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148 vs. Wales
149
150 vs. Belgium

Saturday, 17 April 1926
Home International Championship 1925-26 (38th) Match

England 0 Scotland 1 [0-1]
 

Match Summary
England Party

Scotland Party

Old Trafford, Warwick Road North, Stretford, Manchester, Lancashire
Attendance: 49,429
; Receipts: £8,000; Kick-off: 3.00pm GMT

Scotland - Alex Jackson (half-kicked in off the post from a Cunningham cross 37)
Results 1919-30

Scotland won the toss, England kicked-off.

 

Match Summary

Officials

England

Type

Scotland

Referee - Thomas R. Dougray
Bellshill, Scotland

Linesmen - Charles Wreford-Brown, 59 (9 October 1866) and not known.
 

  Goal Attempts  
  Attempts on Target  
  Hit Bar/Post  
  Corner Kicks Won  
  Offside Calls Against  
  Fouls Conceded  
  Possession  

England Team

 

Rank:

No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 13th to 14th
Colours: The 1923 uniform - White collared jerseys and dark club shorts
Capt: Billy Walker, second captaincy Selectors:
In charge: Arthur G. Kingscott
The fourteen-man FA International Selection Committee, following the inter-league match, on Monday, 12 April 1926.
116th match, W 75 - D 23 - L 18 - F 347 - A 115.
England Lineup
  Taylor, Edward 39 7 March 1887 G Huddersfield Town FC 8 10 GA
  Goodall, F. Roy 23 31 December 1902 RB Huddersfield Town FC 1 0
  Mort, Thomas 28 1 December 1897 LB Aston Villa FC 3 0
  Edwards, Willis 22 28 April 1903 RH Leeds United AFC 2 0
  Hill, John H. 29 2 March 1897 CH Burnley FC 2 0
  Green, George H. 24 2 May 1901 LH Sheffield United FC 3 0
  York, Richard E. 26 25 April 1899 OR Aston Villa FC 2 0
  Puddefoot, Sydney C. 31 17 October 1894 IR Blackburn Rovers FC 2 0
  Harper, Edward C. 24 22 August 1901 CF Blackburn Rovers FC 1 0
  Walker, William H. 27 29 October 1897 IL Aston Villa FC 15 8
  Ruffell, James W. 25 11 August 1900 OL West Ham United FC 1 0

reserves:

Jack Butler (The Arsenal FC) and Jack Elkes (Tottenham Hotspur FC)
 
2-3-5 Taylor -
Goodall, Mort -
Edwards, Hill, Green -
York, Puddefoot, Harper, Walker, Ruffell.

Averages:

Age 27.1 Appearances/Goals 3.6 0.7

England teams v. Scotland:

1925:

Pym Ashurst Wadsworth Magee Townrow Graham Kelly Seed Roberts Walker Tunstall

1926:

Taylor Goodall Mort Edwards Hill Green York Puddefoot Harper Walker Ruffell

 

Scotland Team

 

Rank:

No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 4th to 2nd
Colours: Dark blue shirts with white collars, white shorts
Capt: Billy McStay Selectors:
Trainer: A Reid (St Mirren FC)
The Scottish Football Association Selection Committee, of seven members, chosen, following the inter-league match, on Monday, 12 April 1926.
Scotland Lineup
  Harper, William 29 19 January 1897 G Arsenal FC, England 11 6 GA
  Hutton, John 27 29 October 1898 RB Aberdeen FC 7 0
  McStay, William 31 21 April 1894 LB The Celtic FC 8 0
  Gibson, James D. 24 12 June 1901 RH Partick Thistle FC 1 0
  Summers, William 32 14 July 1893 CH St. Mirren FC 1 0
  McMullan, James 31 26 March 1895 LH Manchester City FC, England 9 0
Jackson, Alexander S. 20 12 May 1905 OR Huddersfield Town FC, England 6 1
  Thomson, Alexander 24 14 June 1901 IR The Celtic FC 1 0
  Gallacher, Hugh K. 23 2 February 1903 CF Newcastle United FC, England 7 8
  Cunningham, Andrew 35 30 January 1891 IL Rangers FC 10 5
  Troup, Alexander 30 4 May 1895 OL Everton FC, England 5 0

reserves:

Robert Gillespie (Queen's Park FC) and Tommy McDonald (Newcastle United FC)

team notes:

Jimmy Gibson is the son of Neilly Gibson, who played for Scotland against England between 1895 and 1900.
 
2-3-5 Harper -
Hutton, McStay -
Gibson, Summers, McMullan -
Jackson, Thomson, Gallacher, Cunningham, Troup.

Averages:

Age 27.8 Appearances/Goals 6.0 1.2

 

    Match Report

DISAPPOINTMENTS AT MANCHESTER

Scotland again won the International Championship, unbeaten, when they beat England at Manchester on Saturday by one goal to none. England, on the other hand, suffered the additional aggravation of having to accept the " wooden spoon," the result of two defeats, one drawn match, and not a single victory.

In searching for reasons for the rather humiliating position occupied by England, in spite of all her apparent wealth of first-class League clubs, one noted two outstanding facts. One of these was painfully apparent at Glasgow last year, when the slightly slower but vastly more efficient conception of the dribbling game held by Scotsmen enabled their national side not only to score two goals to none, but to outplay their opponents in the process. On Saturday much the same thing happened, although the victory, as shown in goals, was the smallest possible. One might add, perhaps, that Scottish Association football also has its faults ; and over-elaboration and mere trickiness at times are two of them. Hence, to some extent, the lowness of the scoring, though one also must not forget the craft and skill--not always according to the rules--of the modern defence.

The second fact noted was the difference in the mental attitude of the general public, and, one is inclined to think, of the players as well. In Scotland, a crowd of 100,000 at the great match of the year is commonplace. And if one of the English strongholds, like Lancashire, has to be invaded, there are thousands ready to carry the necessary Scottish atmosphere, garments, and sounds into the enemy's camp. A stranger in Manchester on Saturday night might well have fancied himself in Glasgow. The long trek out to Old Trafford was covered by numerous small bands of be-tartaned individuals, complete with bagpipes and boundless optimism, in spite of the repeated drenching showers of rain and muddy roads. It was much the same in the hundreds of tramcar specials. Inside the ground of the Manchester United Club there was the same impression of Scottish enthusiasm and comparative indifference on the part of the English spectators. These, admittedly, were in a considerable majority ; but, allowing for the bad weather and the increased price of admission, it was significant that a ground that has held over 70,000 people at a Cup-tie had room for another 20,000 at least on Saturday. Nor must one forget the neutralizing of the home brass band by a smaller but much more shrill and insistent Scottish pipe band. In the battle of discords, the pipe band won every time. This was a detail, no doubt, but the obvious indifference on the part of the general public could hardly have failed to have its effect upon the players, and the writer, at any rate, does not hesitate to attribute some of the feebleness of the English attacks in the second half to the individual feeling that, after all, a national defeat would not matter so much as, say, the respective joys and horrors of promotion or relegation--blessed words both...

It was in the perfect positioning and backing up of their players that Scotland achieved victory. The winning goal came about in this way, after about half an hour's play. Gallacher this time slipped away towards the right, and a brilliantly clever piece of inter-passing with Jackson ended in Gallacher obtaining the ball for a second time, and in sending the ball across the goal-mouth to Jackson. The latter's shot was at close range, but the ball hit a goal-post before rebounding into the net. - The Times - Monday 19th April, 1926

    Football League

Football League Division One
17 April 1926
Team P Pts
Huddersfield Town 41 57
Arsenal 39 49
Sunderland 40 46
Aston Villa 40 43
Bury 40 43
Liverpool 40 42
Bolton Wanderers 39 42
Sheffield United 39 41
Newcastle United 40 40
Blackburn Rovers 41 39
Tottenham Hotspur 40 39
West Bromwich Albion 40 38
Everton 40 38
Leicester City 41 38
Manchester United 37 38
Cardiff City 39 38
West Ham United 40 37
Birmingham 39 36
Leeds United 40 34
Manchester City 40 33
Burnley 39 32
Notts County 40 31

 

Division One matches played on 17 April 1926:

ARSENAL 3-1 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN
Hulme, Lawson, Parker pen. (Devlin)

34,110 (Highbury, London)

Arsenal were without Butler, who was a reserve against Scotland at Manchester, and Harper, who was keeping a clean sheet in goal for Scotland, whilst Huddersfield were without Goodall, who was making his international debut, and Taylor, who were playing against Scotland, and Jackson, who scored the only goal of the game, for Scotland. 

ASTON VILLA 3-0 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Capewell 2, Stephenson
11,774
(Villa Park, Birmingham)

Villa were without Mort, Walker (who was captain) and York, who were playing against Scotland at Manchester, whilst Tottenham were without Jack Elkes, who was a reserve against Scotland.

BOLTON WANDERERS 2-1 SHEFFIELD UNITED
Butler, J.Smith pen. (Tunstall)

13,133 (Burnden Park, Bolton)

United were without George Green, who was playing against Scotland at Manchester.

BURNLEY 2-2 BURY
Parkin, Page (Bullock 2)

15,787 (
Turf Moor, Burnley)

Burnley were without Jack Hill, who was playing against Scotland at Manchester.

LEEDS UNITED 0-0 BIRMINGHAM
12,186
(Elland Road, Leeds)

Leeds were without Willis Edwards, who was playing against Scotland at Manchester.

LEICESTER CITY 2-3 MANCHESTER CITY
Hine, Chandler (Browell, Roberts 2)
17,702 (
Filbert Street, Leicester)

Manchester City were without Jimmy McMullan, who was playing for Scotland against England at Manchester.

LIVERPOOL 2-2 BLACKBURN ROVERS
Chambers, Forshaw (Holland 2)

14,699 (Anfield, Liverpool)

Blackburn were without Harper, making his only international appearance, and Puddefoot, who were playing against Scotland at Manchester.

NEWCASTLE UNITED 3-0 WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Loughlin, Urwin, Hudspeth pen.
13,084 (St James' Park, Newcastle)

Newcastle were without Gallacher, who was playing for Scotland against England at Manchester, and McDonald, who was a reserve for Scotland.

NOTTS COUNTY 2-4 CARDIFF CITY
Staniforth, Davis (Ferguson 3, Keenor)

8,712 (Meadow Lane, Nottingham)

WEST HAM UNITED 1-0 EVERTON
Campbell

15,866 (Upton Park, London)

West Ham were without Jimmy Ruffell, who was making his international debut, against Scotland at Manchester, whilst Everton were without Alex Troup, who was playing for Scotland.

Five days earlier, Huddersfield had become the first club to win three successive league championships, the first two of which were won with Herbert Chapman as manager, but their defeat at Arsenal, Chapman's new club, was a glimpse of the future, as their former boss would set the Gunners on their way to dominating the next decade, surpassing even Huddersfield's achievements.

Football League Division Two
17 April 1926
Team P Pts
The Wednesday 40 56
Derby County 39 55
Chelsea 39 50
Swansea Town 39 47
Port Vale 40 44
Blackpool 40 44
Wolverhampton Wanderers 39 43
Oldham Athletic 39 42
Middlesbrough 40 42
South Shields 40 42
Portsmouth 40 42
Preston North End 40 40
Hull City 38 37
Southampton 40 37
Darlington 40 37
Bradford City 39 35
Nottingham Forest 39 34
Barnsley 38 33
Fulham 39 29
Clapton Orient 39 28
Stoke City 39 27
Stockport County 40 22

 

Division Two matches played on 17 April 1926:

DARLINGTON 3-2 STOCKPORT COUNTY
Dickson, Little, W.Hooper (Scurr, Jones)
5,464
(Feethams, Darlington)

FULHAM 1-1 BLACKPOOL
Craig (Butler)

14,682
(Craven Cottage, London)

MIDDLESBROUGH 1-2 DERBY COUNTY
McClelland pen. (Bedford, Thornewell)
9,462
(Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough)

OLDHAM ATHLETIC 2-1 HULL CITY
Kirkpatrick, Watson (Whitworth)
5,626
(Boundary Park, Oldham)

PORTSMOUTH 3-1 BRADFORD CITY
Mackie, Haines, Martin (Gallacher pen.)

11,743
(Fratton Park, Portsmouth)

PRESTON NORTH END 2-0 NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Aitken 2
8,450
(Deepdale, Preston)

STOKE CITY 1-3 CHELSEA
Wilson (Turnbull 2, McNeil)
1
0,268 (Victoria Ground, Stoke)

SWANSEA TOWN 3-0 BARNSLEY
Nicholas, Thompson, Deacon
10,343 (Vetch Field, Swansea)

THE WEDNESDAY 3-0 CLAPTON ORIENT
Wilkinson, Williams, Trotter
21,277 (Hillsborough, Sheffield)

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 3-1 PORT VALE
Mitton, Phillipson 2 (Briscoe)

10,549 (Molineux, Wolverhampton)

 

Whilst Derby and The Wednesday were just seven days away from securing their respective returns to the first division, Stockport's four-year stay in the second division was brought to an end with their defeat at Darlington.

Division Three on 17 April 1926:

Bradford led the northern section by a point from Grimsby Town, who had played a game fewer and were to pip them to the title and promotion, after winning twenty of their 21 home games. Reading led the southern section by two points from Plymouth Argyle, who had played a game fewer, but it was to be a fifth successive runners-up placing for the Pilgrims, with Reading promoted as champions for the first time, following five seasons in the bottom half of the table.

IN OTHER NEWS...

It was on 17 April 1926 that twenty-thousand women marched through London in protest against industrial strike actions and lockouts that were doomed to failure. The Trades Union Congress would organise a General Strike in support of the intended reduction of miners' wages and increased hours, in the following month. It would last for nine days, but it was, ultimately, unsuccessful.

Source Notes

Scottish Football Association
Scotland - The Complete International Record: Richard Keir
London Hearts
original newspaper reports
FA Yearbooks 1950-60
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CG