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 12 vs. Wales		 Monday, 15 March 1880
 Association Friendly Match

Wales 2 England 3 [0-1]
  
 Wales is the second nation visited by England
 

The Racecourse, Mold Road, Springfield, Wrexham, Denbighshire
 Kick-off (London Time): 'at 3.20', 'kicked off at 20 minutes past three.";
Attendance: 'in the presence of about 3,000 spectators'; 'about 3,000 spectators assembled'.
Receipts: "something over £50"



Season Record
England's first visit to The Racecourse, to Wrexham, to Denbighshire and to Wales
John Price kicked-off Francis Sparks won the toss
  [0-1]Harry Hibbott own goal 32
 'stopped it but made a stumble and put it through'

 
 

[1-3] William Roberts 80
 'from Price on left-wing'
[2-3] John Roberts 89
  'put the ball through'		 [0-2] Francis Sparks 56
'running right thro' and placed'
[0-3] Francis Sparks 68
 'thro' the goal'
William Brindle inured - ten men 75
"The weather proved exceedingly fine" Played according to WFA rules.
 
Match Summary
Officials [umpires and referees are of equal relevance] Wales Team Records England Party

Umpires

 The footballs were supplied by Mr N.S. Scotcher, 36 High Street, Wrexham.
Segar Richard Bastard
 26 (25 January 1854)
Upton Park FC, London		 Samuel Llewelyn Kenrick
 32 (9 June 1847), Ruabon
Druids FC
played for England two days ago played against England in 1879
Referee
Robert Ernest Lythgoe
31 (1 April 1849), Birkenhead
   
Wales Team
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 3rd		 Colours White shirts with red belt, blue shorts, red socks
Captain John Morgan Selection Welsh Selection Committee.
P 1 of 7, W 0 - D 0 - L 1 - F 2 - A 3.
 
Wales Lineup
37   Hibbott, Harry 20
 229-258 days		 July 1859 G Newtown Excelsior FC 1 3ᵍᵃ
the second own goal scored for England
   
  Morgan, John Richard 25
 166 days		 1 October 1854 Backs unaffiliated 3 0
  Powell, John 20
 356 days		 25 March 1859 Druids FC 2 0
  Edwards, Henry Valentine 23/24 1856 Half
Backs		 Civil Service FC 2 0
  Williams, William 24
55 days		 20 January 1856 Oswestry FC 5 0
mst apps
38   Owen, William Pierce 19
116 days		 20 November 1860 Right
Forward		 Ruthin FC 1 0
  Davies, William Henry 24/25 1855 Oswestry FC 4 1
final app 1876-80
39   Boden, Thomas Henry
 played second half with an injury		 19
 252 days		 7 July 1860 Centre
Forward		 Wrexham AFC 1 0
only app 1880
  Price, John 25/26 1854 Wrexham AFC 4 0
Roberts, William 20/21 1859 Left
Forward		 Llangollen FC 3 2
mst gls
Roberts, John 22/23 1857 Corwen FC 2 1
will referee the 1882 fixture
reserves: not known
team notes: Tom Boden was badly kicked on his foot just before half-time and continued on with his injury.
Boden, as well as John Price, being Wrexham AFC players, were playing on their home ground.
records: Wales' sixth international match is also their sixth international defeat.
 
 2-2-6 Hibbott -
Morgan, Powell -
Edwards, Williams -
Owen, Davies, Boden, Price, W.Roberts, J.Roberts.
Averages: Age 22 years 107-276 days Appearances/Goals 2.5 0.4
 
England Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 2nd		 Colours White shirts, white shorts and dark blue caps.
Captain Francis Sparks Selection The Football Association Committee with secretary Charles W. Alcock having the primary influence
first captain to score twice
only match, W 1 - D 0 - L 0 - F 3 - A 2 P 11 of 31, W 4 - D 2 - L 5 - F 24 - A 31.
² team chosen on 13 March 1880.
England Lineup
 (a new record low six changes to the previous match)

12

   Sands, John 25
 275 days		 20 July 1854 G Nottingham Forest FC 1 2ᵍᵃ

75

 only app 1880
  Brindle, William, injured off 75th min. 26
296 days		 24 May 1853 RB Darwen FC 2 0
final app 1880
  Luntley, Edwin 22
322 days		 28 April 1857 LB Nottingham Forest FC 2 0
final app 1880
  Hunter, John 28
 215 days		 13 August 1851 Half
Back		 Heeley FC, Providence FC, Wednesday Club & Sheffield Albion FC 3 0

 76

   Hargreaves, Frederick W. 21
212 days		 16 August 1858 Blackburn Rovers FC 1 0
first Rover to represent England

 77

   Marshall, Thomas 21
185 days		 12 September 1858 OR Darwen FC 1 0
 78   Cursham, Henry A. 20
109 days		 27 November 1859 IR Notts County FC 1 0
Sparks, Francis J. 24
255 days		 4 July 1855 Centre
Forward		 Hertfordshire Rangers FC & Clapham Rovers FC 3 3
scorer of England's fourth brace final app 1879-80

 79

   Mitchell, Clement 18
24 days		 20 February 1862 Upton Park FC 1 0
80   Johnson, Edward 20
108 days		 28 November 1859 IL St. Peters College FC & Stoke FC 1 0
first Stoke player to represent England
  Mosforth, William 22
73 days		 2 January 1858 OL Sheffield Albion FC 6 2
mst apps
reserves: originally Tom Marshall (replacements not known)
team changes: The original team line-up included Oxford University AFC's Claud Wilson, his place going to Luntley. James Prinsep's place went to Hunter. Charlie Bambridge's place went to Tom Marshall. Both rights were replaced, Royal Engineers FC's Charles Learoyd and Old Etonians AFC's Charles Clerke replaced by Cursham and Johnson.
team notes: William Brindle had to leave the field halfway through the second half due to a back injury, probably circa 75th minute. England carried on with ten men.
Harry Cursham's brother, Arthur, also played for England 1876-79. Charlie Bambridge's brother, Ernest, played for England in 1876. Thus becoming the fifth/sixth set of brothers to play for at different times for England.
appearance notes: Jack Hunter and Francis Sparks are the ninth and tenth players to make three England appearances.
Billy Mosforh is the first player to make six consecutive England appearances, and also the first England player to appear in their three victorious matches.
records: This match is England's sixth match away from home, and mark's their first victory, ending the record sequence of four away losses in a row, and five without victory - and their first match on a Monday.
Francis Sparks is the third player to score in consecutive matches, and in so doing, become the third player to score in two different matches.
 
2-2-6 Sands -
Brindle, Luntley -
Hunter, Hargreaves -
Marshall, Cursham, Sparks, Mitchell, Johnson, Mosforth.
Averages: Age 22 years 351 days Appearances/Goals 2.0 0.5
most experienced team so far
 

       Match Report Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle, Saturday, 20 March 1880
This annual international match, played according to Association rules, was decided on Monday, the scene of action being the racecourse at Wrexham. Quite 3,000 persons were present, and the weather proved exceedingly fine. Notwithstanding their defeat by the Scotch players on Saturday, the English players were greatly fancied, but there was, on the whole, not such a vast difference between the elevens. Having lost the toss, Wales kicked off at 3.20, and at once attacked the English citadel, which narrowly escaped. The play was very fast, and each goal-keeper had several times to use his hands. Still, no score resulted to either side during the first half. Five minutes after ends had been changed, however, Sparks shot the ball under the Welsh cross-bar, and a second goal fell to the Englishmen a few minutes later. Although deprived of the services of Brindle, a third notch was placed to the credit of England, but subsequently the home players had matters nearly all their own way. Working well together, Wales kept their opponents continually on the defensive, and twice in quick succession the colours of the latter were lowered. They were, however, unable to make matters level, and "Time" left England victors by three goals to two.
 

       Match Report The Times, Wednesday, 17 March 1880
At Wrexham, on Monday afternoon, the second match between the Association representatives of England and Wales was decided in the presence of a large number of spectators. During the first half of the game England secured one goal. Soon after ends were changed Sparks kicked a second goal for England, who were then deprived of the services of Brindle. Wales now played up with great determination, and succeeded in placing two goals to their credit. The visitors, however, for the third time lowered their opponents' colours, and thus won by three goals to two."
  
              In Other News....
It was on 15 March 1880 that Lord Oranmore and Browne, an Irish Representative, complained that the government was not doing enough to suppress organised violence against those who did not support Home Rule in Ireland.
  
Other Football Results (15 March 1881)
Football Association Challenge Cup Fifth Rd Replay:
Royal Engineers 0 Oxford University 1
   The Oval, Kennington (tbc)
Eyre
At the Oval, Oxford University made up for Saturday's defeat by beating the Royal Engineers by a single goal to go through to the F.A. Cup semi-finals. John Eyre scored the goal with only eight minutes remaining and Oxford went on to reach the final.
       
     

      Source Notes
original newspaper reports
Official Matchday Programme
Cris Freddi: Football Historian
Nick Gibbs' England: The Football Facts
Ian Garland & Gareth M. Davies' Sons of Cambria
 Welsh Football Data Archive
Wrexham.Gov.uk: The story of Welsh football
FreeBMD.org.uk
Rothmans Yearbooks
Alan Brown: Football Historian
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