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151 vs. Ireland
152
153 vs. Scotland

Saturday, 12 February 1927
Home International Championship 1926-27 (39th) Match

Wales 3 England 3 [2-2]
 

The Racecourse, Mold Road, Wrexham, Denbighshire
Attendance: 16,000;
Receipts: £1,790; Kick-off: tbc GMT

England - Bill Dean (dribbled through, clever shot low and hard 10, a powerful low shot 60), Billy Walker (a Dean perfectly-timed pass and a wonderful shot 20)
Wales - Len Davies (headed in a Williams cross after charging the ball out of Brown's hands 13, penalty 36), Wilf Lewis (a shot just inside the post 58)
Match Summary
Wales Party

England Party
Results 1919-30

? won the toss, ? kicked-off.

 

Match Summary

Officials

Wales

Type

England

Referee - Albert E. Fogg
Bolton, England

Linesmen - W. Thomas, Willenhall, and not known

 

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

Wales Team

 

Rank:

No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 24th
Colours: Made by St. Margaret's - Red shirts with white laced-up collars, white shorts, red socks
Capt: Fred Keenor Selectors: Team selection chosen by Committee, on Tuesday, 18 January 1927;
Wales Lineup
  Lewis, Daniel 24 11 December 1902 G The Arsenal FC, England 1 3 GA
  Jones, Thomas 27 6 December 1899 RB Manchester United FC, England 2 0
  John, Robert F. 28 3 February 1899 LB The Arsenal FC, England 5 0
  Keenor, Frederick C. 32 31 July 1894 RH Cardiff City FC 18 2
  Griffiths, Thomas 20 21 February 1906 CH Everton FC, England 1 0
  Evans, David G. 25 28 January 1902 LH Reading FC, England 1 0
  Williams, D. Rees nk *not known OR The Wednesday FC, England 5 0
Lewis, Wilfred L. 23 1 July 1903 IR Swansea Town FC 1 1
Davies, Leonard S. 27 28 April 1899 CF Cardiff City FC 14 5
  Nicholas, David S. 29 12 August 1897 IL Swansea Town FC 2 0
  Thomas, Harry 25 28 February 1901 OL Manchester United FC, England 1 0

reserves:

reserves not known

team notes:

There were multiple changes to the Welsh team from that originally selected. Danny Lewis replaced Manchester City FC's Bert Gray in goal and Manchester United FC's Ray Bennion replaced Corinthians FC's JRB Moulsdale at right-half. There were another four changes on the day before the match, Fred Keenor replaced Bennion at right-half, because he has influenza. David Nicholas has replaced Bolton Wanderers FC's Ted Vizard at outside-left, Nottingham Forest FC's Charlie Jones also has influenza, his inside-left berth going to Harry Thomas and Rees Williams replaced Swansea Town FC's Billy Hole at outside-right.
Before the match, Thomas and Nicholas swapped positions.
Wilf Lewis becomes the first opposing debutant to score for seven years (Scotland April 1920).
 
2-3-5 Lewis -
Jones, John -
Keenor, Griffiths, Evans -
Williams, Lewis, Davies, Thomas, Nicholas.

Averages:

Age 26.0 Appearances/Goals 4.6 0.5

 

England Team

 

Rank:

No official ranking system established;
ELO rating 12th
Colours: The 1923 uniform - White collared jerseys and dark club shorts
Capt: A.G. Bower, third captaincy Selectors: The fourteen-man FA International Selection Committee, following the trial match, on Monday, 7 February 1927.
119th match, W 76 - D 25 - L 18 - F 358 - A 124.
England Lineup
  Brown, John H., injured 27 19 March 1899 G The Wednesday FC 1 3 GA
  Bower, Alfred George 31 10 November 1895 RB Corinthians FC, Casuals FC & Old Carthusians FC 5 0
  Waterfield, George S. 25 2 June 1901 LB Burnley FC 1 0
  Edwards, Willis 23 28 April 1903 RH Leeds United AFC 4 0
  Seddon, James, injured 31 20 May 1895 CH Bolton Wanderers FC 5 0
  Green, George H. 25 2 May 1901 LH Sheffield United FC 6 0
  Pease, Willie 27 30 September 1899 OR Middlesbrough FC 1 0
  Brown, George 23 22 June 1903 IR Huddersfield Town AFC 2 1
Dean, William R. 20 22 January 1907 CF Everton FC 1 2
Walker, William H., injured 29 29 October 1897 IL Aston Villa FC 17 9
  Page, Louis A. 27 27 March 1899 OL Burnley FC 1 0

reserves:

Harry Nuttall (Bolton Wanderers FC) and Arthur Rigby (Blackburn Rovers FC)

team notes:

Jack Brown was strapped up for the second half of this match after getting injured after the penalty kick, he had been heavily charged, as well as getting struck in the face. Jimmy Seddon was taken off the pitch for the attention after he was involved in a fortieth minute altercation with Fred Keenor, he returned for the second half. Billy Walker too, was badly hurt, his nose bleeding badly. It was while he was stretchered off, getting attention, that Wales scored their third goal. Walker struggled for the last half-hour.
 
2-3-5 J.Brown -
Bower, Waterfield -
Edwards, Seddon, Green -
Pease,
G.Brown, Dean, Walker, Page.

Averages:

Age 26.2 Appearances/Goals 4.0 0.8

 

    Match Report

England and Wales had a hard match at Wrexham on Saturday, which resulted in a draw, each side scoring three goals.

In view of the fact that England included six new representatives and that Wales could not complete their eleven until late on Friday night after many disappointments, the play was almost certain to fall short of the standard generally associated with international matches. The run of the game generally bore out this expectation.

Conditions were practically ideal, for the turf of the old racecourse was in splendid order. The game was remarkable for the dash and the untiring energy that the Welshmen put into all their play. Taken as individuals they were, perhaps, slightly inferior to their opponents, but their greater quickness in going for the ball neutralized their individual shortcomings to a great extent...

Almost the first good piece of play by the English forwards produced a goal, Dean moving smartly to gather a pass and, when still in his stride, shooting hard and low into the net well wide of Lewis. A trip just outside the penalty area robbed Page of a chance to increase this lead and in another minute Wales equalized, Davies heading through from a long and wild-looking centre by Williams. This opportunism on the part of the Welsh centre forward was eclipsed by a beautiful goal scored by Walker, the Aston Villa inside left. He received a low pass from Dean and kicked the ball through far beyond the reach of Lewis's left hand...

Then came the penalty goal kicked by Davies, nine minutes before the interval...

...when Walker was off the field, just after the beginning of the second half, Wales put on great pressure which brought a goal well shot by W. Lewis--one of the last men introduced into the side. It was only for a very few minutes that Wales held the lead, Dean again succeeding with a grand low shot...

The game attracted the largest crowd that has ever attended a match at Wrexham, and the 16,000 people present  paid gate money amounting to £1,790. - The Times - Monday 14th February, 1927

    Football League

Football League Division One
12 February 192
7
Team P Pts
Newcastle United 28 37
Huddersfield Town 28 36
Burnley 28 35
Sunderland 29 35
Leicester City 29 33
Liverpool 28 31
West Ham United 27 30
Bolton Wanderers 27 29
Aston Villa 29 29
Manchester United 28 29
Arsenal 28 29
Blackburn Rovers 28 29
Sheffield United 28 28
Tottenham Hotspur 28 27
The Wednesday 28 25
Birmingham 27 25
Bury 27 24
Derby County 27 23
Cardiff City 27 23
Leeds United 27 21
Everton 29 18
West Bromwich Albion 27 16

 

Division One matches played on 12 February 1927:

ARSENAL 1-0 LEEDS UNITED
Buchan

25,961 (Highbury, London)

Arsenal were without John and Lewis (making his international debut), who were playing for Wales against England at Wrexham, whilst Leeds were without Willis Edwards, who was playing against Wales.

BLACKBURN ROVERS 2-1 LEICESTER CITY
Harper 2 (Lochhead pen.)
17,802
(Ewood Park, Blackburn)

Blackburn were without Arthur Rigby, who was a reserve against Wales at Wrexham.

BOLTON WANDERERS 0-2 ASTON VILLA
(York 2)

17,745 (Burnden Park, Bolton)

Bolton were without Nuttall, who was a reserve against Wales at Wrexham, and Seddon, who was playing against Wales, whilst Villa were without Billy Walker, who scored against Wales.

BURY 3-1 BIRMINGHAM
Robbie, Massie 2 (Islip)

11,851 (
Gigg Lane, Bury)

DERBY COUNTY 4-1 BURNLEY
Bedford 3, Gill (Devine)

14,065 (
Baseball Ground, Derby)

Burnley were without Page and Waterfield (making his only international appearance), who were making their international debuts against Wales at Wrexham.

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 4-3 THE WEDNESDAY
Kelly 3, Jackson (Anstiss pen., Wilkinson 2)
22,329 (
Leeds Road, Huddersfield)

Huddersfield were without George Brown, who was playing against Wales at Wrexham, whilst Wednesday were without Brown, who was in goal against Wales, and Williams, who was playing for Wales.

LIVERPOOL 1-0 EVERTON
Chambers

52,840 (Anfield, Liverpool)

Everton were without Dean, who scored twice on his international debut, against Wales at Wrexham, and Griffiths, who was making his international debut for Wales.

MANCHESTER UNITED 1-1 CARDIFF CITY
Hanson (Ferguson)
26,213 (Old Trafford, Manchester)

United were without Jones and Thomas (making his only international appearance), who were playing for Wales against England at Wrexham, as were Cardiff's Davies (who scored twice) and Keenor, who was captain.

SHEFFIELD UNITED 2-1 NEWCASTLE UNITED
Tunstall, Shankly (Seymour)

31,633 (Bramall Lane, Sheffield)

Sheffield United were without George Green, who was playing against Wales at Wrexham.

SUNDERLAND 2-3 WEST HAM UNITED
Halliday 2 (Earle, Watson, Yews)

17,088 (Roker Park, Sunderland)

WEST BROMWICH ALBION 5-0 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Davies 2, Carter 2, Short
15,998 (The Hawthorns, West Bromwich)

Newcastle's second successive defeat, following six successive victories, ominously allowed Huddersfield, chasing a record fourth title in a row, to move to within a point of the leaders.

Football League Division Two
12 February 192
7
Team P Pts
Middlesbrough 27 39
Nottingham Forest 27 37
Manchester City 28 35
Portsmouth 27 35
Preston North End 26 35
Hull City 27 33
Chelsea 26 33
Swansea Town 27 32
Southampton 27 30
Oldham Athletic 28 30
Blackpool 28 27
Port Vale 27 27
Reading 26 25
South Shields 25 23
Barnsley 26 23
Wolverhampton Wanderers 27 21
Notts County 28 21
Fulham 27 21
Darlington 27 18
Grimsby Town 27 17
Clapton Orient 26 17
Bradford City 28 13

 

Division Two matches played on 12 February 1927:

BLACKPOOL 2-0 PORTSMOUTH
Fishwick, Tremelling
8,465
(Bloomfield Road, Blackpool)

BRADFORD CITY 0-1 PRESTON NORTH END
(Roberts)

12,694 (Valley Parade, Bradford)

CLAPTON ORIENT 2-1 NOTTS COUNTY
Corkindale, Dixon (Davis)
10,846
(Millfields Road, London)

FULHAM 1-2 CHELSEA
Pape (Wilson, Turnbull)
31,501 (Craven Cottage, London)

GRIMSBY TOWN 2-5 OLDHAM ATHLETIC
Pugsley pen., Robson
(Wellock 4, Barnes)
11,313
(Blundell Park, Cleethorpes)

MIDDLESBROUGH 2-0 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Camsell pen., Birrell
26,794
(Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough)

Middlesbrough were without Billy Pease, who was making his only international appearance, against Wales at Wrexham.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST 3-1 BARNSLEY
Barratt pen., Stocks, Burton (Brook)
11,298 (City Ground, Nottingham)

PORT VALE 0-0 HULL CITY
10,654 (Old Recreation Ground, Stoke)

READING 4-2 DARLINGTON
McDonald, Johnstone 2, Richardson (Henderson 2)
8,575 (Elm Park, Reading)

Reading were without Dai Evans, who was making his international debut for Wales against England at Wrexham.

SOUTHAMPTON 6-2 SOUTH SHIELDS
Rawlings 2, Taylor, Rowley 2, Henderson (Oxberry, Stevenson)
7,412 (The Dell, Southampton)

SWANSEA TOWN 1-3 MANCHESTER CITY
Thompson (Johnson 2, Hicks)

20,345 (Vetch Field, Swansea)

City goalkeeper, Bert Gray saved a penalty from Swansea's Sammy Langford. Swansea were without Lewis, who scored on his international debut for Wales against England at Wrexham, and Nicholas, who was also playing for Wales.

Although Manchester City had now won five games in a row, neither of the two clubs above them had lost in the league since November.

Division Three on 12 February 1927:

Stoke City led the northern section by four points from Halifax Town, who had played a game less. Bristol City led the southern section by a point from Swindon Town, who had played two games more.

IN OTHER NEWS...

It was on 12 February 1927 that there was mayhem in the English Channel in exceptionally dense fog and ten shipping vessels were involved in collisions, resulting in three sinking. Miraculously, there were no fatalities. Three days later, with the fog still as dense as ever, all shipping in the channel was suspended until it cleared, a day later.

Source Notes

*Some sources state that David Rees Williams was born in Merthyr Tydfil in January 1900. However, there is no registration for that period, there is for March 1899 and then June and September 1901.

Welsh Football Data Archive
Original newspaper reports
Rothmans Yearbooks
FA Yearbooks 1950-60
Ancestry.com
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CG