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Saturday, 4 February 1888
British International Championship 1887-88 (5th) Match

 
Wales 1 England 5 [1-1]
Despite being played on English soil, this was still a Welsh home match, for revenue purposes.

 


"The first International match of the season, England v. Wales, will be played on the Crewe Alexandra ground next Saturday. Wrexham was first fixed as the venue for the game, but in past years the Welsh Association have received such poor support from the followers of the game in their own country that they have decided to try their luck on foreign soil." - The Lancashire Evening Post, Saturday, 28 January 1888.

Alexandra Recreation Ground, Nantwich Road, Crewe, Cheshire
Kick-off (GMT): 'three minutes after three'.
Attendance: 'estimated at about 5,000'; 'the presence of about 6,000 spectators'; 'fully 6,000 people attended'; '7,000 being present'; 'between 7,000 and 8,000 people'.

England's first away match on home soil, when it was moved from The Racecourse in Wrexham
Jack Doughty kicked-off Tinsley Lindley won the toss
[0-0] Bob Roberts scores free-kick: disallowed


[1-1]
Jack Doughty 17
 'Moon had injudiciously left his goal open to the attack of Doughty'
 
[0-0] Tinsley Lindley hits crossbar
[0-1] Fred Dewhurst 16
'Hodgetts passed to Dewhurst'

England's fiftieth away goal

some sources state the final goal was John Goodall's,
but Sporting Life, Wrexham Advertiser, The Guardian etc disagree
[1-2] Fred Dewhurst 70
'Hodgetts ran up the left'
offside was appealed - but goal allowed to stand

[1-3] George Woodhall 76
'scored a beauty from the extreme right'
England's 100th goal
again offside was appealed - but goal allowed to stand
[1-4] Tinsley Lindley 77-89
[1-5] Fred Dewhurst 90
HAT-TRICK
'from a pass by Woodhall'
"favoured with a mildness of temperature unusual for this season of the year, and the ground was in splendid condition."
 

Match Summary

Officials [umpires and referees are of equal relevance]

Wales

Team Records

England

Umpires The selection procedure was turning chaotic as seventy-plus players were turning up for trial games, making the process a logistical and bureaucratic nightmare for Charles Alcock and his team. In its place is the International Select Committee.  Comprising of seven men, they announce the team on the basis of who has won the most votes at the end of limited trials.
Charles Crump
45 (15 December 1840), Kingsland
Birmingham & District FA President
J. Roberts
Bangor
Referee
John Sinclair

32 (27 August 1855), Belfast (Irish FA)
P 5 - W 1 - D 1 - L 3 - F 10 - A 9. played in the 1882 England-Ireland fixture
 

Wales Team

 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 5th
Colours Red crew-necked shirts, white shorts, black socks
(pictorial evidence)
Captain Alf Davies Selection The Welsh Selection Committee, following a series of trial matches
P 1 of 4, W 0 - D 0 - L 1 - F 1 - A 5. team chosen on Wednesday, 25 January 1888.
Wales Lineup
  Mills Roberts, Dr. Robert Herbert 25
183 days
5 August 1862 G Preston North End FC & Corinthians FC, both England 6 29ᵍᵃ
  Davies, Alfred Owen 25
61 days
5 December 1862 RB Swifts FC, England & Corinthians FC, England 6 0
will referee the 1889 Ireland match
  Powell, John 28
316 days
25 March 1859 LB Newton Heath LYR FC, England 13 0
mst apps
  Roberts, Robert 23 July 1864 RHB Druids FC & Bolton Wanderers FC, England 3 0
105   Davies, Joseph 23
1 day
3 February 1865 CHB Newton Heath LYR FC, England 1 0
  Griffiths, Peter Jones 26
140 days
17 September 1861 LHB Chirk AAA FC 3 0
  Challen, John Bonamy 24
313 days
28 March 1863 OR Ruthin FC, Swifts FC, England & Corinthians FC, England 3 0
  Pryce Jones, William Ernest 20
37 days
29 December 1867 IR Newtown FC & Cambridge University AFC, England 2 0
Doughty, John 23/24 1864
in Bilston, England
CF Newton Heath LYR FC, England 4 1
  Owen, William 26
178 days
10 August 1861 IL Chirk AAA FC 4 1
  Lewis, William 23/24 1864 OL Bangor FC 6 2
reserves: not known
team notes: Alf Davies is the uncle (by marriage) to the Walter brothers, Arthur and Percy.
records: This is a sixth consecutive defeat for Wales, one short of their unwanted record set in 1876-1880.
 
2-3-5 Mills-Roberts -
A.Davies, Powell -
Roberts,
J.Davies, Griffiths -
Challen, Pryce-Jones, Doughty, Owen, Lewis
Averages: Age 24 years 201-270 days Appearances/Goals 4.6 0.3

 

England Team

 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 2nd
Colours "The Whites..."  White shirts, navy blue knickerbockers

Captain
Tinsley Lindley Selection following the trial game, the new seven-man FA International Selection Committee
P 1 of 4, W 1 - D 0 - L 0 - F 5 - A 1. (M.P. Betts, J.Henderson, R.P. Gregson, N.L. Jackson, W.H. Jope, R.J. Smith and Officers) P 1 of 195, W 1 - D 0 - L 0 - F 5 - A 1.
¹ team chosen at The Albion Hotel in Manchester on Monday, 23 January 1888.
England Lineup
(nine changes to the previous match)
140   Moon, William R. 19
242 days
7 June 1868 G Old Westminsters AFC & Corinthians FC 1 1ᵍᵃ
  Howarth, Robert H. 22
229 days
20 June 1865 RB Preston North End FC 2 0
  Mason, Charles 24
309 days
1 April 1863 LB Wolverhampton Wanderers FC 2 0
141   Saunders, Frank E. 23
162 days
26 August 1864 RHB Swifts FC & Corinthians FC 1 0
only app 1888
142   Allen, Harry 22
16 days
19 January 1866 CHB Wolverhampton Wanderers FC 1 0
the second Wanderer to represent England
143   Holden-White, Cecil H. 27
93 days
3 November 1860 LHB Swifts FC, Clapham Rovers FC & Corinthians FC 1 0
144 England's hundredth goal Woodhall, George 24
152 days
5 September 1863 OR West Bromwich Albion FC 1 1
twentieth player to score on debut the second Albionite to represent England
145   Goodall, John 24
230 days
19 June 1863 IR Preston North End FC 1 0
the fourth Northender to represent England
Lindley, Tinsley 22
100 days
27 October 1865 CF Nottingham Forest FC, Cambridge University AFC & Corinthians FC 7 9
Dewhurst, Frederick 24
50 days
16 December 1863 IL Preston North End FC & Corinthians FC 6 8
twentieth brace scored ~ eighth hattrick scored
146 Hodgetts, H. Dennis 24
68 days
28 November 1863 OL Aston Villa FC 1 0
the fourth Villan to represent England
reserves: Herby Arthur (Blackburn Rovers FC), Tom Wardle (Stoke FC), Jack Keenan (Burnley FC), Charlie Shelton (Notts Rangers FC), Bill Townley (Blackburn Rovers FC), Jem Bayliss (West Bromwich Albion FC) and Arthur Dunn (Old Etonians AFC), as well as the three below that were called into the first eleven.
team changes: In the original line-up, named at The Market Hotel (left) in Manchester's Albion Street, Arthur Walters (Old Carthusians AFC) was the original captain and right-back, his place going to reserve Bob Howarth. Left-half Jimmy Forrest's (Blackburn Rovers FC) place went to reserve Cecil Holden-White, and forward Neville Cobbold's (Old Carthusians AFC) place going Fred Dewhurst, as arranged prior to the match. Reserve John Goodall, took up Dewhurst's vacant position at inside-right.
team notes: Arthur Walters' brother, Percy, also plays for England in 1885-87.
appearance notes: Tinsley Lindley is the tenth player to make seven appearances, whereas Fred Dewhurst is the thirteenth player to make six.
Only seventy players have appeared for England so more than once.
 
2-3-5 Moon -
Howarth, Mason -
Saunders, Allen, Holden-White -
Woodhall, Goodhall, Lindley, Dewhurst, Hodgetts
Averages: Age 23 years 216 days Appearances/Goals 2.2 1.2

 

       Match Report South Wales Daily News, Monday, 6 February 1888

The annual meeting of the representatives of England and Wales at Crewe was favoured with a mildness of temperature unusual for this season of the year, and the ground of the Alexandra Football Club, it is needless to say, was in splendid condition. There was present a large crowd, and the teams were strictly in accordance with the revised list published two or three days ago. Doughty kicked off in behalf of Wales. After 16 minutes of fairly even play, Dewhurst scored for England, Lindley having just previously struck the bar. The ball had no sooner been restarted than the Welshmen, nettled by their reverse, became aggressive, and barely a minute had elapsed before Moon injudiciously left the goal open to the attack of Doughty, who equalised amidst loud and protracted cheering. Soon after the kick off from the centre, the Welshmen assumed an aggressive attitude, during which a couple of corners were gained. The Englishmen now had a turn, and corner kicks fell to them without avail. Shortly before ends were changed, Mills-Roberts most brilliantly saved a shot from Goodall, the Welshmen, whilst prostrated, diverting the ball from its course. Score at half-time 1 goal each. Lindley restarted for England, whereupon Hodgetts ran brilliantly up the left, and centred only to find Davies in the way, while such goal keeping as that exhibited by Mills-Roberts has not been seen for many a long day. A couple of corners again fell to England, but nothing came of them, and although the Welshmen were pressed, the defence of their backs were superb, Davies being especially brilliant. Again Hodgetts ran up on the left, and 25 minutes from the re-start Dewhurst succeeded in giving England the lead. The Whites were now decidedly having the best of play, for six minutes later Woodhall scored with a clinking shot. Later on Lindley scored, and just on the call of time Dewhurst, from a pass by Woodhall, scored, England winning by 5 goals to 1 goal.
 

       Match Report The Tis, Monday, 6 February 1888s, Monday, 6 February 1888

The excellent cricket ground of the Alexandra club at Crewe was selected by the Welsh Association for the decision of their international match with England last Saturday. The game had been anticipated with great interest, and between 7,000 and 8,000 people were present...
Good defence was shown by Davies and Mills-Roberts, but the latter was eventually beaten by a shot by Dewhurst, who scored the first goal. Immediately on resuming the Welsh forwards attacked, and, amid applause, Doughty kicked a goal for them, thus bringing the score level...
Some time elapsed before Dewhurst secured a second goal for England. A long shot by Woodhall soon gave them a third. Lindley finished up a lengthy run by scoring a fourth goal and Goodall added a fifth... 

  
              In Other News....
It was on 3 February 1888 that two Americans, Thomas Callan and Michael Harkins were sentenced to 15 years in prison for possession of dynamite at a house in London.   Renton thrashed Cambuslang, 6-1, at Hampden Park, to record the biggest ever victory in a Scottish Cup Final.
  
Other selected Football Results (4 February 1888)
Friendly match:
Although other friendly matches were played on this day, specifically Notts County—Stoke, Burnley—Accringtonandand an Inter-Association match between London—Birmingham, none, however, were impacted by, or to, the England fixture.
Preston North End 7 Blackburn Rovers 0
   North End Ground, Deepdale, Preston
(8,000)
Ross, Thomson, Gordon (3), Edwards (2)
North End were without Bob Howarth, John Goodall and Fred Dewhurst
Rovers retained Jimmy Forrest however
 
  

      Source Notes

TheFA
Cris Freddi: Football Historian
Welsh Football Data Archive
Nick Gibbs' England: The Football Facts
  Ian Garland & Gareth M. Davies' Sons of Cambria
FreeBMD.org.uk
Rothmans Yearbooks
Original newspaper reports
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