ENGLAND v SCOTLAND-the birth of international football

31st March might signal the start of Spring (well almost). The grass is growing, the birds are chirpy, football at all levels should be completing. Not this year! So to cheer you up, I shall let you know about England's top team getting thumped by the Scots on this day 1928.

The English, at home, in front of an 81,000+ Wembley crowd, were thumped 1-5 with the Scots scoring through Alec Jackson 4 mins, 66, 85 and Alec James at 44 and 74. Game certainly over.
Bob Kelly replied for England at 89 minutes.
Dixie Dean was in the England side but clearly didn't get a kick!

There have been plenty of high scores between the too rivals: the first "official" friendly internationals (anywhere) from  30/11/1872:

In March 2nd 1878 the Scots won 7-2 and in 1955 (April 2nd) the English beat the Scots 7-2.
Other big ones are:
March 1881 England 1-6 Scotland
March 1882 Scotland 5-1 England

In 1884 the two countries met in the official British Home Championship.
The goal aggregate by this time was England 42-Scotland 24.
After than games were official! Some high scores were:
April 1920   England 5-4 Scotland
April 1930   England 5-2 Scotland

I remember watching the 9-3 drubbing of the Scots in April 1961, which wrecked the career of Scottish keeper Frank Haffey.
Bobby Robson, Greaves 3, Douglas, Bobby Smith 2, Haynes 2 scored the English goals.

There was a Centenary Match in February 1973 in Hampden, Scotland, which England won 0-5. Since then the English have had high scores of a 5-1 win in May 1975 and the Scots replied with a 5-1 in March 1982.

The last meeting was June 10th 2017 in the World Cup qualifier: a dull 2-2 draw at Hampden. Previously England had won at Wembley 3-0.

A TALL ORDER FOR ANY CROSSES

 Well, that lad can jump as high as he likes, but Simon Bloch Jorgensen is not going to lose the cross! The very tall, 6'10.5", Danish GK might struggle with low shots though. He trialled with Everton but now he is on Non-League Dulwich Hamlet's books having been at Whitehawk, Accington Stanley, Waltham Forest, Flensburg, not staying long at any club. The Giant Dane confirms the biological evolution of tall people being best suited to flat countries! Any Masai Warriors about playing footy?

Tonny Brogaard at 2.06m 6'9" was another GK at Doncaster Rovers who only played once the regular keeper, Andy Warrington, broke his leg. He is now playing in the Danish Second Division with Greve IF.

Vanja Ivesa of Eskisehirspor, Croatia will be playing with this little fellow, as they line up before the game. He is 6'8.5" (2.05m).


Peter Crouch is a midget at 2.01 (6'7"), granted his team mate is not the tallest!

Jason Mooney, below, from N.Ireland, a journeyman footballer at York, Accrington Stanley again, Tranmere Rovers and Cliftonville is 6'8" 2.04m.

The average height of a footballer is apparently 5'9".

Other long 'uns are:
Kristof van Hout, a Belgian GK, who started with Standard Liege and now plays in the Pro-League with KVC Westerloo...2.08m (6'10") reputedly the tallest, but.....
AND
 This is Paul Millar, a Scot who is 6'10" and plays for Elgin City, who had to heighten their doors to the ground to get him out of the changing rooms. Paul is a fireman full time with the RAF at Kinross. On me head son!

There is also Lacina Traore of Ivory Coast origins, who comes in at 6'8" and is a one for the future. This 23 year old is presently playing and scoring for Anzhi Makhachkala in the Russian League, with scouts keeping their eyes and ears open.

SHORT BUT SWEET; BUT THEN BANKS

The Radio and newspapers devoid of topical sporting events, they are resorting to banter and historic events. Same here!

So what about the shortest goalkeepers to play first class football in England. These three scally wags rate 5th, 6th and 7th as smallest GKs of all time, in the English top flight.
The shortest keeper globally is Pedro Arpolda, a Paraguayan, who played club football in Argentina in the 1930s and also for his country, in the 1930 World Cup. He was 5'5". Imagine how tall he would have been if he had been born in Peru!

In England, Teddy Davison (below) at 170cm (5'7") was the smallest ever to play for England, appearing March 13th 1922 v Wales at Anfield, in a Home Championship match. He kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 win.
His home club was Sheffield Wednesday, for whom he made 424 apps, playing for 18 years from 1908. Overall he guarded the Wednesday goal 618 times in various matches and conceded 810 goals; Of 77 pens he saved 24. He also was picked to play for a Sheffield XI, representing the city, earned one England cap in 1922 and toured Australia with the FA in 1925. He had a spell Mansfield Town, player-managing in 1926-8. Then went to Chesterfield as manager from 1928-32, later managed The Blades from 1932-52 with remarkable diplomacy, which earned him the name of "The George Washington of Football" and was regarded as having had the greatest influence on Sheffield Football of anyone!

Having returned to manage Chesterfield from 1952-8, Teddy gave Gordon Banks a chance of playing top level football after Banks had starred in the club's FA Youth Cup winning side in 1956. The rest  for Banks is history!!

Steve Death (below) was 170cm also and played for Reading FC, described as agile and very popular with the locals. He played for 10 years making 537 appearances and was voted Player of the Season for his club in his first season. He won PFA awards in 1973-4 and 1978-9, when Reading won the Div 4 Championship,  when he kept 26 clean sheets and went 1074 minutes with no goals past him. This was later bettered by Edwin van der Sar.

Ted Burgin (below) played in the Football League for Sheffield United and he ranks next English goalkeepers. He was 5'7" also. He moved on to Doncaster Rovers, Leeds and Rochdale during his career, making 314 apps for The Blades in 8 seasons in the 1950s and he later served Rochdale in the early 60s, for 6 seasons, earning 207 apps. He helped them reach the Football League Cup Final in 1962.
He played twice for England B and was chosen for the England World Cup squad in 1954, as an under study to Gill Merrick of Birmingham City, who helped Brum win through to the 1956 FA Cup Final, losing to Man City and Bert Trautmann 3-1 at Wembley.

GUESS WHAT'S HAPPENING TOMORROW!!

ALBANIA AND FINLAND CONQUERED

Today, March 28th, in 2001, the 3-1 thumping of that well known footballing power, Albania, sent a vibration through the European fraternity, as the "Manchester United" squad  provided 7 England players, to take part in the World Cup qualifier.
Gary Neville, Nicky Butt, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Andy Cole and used subs Teddy Sheringham and Wes Brown. Scholes, Cole and Owen scored.
This equalled Arsenal's provision of  "SEVEN international caps in one England game from one club". 
Arsenal had "lent" 7 of their 1934 squad to England in a friendly international against Italy at Highbury. (Moss, Male, Hapgood, Copping, Bowden, Drake, Bastin).
Eric Brook missed a penalty and therefore a hat trick! England won 3-2.
A game that was notorious for its violence. Worth a read!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Highbury

The Albanian win followed the devastation of Finland 2-1 at Anfield on March 24th, another massive hurdle jumped, towards World Cup Qualification 2001. Beckham and Owen scored.

Having flopped in June 2000 (note a recent blog) , the England team had lost its first World Cup qualifier to Germany 0-1 at Wembley on October 7th and forced a 0-0 draw with the Fins in Helsinki 4 days later. There was not a lot of confidence building in England; things looked bleak.

In the previous November (2000) in a friendly, Italy beat England 0-1 in Turin. It was all experimental of course (16 players used), so once the friendlies had been dealt with, in February, England beat Spain in a friendly, 3-0 in Villa Park with goals from Barmby, Ehiogu and Heskey.

The World Cup qualifiers continued at home with Finland winning 2-1 and Albania 3-1. On a roll England beat Mexico in a friendly 4-0 at Derby and then full of confidence beat Greece 2-0 in Athens, Beckham and Scholes scored. Another friendly against Holland in August ended 0-2. It was very much experimental, using 22 players!

The World Cup Qualifiers continued with that remarkable beating of Germany, IN MUNICH, 5-1! Owen, Heskey and Gerrard scored. Everyone knows where they were that day...don't you!
The next international results (Qualifiers and friendlies) were P8 W2 D5 L1.
Michael Owen became the youngest England captain since Bobby Moore, at 22 years 124 days, chosen against Paraguay; he led a 4-0 win and scored. Owen had been the youngest England goalscorer when he scored against Morocco (1-0) at 18 years and 164 days, on May 27th 1998 in Casablanca in the King Hasan II Cup.

England got to Japan for the World Cup Finals...the rest is history!

MARCH 27th-Day late

Well Happy Birthday to footballers; Paul Hendrie-Glasgow 1954, John Adshead-Fleetwood 1942, George Bytheway-Chesterfield 1908, Gary Stevens-Barrow 1963, John Peacock-Leeds 1956, Terry Yorath -Cardiff 1950, Paul Hendrie-Glasgow1954, James Baillie-Warrington 1996, Ann-Marie Heatherson-Hackney 1984; some you may know well, others may be a mystery.

I could have gone through the players above and produced a pen picture of each but was distracted by Kevin Keegan's presence in the management of England's international side 21 years ago. Named as the new manager on February 18th 1999, he prepared for a European Championship Qualifier at the "old" Wembley, on March 27th, against the "old enemy" Poland. 73,836 in the stadium watched Paul Scholes score a hat trick in a 3-1 win. A new beginning?
You may not have lived through the perils of the earlier qualifiers, but I did; it went like this:
1998 England had just lost to Argentina, on pens, in the French World Cup Finals; Second Round.

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS QUALIFIERS: 1998
Sept 5th v Sweden in Stockholm lost 1-2 Shearer (35394)
Oct 10th v Bulgaria at Wembley drew 0-0 (72,836)
Oct 14th v Luxembourg away 3-0 (8,000)
1999
March 27th v Poland at Wembley 3-1 Scholes 3 (73,836)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V2OvoG-o7k
June 5th v Sweden at Wembley 0-0 (75,824)
June 9th v Bulgaria Sofia 1-1 (22,000)
Sep 4th v Lux at home 6-0 Shearer 3 (68,772)
Sep 8th v Poland in Warsaw 0-0 (17,000)and so to play offs...
PLAY OFFS
Nov 13th v Scotland at Hampden won 2-0 Scholes 2 (50,132)
Nov 17th v Scotland at Wembley lost 0-1 (75,848)

Well, we did qualify and in the June 2000 Finals in Benelux:
England then met Portugal 2-3, Germany 1-0 (Shearer) and Romania 2-3.
Portugal topped the group, we came 3rd and Germany 4th! Where did it all go wrong?

Following the stability of Bobby Robson's management in 95 games, from 1990 England managers came and went:
1990-3 Graham "Turnip Head" Taylor 38 games: 1994-6 El Tel 23 games: 1996-9 Glen "Eileen" Hoddle 28 games: caretaker Howard Wilkinson 1 game; 1999 Kevin Keegan- "a little short at this level" 18 games: 2000 Howard Wilkinson caretaker again, 1 game; Peter Taylor caretaker 1 game; Then Sven?????!!!!!! and Tord Grip.

THE LONDON UNDERGROUND MAP-goalkeepers and the rest.

MY APOLOGIES FOR LOSS OF PHOTOS IN THE EARLIER EDITION. MY GOOD FRIEND WDR PUT ME STRAIGHT ON EDITING...I HOPE THIS IS BETTER.
TalkSport,you know : MW 1107, 1089, 1071, 1053: DAB Freeview 723: SKY0108:Virgin Media 927

is trying hard to stay on air and to entertain us. The producers are gathering together well informed sports' presenters to fill in the hours on air. Lineker, Shearer, Wright, and guests are sitting in Lineker's kitchen, chatting about the "Best of...."

They can string it out for a few hours. Thought I might have a go, stringing out this Tube Map! It's a tough time......

You won't see this map very well, it's too large a picture, which shrunk down loses any common sense. But you will get the drift, that it's the London Underground Map, cleverly adapted to cover all the various historic "lines" of the Football Association's 150 years.

I bought it from a Charity warehouse at Dodworth, Jct 37 M1 South Yorkshire. Pure coincidence; went there to drop off some odds and ends, ended up with this for a tenner! It's great. Goes nicely in the spare bedroom near Ogilby's Map of Central London (17th C).

Each tube station along the various regionalised tube lines is given a footballing name. So the Northern Line (see above) is obvious, its black and runs from middle bottom diagonally right toward the "centre of the map" through central London and out to the north-Edgware and High Barnet! Obvious, innit.

Well, if you could see the "key" it says "goalkeepers" and in the south is Joe Hart and instead of Edgware in the north, the creators have given us Frank Swift and for High Barnet, Gordon Banks. Mill Hill East (the little branch line to the left at the north of the line.... is Jim Leighton, who has his own line! Enjoying this?

Get the drift? Where lines cross, the design has used creative freedom! eg Brad Friedel! is on the overground, so is Edwin van der Sar! Within walking distance from the tube! What's Oscar doing?

On the Docklands Line "Loop" (London's newest) are vintage pre-war players, for example that most famous, Old Carthusian footballer, GO Smith and Old Etonian, Arthur Dunn, true amateurs.
They are mixing with the pros, Steve Bloomer of  Derby C, Middlesbrough and England (1891-1914), Vivian Woodward (Spurs, Chelsea and England 1900-15), Dixie Dean (Everton and England 1923-39) and David Jack (Bolton, Arsenal and England 1919-34) -illustrious company.
Hope you can read it!

AMATEURS v PROS

March 25th 1882 was the day (and year) that the Old Etonians, the 1881 losing Cup finalists, played the professionals, Blackburn Rovers and beat them 1-0 at The Oval. 6,500 attended and the first ten finals included only SIX clubs:-
The Wanderers (1872-3-6-7-8), Royal Engineers (1875), Oxford University (1874), Old Etonians (1879), Clapham Rovers (1880), Old Carthusians in 1881.

The Rovers, professionals, intruded on the domination of the southern amateurs and having been unbeaten all season, they went to The Oval with a collection of 28 goals in six games, on their way to the final. Fergus Suter, recruited from Darwen FC (who appears in The English Game on TV's Netflix), had raised the bar and thousands of supporters were at the railway station to see the chaps off. 

The Old Etonians were full of zest and energy, making sure that they kept the cup in amateur hands. The OEs won 1-0, a goal scored by Anderson.
This was the end of an era, as the professionals took over next when Blackburn Olympic beat the Cup holders 2-1 at The Oval.

Lord Arthur Kinnaird (shown in the picture) did a handstand in front of the pavilion, after the game, to celebrate his fifth cup win.

In the 1883 Final, the OEs lost 1-2 to Blackburn Olympic (Below, the first northern club to take the cup) who had used "professional" training methods to raise their game. Olympic had only been formed five years before and they were organised systematically, switching the ball from wing to wing to stretch the OEs. They trained on the beach at Blackpool for a week prior to the game, sharpening their game! They had beaten the Old Carthusians 4-0 in the semi-final at Whalley Bridge! It was their first fixture against Southern opposition.

Arthur Dunn, Old Etonian and England international, who gave his name to the Arthur Dunn Cup (for old boys' teams playing in the south based Arthurian League), was injured and had to leave the match early on. Oympic won in extra time.
Blackburn Rovers won in 1884, and '85 and '86 and '90, '91* and 1927-8.
They were runners up in 1881-2 and 1959-60.

Rovers 1884-5
* In 1891, James Forrest (below) for Blackburn Rovers  (1883-95) became the  first and only professional to win 5 FA Cup winners medals. He was also the first professional to play for England, winning 11 caps between 1884-90. He later became a director of the club and died aged 59. He played 148 games for the Rovers and then finished off at Darwen in 1895-6.

CLUB ORIGINAL NAMES

Bolton Wanderers were originally known  as Christ Church 1874. Changed their name 3 years later.
Aston Villa always knwn as since 1874
Arsenal originally Dial Square 1886 then Royal Arsenal, Woolwich Arsenal
Barnsley-Barnsley St Peter's 1887Manchester United-Newton Heath
Gillingham-Excelsior FC
Leyton Orient-Clapton Orient (owner worked for Orient Steam Navigation Co.
Sheffield Wednesday-just Wednesday FC
Leeds United- Leeds City

West Ham United once known as Thames Ironworks FC (photo below) in 1895, the works' team of the Thames Ironworks and Shipping Company which merged with the repair yard of the Castle Shipping Line, whose football team was Castle Swifts. In 1892 ship owner Donald Currie founded Castle Swifts FC, the first professional club in Essex.

Bolton Wanderers were originally formed through the Christ Church FC (in Deane Road  Football Club Bolton. Local schoolmaster, Thomas Ogden, and the Reverend Joseph Farall Wright formed a club to keep his flock on the straight and narrow in 1874. A dispute with the vicar led to the club moving away in 1877. The Wanderers addition is due to its moves between several paying areas locally.

Birmingham City was originally known as  Small Heath Alliance from 1875, changed to Small Heath 1878, Birmingham 1905 and Birmingham City 1943. They were part of the first playing of the new Football League Second Division (the team is below). Prior to that, they played in the Football Alliance from 1889-1892. This was originally formed to compete with the "southern" Football League formed in 1888.

Sunderland AFC was originally the Sunderland and District Teachers AFC founded in 1879. The team did not seem to get going until September 1880 as Sunderland AFC and open to more than just teachers, joining the Football League in season 1890-1. Photo below 1884.

Some other previous names:
Leicester Fosse 1884, West Bromwich Strollers 1878, Newton Heath Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway FC 1878, Middlesbrough and Ironopolis AFC 1889 (below) met (as Middlesbrough) and beat the Old Carthusians in the FA Amateur Cup Final in 1895.

and some previous names of famous clubs all guessable:
Burnley Rovers,
Crystal Palace Rovers,
(St Domingos FC)  the Everton Athletic,
St Mary's CoE YMA,
Stoke Ramblers 1877-8,

Swansea Town.
Boscombe St John's Lads Institute FC,
Dial Square FC then Royal Arsenal and Woolwich Arsenal,
Riverside AFC (Cardiff),
Wednesday CC,
St Mark's ,West Gorton (later Ardwick AFC)

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME PARK

Plymouth Argyle's Home Park was the unlikely venue for a European Cup Winners' Cup tie on September 12th 1977.
Dave Sexton's, Manchester United, were forced to play their home tie against St Etienne, away, at the Devon coastal venue rather than at Old Trafford, following bad behaviour by United fans at the away match. United were not swayed by this and won 2-0. Stuart Pearson fourth left in photo, under "TERRY" scored and so did Steve Coppell.
The first leg was a 1-1 draw on September 14th. Over 30,000 saw Gordon Hill score Unitled's goal.

For those non-geographers, Plymouth (top left/NW of map) seemed a reasonable geographic choice being approximately "half way" (281 miles) between the two clubs (615 miles), supporting a reasonably sized ground in South West England. St Etienne is pinpointed.



In this era, English clubs were involved in several moments of violence in Europe; when Manchester City played Widzew Lodz in Poland playing out an UEFA Cup tie and Newcastle Utd v Bohemians in Eire also had confrontations.

During the season Don Revie resigned as England manager, League clubs were allowed to advertise sponsors on their jerseys during televised matches, players were given "freedom of contract" and 32,000 made it into Home Park. Match vouchers were handed out to Plymouth fans at the previous home match, so there was a fine turn out from the West Country folk. There was no crowd trouble but sadly United did exit to Porto in the next round, losing the first leg 4-0 (70,000 watched) and winning at home 5-2 (Murca of Porto scored two ogs) 52,000. Coppell 2 and Nichol added to the total.

"Nothing more than routine football noises disturbed Drake in his "hammock"; the atmosphere was disarmingly equable" wrote David Lacey in the press reporting onm the game.

A QUIZ:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/mar/19/football-quiz-globetrotting-players

FOOTBALL AND WAR-NUMBER ONE

With major and minor sports' events cancelled today, it takes me back to the First World War (no I wasn't there) when the 1914-15 Football League was played. Cricket didn't continue. The war was declared on July 28th 1914 and ended 11 November 1918.

The 1914-15 Football League continued with Everton as champions, Oldham as runners up and Tottenham, one point less than Chelsea, at the bottom. The next season the league was suspended and regional competitions allowed, to raise morale and fitness. In 1919-20, Spurs won Division 2.
On September 5th 1914, Harrogate Town FC was due to play its first game ever but it was cancelled.

The 1914 FA Cup Final took place at Crystal Palace on April 25th with 71,000+ watching Burnley beat Liverpool 1-0. Tommy Boyle was the first catain to receive the cup from the reigning monarch,  King George V; it was the last formal act carried out at the last and twentieth final held at the Crystal Palace. Wearing a red rose, the King showed allegiance to both Lancashire clubs. 476 clubs entered the cup and three months later, war was declared.

The games were used to help recruitment and indeed Billie Nevill from the East Surrey Regt, went "over the top" kicking a football, to set an example.
Bradford Park Avenues' Donald Bell, a boy at Harrogate GS and a graduate teacher at Westminster College, played for Crystal Palace and Newcastle Utd, became a English school teacher, below, won the Victoria Cross at the Somme in 1916.

90,000 women worked in the various factories in Britain  and Dick Kerr's Ladies Team was formed in Preston in 1917, once again to raise morale as they toured the country playing charity games.

In 1915 Sheffield United won the FA Cup beating Chelsea 3-0 at Old Trafford in a fin,al known as the Khaki Final, when a majority of the crowd were soldiers wearing their uniforms. The Punch journal drew an illustration including  a sarcastic comment about the match taking place with so many young men who should have been at the front. The FA had taken advice from the War Office, who told the FA to go ahead with the game to help national morale.


https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/9-facts-about-football-in-the-first-world-war

The next Cup Final was held in 1920.

NO WHISTLE BLOWN ON VINYL

https://www.goal.com/en/news/premier-league-referee-jon-moss-in-his-new-record-shop/pnzkfbsa72iy1xy0qvchg0c9d

The link above tells the story of John Moss, well known FA Referee, who has opened his own record store in trendy Headingly, Leeds, amongst the students and nightlife. Its called the "Vinyl Whistle" and to keep him company his wife runs a coffee shop there too.

Locals bring in old vinyls just as a safe way of disposing of them! He is happy to add them to his vast collection which numbers over 2,000. One local has brought in, over several visits, all his recently deceased son's collection and has established a reassuring rapport with the referee.

The decline in record sales globally, suggests that John is taking on a tricky business, but he is not convinced that DVDs and Streaming will totally replace the feel of vinyl. He reckons he is on a safe wicket (pitch?) and looking at the attention "The Vinyl Whistle" is getting, he can put that Red Card away.

The attraction of John's football memorabilia, liberally displayed in the shop, makes a difference too. Sunderland's walk out music at Roker Park (Dance of the Knights), is his favourite and people drop in to look at the football photos and of course for chat about VAR.

After a Football Scholarship in the USA and a Leeds University Sports' Degree, he refereed in the Northern Counties League from 1999, then the Football League from 2003 and the Premier League 2011 with the FA Cup Final his pinnacle in 2015 Arsenal v Aston Villa.

Jamie didn't like his taste in music......

NETFLIX

Julian Fellowes of Downton Abbey fame, has produced another Netflix TV special "The English Game", which tells the tale of the Old Etonians (old boys of Eton College) playing the 1879 FA Cup Quarter-Final on their way to win the Final for the first time, having been there and lost in 1875 and 1876.

The Old Etonians represented the true "amateur" game, formed and played by old boys of the "school", they were "toffs" and they faced the future of football, a Darwen team formed around a northern mill team and apparently paying players. This went against all previous expectations in the newly formed Football Association. Accused of professionalism, one way and another, the Darwen side wriggled around the FA laws!
Since its first airing in 1872, the FA Cup finals had been contested by these teams; The Wanderers, Royal Engineers and Oxford University-all amateurs.

Clapham Rovers made their way to the 1879 Final and met the Old Etonians, who had eventually beaten the Darwen side, who announced to the nation the growing rise of provincial football. The Lancashire mill workers rocked the Old Etonians, whose main man was Lord Kinnaird . The Fourth Round tie was stretched to three matches between the Gents and the Pros, the first tie drawn 5-5 with Darwen scoring final 4 goals in 15 minutes. The OEs refused to play extra time since it was not written in the rules of the competition, The replay went to 2-2 after extra time (Darwen clawing back from being behind twice) and the third tie saw the northerners weary from travelling lose 2-6, all matches played in the south! By the way the OEs generously contributed £5 towards their travel!


After beating London based Remnants (some public school boys) in the previous round the Darwen players had spent £31 1s 2d  on rail fares, an amount that would take two men to Australia by ship.The Darwen locals set up a "London Fund" to sponsor the team, the first "Cup Fever " known; the shape of things to come.
The following year, after pressure from the press, the FA changed the regulation to playing all matches in the final three rounds should be played at The Oval.

To get to the final, Darwen had a walk over to Birch (local side), then drew with Eagley 0-0, beating them in an away replay 4-1 , then they met OEs.
Eagley is a village near Bolton where the football club was formed in 1874. Their first recorded opponents were Preston NE.

Old Etonians were pitted against The Wanderers winning 2-7, then away to Reading 0-1, Minerva 5-2, Darwen in R4 finally beating Nottingham Forest 2-1 and winning the final 3-0 against Clapham Rovers.

In the Final, Fergus Suter and James Love, were two paid players, signed the previous Summer.
In photo Fergus is on floor!

The next year Darwen met Eagley again winning 1-0 and then lost to Blackburn Rovers 3-1 in Rd 2.
In 1880-1 Darwen won through to the semi-finals and met the "toffs", Old Carthusians  (old boys of Charterhouse School) who beat them 4-1. The Old Etonians had a BYE is the SEMI-FINAL!! and met the OCs in the Final losing 3-0.

FOUR GOALS; FOUR DERBIES

On March 20th 1976, Chris Nichol of Aston Villa, became the second player to score 2 goals for each side in a Football League Match, when he scored all 4 in a 2-2 draw against Leicester City at Filbert Street. Having played for Burnley, Witton Albion, Halifax and Luton, he eventually settled at Villa and played 210 times scoring 11 goals (+ at least 2 own goals!). He then went to Southampton (228-8 goals) and Grimsby. He also represented Northern Ireland 51 times.

Previously Sam Wynne of Oldham Athletic held the record having scored all four goals in a First Division League game against Manchester United in October 1923. On the 30th April 1927, playing for Bury FC v Sheffield United in a Divison One league game was about to take a free kick when he collapsed and died of the cerebral haemorrhage. Born 26th April 1897, he died on 30th April 1927. The game was abandoned.
He played  for Connahs Quay in Wales and then appeared in 145 games for Oldham between 1921-6 scoring 9 goals ONLY!  and then went to Bury briefly, playing 18 scoring once.


On March 20th 1988, Liverpool had been unbeaten in the Football League but their record ended that day after 29 wins, losing to against Everton away 1-0. Wayne Clarke scored the goal.

Previously, on February 21st 1988, Liverpool beat Everton 1-0 at Goodison in the FA Cup.  Scorer Ray Houghton.

On October 28th 1987 they lost to Everton 0-1 (Gary Stevens) in the League Cup 3rd Round and
on November 1st 1987 Liverpool beat Everton 2-0 in a League match. Beardsley and McMahon scored.

PETER WHITTINGHAM AND CARDIFF

Peter Whittingham has died in Cardiff at the young age of 35 years old, following head injuries after a fall at a licensed premises in Barry. Born in Nuneaton, he spent 11 seasons at Cardiff City and was part of the club's success between 2007-17. He made over 450 appearances and scored 96 goals and was named Player of the Year in 2009-10. He helped the Bluebirds reach the FA Cup Final losing to Portsmouth 0-1 and the League Cup Final in 2012 losing to Liverpool 2-3.

There was a FL Championship title in 2013 which won him the title of PFA Player of the Season and he also was voted top player in 2009-10 and 2011-12. There was a FL Goal of the season award in 2012. Consequently he was voted to the FL Team of the Decade 2005-15.

Here are some of his great goals.
https://uk.video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-itm-001&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=itm&p=Peter+Wittingham#id=22&vid=b9ff22ed0cf0ee2f1154bee0e8fd59ad&action=view

His career began at Premier League, Aston Villa in 2003-7 with over 60 apps and an FA Youth Cup medal 2001-2, then briefly at Burnley and Derby 2004-6 in the Championship, before settling at Cardiff, where he helped them into the Premier League 2012-13. The Bluebirds didn't stay long!

His career ended at Blackburn Rovers 2016-17 where was helped the club to runners-up in the EFL League One, playing 24 times with a final season in the Championship with 1 appearance. He retired in  August 2018.

Cardiff's greatest moment may well have been in 1926-7 when they won the FA Cup on April 23rd (St George's Day), at the new(ish) Wembley beating the favourites Arsenal 1-0.

The game followed the first ever "Community Singing" event, conducted by T.P.Ratcliffe, "The Man in White". The traditional song was "Abide with Me" the hymn written by a Devon vicar in 1847. This was the first and only time the FA Cup has been "out of England". The winning goal scored by Hugh Ferguson was "let in softly" by Arsenal's goalkeeper Dan Lewis (a Welshman). This was Arsenal's first Cup Final. The goal was blamed on the "new shiney jersey" worn by the goalie!
https://uk.video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrIQZxVs3NeRF4ADgt3Bwx.;_ylu=X3oDMTB0ZTgxN3Q0BGNvbG8DaXIyBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNwaXZz?p=cardiff+city+fc+1927+fa&type=pds_sjiqmxum1acegikmuebkmoqsuwl96p7j8qmodg

Cardiff also won the Welsh Cup that season beating Rhyl and then met The Corinthian FC in the Charity Shield and beat the amateurs at Stamford Bridge.

Cardiff were FA Cup runners-up in 1924-5 losing to Sheffield United 1-0. They were promoted from the Second Division in 1920-1 and came 4th the following season. They were runners up in the First Division (top flight then) in 1923-4, clearly a good period for the Bluebirds.
Cardiff was relegated from thre First Division in 1928-9 and relegated to the Third Division in 1930-1. In 1933-4 they came "root" in the Third Division South and didn't rise too high in the seasons before the war.

Founded in 1899, as Riverside AFC, in an attempt to keep the local cricket club players fit during the winter, the club first wore chocolate and amber but changed to blue and white in 1908 and also changed their name to Cardiff City.  Their home ground, Ninian Park was built in 1910.

In 2012 the club change the colours controversly to red and black under Vincent Tan's ownership, to gain favour with international markets. This was not popular despite sporting the "national colours" and the club returned to blue in 2014-15.

COMEBACKS

No, this BLOG is not being shut down in case COVID-19 gets a grip.
I hope the numbers of readers for this site will improve, as more of you stay at home and long for some distraction. Here's a taster for this day from last year:
https://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.com/2019/03/air-miles-for-fulham-away-from-cottage.html

It's about great comebacks and I want to thank my Midlands' agent for suggesting this theme.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBeXT-vNOvs So here are the Spurs v Ajax!

and well the World Cup....quite a good header...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANwZeJasM7M

You won't forget Reading losing to Arsenal 5-7 after being 4-0 up in 2012 but you may not have registered Motherwell 6 Hibernian 6 in 2010 after Hibs were 2-6 up after 65 minutes. They even missed a penalty at 6-5, Motherwell scraped the draw. It's Scotland, is it that unusual?

Newcastle, in a Premier League game, were 0-4 down to Arsenal (again) in 2011 and facing 10 men, they rallied to 4-4 in 19 minutes. Tiote made his mark with a thundering shot, with minutes to go.

The World Cup was invented by the rest of the World and Germany win it, but in a 2012 Qualifier there was an exciting 4-4 tie with Sweden and Ibrahimovic, who were 4-0 down with 28 minutes to go. You can find the commentary on this link.
https://www.shortlist.com/news/footballs-greatest-comebacks

On a another level Gillingham drew 2-2 with Manchester City in 1999 in the Division 2 Play Off (yes they were in Div 2 once). It was tense at 0-0 after 81 minutes but with 9 to go Asaba and then Taylor, those well known heroes from Kent made it 2-0 to the Gills. Needless to say Kevin Horlock stepped up for City at 90 minutes to score and in injury time, after 5 minutes, Dickov evened things out. Extra time draw a blank so City won on penalties as their faithful supporters flooded back in Wembley. The rest is history! The Gills went back to Gillingham...do you know where Gillingham is?

Above is the World Cup 1954 with hosts Switzerland in the quarter-finals and 3-0 up in 23 minutes against Austria. 3 goals in 3 minutes made it 3-3. Then in ten more minutes it was 5-3 to Austria and by half time 5-4.
Wagner completed a hat trick after 52 minutes making it 6-4 to Austria and Hugi made his hat trick for Switzerland and 6-5 after 60 minutes. Austria scored one more by 76 minutes. All 12 goals came within 60 minutes, 9 of them with in the first 23. Wagner also notched a hat trick for Austria. Referee? Edward Faultless of Scotland!
Austria lost 6-1 to West Germany (eventual winners 3-2 over Hungary) in the semi-final and won 3rd place beating Uruguay 3-1.

COLIN MacDONALD

Today, March 17th, in 1959, Colin Agnew MacDonald, England's goalkeeper, broke his leg in his representative debut for the England Football League against the League of Ireland, at Dalymount Park, in an accidental clash with Liam Tuohy. All this on St Patrick's Day.
Colin later fell unwell to pleurisy and pneumonia in hospital, which ended his career as a goalkeeper.

Born on October 15th in 1930, Colin was the son of Tom MacDonald, also a goalkeeper, who played for Bury before the First World War.

Colin's club debut was for Burnley having played at Headington United (now Oxford Utd) in 1950-1. His Burnley career started in 1951 and his debut for the First Team ended miserably, 1-5 against Aston Villa. He recovered and lasted over 200 appearances, earning a place in the Clarets' Hall of Fame. His international career was thwarted, when he broke an ankle v Chelsea in 1956. Youngster Adam Blacklaw deputised for Burnley but MacDonald got back into the side and was rewarded with a place in the Football League XI v Scottish League XI, winning 4-1 and then was selected in an England friendly against the then named Soviet Union.

In fact, he played against the Soviets four times in 1958, out of 8 caps .
May 18th v USSR in Moscow 1-1.
June 8th in Gothenburg 2-2
June 17th in Gothenburg (play-off) 0-1
October 22nd at Wembley 5-0 (Haynes 3, Charlton R. pen, Lofthouse) I watched this one on TV!! (b&w)

Having played in the four England World Cup games, he was voted "Best Goalkeeper" in the 1958 tournament, despite England's early exit. His triumph was against Brazil, the eventual winners, holding them to a 0-0 draw, at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg. This was the only game that Brazil did not win on their way to lifting the trophy. In the next game, one England needed to win, MacDonald was beaten by two long range shots in a 2-2 draw with Austria; they must have been good 'uns.

MacDonald, following his injury, was under pressure at Burnley from Adam Blacklaw and he struggled to get a place in the side that won the Football League and were runners-up in the FA Cup to Spurs in 1962. He then went to non-league, Wycombe Wanderers in 1961, then Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Tranmere and then Altrincham, briefly as a player-coach in the Cheshire League (1965-7).

In 1957-8, it was a time when Burnley FC was one of the top clubs in the country.
You may know that Burnley was one of the top English clubs at this time, having won the Football League Div 1 in 1959-60 by a point from Wolves. They were 4th when Spurs did the Double 1960-1, Runners-up in 1961-2 to Ipswich (Spurs 3rd), 3rd in 1962-3, 3rd in 1965-6, relegated 1970-1, promoted to the First in 1972-3.

Eddie Hopkinson (Bolton W) took over in goal and played 14 times for England,

then Ron Springett (Sheffield Wednesday) 29 times,

before Gordon Banks (Leicester City) made his debut April 6th 1963 v Scotland  at Wembley LOST 1-2!! but won 73 caps.

UMPIRES AND REFEREES

March 2008, Manchester Utd lost to Portsmouth in an FA Cup tie, especially difficult when Martin Atkinson denied United a penalty. Fergie said that "Managers get sacked because of things like that and he will be refereeing another game next week. The performance should not be accepted by our game." Fergie was charged with improper conduct but found not guilty!

October 2009, Manchester United v Sunderland resulted in a disappointing 2-2 draw  at Old Trafford. Alan Wiley was the subject of Fergie's tongue, when he said, "You see referees abroad who are as fit  as a butchers' dogs. We have some here who are not fit; he was taking 30 seconds to book a player, he was needing a rest, it was ridiculous." Sir Alex was found guilty of improper conduct, fined £20,000 and given a 2 match ban.

In March 2011 after a league defeat at Stamford Bridge, Martin Atkinson was on the receiving end of another Fergie criticism, who said "You want a fair referee, you want a strong referee; we didn't get that and when I saw who was refereeing I feared the worse." Fergie was fined £30,000 for improper conduct and was given a five match ban.

In January 2005, Peterborough North End in the local Sunday league were playing the Royal Mail and their game was not just reported in the local "rag" but made national news. A PNE player made an uncomplimentary remark to Andy Wain and Wain lost his temper, eyeballing the player. The startled PNE goalkeeper realised that this was not an opposition player but the ref. Wain was so embarrassed by his behaviour that he sent himself off! There was no replacement, so Wain had to abandon the game.
"It was totally unprofessional", he said, "so I had to go". He was fined £50 and banned from refereeing for 35 days by the Northampton FA. here's some more stuff.
https://uk.video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-itm-001&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=itm&p=Unusual+refereeing+moments#action=view&id=3&vid=748653fbf52004c8fb87a419d8ab6973

Richard Mulcaster first made reference to a "referee" in "foteball" who was the "judge over the parties". A referee was mention in Rochdale in 1842 when the Bodyguards Club played the Fearnought Club. In those days "gentlemen" who played the game would never comment a "foul", so incidents were "referred" to the neutral umpire as he was called then, by an umpire representing each team. So the name "referee" came about. In 1891, the three officials evolved into two linesmen and one referee, in charge of referals!

In 1872, Alfred Stair was the first FA Cup Final referee. He was a Civil Servant, officiating the cup final between The Royal Engineers (umpired by JH Giffard) and The Wanderers (umpired by J Kirkpartick).

In 1875, the famous Charles Alcock reffed the final, Segar Bastard did it in 1878 and Francis Marindin was in charge of every final between 1880-90.

Arthur Kingscott did two Finals in 1900 and 1901 and his son did the final in 1931. Mind you his dad was the FA Treasurer at the time!

Sir Stanley Rous, very much the main man in FA circles, was the "man in the middle" in 1934 and local lad Keith Hackett was an assistant referee in 1979 and was the main man in 1981.
Anyone know the most recent FA Cup Final referee?

THE MATTRESS MEN

May 15th 1963 in The Feijenoord Stadium, Rotterdam was the day when Tottenham Hotspur beat Athletico Madrid 5-1 in the Final of the European Cup Winners' Cup.
Jimmy Greaves scored 2, Terry Dyson 2 and Johnny White. Spurs were 2-0 up at half time but Athletico scored a penalty just after half time and threatened to catch up but Spurs rallied.
I bought the programme; it might be worth a few bob by now; it's 57 years old.

Spurs got to the final playing only three rounds, by beating:
Glasgow Rangers 5-2 (h) and 3-2 (a), then Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) 0-2 (a) 6-2 (h).
and in the semi-finals OFK Beograd (Serbia) 2-1 and 3-1 (h)

Athletico beat Hibernians (Malta), Botev Plovdiv (Bulgaria) and Numberg (German).

SPURS TEAM: Bill Brown, Peter Baker, Maurice Norman, Ron Henry, Dave MacKay, Danny Blanchflower, Terry Dyson, Cliff Jones, John White, Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Smith.

Athletico Madrid. nick named "Los Colchoneros", The Mattress Makers, adopted the red and white striped of bed mattresses common in the city in those days.

Here's a link to "nick name" site:
https://www.liveabout.com/soccer-club-nicknames-meanings-3557692