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Éireann
 
 
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34 vs. Ireland		 Saturday, 5 February 1887
 British International Championship 1886-87 (4th) Match
  
England 7 Ireland 0 [4-0]
    		 

Yorkshire County Cricket Ground, Bramall Lane, Highfield, Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire
 Kick-off (GMT): 'at 2.45'; 'at 2.55'; 'puctually at five minutes to three o'clock'; 'little before 3 oclock'; 'a minute or two before the hour'.
Attendance: 'upwards of 5,000 people'; 'numbering upwards of 6,000'; '...of over six thousand'; 'between 6,000 and 7,000 people'; 'nearly 7,000 persons'; fully 8,000';

England's second visit to Bramall Lane, to Sheffield and to Yorkshire
Tinsley Lindley kicked-off Johnny Gibb won the toss
[1-0] Fred Dewhurst 3
 'oblique shot that skimmed the ground'
[2-0] Nevill Cobbold 23
 'high shot after Sayer and Dewhurst ran the ball back, which Gillespie jumped at and missed'
[3-0] Tinsley Lindley 24
 'within half a minute';  'from a double pass by Cobbold'
new ball required >
[4-0] Tinsley Lindley 43
 'from Dewhurst to Lindley and by a piece of brilliant play, letting fly, Gillespie let it slip through his fingers'		 "Cobbold, essaying a shot, the ball, which for some time previous had lost its rotundity, suddenly collapsed amidst the laughter of the crowd, many of whom were aware that it had been presented to the English Association for testimonial purposes."
"About a couple of minutes were occupied in the way of 'lemonising,' and the game commenced again."
[5-0] Nevill Cobbold 46
 'after securing possession'
[6-0] Tinsley Lindley 47 HAT-TRICK
 'after some good dribbling on the right wing'
[6-0] Nevill Cobbold hits the crossbar
[7-0] Fred Dewhurst circa89
 'finally obtaining possession, and dodging the backs, scored by a good shot.'		 <Cobbold's goal is England's fiftieth second half goal. They have scored 39 goals in the first half.
  "The grounds were in capital condition, and played in a slight breeze of wind and strong sun."
 

"VICTORY OF ENGLAND" Northern Whig

Officials [umpires and referees are of equal relevance]

 England Team Records Ireland
Umpires Actual caps were awarded for the first time, consisting of royal blue velvet, at the suggestion of Nicholas Lane Jackson.
John Charles Clegg
36 (15 June 1850)
Sheffield FA President		 John McRedy McAlery
 37 (19 November 1849)
Irish FA Honorary secretary
played for England in 1872
Referee
Alexander Hunter
24/25 (early 1862), Tiverton, Devon (Welsh FA Secretary)
  

England Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 2nd		 Colours White shirts, navy blue knickerbockers
Captain Charlie Bambridge Selection following trial games, The Football Association Committee, with Secretary Charles W. Alcock having the primary influence
P 2 of 2, W 2 - D 0 - L 0 - F 20 - A 0. P 29 of 31, W 13 - D 5 - L 11 - F 91 - A 58
¹ team chosen in Birmingham on Friday evening, 28 January 1887
England Lineup
 (five changes to the previous match)
Arthur, W.J. Herbert 23
356 days		 14 February 1863 G Blackburn Rovers FC 6 4ᵍᵃ
=most gk apps
134   Howarth, Robert H. 21
230 days		 20 June 1865 RB Preston North End FC 1 0
the third Northender to represent England
135   Mason, Charles 23
310 days		 1 April 1863 LB Wolverhampton Wanderers FC 1 0
the first Wanderer to represent England
136   Haworth, George 22
111 days		 17 October 1864 RHB Accrington FC 1 0
the first Accrington player to represent England
137   Brayshaw, Edward 23
122 days		 6 October 1863 CHB Wednesday FC 1 0
the sixth Wednesday player to represent England only app 1887
  Forrest, James H. 22
226 days		 24 June 1864 LHB Blackburn Rovers FC 7 0
138   Sayer, James 24
151 days		 7 September 1862 OR Stoke FC 1 0
the third Stoke player to represent England only app 1887
Dewhurst, Frederick 23
51 days		 16 December 1863 IR Preston North End FC & Corinthians FC 3 4
eighteenth brace scored
Lindley, Tinsley 21
101 days		 27 October 1865 CF Nottingham Forest FC, Cambridge University AFC & Corinthians FC 4 5
16th brace scored, seventh hattrick
Cobbold, W. Nevill 24
1 day		 4 February 1863 IL Old Carthusians AFC & Corinthians FC 7 5
seventeenth brace scored
  Bambridge, E. Charles 28
190 days		 30 July 1858 OL Swifts FC & Corinthians FC 16 12
most gls
reserves: Bob Roberts (West Bromwich Albion FC, goal); Francis Ingram (Corinthians FC) and Arthur Wardle (Leek FC, backs); Ralph Squire (Old Westminsters AFC), Charlie Shelton (Notts Rangers FC) and Andrew Amos (Old Carthusians AFC, half-backs); Joe Lofthouse (Blackburn Rovers FC), Kenny Davenport (Bolton Wanderers FC), Jem Bayliss (West Bromwich Albion FC), John Goodall (Preston North End FC) and George Farmer (Everton FC and ex-Wales, forwards).
team notes: One newspaper report, The Derbyshire Times, names Old Carthusians FC's Smaley as the original centre-forward. But other newspaper reports name Lindley.
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 sixteen appearances, whereas James Forrest and Nevill Cobbold are the sixth/seventh to make seven and Herby Arthur is the tenth to make six appearances. Tinsley Lindley is the 21st player to make four appearances.
38 players have now played for England three or more times, and 67 have done so more than once.
records: This is only the fourth time (1878-79, 1883, 1884-85) England have managed two victories in a row. However, they have gone on a record unbeaten sequence of eight matches, lasting nearly three years.
Although this was England's tenth appearance in a Home Championship match, and they have a success rate of 75%, the players at the time were unaware, and were playing for nothing more than prestige.
Within the first two minutes of the second half, both Nevill Cobbold, and then Tinsley Lindley, became the only England players to score three goals at the Bramall Lane ground.
 
2-3-5 Arthur -
Howarth, Mason -
Haworth, Brayshaw, Forrest -
Sayer, Dewhurst, Lindley, Cobbold, Bambridge
Averages: Age 23 years 201 days Appearances/Goals 4.4    1.7

 

Ireland Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 6th		 Colours St. Patrick blue shirts, white shorts.
one match report states:- "The light blues...."
Captain Johnny Gibb Selection Ireland Selection Committee;
P 1 of 3, W 0 - D 0 - L 1 - F 0 - A 7.
Ireland Lineup
  Gillespie, Josiah Shaw 19
13 days		 23 January 1868 G Hertford FC 4 25ᵍᵃ
49   Browne, Frederick William Joseph 22
322 days		 20 March 1864
in Carlisle, England		 RB Cliftonville FAC 1 0
50   Fox, William Taylor 20
100 days		 28 October 1866 LB Ulster FC 1 0
51   Rosbotham, Alexander 21
131 days		 27 September 1865 RHB Cliftonville FAC 1 0
52   Allen, James 27
269 days		 12 May 1859 CHB Limavady FC 1 0
  Crone, William 23
158 days		 31 August 1863 LHB Distillery FC 8 0
53   Small, James Mark 19
213 days		 7 July 1867 OR Clarence FC 1 0
  Gibb, John Turnbull 26/27 1860 IR Wellington Park FC 7 2
54   Stanfield, Olphert Martin 17
344 days		 26 February 1869 CF Distillery FC 1 0
55   Leslie, William 20
141 days		 17 September 1866 IL Belfast YMCA FC 1 0
56   Brown, Nathaniel McCalla 19
110 days		 18 October 1867 OL Limavady FC 1 0
reserves: not known
team changes: Stansfield and Rosbotham were late replacements for Ireland-s most appearanced player, Thomas Molyneux and Robert Wilson.
team notes: "The Irishmen crossed via Fleetwood on Thursday night, having a very rough passage, which quite upset several of the players; but the rest on Friday, and the care and attention bestowed upon the members of the team by the manager of the Central Cafeé Company, where they put up, rapidly removed all effects."
records: This is Ireland's tenth consecutive defeat and fourteenth consecutive match without a victory.
 
2-3-5 Gillespie -
Fox, Brown -
Allen, Rosbotham, Crone -
Stansfield, Gibb, Brown, Small, Leslie
Averages: Age 21 years 233-267 days Appearances/Goals 2.4 0.2
probably the youngest opposing team until possiby the 1890 fixture

 

       Match Report York Herald, Monday, 7 February 1887
Weather of the finest description was associated with this international match, which was played on Saturday at Bramall Lane Grounds, before 6,000 spectators. The English team played as advertised, but there were two changes in the Irish eleven. The grounds were in capital condition, but the play throughout was all in favour of the Englishmen, who lost the toss, and in the first half played against a slight breeze of wind and strong sun. Lindley kicked off, and in less than two minutes Dewhurst scored for England; twenty-five minutes from the start, Cobbold, with a high cross shot from the left wing, scored a second goal. As soon as the ball was restarted, Lindley got possession, and eluding all opposition, scored a third point, and before the call of half-time the Notts player added a fourth goal. On changing ends the ball was at once taken into the Irish quarters, and Cobbold registered a fifth goal, and soon after Lindley kicked a sixth. During the greater portion of the second half the Irishmen were pinned in their own territory, and had to make the most strenuous exertions to save their goal from downfall. Just before the call of time Dewhurst added a seventh goal, the final scores being—England seven goals, Ireland none. From start to finish the game was all in favour of the Englishmen, who outplayed their opponents at all points. The English forwards all played splendidly. The Irish goalkeeper, Gillespie, had a busy time of it, but Arthur's post was a sinecure, he only being called upon once during the whole game.
       

       Match Report The Times, Monday, 7 February 1887
Saturday last was also appointed for the sixth annual match between England and Ireland under Association rules at Bramall-lane, Sheffield, where, the weather being fine, several thousand on-lookers assembled. Successful in the toss, the visitors played with the wind in their favour and a little before 3 o clock Lindley started the ball. The English at once acted on the aggressive and Dewhurst kicked a goal. The play for a little while became more even, but the home side were faster and kicked more skilfully than their opponents. Cobbold, with a well-aimed shot from the left side, sent the ball between the posts. Lindley then finished up a fine run by securing a third goal for England, and prior to half-time the same player obtained a fourth. Ends were changed, and the home eleven speedily resumed the aggressive. Cobbold obtained a fifth goal and Lindley added a sixth. In spite of these continuous reverses, Ireland played in a very determined manner, and once they very nearly scored. Towards the close of the match however, Dewhurst gained a seventh point.   
  
              In Other News....
It was on 5 February 1887 that 38 people died when a train crashed off the White River Bridge in Vermont, onto the frozen river and was then engulfed in flames.
  
Other Football Results (5 February 1887)
Football Association Challenge Cup Fifth Round:
Aston Villa 5 Horncastle 0
   Wellington Road Ground, Perry Barr (6,000)
 Davis, Brown (3), Hunter
Aston Villa defeated Horncastle, 5-0, at their Perry Barr ground, in the fifth round of the F.A. Cup, ex-England international, Arthur Brown scoring a hat-trick. This put Villa into the quarter-finals for the first time and they went on to lift the trophy.
Leek 0 Old Carthusians 2
   Leek (4,000)
 scrummage & not known
Carthusians were without Nevill Cobbold
 
Selected Friendly matches:
Bolton Wanderers 2 Blackburn Rovers 2
    Pike Lane, Bolton (2,000)
 nk, Davenport ~ from a corner, nk
Rovers were without Herby Arthur and Jimmy Forrest
Stoke 2 Port Vale 1
   Victoria Ground, Stoke-upon-Trent (7,000)
 nk (2) ~ Aston
Stoke were without Jimmy Sayer
  
Preston North End 7 Blackburn Olympic 2
   North End Ground, Deepdale, Preston (3,000)
 Ross (4), Drummond (2). Thomson
~ Ross OG, Parker
North End were without Bob Howarth and Fred Dewhurst
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 Derby County 5
   Dudley Road, Wolverhampton (tbc)
 scorers not known
Wolves were without Charlie Mason
 
     

      Source Notes
TheFA
Jonny Dewart at Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats
Cris Freddi's England Football Factbook		   The Football Association Yearbook
Original Newspaper Reports
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