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Results 1872-1890
Page Last Updated 11 May 2024 Cymru
 
FIRST MEETING vs. WALES
Wales are the second different opposition
 

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7 vs. Scotland
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11 vs. Wales
Saturday, 18 January 1879
Association Friendly Match
 
England 2 Wales 1 [2-0]
*played for only 60 minutes, 30 minutes per half. Due to snow.
 
 
The Surrey County Cricket Ground, The Oval, Kennington, London, Surrey, SE
Kick-off (London Time): 'kicked off at 3.13; 'at 3:15 he set the ball in motion'
Attendance: 'only about 100 visitors putting in an appearance'; 'some 200 spectators were hardy enough.'




Players lost since last match
Cuthbert Ottaway (2 April 1878) 28
England's fourth visit to The Oval, to London, and to Surrey, second victory
Arthur Cursham kicked-off Llewelyn Kenrick won the toss
[1-0] Herbert Whitfeld 8
 'Bailey placing the leather neatly across to Whitfeld'.

[2-0] Heathcote Sorby 20
 'Whitfeld managed to pass the ball across to Sorby, who, by a short-kick, scored'
 
Wales' first ever international goal



[2-1] W.H. Davies 45
'kicked it after a long run' after Roberts centred from the left
[2-1] Davies hit right post in last quarter of an hour
[2-1] goal disallowed: freekick taken from wrong place

"The ground was covered in two three inches of snow, while a sleet fell during the greater part of the game."

Played according to FA rules
"It was decided to play though only for an hour, instead of the usual period of an hour and a half".
Match Summary
Officials [umpires and referees are of equal relevance] England Party Team Records Wales
Umpires Some sources/tales suggest that William Clegg turned up 20 minutes late for the game.  Clegg, a solicitor, was working late on a case (the trial of Charlie Peace, the Banner Cross murderer) and unable to leave Sheffield for London on the Friday night. The next morning, the southbound train with Clegg on it, was delayed by heavy snow. But reports suggest, as in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 20 January 1879, that is was only the goalkeeper, Blackmore, that did not turn up. His place went to Anderson. The reasonable conclusion is that it was the match that started late, not Clegg.
Charles William Alcock
36 (2 December 1842)
Sunderland
(FA secretary)
C.M. Lloyd
Ruabon
(Hon. secretary Welsh FA)
played for England in 1875
Referee
Segar Richard Bastard
24 (25 January 1854), Bow, London
will play for England next season
 
 
England Team
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 2nd
Colours Probably White shirts, white shorts and dark blue caps.

Captain
Arthur Cursham Selection The Football Association Committee with Secretary Charles W. Alcock having the primary influence
first to capt in consecutive matches
P 2 of 2, W 1 - D 0 - L 1 - F 4 - A 8 P 8 of 31, W 2 - D 2 - L 4 - F 12 - A 20.
¹ team chosen on Friday evening, 3 January 1879
Newspaper reports of the time conflict on who was the actual captain against Wales. Three reports, The Field, The Sportsman and Football Annual give the captaincy to Arthur Cursham, whilst The London Times, Athletic News and Bell's Life, as well as the local independents, gives it to Henry Wace. The fact that Charles Alcock's own Football Annual lists Cursham makes us favour the Notts County forward. In fact, Cursham's obituary in 1884 stated that he was Captain on 'several occasions'.
England Lineup
(a new record low seven changes to the previous match)
nine   Anderson, Rupert D. 19
264 days
29 April 1859 G Old Etonians AFC 1 1ᵍᵃ
57 only app 1879
  Bury, Lindsay 21
193 days
9 July 1857 Full
Backs
Cambridge University AFC & Old Etonians AFC 2 0
final app 1877-79
58   Wilson, Claud W. 20
251 days
12 May 1858 Oxford University AFC & Old Brightonians AFC 1 0
Bailey, Norman C. 21
179 days
23 July 1857 Half
Backs
Old Westminsters AFC & Clapham Rovers FC 2 0
  Clegg, William E. 26
272 days
21 April 1852 Sheffield Albion FC 2 0
final app 1873-79
59   Parry, Edward H. 23
269 days
24 April 1855
in Toronto, Canada
Right
Forward
Old Carthusians AFC, Swifts FC & Remnants FC 1 0
60 Sorby, T. Heathcote 22
336 days
16 February 1856 Thursday Wanderers FC 1 1
only app 1879
7 Cursham, Arthur W. 25
310 days
14 March 1853 Centre
Forward
Notts County FC 4 1
  Wace, Henry 25
119 days
21 September 1853 Wanderers FC & Clapham Rovers FC 2 0
61 Whitfeld, Herbert 20
54 days
25 November 1858 Left Forward Old Etonians AFC 1 1
 tenth different England goalscorer only app 1879
  Mosforth, William 21
16 days
2 January 1858 Sheffield Albion FC 3 0
reserves: not known
team changes: The original line-up included goalkeeper, Remnant FC's Reverend William Blackmore. His place went to Anderson, a club forward.
team notes: William Clegg is the younger brother of Charlie, a member of the first international match in 1872 (the first set of brothers to play for England, but never together).
William Clegg is the only England player to appear in their first two victorious matches.
As Wanderers FC often used the Surrey Cricket Ground to play their home matches, then Wace was playing on one of his home grounds.
records: This victory ends a disastrous run of five matches without a victory, including three losses in a row.
 
2-2-6  Anderson -
Bury, Wilson -
Bailey, Clegg -
Parry, Sorby, Cursham, Wace, Whitfield, Mosforth.
Averages: Age 22 years 239 days Appearances/Goals 1.8  0.2
youngest starting XI until next match =most experienced team until 1880
ENGLAND V. WALES
"This international match takes place at Kennington Oval on January 18th next. Gentlemen desirous of representing Wales in this match are requested to communicate with Mr. C.H. Lloyd, the Association Secretary, Ruabon, North Wales, not later than January 4th next." - Saturday, 14 December 1878, The Wrexham Advertiser/Western Mail
Wales Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 3rd
Colours Not known - but possibly white and green halved shirts, and black shorts.
White shirts with blue shorts is also a possibility.
Captain Llewelyn Kenrick Selection The Welsh Selection Committee following a newspaper appeal, chaired by the Oswestry FC chairman
team chosen in an Oswestry Hotel, on Monday, 13 January 1879
Only one source suggests Llewelyn Kenrick, the rest remain silent. He is the founder of the Football of Wales, and the captain in his first two international appearances.
Wales Lineup
25   Glascodine, George William 22
164 days
7 August 1856
in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight
G Oswestry FC 1 2ᵍᵃ
only app 1879
2 Kenrick, Samuel Llewelyn 31
223 days
9 June 1847 Backs Oswestry FC 3 0
will be an umpire in 1880, 1882-84 oldest opposition player so far
3 Higham, George Garnet 23 summer 1855
in Oswestry, England
Oswestry FC 2 0
final app 1878-79
  Williams, William 22
363 days
20 January 1856 Half-backs Druids FC 3 0
26   Owen, Thomas nk nk Oswestry FC 1 0
only app 1879
Davies, William Henry 23 1855 Right
Forward
Oswestry FC 3 1
27   Shone, Watkin William 20
314 days
10 March 1858
in Ashted, England
Oswestry FC 1 0
only app 1879
28   Heywood, Dennis, injured off at some point 24 early 1854 (before 2 Apr)
In Prestwich, England
Centre Forward Druids FC & Oswestry FC 1 0
only app 1879
9 Price, John 24 1854 Wrexham AFC 3 0
29   Owen, William Digby 21 summer 1857
in Oswestry, England
Left Forward Oswestry FC 1 0
only app 1879
30   Roberts, William 19 1859 Llangollen FC 1 0
reserves: not known
team changes: Left-forward Digby Owen was a replacement for John Vaughan.
team notes: The four players making their third Welsh appearance are all Wale's most appearanced players at this time.
Tom Owen is not the sixteen year old son of Wilfred Owen, the poet.
  
2-2-6 Glascodine -
Kenrick, Higham -

Williams, T.Owen -
Davies, Shone, Heywood, Price, D.Owen, Roberts
Averages: Age 23 years 132-269 days10 Appearances/Goals 1.8 0.1
 
       Match Report Sheffield Daily Telegraph, Monday, 20 January 1879

The first international match according to association rules was played at Kennington Oval on Saturday last under the most unfavourable auspices. Snow had commenced to fall early in the morning, and as it continued without intermission until the time fixed upon for play the ground was covered with a thick coating of snow, which ought to have been sufficient to put a stop to the game. As with the exception, however, of the English goal-keeper both teams turned up it was decided to play, though only for an hour, instead of the usual period of an hour and a half. Cursham, of Nottingham, the English captain, lost the toss, and at 3.15 he set the ball in motion from the western goal. It soon became evident that there was very little opportunity for the display of any great skill as the ball not only stopped almost dead in the snow, but gradually lost its original shape and became almost too heavy for the backs to lift, requiring a cleansing process every time that it went behind either goal line. Hence the game lost much of its interest though it proved to be fairly well contested on the whole. Wales were the first to make an advance, Davies being particularly active along the right side. After the first few minutes the English forwards settled down to their work, and their attacks were frequent. The Welsh goalkeeper once saved his charge well, and a corner kick for England soon after failed to be utilised to the disadvantage of Wales. Several times the Welsh forwards broke away, but Bury's kicking generally brought the ball back into their quarters, and at length Bailey placing the leather neatly across to Whitfeld, the latter made the first goal for England in about ten minutes from the start. The kick-off was followed by some animated play on both sides, and Dacres and Roberts several times got the ball over the English goal line. Kenrick played very resolutely back for Wales, and the defence was good, but again, the English forwards overpowered all opposition, and the ball being sent right across the Welsh posts, Sorby had little difficulty in securing goal the second for England. Soon after this ends were changed, and the game was resumed with even greater vigour. The play of the English forwards was very loose, and the Welshmen had several opportunities which they allowed to escape.  Wace in the centre was very vigorous for England, but the Welshmen were certainly better together, and great cheering greeted a goal by Davies after a long run. During the last quarter of an hour the Englishmen made several desperate attacks, and once they had a narrow escape, a clever shot by Davies hitting their right goal post. Still no further score was made, and at the end of an hour the victory remained with England by two goals to one.
    

       Match Report The Times, Monday, 20 January 1879

In spite of the fact that a thick layer of snow covered Kennington-oval on Saturday, the match between England and Wales, announced for that day, was played.
With one exception the whole of those selected to take part in the game were at their posts. Kenrick won the toss and chose to defend the eastern goal, having a little advantage from the wind. Play began at a quarter past 3 o'clock, when Wace kicked off in the presence of about 100 spectators...
Wace, Cursham, Bailey, and Whitfeld were most pertinacious in their onslaughts, however, and at length the last named, to whom the ball had been well centred by Bailey, kicked the first goal for England...
Whitfeld then effected a run along the left side of the ground, and passed the ball across to Sorby, who kicked a second goal for England, within 20 minutes of the commencement...
Shortly after this, a combined rush on the part of Davies, Price, and Roberts took the ball along the left side of the ground. The last-named then centred it cleverly to Davies, who shot it between the posts and scored the first goal for Wales.

  
       In Other News....
It was on 17 January 1879 that Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, the Conservative Secretary of State for the Colonies, skilfully deflected recent criticism from the Liberal opposition in a speech at Stroud, though the Liberals were to return to power, the following year.
  
       Source Notes

The Football Association Yearbook
original newspaper report & The Morning Post/Independent, 20 January 1879
Douglas Lamming's A Century of English International Football 1872-1988
Welsh Football Data Archive
Cris Freddi's England Football Factbook
Ian Garland & Gareth M. Davies' Sons of Cambria
 

Nick Gibbs' England: The Football Facts
Wrexham.Gov.uk: The story of Welsh football

Jack Rollin's Rothmans Book of Football Records

James Corbett's England Expects
The Official History of the England Football Team (DVD)
FreeBMD
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