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25 vs. Scotland
Saturday, 15 March 1884
British International Championship 1883-84 (1st) Match

 
Scotland 1 England 0 [1-0]
 
 

Cathkin Park, Cathcart Road, Crosshill, Glasgow, Lanarkshire
Kick-off (GMT): 'punctually at half past three o'clock...and start within five minutes'.
Attendance: 'nearly 10,000 spectators'; 'in the presence of twelve thousand spectators'; 'not less than 15,000 spectators'; 'presence of 15,000 spectators'; 'between 16,000 and 17,000'; 'nearly 20,000'.

Tenth different venue to host an England match; England's only visit to Cathkin Park;
seventh visit to Glasgow, to Lanarkshire and to Scotland, all still without a victory
Charles Campbell won the toss William Bromley-Davenport kicked-off
[1-0] John Smith 6
 'Dobson returned the ball which was got by Arnott and with a judicious long kick, landed it front of Dr. Smith, with a smart shot'.
 
[1-0] Joe Lindsay scores: disallowed offside  
fourth ever scoreless second half (first since 1876) - sixth ever scoreless half
"Although rain fell in the morning, the weather brightened considerably in the afternoon."
Match Summary
Officials [umpires and referees are of equal relevance] Scotland Team Records England

Umpires

This was apparently the first ever all-ticket football match;
Major Francis Arthur Marindin
45 (21 May 1838), Weymouth
Old Etonians AFC, (F.A. President)
Thomas Lawrie
29 (21 October 1854), Gorbals, Lanarkshire

Scottish F.A. vice-President
Referee
John Sinclair
28 (27 August 1855), Belfast (Irish FA hon.treasurer)
P 2 - W 0 - D 0 - L 2 - F 2 - A 4. played in the 1882 England-Ireland fixture
 
Scotland Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 1st
Colours '...and the Scotchmen in blue jerseys and white trousers'
Captain Charles Campbell Selection Following the trial match on 8 March, The Scottish Football Association Selection Committee
P 8 of 8, W 7 - D 0 - L 1 - F 32 - A 10 the team chosen on Tuesday evening, 11 March 1884.
Scotland Lineup
  McAuley, James 23
200 days
28 August 1860 G Dumbarton FC 4 1ᵍᵃ
  Arnott, Walter 22
308 days
12 May 1861 RB Queen's Park FC 3 0
  Forbes, John 22
62 days
13 January 1862 LB Vale of Leven FC 2 0
  Campbell, Charles 30
55 days
20 January 1854 Half
Back
Queen's Park FC 11 1
most apps
  McPherson, John Campbell McLeod 29/30 1854 Vale of Leven FC 7 0
82   Shaw, Francis Watson 19
307 days
13 May 1864 OR Pollockshields Athletic FC 1 0
  Anderson, William 21
325 days
25 April 1862 IR Queen's Park FC 4 1
  Lindsay, Joseph 25
123 days
13 November 1858 Centre
Forward
Dumbarton FC 4 1
Smith, Dr. John 28
216 days
12 August 1855 Queen's Park FC 10 9
final app 1877-84
83   Christie, Robert Main 18
121 days
15 November 1865 IL Queen's Park FC 1 0
only app 1884
  McKinnon, William Nelson 24
283 days
6 June 1859 OL Dumbarton FC 3 0
reserves: goal:- Thomas Turner (Arthurlie FC); back:- Michael Paton (Dumbarton FC); half-back:- John Gow (Queen's Park FC); fowards:- Robert Brown (Dumbarton FC), William Harrower (Queen's Park FC), Woodville Gray (Pollokshields Athletic FC)
team notes: James McAuley played as a forward on his debut, scoring one of the five goals, against Wales, 25 March 1882.
records: Scotland's eleventh consecutive victory, having not lost since April 1879.
John Smith's ninth goal for his country is still one behind record Home Nations goalscorer Geordie Kerr.
 
2-2-6 McAuley -
Arnott, Forbes -
Campbell, McPherson -
Shaw, Anderson, Lindsay, Smith, Christie, McKinnon.
Averages: Age 24 years 86-119 days Appearances/Goals 4.5 1.1
 
England Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 2nd
Colours 'the Englishmen in white uniform'

Captain
Norman Bailey Selection The Football Association Committee, with Secretary Charles W. Alcock having the primary influence
most captaincies so far
P 7 of 15, W 2 - D 0 - L 5 - F 20 - A 21. P 21 of 31, W 8 - D 2 - L 11 - F 64 - A 53.
  teams chosen at The Freemason's Tavern, Thursday evening, 28 February 1884
England Lineup
(a record-equalling four changes to the previous match)
  Rose, William C. 22
105 days
1 December 1861 G Swindon Town FC & Swifts FC 2 2ᵍᵃ
  Dobson, Alfred T.C. 24
353 days
28 March 1859 RB Notts County FC & Corinthians FC 3 0
  Beverley, Joseph 27
124 days
12 November 1856 LB Blackburn Rovers FC 2 0
  Bailey, Norman C. 26
236 days
23 July 1857 RHB Clapham Rovers FC 11 0
most experienced captain & most apps
  MacRae, Stuart 28
99 days
7 December 1855
in Bengal, India
CHB
 
Notts County FC & Corinthians FC
 
5 0
oldest player to represent England competitively so far final app 1881-84

111
  Wilson, Charles P. 24
308 days
12 May 1859 LHB Hendon FC & Corinthians FC 1 0
  Holden, George H. 24
161 days
6 October 1859 OR Wednesbury Old Athletic FC 3 1
  Vaughton, O. Howard 23
66 days
9 January 1861 IR Aston Villa FC 4 6
112   Bromley-Davenport, William 22
54 days
21 January 1862 CF
 
Old Etonians AFC & Oxford University AFC 1
 
0
 
youngest player to represent England competitively so far
  Bambridge, E. Charles 25
229 days
30 July 1858 IL Swifts FC 9 10
most gls
113   Gunn, William 25
102 days
4 December 1858 OL Notts County FC 1 0
the eighth County player to represent England
reserves: James Forrest (Blackburn Rovers FC).
team changes: The only change from the original line up was Gunn coming in for Harry Cursham (Notts County FC).
Charles Wilson is the younger brother of Kenneth Plumpton, who withdrew from the previous match.
team notes: Harry Cursham's brother, Arthur, also played for England 1876-82.
Had Harry Cursham not been involved in his accident, he would have been playing in a record-breaking eighth consecutive match.
Charlie Bambridge's brothers, Ernest, played for England in 1876, and Arthur in 1881-84.
appearance notes: Charlie Bambridge is the third England player to make nine appearances, whereas Stuart MacRae is the ninth to make five and Howard Vaughton is the twelfth to make four appearances.
25 players have now played for England three or more times, and 51 have done so more than once.
England have now used 151 different players
as part of the starting XI, reserves and those that have withdrew.
records: Norman Bailey continues his record of being the most experienced England player to have not scored a goal.
 
2-3-5 Rose -
Dobson, Beverley -
Bailey, MacRae, Wilson -
Holden, Vaughton, Bromley-Davenport, Bambridge, Gunn.
Averages: Age 25 years 1 day Appearances/Goals 3.8 1.5
oldest competitive XI until 1892
England previous teams vs. Scotland:
1883: Swepstone de Paravicini Jones Bailey Macrae Whateley A.Cursham Mitchell Goodhart Cobbold H.Cursham
1884: Rose Dobson Beverley Wilson Holden Vaughton Bromley-Davenport Bambridge Gunn
 

       Match Report Sheffield Independent, Monday, 17 March 1884

Between 16,000 and 17,000 persons visited Cathkin Park, Glasgow, on Saturday, to witness the annual International match, under Association rules, between England and Scotland. The contest had been anticipated with great interest, and as most of the leading clubs in both countries had avoided making other fixtures for the same date, the teams were thoroughly representative. Through an accident at Birmingham, H. A. Cursham was kept out of the English side, but a very efficient substitute was found in Gunn. The game proved to be one of the hardest fought international encounters of recent years, but the Scotchmen if anything had the better all round team, and for the most part of the play pressed their opponents very closely. Bromley-Davenport kicked off for England, but the ball was very quickly returned. After a few minutes of very smart play, Anderson made a long kick, which Dr. Smith converted into a goal for Scotland. amidst enthusiastic cheering. Naturally elated by this early success the home team played with great dash and vigour, but the English back play was strong and sure, and no appreciable impression could be made. The Englishmen made one or two good dashes into the opposition territory, and one or two chances of scoring were missed. On more than one occasion the kicking was a trifle erratic. The forward play of Gunn and Bambridge on the left wing was the saving of the English game, and by the way the backs fed these two players it was evident that the whole side were aware of this fact. The play was hard and fast, and mostly confined to the English half of the ground, but despite strong attacks and several corner kicks, the Scotch team were unable to put on another point. When half-time was called the score was still one goal to nothing in favour of Scotland. When the ends had been changed a strong rush was made upon the English goal, but Rose cleverly averted the charge. The ball was quickly returned, however, and for fully five minutes the English goal was in immediate danger. Rose was ably supported by the English backs, and Scotland was unable to score. The remainder of the game does not require much description. The English forwards with the exception of Gunn and Bambridge, were weak and easily broken through, but the backs were almost faultless, and resisted every charge made by the Scotchmen. No further score was made on either side, and at the call of time Scotland had gained a well-earned victory by one goal to nothing.
    
  

       Match Report The Times, Monday, 17 March 1884
Although rain fell at Glasgow on Saturday morning, the weather brightened considerably in the afternoon, and nearly 10,000 spectators assembled at Cathkin-park to witness the 13th International contest, under Association rules...
After a sharp attack on the English goal, Dr. Smith sent the ball under the cross-bar, thus scoring the first and, as it proved, the only goal. Although England made most energetic attempts to bring the score level, they were unable to do so, owing to the determined manner in which the home backs played.
  
       North British Daily Mail, Monday, 17 March 1884
...one of the most disappointing ever played between thoroughly trained representatives of both countries..
 
       Daily Mail, Monday, 17 March 1884
The international match of 1884, in fact, may be said to have been won by the backs of the Scotch team and Macauley, the goalkeeper...
  
       Sheffield Independent, Monday, 17 March 1884
At Glasgow, on Saturday....It was agreed that the football associations of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland should take every means to suppress professionalism.
  
              In Other News....
It was on 14 March 1884 that the forces commanded by General Sir Gerald Graham drove back Osman Digna and his rebel fighters in Sudan.
  

      Source Notes

TheFA
Scottish FA
Cris Freddi's England Football Factbook
ScottishSportHistory: Andy Mitchell
  LondonHearts.com
The Football Association Yearbook
James Corbett's England Expects
Original Newspaper Reports
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