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Results 1872-1890
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22 vs. Wales


Saturday, 3 February 1883
Association Friendly Match


England 5 Wales 0 [2-0]
 
 

The Surrey County Cricket Ground, The Oval, Kennington, London, Surrey, SE
Kick-off (GMT): "at five minutes past three"; 'at six minutes past three'.

Attendance: 'over 2,000'; 'some 2,000 or 3,000 people visiting the ground';
Receipts: "something over £50."






Players lost since last match
George Tait (20 November 1882) 23
England's seventh visit to The Oval, to London, and to Surrey, fourth victory
Norman Bailey kicked-off John Powell won the toss
[0-0] Clem Mitchell hits the crossbar
[1-0]
Clem Mitchell 17
 'from a clever middle by H.A.Cursham'
[2-0] Charlie Bambridge 42/43
 'got the ball past' from a Mitchell pass
[1-0] WH Roberts hits the crossbar


[2-0] Clem Mitchell scores:- disallowed offside
[3-0] Arthur Cursham 65

 'secured, middled by Mitchell'
[3-0] Arthur Bambridge scores:- disallowed
[3-0] Charlie Bambridge scores:- disallowed

[4-0] Clem Mitchell 70
[5-0] Clem Mitchell 86 HAT-TRICK
 'before time was called'
 
"The ground was in fair condition, but still rather heavy from the recent rains" Played according to FA rules.
 
Match Summary
Officials [umpires and referees are of equal relevance] England Team Records Wales

Umpires

 
Charles Henry Reynolds Wollaston
33 (31 July 1849), Felpham
Samuel Llewelyn Kenrick
35 (9 June 1847)
Druids FC
played for England 1874-80 played against England in 1879 & 1881
Referee
Captain Donald Hamilton
34 (6 April 1845), Kilmory, Bute
SFA vice-President
  
England Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 2nd
Colours "The representatives of England wore white jerseys..."

Captain
Norman Bailey Selection Following a trial match, The Football Association Committee with Secretary Charles W. Alcock having the primary influence.
most captaincies so far
first victory as captain
P 4 of 15, W 1 - D 0 - L 3 - F 10 - A 16. P 17 of 31, W 6 - D 2 - L 9 - F 47 - A 48.
  team chosen at 23 Paternaster Row on Tuesday evening, 23 January 1883
England Lineup
(seven changes to the previous match)
  Swepstone, H. Albemarle 24
20 days
14 January 1859 G Pilgrims FC & Corinthians FC 4 15ᵍᵃ
most gk apps
99   de Paravicini, Percy J. 20
203 days
15 July 1862 RB Cambridge University AFC & Old Etonians AFC 1 0
100   Russell, Bruce B. 23
162 days
25 August 1859 LB Royal Engineers FC 1 0
the last Royal Engineer to play for England only app 1883
  Bailey, Norman C. 25
195 days
23 July 1857 Half
Back
Clapham Rovers FC 8 0
101   MacRae, Stuart 27
58 days
7 December 1855
in Bengal, India
Notts County FC & Corinthians FC 1 0
the sixth County player to represent England
Cursham, Arthur W. 29
326 days
14 March 1853 OR Notts County FC 5 2
  Bambridge, Arthur L. 21
20 days
16 June 1861 IR Swifts FC & Corinthians FC 2 0
Mitchell, Clement 20
348 days
20 February 1862 Centre
Forward
Upton Park FC & Corinthians FC 3 3
eighth brace scored by England - the third hat-trick youngest so far
102   Goodhart, Harry Chester 24
201 days
17 July 1858 Old Etonians AFC & Corinthians FC 1 0
  Cursham, Henry A. 23
68 days
27 November 1859 IL Notts County FC & Corinthians FC 5 2
Bambridge, E. Charles 24
188 days
30 July 1858 OL Swifts FC 7 7
most gls
reserves: not known
team changes: William Vidal (Royal Engineers FC) withdrew from the England line-up. He was replaced by MacRae.
One other source states that Oliver Whateley (Aston Villa FC) was replaced by Arthur Bambridge. But it was Bambridge, not Whateley, that was in the line-up named by the Selection Committee.
team notes: This is the first time that two sets of brothers play together in the same team, the Bambridge's and the Cursham's, both are the fourth set of brothers to play in the same team for England.
The Bambridge's brother, Ernest, played for England in 1876. William Vidal's brother Robert, also played for England (1873).
appearance notes: Norman Bailey is the second England player to make eight appearances (making him the most experienced player to captain the side so far), whereas Charlie Bambridge is the fourth to have made seven appearances. The Cursham brothers are the six/seventh players to have made five appearances.
records: By completing this match without conceding a goal, Albemarle Swepstone took the clean sheet record to 91 minutes.
On his eighth appearance, Norman Bailey continues his record of being the most experienced England player to have not scored a goal.
Charlie Bambridge is the first England player to score four goals at The Surrey Cricket Ground.
 
2-2-6 Swepstone -
de Paravicini, Russell -
Bailey, MacRae -
A.Cursham, A.Bambridge, Mitchell, Goodhart, H.Cursham, C.Bambridge.
Averages: Age 24 years 49 days Appearances/Goals 3.5 0.8
 
Wales Team
 
Rank No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 3rd
Colours "...while the men of Wales wore as their colors white and crimson";
"Colours: Crimson and white."
Captain Jack Powell Selection Following a trial match, the Wales Selection Committee
P 1 of 6, W 0 - D 0 - L 1 - F 0 - A 5. team chosen in Ruabon on Tuesday evening, 30 January 1883
Wales Lineup
  Adams, Henry 27/28 1855 G Druids FC 3 9ᵍᵃ
  Morgan, John Richard 28
125 days
1 October 1854 Back unaffiliated 10 2
final app 1877-83
  Powell, John 22
316 days
24 March 1860 Druids FC 7 0
  Hughes, Frederick William 22
98 days
28 October 1860
in Northwich, England
Half
Back
Northwich Victoria FC, England 3 0
51   Burke, Thomas 18/19 early 1864 Wrexham AFC 1 0
  Owen, William Pierce 22
75 days
20 November 1860 OR Ruthin FC 8 4
  Roberts, Walter Hugh 24
229 days
19 June 1858 IR Ruthin FC 3 0
52 Davies, John Price 25 summer 1857 Centre
Forward
Druids FC 1 0
53   Roberts, William 19
343 days
15 February 1863 Rhyl FC 1 0
only app 1883
  Vaughan, John 27/28 1855 IL Druids FC 8 2
  Roberts, John 25/26 1857 OL Berwyn Rangers FC 7 1
final app 1879-83
reserves: not known
team changes: The original team had Druids' R. Bowen at half-back, his place going to Burke. Centre-forward William Roberts replaced England's Tommy Britten (who was an England reserve in 1879).
team notes: The FA Committee, led by Charles Alcock, objected to the inclusion of F.W. Hughes, who up until now, was believed to be Welsh-born, but this has proven inaccurate.  The Welsh though, did not supply a substitute and Hughes was allowed to play. - The Liverpool Mercury, Monday, 14 March 1884.
 
2-2-6 Adams -
Morgan, Powell -
Hughes, Burke -
Owen,
W.H.Roberts, W.Roberts, Davies, J.Vaughan, J.Roberts.
Averages: Age 23 years 357 days-
24 years 115 days
Appearances/Goals 4.8 0.8
"In the evening the rival elevens dined together at the Surrey Club House" - Sporting Life, Monday, 5 February 1883.
 

       Match Report Sporting Life, Monday, 5 February 1883

The fifth international match between representatives teams of the English and Welsh Association took place on the ground of the Surrey County Cricket Club at Kennington Oval, on Saturday last, in the presence of about 2,000 spectators. The Welsh team were in crimson and white, whilst the English were in white. The ground was in fair condition, but still rather heavy from the recent rains. Powell, winning the toss, elected to commence from the Crown Baths or western goal, and at five minutes past three Bailey kicked off for England from the Clayton-street side of the ground, but principally through the actions of Owen, Roberts, and Davies, the ball was speedily returned to the home territory, when it went behind. Swepstone kicking off, the English eleven at once followed up the attack vigorously, and within a few minutes the Welsh goal was in jeopardy, a good shot by E. C. Bambridge nearly sending the ball through the posts. The visitors' backs, however, performed most energetically, and by a determined effort the danger was not only averted, but an incursion made into the home territory. Here Bailey, de Paravicini, Russell, and H. Cursham were found extremely difficult to pass, and after some fast and clever dribbling from both sides, the game was again in the favour of England, when after a series of smart passing between Goodhart, E. C. Bambridge, H. Cursham, and Mitchell, the last-named found little difficulty in sending the ball under the crossbar, thus scoring the first goal for England after about a quarter of an hour's play. For some time afterwards the play was very even; Bailey, E. C. Bambridge, A. Cursham, Goodhart, and Mitchell being most indefatigable in their efforts for the home eleven, whilst Hughes, Owen, Roberts, Powell, and Davies were equally as energetic for the visitors, but although each goal was in turn threatened, nothing further of a decisive character was scored until the first portion of the game was drawing to a close, when a combined rush, followed by a good run by E. C. Bambridge, enabled that player to score the second goal for England. After changing ends the Englishmen soon began to show the better advantage, and not many minutes elapsed before E. C. Bambridge, again gaining possession, passed to A. Cursham, who scored the third goal for England. The Welshmen, however, despite these reverses, continued to make a gallant defence, and frequent incursions were made into the home territory, but here the aggressors invariably found the English backs on alert; Bailey and M'Rae being particularly busy, and as Russell and de Paravicini rarely missed an opportunity, the attacks of their opponents were always successfully repelled. Despite the good play of the visitors the latter portion of the play was entirely in favour of the English Eleven, for whom Mitchell was twice in quick succession enabled to score, and thus left the field victor in the 'conqueror' match—each side having previously gained two wins—by five goals to nil.
   

       Match Report The Times, Monday, 5 February 1883

Representatives of the Association game in England and Wales met on Saturday at Kennington-oval to play their annual match. The weather was delightfully fine, and an exceptionally large number of spectators were present. Play began soon after 3 o'clock, when Wales, who had won the toss, took up their station at the western goal, which gave them the advantage of the wind at their backs...
Goodhart now carefully conducted the ball down the centre of the ground and passed it to H. A. Cursham, who in turn kicked it over to E. C. Bambridge, who shot it between the posts...
At length E. C. Bambridge carefully steered the ball along the left side, and, eluding the efforts made to stop him, sent it under the bar, thus gaining the second point for the home team...
After one or two attacks by their forwards, E. C. Bambridge again distinguished himself by an expert run, and, passing the ball to A. W. Cursham, the Nottingham player gained a third goal. It was not long before Mitchell shot the ball between the posts for the English. The Welsh strove hard to stem the tide which had set in against them, but to no purpose, as the ball was again forced back on their lines, and Mitchell secured a further goal...

   

  
              In Other News....
It was on 3 February 1883 in Dublin that the Crown Prosecutor in the trial of the Irish National Invincibles announced that the knives used in the Phoenix Park murders of Lord Cavendish and the Permanent Under-secretary, Thomas Burke, had been found. Five of the group were convicted and hanged after their leader, James Carey testified against them, only to be subsequently murdered himself following his release, when he fled to South Africa.
  
Other Football Results (3 February 1883)
Football Association Challenge Cup Fourth Round:
Church 0 Blackburn Olympic 2
   Spring Hill, Church (5,000)
Wilson, nk
Blackburn Olympic beat their local rivals, Church, 2-0 to reach the F.A. Cup quarter-finals for the first time. .
Great Marlow 0 Hendon 3
   Aldermeadow, Marlow (3,000)
Perry, scrimmage, Clarkson
       
     
  

      Source Notes

TheFA
Cris Freddi: Football Historian
Welsh Football Data Archive
Nick Gibbs' England: The Football Facts
  Wrexham.Gov.uk: The story of Welsh football
FreeBMD.org.uk
Rothmans Yearbooks
Original newspaper reports
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