Here are the main matches of the 1880-81 season in chronological order. Any details about missing goalscorers and best players from match reports would be appreciated. Queen's Park-Rangers 5-0, 25.9.1880, Glasgow, Hampden Park, Attendance: 3,000 goals: Kay (2), Smith, Ker (2) (Reports varied as to which players scored Queen’s Park’s five goals) best players: ? Tom Vallance had to retire from the game shortly after the kick-off. Rangers-Queen's Park 2-2, 16.10.1880, Glasgow, Kinning Park, goals: Struthers, Angus / Ker, Anderson best players: ? Nottingham Forest-Rangers 2-1, 30.10.1880, Nottingham goals: ? best players: ? Queen's Park-Vale of Leven 2-1, 30.10.1880, Glasgow, Hampden Park goals: Ker, Anderson / McLean best players: Notts County-Queen’s Park 3-4, 5.11.1880, Nottingham, Attendance: 2,000 goals: Cursham (2) / Smith (2), Anderson, McNeil best players: ? FA Cup 2nd round, Nottingham Forest-Aston Villa 1-2, 4.12.1880, Nottingham goals: ? best players: ? Rangers-Nottingham Forest 2-2, 11.12.1880, Glasgow goals: ? best players: ? FA Cup 2nd round, Blackburn Rovers- The Wednesday 0-4, 18.12.1880, Blackburn goals: ? best players: ? Scottish Cup Quarter-final, Rangers-Dumbarton 1-3, 25.12.1880, Glasgow goals: ? best players: ? Queen's Park-Old Etonians 4-0, 1.1.1881, Glasgow, Hampden Park, Attendance: 8,000 goals: Fraser (2), Davidson, Ker best players: ? Kinnaird did not play. Vale of Leven-Old Etonians 2-1, 3.1.1881, Glasgow goals: ? best players: ? Kinnaird did not play. FA Cup 3rd round, Clapham Rovers- Swifts 2-1, 8.1.1881, ? goals: ? best players: ? Scottish Cup Semi-final, Vale of Leven-Dumbarton 0-2, 5.2.1881, Alexandria goals: ? best players: ? Glasgow-Sheffield 3-0, 12.2.1881, Glasgow, Hampden Park, Attendance: 5,000 goals: Fraser, Ker, ? best players: ? FA Cup 4th round, Aston Villa-Stafford Road 2-3, 19.2.1881, Birmingham goals: ? best players: ? Nottingham Forest- Vale of Leven 2-0, 19.2.1881, Nottingham goals: ? best players: ? Clapham Rovers-Queen's Park 0-1, 19.2.1881, The Oval, Attendance: 1,200 goals: Bailey (o.g.) best players: ? The crowd of over 1,200 was treated to one of the games of the season. Queen’s were mostly on top and scored the only goal of the game. It was an own goal by Bailey who blasted the ball past his own goalkeeper. ENG-WAL 0-1, 26.2.1881, Blackburn, Alexandria Meadows, Attendance: 4,250 http://www.englandfootballonline.com/Seas1872-00/1880-81/M0012Wal1881.html goals: Vaughan 54’. best players: ? "Wretched weather...the ground covered in snow and slush, a circumstance which the English said helped the Welsh to gain their unexpected victory" FA Cup 5th round, Darwen-The Wednesday 5-2, 5.3.1881, Darwen goals: ? best players: ? ENG-SCO 1-6, 12.3.1881, The Oval, Attendance: 8,500 http://www.englandfootballonline.com/Seas1872-00/1880-81/M0013Sco1881.html goals: 0-1 Smith (10), 0-2 Hill (53), 1-2 Bambridge (64), 1-3 Smith (69), 1-4 Ker (74), 1-5 Field ('own goal from a scrimmage') (79), 1-6 Ker (89) best players: ? WAL-SCO 1-5, 14.3.1881, The Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, Attendance: 1,500 goals: 1-0 Crosse (4), 1-1 Ker (7), 1-2 McNeil (9), 1-3 Bell (10) own goal, 1-4 Ker (44), 1-5 Morgan (52) own goal best players: ? FA Cup Quarter-final, Old Carthusians-Clapham Rovers 3-1, 19.3.1881, The Oval ? goals: ? best players: ? FA Cup Quarter-final, Stafford Road- Old Etonians 1-2, 19.3.1881, Wolverhampton goals: ? best players: ? FA Cup Semi-final, Old Carthusians-Darwen 4-1, 26.3.1881, The Oval goals: ? best players: ? Scottish Cup Final, Queen's Park-Dumbarton 2-1, 26.3.1881, Glasgow, Kinning Park, Attendance: 15,000 goals: 1-0 McNeil 6’, 1-1 Brown, 2-1 Kay 60’ best players: ? The result was declared void after Dumbarton protested about spectators on the pitch during the game and a replay was ordered. Vale of Leven- Queen's Park 0-0, 2.4.1881, Alexandria, Attendance: 2,000 best players: ? Scottish Cup Final, Queen's Park-Dumbarton 3-1, 9.4.1881, Glasgow, Kinning Park, Attendance: 10,000 goals: Smith (2), Keir / Meikleham best players: ? FA Cup Final, Old Carthusians-Old Etonians 3-0, 9.4.1881, The Oval, Attendance: 4,000 goals: Wynyard 30’, Parry 75’, Tod best players: ? Blackburn Rovers-Dumbarton 4-0, 23.4.1881, Blackburn goals: ? best players: ? Charity Cup 1st round, Queen's Park-Vale of Leven 3-0, 23.4.1881, Glasgow, Hampden Park, Attendance: goals: Smith, Richmond, Fraser best players: Charity Cup final, Queen's Park-Rangers 1-1, 30.4.1881, Glasgow, Hampden Park, Attendance: 6,000 goals: Richmond / McKinlay best players: ? Charity Cup final replay, Rangers-Queen's Park 1-3, 7.5.1881, Glasgow, Kinning Park, Attendance: ? goals: scrimmage / Smith (2), Anderson best players: ? The London vs Sheffield matches probably continued this season. Further details about them would be welcome.
I will be interested to see if you guys think there are any Welsh players worth a shout this season or next when they beat England back to back seasons.
Additions in red. Queen's Park-Rangers 5-0, 25.9.1880, Glasgow, Hampden Park, Attendance: 3,000 goals: Kay (2), Smith, Ker (2) (Reports varied as to which players scored Queen’s Park’s five goals) best players: ? Tom Vallance had to retire from the game shortly after the kick-off. Rangers-Queen's Park 2-2, 16.10.1880, Glasgow, Kinning Park, goals: Struthers, Angus / Ker, Anderson best players: Gillespie (gk) Nottingham Forest-Rangers 2-1, 30.10.1880, Nottingham goals: scrimmage, Earp / og best players: ? Queen's Park-Vale of Leven 2-1, 30.10.1880, Glasgow, Hampden Park goals: Ker, Anderson / McLean best players: H McNeil, Anderson / Paton, McPherson FA Cup 1st Round, Sheffield 5 Blackburn Olympic 4, 30.10.1880, Bramall Lane Goals: Bradbury, E Barber, H Barber, TH Sorby, og, / Lever, ??? Best Players: Bradbury, Rodgers Notts County-Queen’s Park 3-4, 5.11.1880, Nottingham, Attendance: 2,000 goals: Cursham (2) / Smith (2), Anderson, McNeil best players: Ker, Smith, Anderson FA Cup 2nd round, Nottingham Forest-Aston Villa 1-2, 4.12.1880, Nottingham goals: Widdowson / A Hunter, Vaughton best players: ? Rangers-Nottingham Forest 2-2, 11.12.1880, Glasgow goals: ? best players: ? FA Cup 2nd round, Blackburn Rovers- The Wednesday 0-4, 18.12.1880, Blackburn goals: R Gregory 3, Winterbottom best players: ? Scottish Cup Quarter-final, Rangers-Dumbarton 1-3, 25.12.1880, Glasgow goals: ? best players: ? London 5 Sheffield 0, 1.1.1881, The Oval Goals: Bambridge 3, Sparks, Mitchell Best Players: Swepstone (gk), Bambridge, Bailey Queen's Park-Old Etonians 4-0, 1.1.1881, Glasgow, Hampden Park, Attendance: 8,000 goals: Fraser (2), Davidson, Ker best players: ? Kinnaird did not play. Vale of Leven-Old Etonians 2-1, 3.1.1881, Glasgow goals: ? best players: ? Kinnaird did not play. FA Cup 3rd round, Clapham Rovers- Swifts 2-1, 8.1.1881, ? goals: Ram, Wollaston / E Wild best players: ? Scottish Cup Semi-final, Vale of Leven-Dumbarton 0-2, 5.2.1881, Alexandria goals: scrimmage, ? best players: ? Glasgow-Sheffield 3-0, 12.2.1881, Glasgow, Hampden Park, Attendance: 5,000 goals: Erskine, Fraser, Ker best players: Gillespie (gk), Campbell, Davidson, Ker / R Gregory FA Cup 4th round, Aston Villa-Stafford Road 2-3, 19.2.1881, Birmingham goals: Vaughton 2 / Gowland 2, Crump best players: ? FA Cup 4th round, Old Carthusians 2 Royal Engineers 0, 19.2.1881 Goals: Wynyard, Price Best Players: Nottingham Forest- Vale of Leven 2-0, 19.2.1881, Nottingham goals: ? best players: ? Clapham Rovers-Queen's Park 0-1, 19.2.1881, The Oval, Attendance: 1,200 goals: Bailey (o.g.) best players: ? The crowd of over 1,200 was treated to one of the games of the season. Queen’s were mostly on top and scored the only goal of the game. It was an own goal by Bailey who blasted the ball past his own goalkeeper. Sheffield 2 Notts County 4, 19.2.1881, Bramall Lane Goals: TH Sorby, Newton / Morse, H Cursham, AW Cursham, ? Best Players: TH Sorby, Matthews / AW Cursham, Morse, Greenhalgh North 1 South 2, 19.2.1881, Bramall Lane Goals: Brown / Bambridge, og Best Players: J Hunter / Bambridge ENG-WAL 0-1, 26.2.1881, Blackburn, Alexandria Meadows, Attendance: 4,250 http://www.englandfootballonline.com/Seas1872-00/1880-81/M0012Wal1881.html goals: Vaughan 54’. best players: Bambridge, J Hunter, Brown, Hargreaves / Morgan, Kenrick, Owen, Williams "Wretched weather...the ground covered in snow and slush, a circumstance which the English said helped the Welsh to gain their unexpected victory" FA Cup 5th round, Darwen-The Wednesday 5-2, 5.3.1881, Darwen goals: Bury 3, Rostron 2 / R Gregory 2 best players: ? ENG-SCO 1-6, 12.3.1881, The Oval, Attendance: 8,500 http://www.englandfootballonline.com/Seas1872-00/1880-81/M0013Sco1881.html goals: 0-1 Smith (10), 0-2 Hill (53), 1-2 Bambridge (64), 1-3 Smith (69), 1-4 Ker (74), 1-5 Field ('own goal from a scrimmage') (79), 1-6 Ker (89) best players: Ker, J Smith WAL-SCO 1-5, 14.3.1881, The Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, Attendance: 1,500 goals: 1-0 Crosse (4), 1-1 Ker (7), 1-2 McNeil (9), 1-3 Bell (10) own goal, 1-4 Ker (44), 1-5 Morgan (52) own goal best players: Gillespie, Davidson Sheffield Cup Final, Wednesday 8 Ecclesfield 1, 19.3.1881, Bramall Lane, Attendance 3,000 Goals: Bingley, Mosforth 2, R Gregory 5 / Hulley Best Players: Mosforth, R Gregory FA Cup Quarter-final, Old Carthusians-Clapham Rovers 3-1, 19.3.1881, The Oval ? Yes goals: Page 2, Parry / Lloyd-Jones best players: ? FA Cup Quarter-final, Stafford Road- Old Etonians 1-2, 19.3.1881, Wolverhampton goals: og / Anderson, scrimmage best players: Ray (gk), Dorrance, Turton / Rawlinson (gk), Farrer, French, Whitfield, Goodhart FA Cup Semi-final, Old Carthusians-Darwen 4-1, 26.3.1881, The Oval goals: Hansell, Tod, Vincent, Wynyard / Marshall best players: Parry, Prinsep Scottish Cup Final, Queen's Park-Dumbarton 2-1, 26.3.1881, Glasgow, Kinning Park, Attendance: 15,000 goals: 1-0 McNeil 6’, 1-1 Brown, 2-1 Kay 60’ best players: Watson The result was declared void after Dumbarton protested about spectators on the pitch during the game and a replay was ordered. Vale of Leven- Queen's Park 0-0, 2.4.1881, Alexandria, Attendance: 2,000 best players: ? Scottish Cup Final, Queen's Park-Dumbarton 3-1, 9.4.1881, Glasgow, Kinning Park, Attendance: 10,000 goals: Smith (2), Keir Ker / Meikleham best players: Watson, Campbell, Davidson FA Cup Final, Old Carthusians-Old Etonians 3-0, 9.4.1881, The Oval, Attendance: 4,000 goals: Wynyard 30’, Parry 75’, Tod best players: Parry, Prinsep Blackburn Rovers-Dumbarton 4-0, 23.4.1881, Blackburn goals: ? best players: ? Charity Cup 1st round, Queen's Park-Vale of Leven 3-0, 23.4.1881, Glasgow, Hampden Park, Attendance: goals: Smith, Richmond, Fraser best players: Richmond, Holms, Davidson / McIntyre, McCrae, Logan Charity Cup final, Queen's Park-Rangers 1-1, 30.4.1881, Glasgow, Hampden Park, Attendance: 6,000 goals: Richmond / McKinlay best players: McCallum (gk), Fraser, Richmond / Gillespie (gk), Hill, Inglis, McInlay Charity Cup final replay, Rangers-Queen's Park 1-3, 7.5.1881, Glasgow, Kinning Park, Attendance: 10,000 goals: scrimmage / Smith (2), Anderson best players: T Vallance, A Vallance / Watson, Holms Newspaper sources: London Daily News, Sporting Life, The Sportsman, Leeds Mercury, Nottingham Evening Post, Sheffield Daily Telegraph, Sheffield Independent, Western Mail, Glasgow Evening Post, Glasgow Herald. Sources are from the British Newspaper Archive, managed by the British Library Board.
Suggested best XI 1880-81 (2-2-6): Gillespie - Watson, T Vallance - C Campbell, Davidson - J Smith, G Ker, H McNeil, R Gregory, Parry, Bambridge.
Here are my suggestions for the nominees this season. 23 Man Shortlist Anderson, William SCO Queen's Park Bailey, Norman ENG Clapham Rovers Bambridge, Charles ENG Swifts Campbell, Charles SCO Queen's Park Davidson, David SCO Queen's Park Gillespie, George SCO Rangers Gregory, R ENG The Wednesday Hargreaves, John ENG Blackburn Rovers Hill, David SCO Rangers Holm, Andrew SCO Queen's Park Hunter, John ENG Sheffield Heeley Ker, George SCO Queen's Park Kinnaird, Arthur SCO Old Etonians Lindsay, Joseph SCO Dumbarton McNeil, Harry SCO Queen's Park Morgan, John WAL Derby Grammar School Parry, Edward ENG Old Carthusians Prinsep, James ENG Old Carthusians Richmond, James SCO Queen's Park Rostron, Thurston ENG Darwen Smith, John SCO Queen's Park Vallance, Tom SCO Rangers Watson, Andrew SCO Queen's Park By country: Scotland (14), England (8), Wales (1) By club: Queen's Park (9), Rangers (3), Old Carthusians (2), Clapham Rovers (1), Old Etonians (1), The Wednesday (1), Swifts (1), Darwen (1), Blackburn Rovers (1), Derby Grammar School (1), Dumbarton (1), Sheffield Heeley (1) Top3 These five player could be arranged in any possible order. Actually, Davidson and Gillespie were mentioned more often in available match reports than the Top3. 1. Watson, Andrew SCO Queen's Park SCO Cup, 2 caps, captain of Scotland against ENG 2. Ker, George SCO Queen's Park SCO Cup, 2 goals against England, and 2 against Wales 3. Smith, John SCO Queen's Park SCO Cup, 2 goals against England, and 2 goals in the Scottish Cup final 4. Davidson, David SCO Queen's Park 2 caps, captain of Scotland against WAL 5. Gillespie, George SCO Rangers 2 caps Team of the Season (2-2-6): Gillespie - Watson, T Vallance - C Campbell, Davidson - J Smith, G Ker, H McNeil, R Gregory, Parry, Bambridge.
A growing difficulty in the 1880s will be the inclusion of Scottish professionals playing in England in the 23 man shortlist. They were overlooked by the Scottish FA for the national team in this decade. However, this season I do not see any worthy candidates among them. Archie Hunter scored a goal for Aston Villa but his team was eliminated before the quarter-finals in the FA Cup. Fergus Suter played for Blackburn Rovers but this team was not impressive in FA Cup either. Perhaps the Darwen side (probably the best team in the north of England this season) still included Scottish professionals, but I have not found any line-up for them.
The Top 3 looks fine as it stands. Andrew Watson was the first black player in British football. Darwen might have fielded one Scot this season. One of their backs is listed on one occasion as McHolden but on another as J Holden. The Anglo Scots will need to be judged solely on performance in club football, like Kinnaird and Morten during the previous decade.
The final results of this season. 23 Man Shortlist Anderson, William SCO Queen's Park Bailey, Norman ENG Clapham Rovers Bambridge, Charles ENG Swifts Campbell, Charles SCO Queen's Park Davidson, David SCO Queen's Park Gillespie, George SCO Rangers Gregory, R ENG The Wednesday Hargreaves, John ENG Blackburn Rovers Hill, David SCO Rangers Holm, Andrew SCO Queen's Park Hunter, John ENG Sheffield Heeley Ker, George SCO Queen's Park Kinnaird, Arthur SCO Old Etonians Lindsay, Joseph SCO Dumbarton McNeil, Harry SCO Queen's Park Morgan, John WAL Derby Grammar School Parry, Edward ENG Old Carthusians Prinsep, James ENG Old Carthusians Richmond, James SCO Queen's Park Rostron, Thurston ENG Darwen Smith, John SCO Queen's Park Vallance, Tom SCO Rangers Watson, Andrew SCO Queen's Park By country: Scotland (14), England (8), Wales (1) By club: Queen's Park (9), Rangers (3), Old Carthusians (2), Clapham Rovers (1), Old Etonians (1), The Wednesday (1), Swifts (1), Darwen (1), Blackburn Rovers (1), Derby Grammar School (1), Dumbarton (1), Sheffield Heeley (1) Top3 1. Watson, Andrew SCO Queen's Park 2. Ker, George SCO Queen's Park 3. Smith, John SCO Queen's Park Team of the Season (2-2-6): Gillespie - Watson, T Vallance - C Campbell, Davidson - J Smith, G Ker, H McNeil, R Gregory, Parry, Bambridge.