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20 vs. Ireland
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26 vs. Ireland
Saturday, 28 February 1885
British International Championship 1884-85 (2nd) Match

 
England 4 Ireland 0 [1-0]
 

Manchester Football Ground, Upper Chorlton Road, Whalley Range, Manchester, Lancashire
Kick-off: 'kicked off at 3.20'; at 3.25'.
Attendance: 'between 5,000 and 6,000 spectators assembled'; 'about 6,000 spectators assembled'.




Players lost since last match
Arthur Cursham (24 December 1884) 31
England's only visit to Whalley Range, first visit to Manchester, third visit to Lancashire
Norman Bailey won the toss. John Gibb kicked-off
[0-0] Norman Bailey scores free-kick: disallowed
[1-0]
Charlie Bambridge 44
 'Spilsbury passed for Bambridge to score'
 
[2-0] Ben Spilsbury free-kick 75
 'a foul occurring, sent the ball through'
[2-0] Jimmy Brown's shot hit the cross-bar, then...

[3-0] William Eames own goal 77
 'Eames inadvertently breasted in a Lofthouse corner'

[4-0]
Jimmy Brown
after77
 'some neat dribbling' from Lofthouse pass

[4-0] Spilsbury shot hits cross-bar



<Some sources credit England's third goal as a Joe Lofthouse goal

<England's tenth competitive second half goal
"The afternoon was fine..."
 
Match Summary
Officials [umpires and referees are of equal relevance] England Team Records Ireland
Umpires
  "Fourteen corner-kicks for the Englishmen"
Charles Henry Reynolds Wollaston
35 (31 July 1849), Sussex, Wanderers FC
John McRedy McAlery
35 (19 November 1849)
Irish FA Honorary Secretary
Five sources - The Times, The Field, Bell's Life, Sporting Life, and the Athletic News name Lawrie, another four - Alcock's Annual 1885, Northern Whig, Belfast News-Letter, and The Sportsman name McKillop.
 
Played for England 1874-80 played against England in 1882
Which Referee?x
Thomas Lawrie
, 30 (21 October 1854), Gorbals, or
James E. McKillop
, Scotland
 
England Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 2nd
Colours "the home team wearing white jerseys"

Captain
Norman Bailey Selection Following the trial match, The Football Association Committee, with Secretary Charles W. Alcock having the primary influence
most captaincies so far
P 9 of 15, W 4 - D 0 - L 5 - F 28 - A 21. P 23 of 31, W 10 - D 2 - L 11 - F 72 - A 53.
¹ team chosen at 23 Paternaster Row on Monday evening, 16 February 1885
England Lineup
(five changes to the previous match)

16

  Arthur, W.J. Herbert 22
14 days
14 February 1863 G Blackburn Rovers FC 1 0ᵍᵃ
115 the 7th/8th Rover to represent England
116   Walters, Percy M. 21
151 days
30 September 1863 RB Oxford University AFC & Old Carthusians AFC 1 0
117   Walters, Arthur M. 20
33 days
26 January 1865 LB Cambridge University AFC & Old Carthusians AFC 1 0
  Bailey, Norman C. 27
220 days
23 July 1857 Half
Back
Clapham Rovers FC 13 1
most experienced captain & most apps
  Forrest, James H. 20
249 days
24 June 1864 Blackburn Rovers FC 2 0
118 Lofthouse, Joseph M. 19
320 days
14 April 1865 OR Blackburn Rovers FC 1 0
the 7th/8th Rover to represent England
119 Spilsbury, Benjamin W. 20
211 days
1 August 1864 IR Cambridge University AFC, Derby County FC & Corinthians FC 1 1
youngest competitive scorer so far first County player to represent England
  Pawson, Francis W. 23
328 days
6 April 1861 Centre
Forward
Swifts FC & Corinthians FC 2 1
final app 1883-85
Brown, James 22
212 days
31 July 1862 Blackburn Rovers FC 3 3
  Cobbold W. Nevill 22
24 days
4 February 1863 IL Cambridge University AFC, Old Carthusians AFC & Corinthians FC 3 3
Bambridge, E. Charles 26
213 days
30 July 1858 OL Swifts FC 11 11
most gls
reserves: Alf Jones (Burnley FC)
team notes: Percy and Arthur Walters are brothers. The eighth set of brothers to play for England, and the fourth set to play in the same team.
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 eleven appearances.
29 players have now played for England three or more times, and 56 have done so more than once.
records: This is only the third time (1878-79 & 1883) that England have won two matches in a row.
In the 55th min, England broke their record of going through 228 minutes without conceding a goal, ending the match with 264 minutes without conceding.
Norman Bailey now holds the world appearance record.
 
2-2-6 Arthur -
P.Walters, A.Walters -
Bailey, Forrest -
Lofthouse, Spilsbury, Pawson, Brown, Cobbold, Bambridge
Averages: Age 22 years 180 days Appearances/Goals 3.6 1.5
youngest competitive XI until March
 
Ireland Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 4th
Colours "...whilst the colours of the away team were royal blue"
Captain Jack Davison Selection Irish Selection Committee
P 5 of 5, W 0 - D 1 - L 4 - F 2 - A 24. team chosen on Thursday, 26 February 1885
Ireland Lineup
27   Henderson, John 40
212 days
31 July 1844 G Ulster FC 1 4ᵍᵃ
28   Hewison, George 30
117 days
3 November 1854 Full
Back
Moyola Park FC 1 0
29   Moorhead, Frederick William 21
141 days
11 October 1863 Dublin University AFC 1 0
only app 1885
30   Eames, William L'Estrange 21
225 days
18 July 1863
in Neemuch, India
Half
Back
Dublin University AFC 1 0
the third own goal scored for England
     
  Molyneux, Thomas Bryson 27
224 days
19 July 1857 or 1868 Cliftonville FAC 6 0
31   Houston, William John nk not known Moyola Park FC 1 0
  McWha, William Barrie Ritchie 22/23 1862 OR Cliftonville FAC 6 0
  Davison, Dr. John Robert 24
309 days
25 April 1860
in Hunslet, England
IR Cliftonville FAC 8 0
mst apps
final app 1882-85
  Gibb, John Turnbull 24/25 1860 CF Wellington Park FC 3 0
  Dill, Alexander Harrison 21
246 days
27 June 1863 IL Cliftonville FAC 7 0
32   Magee, George nk not known OL Wellington Park FC 1 0
reserves: not known
team changes: Magee was a last minute replacement for Roper, another Dublin-based university player.
team notes: Eames and Frederick Moorhead were the first Dublin-based players to be selected for Ireland.
 
2-3-5 Henderson -
Hewison, Moorhead -
Eames, Molyneux, Houston -
McWha, Davison, Gibb, Dill, Magee
Averages: Age 26 years 15-96 days9 Appearances/Goals 3.3 0.0
based on just nine players, this is probably the oldest opposing XI until 1893
"A dinner was held in the evening at the Grand Hotel" - The Sportsman, Monday, 2 March 1885
 

       Match Report Morning Post, Monday, 2 March 1885

As was generally expected, the Englishmen proved successful in this their first international match of the season, played under Association rules, at Whalley Range, Manchester, on Saturday afternoon. Between 5,000 and 6,000 persons assembled to witness the contest. At times the play was very fast, and although defeated, it must be admitted that the visitors made a bold bid for victory. Successful in the toss, the English eleven elected to play with the wind during the initial period of the game. Gibb kicked off for Ireland, and it was not long ere the ball was returned, when the combined play of the English forwards placed the visitors' goal in great danger. Still, Henderson, for a time, proved equal to the occasion, and, after several unsuccessful attempts to score, the home eleven in turn had to retire. Alternately, each team was now in the ascendant, and just prior to half time Spilsbury dribbled the ball to Bambridge, who quickly sent it between the posts. Having thus weathered the first half so well, it was thought that change of ends would enable the Irishmen to show to greater advantage, but scarcely had play been resumed ere England again took the ball in close proximity to their rivals' fortress, and a free kick enabled Spilsbury to score. Next a corner was taken by Ireland, which resulted in Eames sending the ball through his own goal. The game having been restarted, Davidson and M'Wha relived their side by some neat dribbling, as did also Brown, to whom the ball was ultimately centred by Lofthouse, and a fourth goal resulted. A good shot from the foot of Cobbold followed, but the ball struck the crossbar, when Brown got possession, and tried to head it through. Henderson, however, saved his charge in fine style. This was the last incident of note, and thus, at the call of time, the Englishmen were declared the winners by four goals to none.

   

       Match Report The Times, Monday, 2 March 1885

The annual encounter between England and Ireland, under Association rules, took place last Saturday, at Whalley Range, Manchester. The afternoon was fine, and between five and six thousand spectators visited the ground of the Manchester Club. Having lost the toss, Ireland kicked off with both wind and sun in their faces...
It continued so until close upon half-time, when Spilsbury dribbled the ball down the right side, and passed to Bambridge, who placed a goal to the credit of England...

after the kick out a determined attack was made on the Irish goal, which resulted in Spilsbury obtaining another point for England. The latter team then had a further corner kick, which Lofthouse again undertook. He placed the ball within a few yards of the posts, and Eames in endeavouring to clear his lines sent the ball under the Irish cross-bar...
Brown secured it from the kick out, and after some passing between himself and Lofthouse he scored a fourth goal for England...
 
              In Other News....
It was on 27 February 1885 that the government achieved a narrow majority of 14 votes over the opposition's motion that their indecision and neglect of the war in Sudan had led directly to the loss of Khartoum and the death of General Gordon.
  
Other Football Results (28 February 1885)
Football Association Challenge Cup Sixth Round Replay:
Queen's Park 2 Notts County 1
   Derbyshire Cricket Ground, Derby
(10,000 to 15,000)
Arnott, Sellar ~ Jackson ~
Queen's Park beat Notts County 2-1 at Derby in an F.A. Cup replay to reach the semi-finals for the second year in succession. They were to repeat their feat of the previous year, when they became the first and only Scottish club to reach the final, but once again, Blackburn Rovers were to deny them the ultimate prize.
Friendly match:
Nottingham Forest 3 Blackburn Rovers 0
   Parkside Ground, Nottingham
(1,500 to 3,000)
Unwin (2), Danks
Rovers were without Herby Arthur, Jimmy Forrest, Joe Lofthouse and Jimmy Brown
A friendly match with a low attendance because of the FA Cup match in the neighbouring town.. Forest's Unwin had his collar broken and Rovers' Barton sprained his knee so that both teams played the second half of the match with just ten men each.
     

      Source Notes

TheFA
Jonny Dewart at Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats
Cris Freddi's England Football Factbook
  The Football Association Yearbook
Original Newspaper Reports
Kaye Aldous (Great granddaughter of William Eames)
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