I will list here matches in Europe from August 1917 to July 1918. Details about the wartime Football League matches in England can be found here. http://www.rsssf.com/tablese/eng18.html Stoke (a non-league team) and Leeds City (from the Second Division) win the Lancashire and Midland Section of the league, respectively. A championship play-off is held between the two teams, which Leeds wins 2-1 on aggregate. The third South American Championship is cancelled because of a flu epidemic in Brazil in the fall. The only notable matches in South America in 1918 were between Uruguay and Argentina, details of which can be found here: https://www.11v11.com/teams/uruguay/tab/matches/season/1919/ Other important matches: NOR-SWE 0-2, 16.9.1917, Oslo, Attendance: 12,000 goals: Ekroth, Gustafsson DEN-NOR 12-0, 7.10.1917, Copenhagen, Attendance: 15,000 goals: Rohde 2, Klein 3, Berth, Nielsen 5, Olsen HUN-AUT 2-1, 7.10.1917, Üllői út, Budapest, Attendance: 20,000 goals: Schaffer, Taussig / Sedláček captains: Schlosser / Popovich SWE-DEN 1-2, 14.10.1917, Stockholm, Attendance: 20,000 goals: Gustafsson / Olsen, Grøthan Scottish League, Rangers-Celtic 1-2, 20.10.1917, Glasgow, Ibrox Park, Attendance: 45,000 goals: Bowie / McColl, McAtee best players: ? AUT-HUN 1-2, 4.11.1917, Prater Sportplatz, Vienna, Attendance: 12,000 goals: Wilda / Schaffer 2 captains: Studnicka / Schlosser Scottish League, Celtic-Rangers 0-0, 1.1.1918, Glasgow, Celtic Park, Attendance: 50,000 best players: ? HUN-AUT 2-0, 14.4.1918, Hungária körút, Budapest, Attendance: 20,000 goals: Schlosser, Schaffer captains: Schlosser / Brandstätter Aldao Cup, Nacional-Racing 2-2, 19.4.1918, Montevideo, Attendance: ? goals: Zibecchi, Somma / Vivaldo, Perinetti AUT-SUI 5-1, 9.5.1918, Prater Sportplatz, Vienna, Attendance: 18,000 goals: Wilda, Bauer, Karel Koželuh, Studnicka / Keller HUN-SUI 2-1, 12.5.1918, Hungária körút, Budapest, Attendance: 16,000 goals: Schaffer, Schlosser / Keller captains: Schlosser Glasgow Charity Cup, Celtic-Partick Thistle 2-0, ?.5.1918, Glasgow, ? Park, Attendance: ? goals: ? best players: ? SWE-NOR 2-0, 26.5.1918, Stockholm, Attendance: 10,000 goals: Gustafsson, Sterne DEN-SWE 3-0, 2.6.1918, Copenhagen, Attendance: 22,000 goals: Hansen 2, (o. g.) AUT-HUN 0-2, 2.6.1918, Prater Sportplatz, Vienna, Attendance: 15,000 goals: Schlosser, Schaffer captains: Popovich / Schlosser NOR-DEN 3-1, 16.6.1918, Oslo, Attendance: 12,000 goals: Helsing, Helgesen, Gundersen / Grøthan Aldao Cup, Racing-Nacional 2-1, 9.7.1918, Buenos Aires, Attendance: ? goals: Ohaco, Olazar / Zibecchi
Additions in red. NOR-SWE 0-2, 16.9.1917, Oslo, Attendance: 12,000 goals: Ekroth, Gustafsson Glasgow Cup Semi-Final, Celtic 0 Rangers 3, 22.9.1917, Celtic Park Attendance: 40,000 Goals: Archibald, Cairns, Brown Best Players: Shaw (gk), McNair / Blair, Manderson, Dixon, Gordon Glasgow Cup Final, Rangers 4 Partick Thistle 1, 6.10.1917, Ibrox Attendance: 45,000 Goals: Gordon, McDiarmid, Brown 2 / John Bowie Best Players: Gordon, Cairns, Brown, Archibald, Dixon / Ferguson (gk), Adams, McMullan, Bulloch DEN-NOR 12-0, 7.10.1917, Copenhagen, Attendance: 15,000 goals: Rohde 2, Klein 3, Berth, Nielsen 5, Olsen HUN-AUT 2-1, 7.10.1917, Üllői út, Budapest, Attendance: 20,000 goals: Schaffer, Taussig / Sedláček captains: Schlosser / Popovich SWE-DEN 1-2, 14.10.1917, Stockholm, Attendance: 20,000 goals: Gustafsson / Olsen, Grøthan Scottish League, Rangers-Celtic 1-2, 20.10.1917, Glasgow, Ibrox Park, Attendance: 45,000 goals: Bowie / McColl, McAtee best players: Gordon, Bowie / McNair, Gallacher, Cringan AUT-HUN 1-2, 4.11.1917, Prater Sportplatz, Vienna, Attendance: 12,000 goals: Wilda / Schaffer 2 captains: Studnicka / Schlosser Scottish League, Celtic-Rangers 0-0, 1.1.1918, Glasgow, Celtic Park, Attendance: 50,000 best players: McNair, McMenemy, Gallacher / Dixon, Manderson, Blair, Bowie HUN-AUT 2-0, 14.4.1918, Hungária körút, Budapest, Attendance: 20,000 goals: Schlosser, Schaffer captains: Schlosser / Brandstätter Aldao Cup, Nacional-Racing 2-2, 19.4.1918, Montevideo, Attendance: ? goals: Zibecchi, Somma / Vivaldo, Perinetti AUT-SUI 5-1, 9.5.1918, Prater Sportplatz, Vienna, Attendance: 18,000 goals: Wilda, Bauer, Karel Koželuh, Studnicka / Keller HUN-SUI 2-1, 12.5.1918, Hungária körút, Budapest, Attendance: 16,000 goals: Schaffer, Schlosser / Keller captains: Schlosser Glasgow Charity Cup, Celtic-Partick Thistle 2-0, 25.5.1918, Glasgow, Hampden Park, Attendance: 35,000 goals: Gallacher, Browning best players: Gallacher, McMenemy, Browning / Bulloch SWE-NOR 2-0, 26.5.1918, Stockholm, Attendance: 10,000 goals: Gustafsson, Sterne DEN-SWE 3-0, 2.6.1918, Copenhagen, Attendance: 22,000 goals: Hansen 2, (o. g.) AUT-HUN 0-2, 2.6.1918, Prater Sportplatz, Vienna, Attendance: 15,000 goals: Schlosser, Schaffer captains: Popovich / Schlosser Unofficial International, Scotland 2 England 0, 8.6.1918, Celtic Park Attendance: 50,000 Goals: McLean, Archibald Best Players: Morton, McMenemy, Gallacher, McNair, McLean, Bowie / Gough (gk), McCracken, English, Morgan Teams - England: Gough – McCracken (Ireland), English – McMullan (Scotland), Dixon, Barber – Simpson, Chambers, Seymour, Holley, Morgan. Shortly beforehand McMullan, Dixon and Seymour replaced Cuggy, Boyle and Cook (Middlesbrough) who withdrew after being selected. Scotland: Robb – McNair, McSkimming – Bowie, Wright, Nellies – Archibald, Gallacher (Ireland), McLean, McMenemy, Morton. NOR-DEN 3-1, 16.6.1918, Oslo, Attendance: 12,000 goals: Helsing, Helgesen, Gundersen / Grøthan Aldao Cup, Racing-Nacional 2-1, 9.7.1918, Buenos Aires, Attendance: ? goals: Ohaco, Olazar / Zibecchi I Notes on English season 1917-18: Meredith played virtually every game for Manchester City. Middelboe turned out occasionally for Chelsea. Brownlie made the odd appearance in goal for West Ham. Newspaper sources: Daily Mirror, The Sportsman, Evening Despatch, Leeds Mercury, Liverpool Echo, Sheffield Daily Telegraph, Star Green 'un, Newcastle Journal, Yorkshire Post, Aberdeen Press, Daily Record, Dundee Courier, Edinburgh Evening News, The Scotsman, Northern Whig. Sources are from the British Newspaper Archive, managed by the British Library Board.
Suggested best XI 1917-18 (2-3-5): Gough - McNair, English - Bowie, Boyle, Orth - Gallacher, Ohaco, Schaffer, McMenemy, Morton.
Here are my nominees for this season. 23 Man Shortlist Bauer, Eduard AUT Rapid Vienna Bowie, James SCO Rangers Boyle, Thomas ENG Burnley Cairns, Thomas SCO Rangers Dixon, Arthur ENG Rangers English, John ENG Sheffield United Friedenreich, Arthur BRA Paulistano Gallacher, Patrick IRL Celtic Gordon, James SCO Rangers Gough, Harold ENG Sheffield United / Leeds City Gradín, Isabelino URU Penarol Konrád, Kálmán HUN MTK Budapest McMenemy, James SCO Celtic McNair, Alexander SCO Celtic Morton, Alan SCO Queen's Park Ohaco, Alberto ARG Racing Club Orth, György HUN MTK Budapest Pilat, Vaclav BOH Sparta Praha Romano, Ángel URU Nacional Scarone, Héctor URU Nacional Schaffer, Alfréd HUN MTK Budapest Schlosser, Imre HUN MTK Budapest Zsák, Károly HUN 33 FC By country: Scotland (6), England (4), Ireland (1), Hungary (5), Austria (1), Bohemia (1), Uruguay (3), Argentina (1), Brazil (1) Top 3: Here we have candidates from Scotland (Gallacher and McNair, perhaps Bowie) and Hungary (Schaffer). Is there anybody from wartime England to match their achievements, or merit inclusion at least in the Top 23? I do not know who exactly left-winger Morgan is from the English team who played well at the unofficial international. I think Schaffer deseres the top spot. He was top goalscorer in the Hungarian league and in the national team. His team MTK was the best in Central Europe. Gallacher and McNair could follow, in this order.
Top 3 looks fine. There are no other English contenders. Billy Morgan played on the left wing for Birmingham.
Final results for this season. 23 Man Shortlist Bauer, Eduard AUT Rapid Vienna Bowie, James SCO Rangers Boyle, Thomas ENG Burnley Cairns, Thomas SCO Rangers Dixon, Arthur ENG Rangers English, John ENG Sheffield United Friedenreich, Arthur BRA Paulistano Gallacher, Patrick IRL Celtic Gordon, James SCO Rangers Gough, Harold ENG Sheffield United / Leeds City Gradín, Isabelino URU Penarol Konrád, Kálmán HUN MTK Budapest McMenemy, James SCO Celtic McNair, Alexander SCO Celtic Morton, Alan SCO Queen's Park Ohaco, Alberto ARG Racing Club Orth, György HUN MTK Budapest Pilat, Vaclav BOH Sparta Praha Romano, Ángel URU Nacional Scarone, Héctor URU Nacional Schaffer, Alfréd HUN MTK Budapest Schlosser, Imre HUN MTK Budapest Zsák, Károly HUN 33 FC Top 3: 1. Schaffer, Alfréd HUN MTK Budapest 2. Gallacher, Patrick IRL Celtic 3. McNair, Alexander SCO Celtic Best XI (2-3-5): Gough - McNair, English - Bowie, Boyle, Orth - Gallacher, Ohaco, Schaffer, McMenemy, Morton.