I will list here matches in Europe from August 1916 to July 1917. In South America I use the calendar year and include the second South American Championship, played in October, in this thread. Details about the wartime Football League matches in England can be found here. http://www.rsssf.com/tablese/eng17.html HUN-AUT 2-3, 1.10.1916, Üllői út, Budapest, Attendance: 16,000 goals: Tóth-Potya, Schaffer / Bauer 2, Grundwald captains: Schlosser (MTK) / Studnicka best players: Bauer SWE-DEN 4-0, 8.10.1916, Stockholm, Attendance: 18,000 goals: Karlstrand, Gustafsson, Svensson, Bergström captains: Frykman / Berth DEN-NOR 8-0, 15.10.1916, Copenhagen, Attendance: 10,000 goals: Rohde 3, Poul Nielsen 4, Anton Olsen captains: Berth Scottish League, Celtic-Rangers 0-0, 18.10.1916, Glasgow, Celtic Park, Attendance: 40,000 best players: McMenemy, McNair, Dodds, Gallacher / Lock (gk), Duncan, Law, Manderson, Blair AUT-HUN 3-3, 5.11.1916, Hütteldorfer Sportplatz, Vienna, Attendance: 7,000 goals: Bauer 2, Kraus / Schlosser, Konrád, Schaffer captains: Studnicka / Csüdör Scottish League, Rangers-Celtic 0-0, 1.1.1917, Glasgow, Ibrox Park, Attendance: 45,000 best players: ? AUT-HUN 1-1, 6.5.1917, Prater Sportplatz, Vienna, Attendance: 4,000 goals: Heinzl / Schlosser captains: Studnicka / Schlosser Rest of Scottish League-Celtic 2-1, 26.5.1917, Hampden Park, Glasgow, Attendance: 30,000 goals: Bowie 2 / McColl best players: ? Glasgow Charity Cup, Celtic-Queen's Park 1-0, ?.5.1917, Glasgow, ? Park, Attendance: ? goals: ? best players: ? DEN-SWE 1-1, 3.6.1917, Copenhagen, Attendance: 25,000 goals: Sophus Nielsen / Börjesson HUN-AUT 6-2, 3.6.1917, Hungária körút, Budapest, Attendance: 22,000 goals: Urik, Schaffer 2, Schlosser 2, Weisz / Heinzl, Popovich captains: Schlosser / Studnicka NOR-DEN 1-2, 17.6.1917, Oslo, Attendance: 12,000 goals: Helgesen / Olsen, Wolfhagen AUT-HUN 1-4, 15.7.1917, Prater Sportplatz, Vienna, Attendance: 8,000 goals: Prosek / Schaffer 3, Schlosser captains: Brandstätter / Schlosser South American Championship, 14.10.1917, URU-ARG 1-0, Montevideo, Attendance: 40,000 goals: Hector Scarone captains: Pacheco / Martinez Details about this edition of the South American Championship can be found here: http://www.rsssf.com/tables/17safull.html
Additions in red. HUN-AUT 2-3, 1.10.1916, Üllői út, Budapest, Attendance: 16,000 goals: Tóth-Potya, Schaffer / Bauer 2, Grundwald captains: Schlosser (MTK) / Studnicka best players: Bauer SWE-DEN 4-0, 8.10.1916, Stockholm, Attendance: 18,000 goals: Karlstrand, Gustafsson, Svensson, Bergström captains: Frykman / Berth DEN-NOR 8-0, 15.10.1916, Copenhagen, Attendance: 10,000 goals: Rohde 3, Poul Nielsen 4, Anton Olsen captains: Berth Scottish League, Celtic-Rangers 0-0, 18.10.1916, Glasgow, Celtic Park, Attendance: 40,000 best players: McMenemy, McNair, Dodds, Gallacher / Lock (gk), Duncan, Law, Manderson, Blair AUT-HUN 3-3, 5.11.1916, Hütteldorfer Sportplatz, Vienna, Attendance: 7,000 goals: Bauer 2, Kraus / Schlosser, Konrád, Schaffer captains: Studnicka / Csüdör Scottish League, Rangers-Celtic 0-0, 1.1.1917, Glasgow, Ibrox Park, Attendance: 45,000 best players: Blair, Manderson / McMaster, McMenemy, Browning, McNair AUT-HUN 1-1, 6.5.1917, Prater Sportplatz, Vienna, Attendance: 4,000 goals: Heinzl / Schlosser captains: Studnicka / Schlosser Glasgow Charity Cup Semi-Final, Rangers-Celtic 0-2, 12.5.1917, Ibrox Attendance: 30,000 Goals: McColl 2 Best Players: / Cringan, Gallacher, McMenemy Glasgow Charity Cup Final, Celtic-Queen's Park 1-0, 19.5.1917, Glasgow, Hampden Park, Attendance: 40,000 goals: McColl best players: Cringan, McMenemy, Shaw (gk), McNair, Dodds / McMillan Rest of Scottish League-Celtic 2-1, 26.5.1917, Hampden Park, Glasgow, Attendance: 30,000 goals: Bowie 2 / McColl best players: Bowie, Mercer, Brownlie (gk), Simpson, Blair, Manderson / McMenemy, McNair, Shaw (gk), Cringan, Dodds DEN-SWE 1-1, 3.6.1917, Copenhagen, Attendance: 25,000 goals: Sophus Nielsen / Börjesson HUN-AUT 6-2, 3.6.1917, Hungária körút, Budapest, Attendance: 22,000 goals: Urik, Schaffer 2, Schlosser 2, Weisz / Heinzl, Popovich captains: Schlosser / Studnicka NOR-DEN 1-2, 17.6.1917, Oslo, Attendance: 12,000 goals: Helgesen / Olsen, Wolfhagen AUT-HUN 1-4, 15.7.1917, Prater Sportplatz, Vienna, Attendance: 8,000 goals: Prosek / Schaffer 3, Schlosser captains: Brandstätter / Schlosser South American Championship, 14.10.1917, URU-ARG 1-0, Montevideo, Attendance: 40,000 goals: Hector Scarone captains: Pacheco / Martinez Details about this edition of the South American Championship can be found here: http://www.rsssf.com/tables/17safull.html Notable players of the 1916-17 English season, according to the English press: Ted Vizard (best outside-left), Tommy Boyle (Burnley) and Joe McCall (Preston) (the best two centre-halves), Jimmy Harrop (Sheffield Wednesday defender, formerly Aston Villa), Jock Maconnachie (Everton and West Ham full-back), Oliver Tummon (Sheffield United forward, formerly Oldham). Newspaper sources: The Sportsman, Burnley Express, Evening Despatch, Lancashire Evening Post, Leeds Mercury, Leicester Daily Post, Liverpool Echo, Manchester Evening News, Sheffield Daily Telegraph, Star Green 'un, Sunday Post, Yorkshire Post, Aberdeen Press, Daily Record, Dundee Courier, Dundee Evening Telegraph, The Scotsman. Sources are from the British Newspaper Archive, managed by the British Library Board.
More notable players of the 1916-17 English season: Horace Barnes, scored many goals for Manchester City in 1915-16 and 1916-17. Bill Bresford, Sheffield United's best half-back. Tom Brittleton, Sheffield Wednesday. Bob Crompton. Played well for Blackpool in 1915-16. Back at Blackburn for 1916-17 when made fewer appearances but still in good form. It is remarked that Crompton was only ever at his very best against Scotland. Billy Gillespie, Sheffield United. Teddy Glennon (Sheffield Wednesday). Played half-back and forward. Scored 13 goals. Arthur Price, Leeds City. Benny Sherman, West Bromwich outside-left. Clem Stephenson, Leeds City's best player. Harry Tufnell, Fulham, ex-Barnsley. George Utley, Sheffield United. Charlie Buchan was now serving in France. He scored a lot of goals for Chelsea in 1915-16.
Suggested best XI 1916-17 (2-3-5): Brownlie - McNair, Dodds - Boyle, Cringan, McCall - Gallacher, McMenemy, Schaffer, Schlosser, Vizard.
Here are my nominees for this season. Bauer, Eduard AUT Rapid Vienna Blair, James SCO Rangers Boyle, Thomas ENG Burnley Brownlie, James SCO Third Lanark Cringan, William SCO Sunderland / Celtic Dodds, Joseph SCO Celtic Gallacher, Patrick IRL Celtic Harrop, James ENG Aston Villa / The Wednesday Konrád, Kálmán HUN MTK Budapest Maconnachie, John SCO Everton / West Ham Manderson, Bert IRL Rangers McCall, Joseph ENG Preston North End McMenemy, James SCO Celtic McNair, Alexander SCO Celtic Ohaco, Alberto ARG Racing Club Pacheco, Jorge URU Penarol Petit, Rene FRA Madrid FC Romano, Ángel URU Nacional Scarone, Carlos URU Nacional Scarone, Héctor URU Nacional Schaffer, Alfréd HUN MTK Budapest Schlosser, Imre HUN MTK Budapest Vizard, Edward WAL Bolton Wanderers By country: Scotland (7), England (3), Ireland (2), Wales (1), Hungary (3), Austria (1), France (1), Uruguay (4), Argentina (1) Top 3: Here we have candidates from Scotland (McMenemy and McNair), Hungary (Schlosser (top goalscorer in the league) and Schaffer (top goalscorer in the national team)). Is there anybody from wartime England to match their achievements? Héctor Scarone may have been the best player of Copa America, but it is difficult to compare him with Continental players. In what order shall we place them? I am inclined to give the top spots to Schlosser and Schaffer from Hungary, who were in great form. Their team MTK was the best in Central Europe, but because of the war could not play against British clubs. McMenemy was already 37 year old in this year, while Schlosser and Schaffer were 28 and 24, in their prime.
Schlosser and Schaffer look fine for the first two positions. The best Celtic players this season were Cringan, Gallacher and McMenemy. Gallacher missed a few games and McMenemy, as you say, was getting on in years. So maybe Cringan for number three.
Final results for this season. 23 Man Shortlist Bauer, Eduard AUT Rapid Vienna Blair, James SCO Rangers Boyle, Thomas ENG Burnley Brownlie, James SCO Third Lanark Cringan, William SCO Sunderland / Celtic Dodds, Joseph SCO Celtic Gallacher, Patrick IRL Celtic Harrop, James ENG Aston Villa / The Wednesday Konrád, Kálmán HUN MTK Budapest Maconnachie, John SCO Everton / West Ham Manderson, Bert IRL Rangers McCall, Joseph ENG Preston North End McMenemy, James SCO Celtic McNair, Alexander SCO Celtic Ohaco, Alberto ARG Racing Club Pacheco, Jorge URU Penarol Petit, Rene FRA Madrid FC Romano, Ángel URU Nacional Scarone, Carlos URU Nacional Scarone, Héctor URU Nacional Schaffer, Alfréd HUN MTK Budapest Schlosser, Imre HUN MTK Budapest Vizard, Edward WAL Bolton Wanderers Top 3: 1. Schlosser, Imre HUN MTK Budapest 2. Schaffer, Alfréd HUN MTK Budapest 3. Cringan, William SCO Sunderland / Celtic Best XI (2-3-5): Brownlie - McNair, Dodds - Boyle, Cringan, McCall - Gallacher, McMenemy, Schaffer, Schlosser, Vizard.