. Certainly he always gave the impression of meeting every difficulty with the only true solution possible."