WOODWARD WOULD AND THEN WOULDN'T

In May 1904, Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland met in Paris and founded the Federation Internationale de Football Association. The England FA had not been consulted...an island state? Lord Kinnaird was appointed to review the situation. In 1905 the English FA  recognised the existence of FIFA and eighteen months later the home associations were allowed to join in! The FA treasurer D.B.Woolfall was elected as President of FIFA.

Belgium became the first non-British nation to be invited to play on "our" soil in 1923. This international friendly was played at Highbury on March 19th; 14,052 watched the home team win 6-1. As a "friendly", only 5 of the team that beat Wales two weeks earlier in the Home International Championship played, including Jimmy Seed (MORE OF HIM LATER IN ANOTHER BLOG).

A few of you ventured yesterday into reading the history of England's international tours. 1908 was a significant year when the FA deemed to allow England to visit Europe on tour and this took place between June 6 and June 13th, playing against Austria twice, Hungary and Bohemia.

In 1909, there was a similar tour to Hungary, for two games, and to Austria for one. The results read: in Budapest 4-2 win, and 8-2, then in Vienna 8-1.

Vivian Woodward, who won his first cap against Ireland on February 1903, was the English star goal scorer on this tour, notching 2, 4, and 3 in the three games.
Others contributing goals on this tour were:-
Bridgett 1,
Holley 4,
Fleming 3,
Halse 2,
Warren 1.

Woodward played 23 times for the England full XI and 41 games for the Amateur XI, as well as playing twice for the Great Britain XI in the 1908 and 1912 Olympics (both gold medals).

Coming from a wealthy family, Woodward didn't need "money" to play but his job as an architect often got in the way of his playing for Spurs from 1901 to 1906 (131 apps 61 goals). He then had 6 years at Chelsea.
He scored 29 goals at a rate of more than one a game in 23 appearances for England. He scored 4 hat tricks for his country and scored 57 goals in 44 amateur internationals.

Spurs were elected to the Second Division of the Football League in September 1908, having previously been in the "Southern League". Woodward scored the first ever goal for Spurs in the Football League, against Wolves winning 3-0.

In 1909 Woodward joined Chelsea, playing 116 times and scoring 34 goals. In 1914 he joined the Army and in 1915, he was given special leave to play for Chelsea in the FA (Khaki) Cup Final when Bob Thomson was injured. Thomson however recovered and Woodward volunteered to stand down since he had not played in any of the qualifying games. Chelsea lost to Sheffield United 0-3 at Old Trafford. The game was joyless and the last one until 1920.

During the war, as a captain in the PALS Battalion, he was injured in the thigh in 1916 and never played top flight football again, though he did go back to Chelmsford to play briefly for his "local" club.

EARLY INTERNATIONAL DATES AND SUPER HEROES

England's International football team, first played officially from March 1872, when they turned out against Scotland in November 1872. It was a 0-0 draw. There had previously been six "unofficial" ties between them, dating from 1870.
This fixture was changed to April in 1879, when England played in a storming game against the Scots, at The Oval, winning 5-4.

A fixture had been played against Wales earlier in January 1879, again at the Oval.
February and March were popular months for the new international fixtures, including Ireland in February 1882, with two matches against Wales and Scotland in March.

In 1884 the four countries played in what was then known as the Home International Championship and by 1888, with the development of the Football League, the matches were spread out from March to April. Scotland topped the table in the first four seasons.

In 1902 the final tie in the Championship had overlapped to May 3rd, with a home fixture for England against the Scots at Villa Park. It resulted in a 2-2 draw.

By 1908, these games were played no later than early April, allowing the English team to get on tour in Europe for a couple of weeks. Their first venture was in 1908 playing Austria twice, Hungary and Bohemia from early June. These were very much "exhibition" games, showing Europe what the game was all about and the English came home with P4 W4 For 28 A 2!

By 1910 only home internationals were arranged traditionally, playing Ireland, Wales and Scotland in that order, one in February, one in March and one in early April. In 1914, 127,307 turned out at Hampden Park to see England lose 1-3.
In 1919 the Victory Internationals were held to celebrate "playing again" and in 1921 England went to Brussels to play Belgium on May 21st.

Benjamin Howard Baker, of Chelsea (92 apps) and the Corinthians (210 apps), was the England goalkeeper for this match. He was also an accomplished water polo goalkeeper. He earned 2 soccer international caps, was an Olympic standard British champion high jumper, a pentathlete, but indulged in various field events, such as the triple jump and long jump, performing at the 1912 and 1920 Olympics, having just fought in the war. He was a Wimbledon tennis player, club cricketer and water polo international and accomplished swimmer. He is not the only one to have multi-tasks at this time!
Max Woosnam, was a one cap football wonder, who also won the men's tennis doubles at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics (not on his own) winning gold in the doubles and silver in mixed doubles and was a successful champion at Wimbledon. He is reputed to have played and beat the Chinese ambassador at ping pong with a dessert spoon after dinner one night. He is known to have made a 147 break at snooker, scored a century at Lords, captained the British Davies Cup team, captained Manchester City, playing 96 games for them, as well as being a Corinthian footballer. He captained England and represented Cambridge University at golf (as well as turning out for the uni at most of these other sports!)

His biography is a good read!

MAY 29th

It was 47 years to the day of the Benfica (1) v Manchester United (4) match in the European Cup Final (29th May 1968), that the "Protest" club, FC United of Manchester, founded in 2005, following the "Glazier" intervention at Old Trafford, played its own celebratory match at their home Broadhurst Park against a "Benfica" Squad.

The two clubs have met in European competition 11 times, with United winning 8 and drawing 1.
Over 4,000 watched FC United lose 0-1 in what almost certainly wasn't as good a game as the original. It did mark the "opening" of the new FC United stadium. Next aim for FCU, Football League status!

On the same day, in 2019, Arsenal met Chelsea in a London derby in the Europa League Cup Final, 5,000 miles away at the Olympic Stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan, (a country that has never hosted an Olympic event/games). Azerbaijan, is in Asia of course, though the host country does play in UEFA competitions, some how.
So why not drag a small crowd of English supporters along to join in with some laddish locals, given cheap seats and a number of collar and tie invitees paying nothing, to see Chelsea win 4-1.

18 days after the "Bradford City Stadium Fire" (11 May), there was another disaster at the Heysel Stadium, Brussels in 1985. An old, decrepit stadium, chosen by UEFA as a neutral venue, for the European Cup Final, which suffered from poor organisation and rioting fans who contributed to 39 deaths and 600+ injuries. The game was not abandoned for fear of further rioting. The result is irrelevant, though Juve won 1-0.

PETERBOROUGH UNITED-BLY SPIRIT

https://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.com/2019/04/remembering-records.html
Chris Turner RIP
https://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.com/2017/09/posh.html
Peterborough and Fletton United FC was founded in 1934.
Pat Tirrell of Fletton Utd was looking for players to join  his new club in Peterborough, which joined the Southern League in 1923. The new club name included the substantial town of Peterborough as Tirrell sought financial backing to attract players. The club became named by the manager as a posh club looking for posh players. "The Posh" joined the Midland League, winning it consecutively between 1956-60. They had been refused election to the Football League for 13 years from 1947 but were eventually elevated in 1960, showing their worth by winning the Fourth Division in 1960-1 season.

Their FA Cup record was extraordinary having giant killing runs from the early 1950s beating clubs like Torquay from Division  3 South 2-1 in front of 13,000 at their home London Road.
In 1953 there was a record crowd at home of over 16,700 when they beat Aldershot 2-1.

In 1955-6 they took on Alf Ramsey's Ipswich Town, again from Third Division South, in Round One, winning 3-1 in front of over 20,000 at London Road. They eventually drew and lost to Swindon Town.

In 1956-7 they went to Yeovil's sloping pitch and won 1-3 in Rd 1, they met Bradford Park Avenue (then a League side) in Rd 2 3-0.
Round 3 produced LINCOLN CITY who held the Posh 2-2 at London Road and then beat the Imps 4-5 away after extra time. Rd 4 brought Posh a defeat away at Huddersfield 3-1.

The reward in the next season (1957-8) was a Qualifying Rd 4 tie with Wolverton and BR FC winning 7-0. This led on to Torquay Utd at home drawing 3-3, losing away 0-1.

1958-9 saw them win in the Qualifying Rd 4 v Walthamstowe Avenue 3-0, then in Rd 1 they met Kettering winning 2-3 aet following a 2-2 draw at home . Next came Headington Utd from Oxford, beating them 4-2 in Rd 2. Fulham beat them 1-0 at theirs in Rd 3 after Posh held the Cottagers 0-0 by the Thames.

1959-60 The Posh had beaten Walsall away in Rd 2 2-3, in Rd 1 Shrewsbury Town at home 4-3, previously Bury Town (not Bury FC) in Qual Rd 4 8-1.
Alf Ramsey would have been in "deja vue" shock when Ipswich Town were drawn again, against "local rivals", Peterborough Utd in Rd 3. This time Peterborough won again 2-3.

(In 1972 Posh lost to Ipswich 0-2 in the FA Cup 3rd Round) They have not met in the cup since.
Overall the two clubs have Played each other 14 times in first class games: Posh won 3 drawn 4 lost 7

So Peterborough joined the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead, who were not re-elected. Re-elected  back into the Football League were Oldham, Southport and Hartlepool. NOTE, the initials of each club spelt out POSH. It was meant to be.
In 1960-1, Terry Bly, a tough centre forward, scored 52 goals in 1960-1 and Posh amassed 134 winning the Fourth Division. (his career total at Posh was 81 goals in 88 games) 199 games scoring 125 goals). For Norwich in 1956-60: 57 apps 31 goals, then after Posh, Coventry: 32 apps 25 goals, a brief spell at Notts County, then Grantham: 199 apps 125 goals.

There's more from the Posh but enough is enough for this sunny day...now where's that Prosecco?
And 20 years on (May 26th 2000) the Third Division play off winners over Darlington 1-0 at Wembley.

CONGESTION? TELL THEM ABOUT 1981-2 AND THEY WON'T BELIEVE YOU.

On 27th May 1982, Spurs played the replay of their FA Cup Final against QPR, winning 1-0 at Wembley, having been at Wembley five days earlier, playing out a 1-1 draw with the Rangers. (see earlier blog!)
This was the end of a long and busy season, in which Spurs also came 4th in the First Division (top one), they were Runners-up in the League Cup and
got to the Semi-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup (ECWC).

They played 66 matches in all, 4 at Wembley, with 19 games played in the last 2 months of the season, April and May.

They played 42 games in the First Division;
at home P21 W12 D4 L5 F41 A26 and
away     P21 W8 D7 L6 F26 A22 Total 71 pts.
It all began in August: and not including League games, here are the important fixtures:

August 22nd The Charity Shield (Cup winners v League winners) at Wembley v Aston Villa 2-2
Then
Sept 16 and 29th European Cup Winners Cup v Ajax (2 legs) 6-1 aggregate
Oct 7 and Oct 28 Two legs Football League Cup Rd 2 v Man Utd 2-0
Oct 21 and 4 Nov ECWC v Dundalk 2-1 (h and a)
Nov 11 League Cup Rd 3 v Wrexham h 2-0
Dec 2 League Cup Rd 4 v Fulham h 1-0
Jan 2  FA Cup 3 v Arsenal h 1-0
Jan 18 League Cup Rd 5 v Nottingham  h 1-0
Jan 23 FACup  Rd 4 v Leeds Utd h 1-0
Feb 3 LC Semi-final First leg v WBA a 0-0
Feb 10 LC Semi-final Second leg v WBA h 1-0
Feb 13 FACup Rd 5 v Aston Villa h 1-0
March 3 ECWC v Eintracht Frankfurt h 1st leg 2-0

March 6 FACup Rd 6 v Chelsea a 3-2
March 13 League Cup Final v Liverpool at Wembley 1-3
March 17* ECWC v Eintracht Frankfurt a 1-2 (3-2 win agg)
April 3 FACup Semi-final v Leicester City 2-0 at Villa Park
April 7 ECWC Semi-final v Barcelona h 1-1
April 21 ECWC S-f v Barcelona a 0-1 (1-2 loss)
**
May 22 FA Cup Final v QPR 1-1 at Wembley
May 27 FA Cup Final Replay v QPR 1-0 win. at Wembley

**There were also 10 League games completed between 24th April and 17th May.

INTO EUROPE; WITHE OR WITHOUT

 Peter Withe is a bit of a hero.


https://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.com/2019/08/skelmersdale-united.html

But first.....Nigel Spink? Remember him, who joined Aston Villa in 1977 and made his 1st team debut two years later!!! on Boxing Day 1979, in a league defeat at Nottingham Forest.

He had to wait until May 26th 1982 for his second appearance with the first team in the European Cup Final when regular keeper Jimmy Rimmer went injured. This was a victory in Rotterdam against Bayern Munich, by 1-0 with a goal from Peter Withe, part of a run of 6 seasons with English clubs winning the coveted European Cup or Champions' League as it has been known since 1992-3 season.

(Spink, Rimmer (by coincidence), Chris Kirkland and John Ruddy are four goalkeepers with the shortest international careers of 45 minutes.)

1976-77 Liverpool beat Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 in Rome
1977-78 Liverpool beat Club Brugges 1-0 at Wembley
1978-79 Nottingham Forest beat Malmo 1-0 at Munich
1979-80 Nottingham Forest beat Hamburg 1-0 in Madrid
1980-81 Liverpool beat Real Madrid 1-0 Paris
1981-82 Aston Villa beat Bayern Munich 1-0 in Rotterdam
THEN in 1982-83 after Hamburg broke the "run".....
1983-84 Liverpool beat Roma aet 1-1 and pens in Rome and then....
1984-85 Juventus beat Liverpool 1-0 at Heysel.

Peter Withe made over 500 apps in his career between 1970-1991 playing at:
from 1970 Southport 3apps, 1971 Barrow 1 app, 1972 Port Elizabeth SA, 1973 Arcadia Shepherds Pretoria 26 apps, 1975 Wolves 17/3 and Portland Timbers 22/16, 1976 Birmingham City, 1978 Nottm Forest 75 apps 28 goals, 1980 Newcastle Utd 76 apps 25 goals, 1985 Aston Villa 182 apps 74 goals, 1989 Sheffield Utd 74 apps 18 goals, 1990 Huddersfield 38 apps 1 goal = 539 apps 177 goals

England 11 caps: scoring one goal

WHAT'S IN A NAME (2)?

Not that I'm expecting a special delivery through my "mail box" but I was hoping you would be tested by yesterday's "brain teaser" and maybe take part. Oh well, its tough coming up with stuff when I only have two centuries of football to search through. So here goes for my response: BTW,, you will have had to read the blog to get what this is all about...I sometimes think I'm writing for myself....don't bother to reply
THE TEAM SQUAD:4-4-2
Gk:
Fox in the box, Mew the "Cat" and Springett will keep it out of the net.
Defenders:
Fort in defence, alongside Betts (actually could play anywhere), prepared to take a risk against all odds,
The "Reverend" overseeing all activity with Makepeace keeping a lid on things in case of a ruck and Healless always on his toes (obviously),
Francis Cuggy is just a nice name and he played for Wallsend in the North-east so would be helpful at free kicks and Sunderland (166 apps).
His team, Sunderland, were Football League Champions 1912-13 with Aston Villa second.
and FA Cup Runners-up v Aston Villa in 1913 who won 0-1.  After football he worked in the Wearside shipyards.
His Cup Final match shirt sold at Christies for £5875 in 2002. He earned 2 England caps in 1913-4.

In 1923 he went to coach at Celta Vigo who were Galician Champions that season.
Dunk reaching for those high crosses, kept out by Shutt.
Midfield:
Horatio and Nelson, the Victory man, controlling midfield, with a Jem to add a bit of class.
Whymark...not much use then? but  midfielder?
Cock and Bastard (sounds like a pub) are nasty biting midfielders
Up Top:
Spouncer lurking in the "box" for knock downs and Burnup tearing down the wing.
Manager
Walter Winterbottom

ALL IN A NAME-WRITE A PHRASE TO SUIT THESE INTERNATIONALS

For example: Henry Healless will keep them on their toes! Yes, I know it's terrible.......
IN GOAL

Frederick Samuel Fox- GK, Swindon T, Abertillery, PNE, Gillingham, Millwall Athletic, Halifax Town, Brentford:                                                                                      1 cap v France 21.5.1925

John William Mew- GK, Blaydon Utd, Marley Hill Colliery, Man U, Barrow

                                                                                                                  1 cap v Ireland 23.10.1920

Ron Springett- GK, Victoria Utd, QPR, Sheffield Wednesday, Ashford Town

                                                                                                33 caps debut v N Ireland 18.11.1959

FULL BACKS

John Fort- Right Back, Atherton, Exeter City, Millwall Athletic:     1 cap v Belgium 21.5.1921

Morton Peto Betts- GK, Wanderers, West Kent, Old Harrovians:     1 cap v Scotland 3.3.1887

Rev The Honorable Edward Lyttleton- Full Back, Cambridge Univ, Old Etonians, Hagley:1 cap v Scotland 2.3.1878

HALF BACKS

Francis Cuggy- Right Half, Willington Ath, Sunderland, Wallsend:  2 caps debut 15.2.1913

Albert Edward James Matthias “Jem” Bayliss-Wing Half, Tipton Providence, Wednesbury Old Athletic, WBA:                                                                                     1 cap v Ireland 7.3.1891

Lewis Dunk- Centre Back, Brighton HA, Bristol City:                       1 cap v USA 15.11.2018

George Shutt- Centre Back, Stoke:                                                      1 cap v Ireland 13.3.1886

Henry Healless- Half Back, Blackburn Athletic, Victoria Cross, Blackburn Trinity, Blackburn R:

2 caps from 22.10.1924

Joseph William Henry Makepeace- Left Half, Everton:                   4 caps from 7.4.1906

UP FRONT

Henry Chippendale Nelson- Right Wing, Blackburn Rovers:            1 cap v Ireland 1.3. 1894

Horatio Sutton ”Raich” Carter- Inside Forward, Whitburn St Mary, Sunderland Forge, Esh Winning, Sunderland, Derby C, Hull City, Cork Athletic:                    13 caps from 14.4.1934

Trevor Whymark- Forward, Ipswich T, Vancouver White Caps, Sparta Rotterdam, Derby C, Grimsby Town, Southend Utd, Peterborough Utd, Colchester Utd:1 cap v Luxembourg 12.10.1977

John Gilbert Cock- Centre Forward, Brentford, Huddersfield Town, Chelsea, Everton, Plymouth A, Millwall:                                                                                                2 caps from 25.10.1919

Segal Richard Bastard- Right Wing, Upton Park and Corinthians:   1 cap 13.3.1880

William Alfred Spouncer- Left Wing, Gainsborough Trinity, Sheffield Utd, Nottingham Forest:1 cap v Wales 26.3.1900

Cuthbert James Burnup- Left Wing, Cambridge Univ, Old Malvernians, Corinthians:

                                                                                                               1 cap 4.4.1896