England Football Online
Results 1872-1890
Page Last Updated 11 May 2024 Cymru
 

previous match (348 days) 
 11 vs. Wales
12
next match (14 days)
 13 vs. Scotland
 
16 vs. Wales

 Saturday, 26 February 1881
 Association Friendly Match

England 0 Wales 1 [0-0]
 		 "The teams having arrived, it was determined to go through with the fixture."

East Lancashire Cricket Ground, Alexandra Meadows, Dukes Brow, Gawthorpe, Blackburn, Lancashire
 Kick-off (GMT): 'shortly before three o'clock', 'almost three o'clock'.
Attendance: 'about 3,000 spectators attended', 'game was witnessed by about 4,000 spectators', 'over 4,000 spectators were present'.
England's first home match away from London
Jack Hunter won the toss Wales kicked-off
  started with ten men.
Kendrick joined: full compliement
second ever scoreless first half (first since 1872) - fifth ever scoreless half



[0-1] Marshall header disallowed: offside		 [0-1] Jackie Vaughan 54
'Hawtrey threw it out, but was charged over [by Goodwin], and Vaughan running up placed the leather safely thro' the goal [from a WP Owen pass].'
finished with ten men.
"Wretched weather...the ground covered in snow and slush, a circumstance which the English said helped the Welsh to gain their unexpected victory" Played according to FA rules.
 
Match Summary
Officials [umpires and referees are of equal relevance] England Party Team Records

Umpires

 "We arrived at Blackburn a man short and took the field with only ten men. The best of my recollection the ground was nearly 200 yards long and 100 yards wide. The spectators stood on foot planks along the touch lines. It was snowing and hailing and we had been playing for some time, when I saw what I thought was a spectator breaking through making upon Marshall and Rostron. I found it was Llewellyn Kenrick. He was dressed in long tweed trousers and sported a smart Oxford shirt. He played until his knee gave way and once more Wales had only ten men on the field."- WP Owen
Thomas Hindle
 25 (25 May 1855), Darwen
(Hon.sec. Lancs FA)		 Edward Manners
Hon.secretary Welsh FA
Referee
Segar Richard Bastard
27 (25 January 1854), Bow, London
 (Upton Park FC)
played for England in 1880
 
England Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 2nd		 Colours "The English eleven had on, as usual, the white jerseys, with the regular badge on the left breast".

Captain		 Jack Hunter Selection Before any official trial match, The Football Association Committee with Secretary Charles W. Alcock having the primary influence
only match, W 0 - D 0 - L 1 - F 0 - A 1. P 12 of 31, W 4 - D 2 - L 6 - F 24 - A 32.
  the team chosen at The Oval, on Monday evening, 7 February 1881.
England Lineup
(seven changes to the previous match)

13

   Hawtrey, John P. 30
221 days		 20 July 1850 G Remnants FC & Old Etonians AFC 1     1ᵍᵃ
81
82   Harvey, Alfred 24
236 days		 5 July 1856 RB Wednesbury Strollers FC 1 0
only app 1881
83   Bambridge, Arthur L. 19
252 days		 16 June 1861 LB Swifts FC 1      0
  Hunter, John 29
 197 days		 13 August 1851 Half
Back		 Heeley FC, Providence FC, Wednesday Club & Sheffield Albion FC 4      0
  Hargreaves, Frederick W. 22
194 days		 16 August 1858 Blackburn Rovers FC 2      0
  Marshall, Thomas 22
167 days		 12 September 1858 OR Darwen FC 2 0
final app 1880-81
84   Rostron, Thurston 17
311 days		 21 April 1863 IR Darwen FC 1      0
85   Brown, James 18
210 days		 31 July 1862 Centre
Forward		 Blackburn Rovers FC 1      0
86   Tait, George 21
105 days		 13 November 1859 Birmingham Excelsior FC 1 0
only app 1881
87   Hargreaves, John 20
75 days		 13 December 1860 IL Blackburn Rovers FC 1      0
  Mosforth, William 23
55 days		 2 January 1858 OL Wednesday FC 7      2
mst apps
reserves: Alf Harvey and George Tait were the original reserves (no replacements made)
team changes: The original team line-up included Nottingham Forest FC's Edwin Luntley, and Upton Park FC's Clem Mitchell. But at the 'last moment, were unable to take their places', their places going to Harvey and Tait.
team notes: Arthur Bambridge's brothers, Ernest (1876) and Charlie (1879-80) also played for England, making them the first set of three brothers to play for the national team.
John and Frederick Hargreaves are also brothers - the third set to play together in the same match.
The first occasion that England played with three teenagers in the same team, Bambridge, Rostron and Brown.
As Blackburn Rovers FC have been using the East Lancashire Cricket Ground as their home for the previous three years, then the Hargreaves brothers and teammate, Brown, were playing on one of their home grounds.
appearance notes: Jack Hunter is the sixth player to make four England appearances, whereas Fred Hargreaves and Tom Marshall are the 24th & 25th players to have made a second appearance.
Billy Mosforth is the first player to make seven consecutive England appearances, and the first to do so in his first seven matches.
 
2-2-6  Hawtrey -
Harvey, Bambridge -
Hunter, F.Hargreaves -
Marshall, Rostron, Brown, Tait, J.Hargreaves, Mosforth.
Averages: Age 22 years 284 days Appearances/Goals 2.0 0.2
=most experienced team so far
 
Wales Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 3rd		 Colours "The Welshmen wore white shirts, but to distinguish the players the visiting team wore a sash of ribbon as a belt".
Captain John Morgan Selection Welsh Selection Committee.
P 3 of 7, W 1 - D 0 - L 2 - F 4 - A 8.
"captained his team in first-rate style"
Wales Lineup
41   McMillan, Robert J. 24
102 days		 16 November 1856
in Lima, Peru		 G Shrewsbury Engineers FC, England 1 0ᵍᵃ
2 Morgan, John R. 26
 148 days		 1 October 1854 Back Derby Grammar School, England 5 0
Powell, John 21
 262 days		 25 March 1859 Druids FC
missed his train and could not participate
  Williams, William 25
37 days		 20 January 1856 Half
Back		 Druids FC 6 0
=mst apps
42   Bell, William S. 20
 188 days		 22 August 1860 Shrewsbury Engineers FC, England 1 0
43   Goodwin, Uriah 22 1859 Right
Forward		 Ruthin FC 1 0
only app 1881
Vaughan, John 22/23 1858 Druids FC 3 1
  Crosse, Knyvett 25 July 1855
 in Pontesbury, England		 Centre
Forward		 Druids FC 2 0
9 Price, John 26/27 1854 Wrexham AFC 6 0
=mst apps
  Owen, William P. 20
98 days		 20 November 1860 Left
Forward		 Ruthin FC 3 0
44   Lewis, Thomas nk nk Wrexham AFC 1 0
Replacement (score unknown)
Kenrick, S. Llewelyn 33
 262 days		 9 June 1847 Back Shropshire Wanderers FC, England 5 0
was an umpire in 1880 and will in 1882-84
his knee was dislocated and teeth shattered, but returned later. oldest known opp. player so far final app 1876-81
reserves: none
team changes: The original team line-up included "Ruabon's J. Powell, one of the best backs in Wales, he failed to put in appearance, but Kenrick, who has not played for a couple of seasons, volunteered to fill the vacancy". Jack Powell had in fact, missed his train connection.
Goodwin replaced Berwyn Rangers' William Roberts.
team notes: Reports at the time called Knyvett Crosse " "C.R. Smith" " (with the inverted commas) to show it was a pseudonym. He was anxious that his employees, W.H. Smith's, the booksellers in Ruabon, should remain unaware of his football activities.
records: This is Wales' first international victory, at their eighth attempt.
 
2-2-6 McMillan -
Morgan, Kenrick -
Williams, Bell -
Vaughan, Goodwin, Crosse, Price, Owen, Lewis.
Averages: Age 24 years 195-307 days10 Appearances/Goals 3.1 0.1
 

       Match Report Sheffield Daily Telegraph, Monday, 28 February 1881
The picked representatives of England and Wales met at Blackburn on Saturday afternoon for the second time, as this international match was only inaugurated last year at Wrexham. Falls were frequent and dodging play was not expected, although a good contest took place., taking into account the drawbacks in the shape of the treacherous turf. About 3,000 spectators attended. It was almost three o'clock before the game was commenced, and for a start the Englishmen bore down upon the Welsh citadel, but nothing came of a neat shot by Tait. The visitors soon ran into the English half, but Harvey stayed the progress of Owen and Lewis, and another attack was made by Mosforth on the visitors' goal, but Macmillan got the ball away. The Wales forwards got off once more with the ball, but when in close proximity with the English lines Roberts sent it behind the posts. The visitors made several well-concerted rushes to the English end, but Hawtry, the English goal-keeper, went about his work in the coolest manner possible, and repelled the Welsh attacks. On one occasion Lewis brought the ball to the English lines and centred in splendid style, but the other forwards were not up in time, and the ball soon travelled out of danger. Brown and Mosforth made two false shots at the opposite end, and then another rush was made to the home team end, but Bambridge stayed the attacking party. The Welsh left wing did some grand work, but the English backs repeatedly robbed them of the ball, and half-time arrived without either side having scored, although the English party had 'peppered' at the Welsh citadel at an astonishing rate. However, the spectators set themselves at rest with the thought that the Englishmen would run the visitors off their feet, and the next half would see some good scoring. Hunter kicked off, but before ten minutes had elapsed Hawtry was upset—and those who know the 'Remnant's' manly form would consider this a great feat—Bambridge lost the ball, Vaughan found it and soon sent it home, which was the winning stroke for the visitors. Every tactic was tried, but the Welsh goal could not be lowered. Marshall and Rostron made some fine shots, but the Welshmen crowded in front of their goal whenever an attack was made. Misfortune seemed to cling to the home team, as Mosforth made a true shot at the Welsh goal, but the ball bounded through, off Marshall, who was standing near the post, and on an appeal the Darwen forward was ruled off side, and thus the point was lost. Towards the close Hunter made a grand run, but nothing more was gained, and the Welshmen won by one goal to nil.
   

       Match Report The Times, Monday, 28 February 1881
An Association match between England and Wales was played on Saturday last at Blackburn. The attendance was large. Wales were lucky enough to secure a goal, by which point they won the match. England made several determined efforts to score, and their rivals' goal had many very narrow escapes.
     

       Match Report Wrexham Advertiser, Saturday, 5 March 1881
Hawtrey, the English goalkeeper, threw the ball out but was charged over at the same time and Vaughan running up placed the leather safely through the goal for Wales. The Englishmen strove hard to get on terms with their opponents. Shot after shot was aimed at the Welsh goal but each attempt was rendered futile. When time was called Wales were declared winners by one goal to love.
  
              In Other News....
It was on 27 February 1881 that 359 men, including their commanding officer, General Sir George Colley, were killed at Majuba Hill as they attempted to reclaim the Transvaal from the Boers.
  
Other Football Results (26 February 1881)
Friendly match:
Nottingham Forest 3 Clapham Rovers 0
   Castle Ground, Nottingham (tbc)
nk, Widdowson, nk
Clapham Rovers were the holders of the FA Cup... Albemarle Swepstone was a well-used goalkeeper, apparently keeping the Forest tally down to a respectable three.
Rovers were playing with only four members of their cup-winning side.
       
     

      Source Notes
Most of the Welsh birth details have been taken from the UK 1881 census, which was taken on the night of the 3rd April 1881.
The census also revealed that Welsh goalkeeper, Robert McMillan, was born in South America. 
There was only one John R. Morgan in Derby in 1881, a 26 year-old schoolmaster of Derby School.  Likewise, there was only one William Bell living in Shropshire, a 28 year-old coal miner.
There was, however, 2,240 William Williams in the census alone. 105 of them lived in Denbighshire, and those are just the males of playing age.  By a similar notion, there were nine different Thomas Lewis', and sixteen John Price's, in Wrexham.
TheFA
Cris Freddi: Football Historian
Welsh Football Data Archive
Nick Gibbs' England: The Football Facts
Ian Garland & Gareth M. Davies' Sons of Cambria
 Wrexham.Gov.uk: The story of Welsh football
FreeBMD.org.uk
Rothmans Yearbooks
Alan Brown: Football Historian
original newspaper reports
cg