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28 vs. Wales
Saturday, 14 March 1885
British International Championship 1884-85 (2nd) Match

 
England 1 Wales 1 [1-1]
 
 

Leamington Street, Wagtail, Blackburn, Lancashire
Kick-off (GMT): 'at 3.30
.'
Attendance:
'presence of about 5,000 spectators'; 'before 6,000 spectators'; 'before 7,000 spectators'; 'witnessed by 7,000 people'.

England's first visit to Leamington Street, second visit to Blackburn, fourth visit to Lancashire
Clem Mitchell kicked-off Welsh captain won the toss
[0-0] Kenny Davenport shot struck crossbar
[1-0]
Clem Mitchell 35
 'The leather came back to Mitchell, who put a grand shot in quite out of the reach of Roberts'



[1-1] Billy Lewis 37
'Arthur ran out, and the ball shot through, the goalkeeper falling'
small minority list Job Wilding as the Welsh goalscorer
[1-1] Joe Lofthouse shot 'grazed' the crossbar  
fifth ever scoreless second half - seventh ever scoreless half
"The weather was bright and the turf in excellent order"
  
Match Summary
Officials [umpires and referees are of equal relevance] England Team Records Wal es
Umpires  
Nicholas Lane Jackson
35 (1 November 1849),
West Hackney, London
Richard Thomas Gough
26 (April 1859), Oswestry
(Welsh FA)
Referee
Alexander Stuart
Scotland (Edinburgh FA)
 
England Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 2nd
Colours White shirts, navy blue knickerbockers

Captain
Norman Bailey Selection The Football Association Committee, with Secretary Charles W. Alcock having the primary influence
most captaincies so far
P 10 of 15, W 4 - D 1 - L 5 - F 29 - A 22. P 24 of 31, W 10 - D 3 - L 11 - F 73 - A 54.
¹ team chosen at Paternoster Row on Monday evening, 2 March 1885.
England Lineup
(five changes to the previous match)
  Arthur, W.J. Herbert 22
28 days
14 February 1863 G Blackburn Rovers FC 2    1ᵍᵃ
  Moore, Henry T. 23
260 days
27 June 1861 RB Notts County FC 2 0
final app 1883-85
120   Ward, James 20
220 days
6 August 1864 LB Blackburn Olympic FC 1 0
only app 1885
  Bailey, Norman C. 27
234 days
23 July 1857 Half
Back
Clapham Rovers FC 14      1
most experienced captain & most apps
  Forrest, James H. 20
263 days
24 June 1864 Blackburn Rovers FC 3      0
  Lofthouse, Joseph M. 19
334 days
14 April 1865 OR Blackburn Rovers FC 2      0
121   Davenport, J. Kenyon 22
356 days
23 March 1862 IR Bolton Wanderers FC 1      0
first Wanderer to represent England
Mitchell, Clement 23
22 days
20 February 1862 Centre
Forward
Upton Park FC & Corinthians FC 5 5
final app 1880-85
  Brown, James 22
226 days
31 July 1862 Blackburn Rovers FC 4      3
122   Dixon, John A. 23
291 days
27 May 1861 IL Notts County FC & Corinthians FC 1 0
the ninth County player to represent England only app 1885
  Bambridge, E. Charles 26
227 days
30 July 1858 OL Swifts FC 12     11
most gls
reserves: not known
team changes: Goalkeeper George Vidal (Oxford University AFC) withdrew from the England line-up, his place going to Herby Arthur. Nevill Cobbold (Cambridge University AFC) was named as the original inside-left, his place going to Dixon, both changes announced on 12th March.
team notes: "[Forrest] had to figure in a different jersey from the others in the English team against Wales in 1885 in order that he should be distinguished from them." - Lancashire Evening Post, Saturday, 2 January 1926.
George Vidal is the brother of William (1883) and Robert (1873).
Charlie Bambridge's brothers, Ernest, played for England in 1876, and Arthur in 1881-84.
appearance notes: Charlie Bambridge is the second England player to make twelve appearances, whereas Clem Mitchell is the eleventh to make five and Jimmy Brown is the fifteenth to make four appearances.
Thirty players have now played for England three or more times, and 59 have done so more than once.
records: England have now gone on a record unbeaten sequence of three matches.
Billy Lewis' goal was the first goal England had conceded for 301 minutes, setting a new England record.
Norman Bailey continues to hold the world appearance record.
This is England's first ever competitive draw. albeit, retrospectively.
 
2-2-6 Arthur -
Moore, Ward -
Bailey, Forrest -
Lofthouse, Davenport, Mitchell, Brown, Dixon, Bambridge
Averages: Age 23 years 25 days Appearances/Goals 4.3 1.7
 
Wales Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 3rd
Colours Green and white halved collared shirts, white shorts, black socks
Captain Humphrey Jones
possibly Tom Burke
Selection The Welsh Selection Committee, following a series of trial matches
P 1 of 12, W 0 - D 1 - L 0 - F 1 - A 1. team chosen on Monday, 2 March 1885
Wales Lineup
68   Mills-Roberts, Dr Robert Herbert 22
221 days
5 August 1862 G St. Thomas' Hospital FC, London, & Corinthians FC, England 1 1ᵍᵃ
69   Jones, Frederick Robert 21/22 1863 RB Bangor FC 1 0
70   Thomas, George 27/28 1857 LB Wrexham Olympic FC 1 0
  Burke, Thomas 20/21 early 1864 RHB Wrexham AFC 3 0
71   Davies, Robert 21/22 1863 CHB Druids FC 1 0
only app 1885
72   Jones, Humphrey Percy 20
97 days
7 December 1862 LHB Bangor FC 1 0
73   Vaughan, Thomas 20/21 1864 OR Rhyl FC 1 0
only app 1885
74   Davies, John Edward 22/23 1862 IR Oswestry White Star FC 1 0
only app 1885
75   Wilding, Job 19
153 days
12 October 1865 CF Wrexham Olympic FC 1 0
76 Lewis, William 20/21 1864 IL Bangor FC 1 1
77   Farmer, George 20
91 days
13 December 1862 OL Oswestry White Star FC 1 0
reserves: goal: James Trainer (Wrexham Olympic FC); backs: A. Powell (Druids FC) and George Thomas (Wrexham Olympic FC); half-backs: William Foulkes (Oswestry FC), D.J. Wood (Newtown FC) and Humphrey Jones (Bangor FC); right-wing: Thomas Vaughan (Rhyl FC) and James Lloyd (Newton FC); centre: D. Jones (Bangor FC); left-wing: Billy Lewis (Bangor FC), and A. Jones (Druids FC).
team notes: Jack Powell, John Vaughan and Bob Roberts, were all due to play, but were refused permission by their club, Bolton Wanderers FC. Powell was due to be captain.
Other than the matches at the birth of international football, this is the most debutants fielded.
records: Billy Lewis' goal is the first time Wales have scored a goal against England in the first half at an England home venue.
 
2-3-5 Mills-Roberts -
F.Jones, Thomas -
Burke,
R.Davies, H.Jones -
Vaughan,
J.Davies, Wilding, Lewis, Farmer
Averages: Age 21 years 289 days
-22 years 131 days
Appearances/Goals 1.2 0.0
possibly youngest opposing XI until 1887 least experienced (except 1872) team to face England so far
 

       Match Report Morning Post, Monday, 16 March 1885

The seventh international match between England and Wales was played at Blackburn on Saturday, under Association rules, in the presence of a large concourse of spectators. The game throughout was fast, and evenly contested. During the first half England made several determined attempts to score, Brown, Bambridge, Moore, and Lofthouse showing most prominently. At length, however the Welshmen succeeded in driving their opponents back, and a corner fell to them, but nothing came of it. The English forwards now played with great vigour, and Dixon was within an ace of scoring, but Roberts sent the ball away. Bambridge, however, got possession of it, and placed a goal to the credit of England. This was followed by some useful play on the part of Lewis and Wilding, which resulted in the score being brought level. After the sides had crossed over Brown made himself conspicuous by dribbling the ball nearly the whole length of the ground, and displayed excellent judgement in his hot at goal; Roberts only just succeeding in saving his charge. Forrest and Lofthouse, in turn, attempted to lower the visitors' colours, but Roberts again succeeded in averting the danger. Next, the English were compelled to retire upon their own lines, and for a while severely pressed, still no further points were gained by either side, and the game thus resulted in a draw, both goals having secured one goal.
 

       Match Report The Times, Monday, 16 March 1885

The seventh annual match under Association rules between England and Wales was played on Saturday, at Blackburn, in the presence of about 5,000 spectators. The weather was bright and the turf in excellent order...
Bambridge, however, being on the alert, then secured the ball and placed the first point to the credit of the home eleven. Wales speedily equalized matters and the score was still even when positions were reversed. During the second period of the game, the play was exceptionally fast and exciting. Although unable to increase their score, a fact mainly attributable to the splendid goal-keeping of Mills-Roberts, the Englishmen had rather the better of the game, their forwards playing very unselfishly and making excellent shots...
  
              In Other News....

It was on 13 March 1885 that memorial services were held around the country for General Gordon and all of the officers and men killed whilst serving their country in Sudan.

  
Other Football Results (14 March 1885)
British International Championship 1884-85:
Scotland 8 Ireland 2
   Hampden Park, Glasgow
(3,000)
Lamont, Turner, Calderwood, Marshall, Higgins (3), Barbour ~ Gibb (2)
If a league table was in place, which it was not, because no competition had been formed, but if they had, then England would top the table with three points from a victory and a draw, and Scotland would have two points, having only played their first match on this day.
Football Association Challenge Cup Semi-Final:
Nottingham Forest 1 Queen's Park 1
   Derbyshire Cricket Ground, Derby
(10,000)
Danks ~ Anderson
Having beaten Notts County in the quarter-final, Queen's Park found Nottingham Forest a tougher nut to crack and drew 1-1 at Derby in the F.A. Cup semi-final.
Friendly matches:
Bolton Wanderers 4 Notts County 2
   Pike Lane, Bolton
(7,000)
Struthers, Brogan (2), Hewitson ~ Cursham (2)
Wanderers were without Kenny Davenport
County were without Harry Moore and John Dixon
Aston Villa 1 West Bromwich Albion 2
   Wellington Road Ground, Perry Barr
(7,000)
Burton ~ Smith, Timmins
     

      Source Notes

TheFA
Cris Freddi: Football Historian
Welsh Football Data Archive
Nick Gibbs' England: The Football Facts
  HistoricalKits/Wales
FreeBMD.org.uk
Rothmans Yearbooks
Original newspaper reports 
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