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16 vs.
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Saturday,
26 February 1881
Association
Friendly Match
England 0 Wales 1
[0-0]
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"The teams having arrived, it was determined to go through
with the fixture." |
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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'. |
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England's first home match away from London |
|
Jack Hunter won the toss |
Wales kicked-off |
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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].'
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"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. |
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Match
Summary |
Officials
[umpires and referees are of equal relevance] |
England Party |
Team Records |
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Umpires
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"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)
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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
"captained his team in first-rate style" |
Selection |
Welsh Selection Committee. |
P 3 of 7, W 1 - D 0 - L 2 - F 4 - A 8. |
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. |
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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. |
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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 |
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cg |