England Football Online
Results 1891-1900
Page Last Updated 18 May 2023

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40 vs. Scotland
 
41 vs. Ireland
previous match (28 days)
42 vs. Wales
43
next match (259 days)
unofficial vs. North America
next official match (336 days)
44 vs. Ireland
45 vs. Wales

46 vs. Scotland

Saturday, 4 April 1891
British International Championship 1890-91 (8th) Match

 
England 2 Scotland 1 [2-0]
 



Season Record


Football League Record

Ewood Park, Nuttall Street, Ewood, Blackburn, Lancashire
Kick-off (GMT): 'at 3.35'.

Attendance: '6,000 would be the very extent'; from 6,000 to 8,000 spectators'; 'did not exceed 7,000'; 'never got beyond 10,000'.
Receipts: 'stands of £334'.

England's first visit to Ewood Park is their third visit to Blackburn and seventh visit to Lancashire
Billy Moon won the toss William Sellar kicked-off
[1-0] John Goodall 22
 'registered into the corner of the goal after a capital pass from Chadwick'
:-clear offside
[2-0] Edgar Chadwick 35
 'Goodall centred from the right and Chadwick sent in a low shot from 25 yards, Wilson reaching the ball, but letting it through' :-landed outside the net
 
[2-0] Wilson pushes Milward's shot onto the post  
[2-1] Frank Watt 78
'Moon for once erred and left an easy opening'

:-Moon had collided with Holmes
 
 

Match Summary

Officials        

England

Team Records

Scotland

Referee
William James Morrow
39 (16 November 1851), Irish FA President
  

Goal-nets are used for the first time between the two countries.

Linesmen
Sam Weller Widdowson
39 (16 April 1851)
Hucknall Torkard
Thomas Russell Park
29 (4 September 1861), Glasgow
Scotland FA President.
played for England in 1880

England Team

 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 2nd
Colours "...his team being clad in white shirts and black knickers..."

Captain
Billy Moon Selection The seven-man FA International Selection Committee
only match, W 1 - D 0 - L 0 - F 2 - A 1. P 12 of 195, W 10 - D 1 - L 1 - F 52 - A 13.
  team chosen at the Midland Hotel, Birmingham, on Tuesday, 24 March 1891.
England Lineup
  seven players chosen from matches 41/42 (five from match 41, two from match 42) league position (24th March) ave lge pos: 4th
  Moon, William R.
 
22
301 days
 
7 June 1868
 
G
 
Old Westminsters AFC & Corinthians FC
 
7 8ᵍᵃ
=most gk apps 1891
final app 1888-91
  Howarth, Robert H. 25
288 days
20 June 1865 RB Preston North End FC (FL RU) 4 0
  Holmes, Robert 23
285 days
23 June 1867 LB Preston North End FC (FL RU) 2 0
  Smith, Albert 21
255 days
23 July 1869 RHB Nottingham Forest FC 2 0
  Holt, John 24
170 days
16 October 1866 CHB Everton FC (FL CHAMPIONS) 3 0
  Shelton, Alfred 25
204 days
12 September 1865 LHB Notts County FC (FL 3rd) 5 0
  Bassett, William I. 22
301 days
27 January 1869 OR West Bromwich Albion FC (FL BOTTOM) 7 2 or 3
Goodall, John 27
289 days
19 June 1863 IR Derby County FC (FL 10th) 6 4 or 5
  Geary, Fred 23
71 days
23 January 1868 CF Everton FC (FL CHAMPIONS) 2 2 to 5
final app 1890-91
Chadwick, Edgar W. 21
294 days
14 June 1869 IL Everton FC (FL CHAMPIONS) 2 2
  Milward, Arthur 20
204 days
12 September 1870 OL Everton FC (FL CHAMPIONS) 2 1
                 
reserves: William Rose (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL 4th), goal), Joe Marsden (Darwen FC) and Alf Underwood (Stoke FC, fullbacks), Jem Bayliss, Charlie Perry (both West Bromwich Albion FC (FL BOTTOM)) and Jimmy Forrest (half-backs), Joe Lofthouse (both Blackburn Rovers FC (FL 5th)) and William Smith (Nottingham Forest FC, right wing), John Devey (Birmingham St. George's FC, centre), Harry Wood (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (FL 4th)) and Bill Townley (Blackburn Rovers FC (FL 5th), left).
team notes: Alf Shelton is the younger brother of Charlie (1888).
As Blackburn Rovers FC have been playing their home matches at the Ewood Park ground since the beginning of the season, then reserves Forrest, Lofthouse and Townley were back at their home ground.
appearance notes: Billy's Moon and Bassett are the fourteenth/fifteenth players to make seven appearances, whereas John Goodall is the eighteenth player to make six.
Alf Shelton is the 27th player to make five appearances. 32 players have now appeared for England more than four times, 51 more than three and now only 97 have done so more than once.
Billy Moon and Billy Bassett are the second/third players to have made seven appearances under the ISC.
records: For just the second time, England have won all three games in one season.
England's twelve goals this year/season have come from a record-equalling nine different goalscorers.
 
2-3-5 Moon -
Howarth, Holmes -
Smith, Holt, Shelton -
Bassett, Goodall, Geary, Chadwick, Milward.
Averages: Age 23 years 266 days Appearances/Goals 3.8 0.9-1.2
England previous teams vs. Scotland:
1890: Moon P.Walters A.Walters Haworth Allen Shelton Bassett Currey Lindley Wood Daft
1891: Haworth Holmes Smith Holt Goodall Geary Chadwick Milward

 

Scotland Team

 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 1st
Colours "...whilst the Scots wore dark blue jerseys and white pants."
Captain Wally Arnott Selection  following a trial match, The seven-man Scottish Football Association Selection Committee
P 3 of 3, W 1 - D 1 - L 1 - F 7 - A 3. team chosen on Tuesday, 10 March 1891
Scotland Lineup
  Wilson, James 25
272 days
6 July 1865 G Vale of Leven FC 4 6ᵍᵃ
final app 1888-91
  Arnott, Walter 29
327 days
12 May 1861 RB Queen's Park FC 12 0
  Smellie, Robert 23
103 days
22 December 1867 LB Queen's Park FC 4 0
  Begbie, Isaac 22
304 days
4 June 1868 RHB Heart of Midlothian FC 2 0
204   McPherson, John 28
34 days
1 March 1863 CHB Heart of Midlothian FC 1 0
only app 1891
205   Hill, John 28
275 days
3 July 1862 LHB Heart of Midlothian FC 1 0
Watt, Francis 25
47 days
16 February 1866 OR Kilbirnie FC 4 3
final app 1889-91
  Rankin, Gilbert 21
15 days
20 March 1870 IR/L Vale of Leven FC 2 2
final app 1890-91
  Sellar, William 26
165 days
21 October 1864 CF Queen's Park FC 6 0
  Berry, William Hall 22
227 days
20 August 1867 IL/R Queen's Park FC 4 0
final app 1888-91
  Baird, David 22
31 days
4 March 1869 OL Heart of Midlothian FC 2 0
reserves: The Selection Committee named the three sides for Scotland's three matches on Tuesday, 10 March in Glasgow, reserves not named.  The team is as that which was selected, three and a half weeks earlier.
team notes: "The S.F.A. decided not to utilise the services of those League players who did not take part in the trial games, and consequently they were without several good forwards." - Sporting Life, Monday, 6 April 1891
The team stayed in Skipton the night previous to the match.
 
2-3-5 Wilson -
Arnott, Smellie -
Begbie, McPherson, Hill -
Watt, Rankin
(Berry), Sellars, Berry (Rankin), Baird.
notes: "on change of ends Berry went to his original position at the inside right and Rankin inside left."
Averages: Age 25 years 64 days Appearances/Goals 3.8 0.4
"After the match the teams had a hurried dinner at the White Bull, Dr. Morley presiding. He proposed the Scottish Association, and Mr. T. Park responded, whilst Mr. Clegg acknowledged the toast of the Football Association. Mr. M'Dowall, with a complete ignorance of the speed of a L. & Y. stopping train, had the team booked to leave at 7-30, and they went, to land in Manchester only five minutes before the Midland express which left Blackburn an hour later." - The Athletic News, Monday, 7 Apri 1891
       Match Report Sporting Life, Monday, 6 April 1891
The English captain had been fortunate enough to win the toss, and he decided that his opponents should play the first half of the game in the teeth of a stiff wind. In the first instant Watt and his partner looked dangerous, and the first impression was that they were going to do great things. It was only a flash in the pan, however, for off went Milward and Chadwick at top speed to the other end, the latter causing first uneasiness by a fast low shot, which Arnott was lucky in stopping. Again, after a bit of scrummaging about Wilson's domains, Sellar rushed off, and a corner resulted to his side, but it went begging. Before this pressure had been relieved, Holmes made a mistake in delaying to tackle Sellar, but the Queen's man, fortunately for England, landed his shot, a terrifically swift one, just past the post. During the next few minutes, Geary was fouled twice, but almost as soon as he had got over the second one Milward banged the ball to him, and Wilson had a dangerous high shot to negotiate, but he was successful. At this stage and for some short time afterwards, the Englishmen were having all the best of matters, shots by Chadwick, Goodall, Milward, and Bassett all deserving to score. A capital bit of tackling by Arnott sent away Watt, but Sellar and Rankine mulled a grand chance. As soon as the ball had been kicked off after this Chadwick raced down and crossed to Goodall, who lost no time in putting on the first point for England. A claim for off-side was dismissed. From the mid-field kick, Rankine, by good dribbling, got clear and called on Moon, who fisted away. Chadwick next missed a grand opportunity of scoring by hesitating when tackled by Begbie. Moon about this time had a few anxious moments, but Holmes and Howarth time after time repulsed. At length Chadwick got possession of the ball about twenty-five yards from goal, and with a terrific shot called on Wilson. The Vale man missed handling the ball, and it slid off his body and through the goal amid cheers. A claim that the ball went outside was not entertained. M'Pherson pulled up Geary when dangerous, and Holt thrice performed a similar operation for Sellar at the other end. To half-time the game was in favour of England, and at the sound of the whistle the record was:― ENGLAND 2 goals SCOTLAND 0 goals.
With the wind behind them Scotland were again in favour, and the most sanguine Englishman said to himself that his favourites would require all they had got to win. The Scotchmen from the kick-off were soon busy, but Howarth, Holmes, and Holt were so assiduous in their attentions that they could scarcely get a single opportunity of shooting for goal. Moon, however, had one teaser to stop from Sellar, and soon afterwards Hill filled his hands for the first time. At length Milward and Chadwick broke away by some perfect passing, the latter putting in a shot which Wilson had to give a fruitless corner to save. The Englishmen were playing a much better game than their opponents did against the wind, and time after time the left pair and Goodall got through , but were not supported. For Scotland Wall dropped the ball just over the bar, but from the goal-kick Bassett got past the opposing halves and backs, but being unprotected Smellie charged him off the ball easily. Berry next gave Moon a hard shot to stop, but he cleared finely. At the other end Goodall and Bassett were again conspicuous, Arnott finally getting rid of a screw by the Derby County man in a lucky fashion. Smth fouled Sellar when he was dangerous, and the free-kick looked very dangerous for the Englishmen. Howarth, however, met the ball, and relieved the pressure with a fine long kick. At the end of the half an hour's play Watt got the better of Holmes by lying off-side, while Baird passed the ball. The North-Ender, however, tackled him, and both lost the ball, which was lying stationary between them. Moon, seeing this, rushed out and kicked the ball, which rebounded towards the goal off Watt. The Scotchman, spying his opportunity, rushed forward, and with a fine screw put the ball between the posts before Moon could get back. After this the ball travelled from end to end, but nothing further was done.
 
   
       Match Report The Times, Monday, 6 April 1891
Ewood Park, Blackburn, was the scene of the 20th annual match between England and Scotland on Saturday. The weather proved inclement, and the torrents of rain which had fallen during the morning caused the turf to be slippery. There was a great influx of visitors from Scotland, and about 10,000 spectators were present. Large as this number was, it would probably have been still larger but for the chagrin felt by many of the Lancastrians that not a single place was found in the English eleven for the Blackburn Rovers, who recently won the Association Challenge Cup, and on whose ground the match was decided. England were successful in the toss, and elected to have the advantage of the strong wind...
For a long time the Scotch kept up a gallant defence ; but after about 20 minutes' play it was broken through by Goodall, who received the ball from one of the left wings and shot it between the posts. There was a demur as to whether the off-side rule had not been infringed, which, however, was not sustained...
After half an hour's play, a pass from Goodall to Chadwick enabled the latter, by a brilliant shot, to place the second goal to the credit of England. A trifling objection was raised, but negatived...
...A few minutes later Watt guided the ball right up to the posts, and after a little opposition screwed it through, thus scoring for Scotland...
The defence on both sides was excellent, but the winners' advantage lay in their superior forward game ; they passed with great judgment, and their kicking was well-timed and accurate.
 
       In Other News....
It was on 4 April 1891 that British forces were preparing to invade the tiny Kingdom of Manipur after five British officials were murdered following a clumsy attempt to reverse a palace coup. Within weeks, the perpetrators had been hanged for waging war on the British Empire, and Manipur came under British rule. It is now an Indian state.
       Source Notes
TheFA
Scottish FA
Cris Freddi's England Football Factbook
ScottishSportHistory: Andy Mitchell (inc. Heritage numbering)
LondonHearts.com
The Football Association Yearbook
James Corbett's England Expects
Richard Keir's Complete International Record of Scotland
Original Newspaper Reports
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