Match Summary

Ireland Team

England Team

Ireland beat England for the first time since 1914 at Windsor Park, Belfast, on Saturday, by two goals to one.

If the result was a surprise there is no doubt that the winners, in the second half especially, were far and away the better team. The success to Ireland was eminently satisfactory if only for the reason that the English clubs employing Irish players could not allow certain of those chosen to take part, with the result that the Irish selectors had to make the best of their material at their command...

When England took the lead after seven minutes' play, through Bradford, it seemed as if the visiting country must win, but when Gillespie headed an equalizing goal Ireland never appeared likely to lose, and it was no surprise when Croft, with a fine individual effort, scored the winning goal 18 minutes from the end of play. - The Times - Monday 22nd October, 1923

Football League Division One 20 October 1923
Team	P	Pts
Cardiff City	11	17
Notts County	11	16
Huddersfield Town	11	15
Sheffield United	11	14
Bolton Wanderers	13	14
Aston Villa	13	14
Blackburn Rovers	11	13
Sunderland	12	13
West Bromwich Albion	11	12
Manchester City	11	12
Liverpool	11	11
Newcastle United	12	11
Tottenham Hotspur	11	11
West Ham United	11	11
Nottingham Forest	11	10
Everton	13	14
Arsenal	11	9
Chelsea	12	9
Birmingham	12	8
Middlesbrough	11	7
Burnley	11	7
Preston North End	11	4

 

Division One matches played on 20 October 1923:

BIRMINGHAM 0-1 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN
(Smith)
18,000 (St Andrew's, Birmingham)

Birmingham were without Joe Bradford, who scored the opening goal on his international debut against Ireland in Belfast, whilst Huddersfield were without Taylor and Wadsworth, who were also playing against Ireland.

BLACKBURN ROVERS 0-1 MANCHESTER CITY
(Barnes)
25,000 (Ewood Park, Blackburn)

BOLTON WANDERERS 1-2 ARSENAL
J.R.Smith (Rutherford, Woods)
20,000 (Burnden Park, Bolton)

Bolton were without David Jack, who was a reserve against Ireland in Belfast, whilst Arsenal were without Joe Toner, who was playing for Ireland.

CARDIFF CITY 1-1 PRESTON NORTH END
Davies (Roberts)
35,000 (Ninian Park, Cardiff)

Cardiff were without Farquharson and Smith, who were playing for Ireland against England in Belfast.

CHELSEA 0-0 WEST HAM UNITED
50,000 (Stamford Bridge, London)

Chelsea were without Tommy Meehan, who was making his only international appearance, against Ireland in Belfast, whilst West Ham were without Sid Bishop, who was a reserve against Ireland.

LIVERPOOL 4-2 NOTTINGHAM FOREST
McKinlay 2, 1 pen., Walsh 2 (Walker 2)
30,000 (Anfield, Liverpool)

Liverpool were without Harry Chambers, who was playing for England against Ireland in Belfast.

MIDDLESBROUGH 1-0 NEWCASTLE UNITED
Elliott pen.
25,000 (Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough)

NOTTS COUNTY 1-1 EVERTON
Cock (Chadwick)
18,000 (Meadow Lane, Nottingham)

Everton were without Bobby Irvine, who was playing for Ireland against England in Belfast.

SHEFFIELD UNITED 2-1 BURNLEY
Waugh, Menlove (Bennie)
15,000 (Bramall Lane, Sheffield)

United were without Gillespie, who scored Ireland's equaliser against England in Belfast, Pantling, who was making his only international appearance, and Tunstall who were playing against Ireland, whilst Burnley were without Emerson, who was also playing for Ireland, and Kelly, who was playing against Ireland.

SUNDERLAND 1-0 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Buchan pen.
20,000 (Roker Park, Sunderland)

WEST BROMWICH ALBION 1-0 ASTON VILLA
Morris
42,096 (The Hawthorns, West Bromwich)

Cardiff remained unbeaten in their first eleven games, though they would lose the return match at Preston, seven days later. They then went another ten games before losing their second match.

Football League Division Two 20 October 1923
Team	P	Pts
South Shields	11	16
Leeds United	11	15
Stoke	13	15
Derby County	11	14
Leicester City	11	13
Barnsley	11	13
Southampton	14	13
Clapton Orient	11	12
Blackpool	11	12
Manchester United	11	12
Bury	11	12
Bradford City	11	12
Coventry City	11	12
Stockport County	11	11
Nelson	12	10
Crystal Palace	11	9
Oldham Athletic	11	9
Hull City	11	9
Fulham	11	8
The Wednesday	11	8
Port Vale	11	7
Bristol City	11	6

 

Division Two matches played on 20 October 1923:

BLACKPOOL 5-0 COVENTRY CITY
Mee, Watson 2, White 2
12,000 (Bloomfield Road, Blackpool)

BRISTOL CITY 0-1 FULHAM
(Papworth)
12,000 (Ashton Gate, Bristol)

Fulham goalkeeper, Arthur Reynolds saved a second-half penalty from Laurie Banfield.

CLAPTON ORIENT 3-0 SOUTH SHIELDS
Williams, Rennox, Waite
25,000 (Millfields Road, London)

CRYSTAL PALACE 3-0 BRADFORD CITY
Whitworth, Hand, Bateman
12,000 (Croydon Common Athletic Ground, London)

HULL CITY 2-0 STOKE
Martin, Rumney)
8,000 (Anlaby Road, Hull)

LEICESTER CITY 2-0 BARNSLEY
Duncan, King
16,000 (Filbert Street, Leicester)

MANCHESTER UNITED 3-0 STOCKPORT COUNTY
Mann 2, Bain
31,500 (Old Trafford, Manchester)

NELSON 1-1 THE WEDNESDAY
Crawshaw (Petrie)
9,000 (Seedhill Ground, Nelson)

The Wednesday were without George Wilson, who was captain against Ireland in Belfast.

OLDHAM ATHLETIC 0-0 BURY
16,955 (Boundary Park, Oldham)

PORT VALE 0-1 LEEDS UNITED
(Richmond)
10,000 (Old Recreation Ground, Stoke)

SOUTHAMPTON 0-0 DERBY COUNTY
11,000 (The Dell, Southampton)

South Shields had not yet conceded a goal at home from five wins, but a comprehensive defeat at Clapton gave notice that their time at the top was soon to end.

Selected Division Three matches played on 20 October 1923:

BRADFORD 0-1 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
(Lees)
9,000 (Park Avenue, Bradford)

Bradford were without Andy McCluggage, who was playing for Ireland against England in Belfast.

TRANMERE ROVERS 1-3 LINCOLN CITY
Cartman (Pringle 3)
8,000 (Prenton Parl, Birkenhead)

Tranmere were without Jack Brown, who was playing for Ireland against England in Belfast.

Wolves led the northern section by two points from Rochdale and Southport. Portsmouth led the southern section on goal average from Swansea Town, but had played two more games.

IN OTHER NEWS...

It was on 21 October 1923 that the Rhenish Republic was proclaimed by separatists as a French protectorate during the post-war occupation of the Rhineland by French and Belgian forces, but the territory continued to be disputed and the self-proclaimed government lasted a matter of weeks. French forces finally withdrew in 1930.

Source Notes

Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats
Original Newspaper Reports
TheFA.com
Rothman's Yearbooks
FA Yearbooks 1950-60
Ancestry.com
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CG