England Football Online
 Home  New Team Matches
Seasons Competition  Opponents Comment
Features Q & A Forum Appendices
Contact Us Page Last Updated 9 March 2006
 

England's Captains by Match 1872-1914

 

England's Captains by Match 1872-1914
No. Date Opposition Venue Type F A Rsl Captain
1 30-Nov-1872 Scotland The West of Scotland Cricket Ground, Hamilton Crescent, Partick, Glasgow F 0 0 AD Ottaway, Cuthbert J. 
2 08-Mar-1873 Scotland Surrey Cricket Ground, The Oval, Kennington, London F 4 2 HW Morten, Alexander
3 07-Mar-1874 Scotland The West of Scotland Cricket Ground, Hamilton Crescent, Partick, Glasgow F 1 2 AL Ottaway, Cuthbert J. 
4 06-Mar-1875 Scotland Surrey Cricket Ground, The Oval, Kennington, London F 2 2 HD Alcock, Charles W.
5 04-Mar-1876 Scotland The West of Scotland Cricket Ground, Hamilton Crescent, Partick, Glasgow F 0 3 AL Heron, G. Hubert. H.
Some less reliable sources give the captaincy to Hubert's younger brother, Frank Heron.  But the more reliable sources give the captaincy rightly to Hubert.
6 03-Mar-1877 Scotland Surrey Cricket Ground, The Oval, Kennington, London F 1 3 HL Rawson, William S.
7 02-Mar-1878 Scotland Hampden Park, Hampden Terrace, Glasgow F 2 7 AL Cursham, Arthur W.
8 18-Jan-1879 Wales Surrey Cricket Ground, The Oval, Kennington, London F 2 1 HW Disputed
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, gives it to Henry Wace.  The fact that Charles Alcock's own Football Annual lists Cursham makes us favour the Notts County forward, but one can never be sure and we will not commit ourselves with any degree of certainty.
9 05-Apr-1879 Scotland Surrey Cricket Ground, The Oval, Kennington, London F 5 4 HW Wace, Henry
10 13-Mar-1880 Scotland Hampden Park, Hampden Terrace, Glasgow F 4 5 AL Wollaston, Charles H. R. 
11 15-Mar-1880 Wales Racecourse Ground, Wrexham F 3 2 AW Sparks, Francis John
12 26-Feb-1881 Wales Alexandra Meadows, Blackburn F 0 1 HL Hunter, John
13 12-Mar-1881 Scotland Surrey Cricket Ground, The Oval, Kennington, London F 1 6 HL Bailey, Norman C.
14 18-Feb-1882 Ireland Knock Ground, Bloomfield, Belfast F 13 0 AW Bambridge, E. Charles
15 11-Mar-1882 Scotland Hampden Park, Hampden Terrace, Glasgow F 1 5 AL Bailey, Norman C.
16 13-Mar-1882 Wales Racecourse Ground, Wrexham F 3 5 AL
17 03-Feb-1883 Wales Surrey Cricket Ground, The Oval, Kennington, London F 5 0 HW
18 24-Feb-1883 Ireland Aigburth Park Cricket Club Ground, Liverpool F 7 0 HW Hudson, John 
19 10-Mar-1883 Scotland Bramall Lane, Sheffield F 2 3 HL Bailey, Norman C.
20 23-Feb-1884 Ireland Ulster Ground, Ballynafeigh Park, Belfast BC 8 1 AW
21 15-Mar-1884 Scotland Cathkin Park, Glasgow BC 0 1 AL
22 17-Mar-1884 Wales Racecourse Ground, Wrexham BC 4 0 AW
23 28-Feb-1885 Ireland Whalley Range, Manchester BC 4 0 HW
24 14-Mar-1885 Wales Leamington Road, Blackburn BC 1 1 HD
25 21-Mar-1885 Scotland Surrey Cricket Ground, The Oval, Kennington, London BC 1 1 HD
26 13-Mar-1886 Ireland Ulster Ground, Ballynafeigh Park, Belfast BC 6 1 AW Walters, Percy M. 
There is a small possibility that Tinsley Lindley, debuting in this match, was the captain, making him the youngest ever.  At least three sources name Percy Walters, another names George Shutt.
27 29-Mar-1886 Wales Racecourse Ground, Wrexham BC 3 1 AW Bailey, Norman C.
28 31-Mar-1886 Scotland Hampden Park, Myrtle Park, Glasgow BC 1 1 AD
29 05-Feb-1887 Ireland Bramall Lane, Sheffield BC 7 0 HW Bambridge, E. Charles
30 26-Feb-1887 Wales Surrey Cricket Ground, The Oval, Kennington, London BC 4 0 HW Bailey, Norman C.
31 19-Mar-1887 Scotland Leamington Road, Blackburn BC 2 3 HL
32 04-Feb-1888 Wales Nantwich Road, Crewe BC 5 1 HW Lindley, Tinsley
Lindley must be favourite, he was captain in both the other two matches of the year, and he was an amateur, as well as the most capped player in the line-up.  But he had never been the England captain before this point, so is therefore not cast-iron.  Moreover, the Manchester Guardian, The London Times, The Field, Wrexham Advertiser, Sporting Life, Athletic News Annual 1891-92, Northern Whig, North Wales Guardian, or The Sportsman specifically mention any captain.
33 17-Mar-1888 Scotland Hampden Park, Myrtle Park, Glasgow BC 5 0 AW
34 31-Mar-1888 Ireland Ulster Ground, Ballynafeigh Park, Belfast BC 5 1 AW
35 23-Feb-1889 Wales Victoria Ground, Stoke-on-Trent BC 4 1 HW Walters, Percy M.
A small minority list the captain as Arthur Walters.
36 02-Mar-1889 Ireland Anfield Road, Liverpool BC 6 1 HW Brodie, John B. 
37 13-Apr-1889 Scotland Surrey Cricket Ground, The Oval, Kennington, London BC 2 3 HL Walters, Percy M.
38 15-Mar-1890 Wales Racecourse Ground, Wrexham BC 3 1 AW

A small minority list the captain as Arthur Walters.
39 15-Mar-1890 Ireland Ulster Ground, Ballynafeigh Park, Belfast BC 9 1 AW Unknown
Football historian Cris Freddi, himself the author of a book on the England team, has done extensive research in the English and Irish newspapers of the time and has not found a single contemporaneous record of England's captain for this match.
40 05-Apr-1890 Scotland Hampden Park, Myrtle Park, Glasgow BC 1 1 AD Disputed
Almost certain it was Arthur Walters on this occasion, instead of his brother, Percy - but there is doubt.  The London Times, The Sportsman, Sporting Chronicle, Alcock's Annual 1890, Athletic News Annual 1891-92, Preston Herald and Glasgow Herald decline to mention any England captain.  In The Field, Arthur Walters is listed as captain in the line-up, the Athletic News reads as 'PM and AM Walters (Capt)'.  But Arthur Walters is usually no.2 in the line-up, and this publication could have got the brothers mixed-up.  Besides, The Field notes that it was Percy who gave the post-match dinner speech, not Arthur.
41 07-Mar-1891 Wales Newcastle Road, Sunderland BC 4 1 HW Goodall, John
42 07-Mar-1891 Ireland Molineux Ground, Wolverhampton BC 6 1 HW Lindley, Tinsley
43 06-Apr-1891 Scotland Ewood Park, Blackburn BC 2 1 HW Moon, William R.
44 05-Mar-1892 Wales Racecourse Ground, Wrexham BC 2 0 AW Dunn, Arthur T. B.
45 05-Mar-1892 Ireland Solitude Ground, Cliftonville, Belfast BC 2 0 AW Unknown
Football historian Cris Freddi, himself the author of a book on the England team, has done extensive research in the English and Irish newspapers of the time and has not found a single contemporaneous record of England's captain for this match.
46 02-Apr-1892 Scotland Ibrox Park, Glasgow BC 4 1 AW Dunn, Arthur T. B.
47 25-Feb-1893 Ireland Wellington Road, Perry Barr, Birmingham BC 6 1 HW Cotterill, George H. 
48 13-Mar-1893 Wales Victoria Ground, Stoke-on-Trent BC 6 0 HW Holmes, Robert
49 01-Apr-1893 Scotland The Athletic Ground, Kew Foot Road, Richmond, London BC 5 2 HW Cotterill, George H. 
50 03-Mar-1894 Ireland Solitude Ground, Cliftonville, Belfast BC 2 2 AD Holmes, Robert
51 12-Mar-1894 Wales Racecourse Ground, Wrexham BC 5 1 AW Disputed
Various sources cannot decide who was captain for this match, probably Charles Wreford-Brown, and possibly Cunliffe Gosling.  Wreford-Brown was by far the oldest in an inexperienced team, but neither Sporting Life, Manchester Guardian, North Wales Guardian, The Times, The Field, The Sportsman, Sporting Chronicle, and Northern Whig make mention of a captain.
52 07-Apr-1894 Scotland Parkhead, Glasgow BC 2 2 AD Goodall, John
53 09-Mar-1895 Ireland Derbyshire County Cricket Ground, Nottingham Road, Derby BC 9 0 HW Holmes, Robert
54 18-Mar-1895 Wales Queen's Club, Palliser Road, West Kensington, London BC 1 1 HD Wreford-Brown, Charles
55 06-Apr-1895 Scotland Goodison Park, Liverpool BC 3 0 HW Gosling, R. Cunliffe
56 07-Mar-1896 Ireland Solitude Ground, Cliftonville, Belfast BC 2 0 AW Disputed
The captaincy was probably given to George Raikes, at least according to Irish Saturday Night and The Irish Times.  The London Times gives a first captaincy to Gilbert Smith, and Vaughan Lodge is also a possibility.  Many other sources do not specify any captain.
57 16-Mar-1896 Wales Arms Park, Cardiff BC 9 1 AW Unknown
Football historian Cris Freddi, himself the author of a book on the England team, has done extensive research in the English and Irish newspapers of the time and has not found a single contemporaneous record of England's captain for this match.
58 04-Apr-1896 Scotland Parkhead, Glasgow BC 1 2 AL Smith, Gilbert O.
59 20-Feb-1897 Ireland Trent Bridge, Nottingham BC 6 0 HW
60 29-Mar-1897 Wales Bramall Lane, Sheffield BC 4 0 HW
61 03-Apr-1897 Scotland The Crystal Palace, Sydenham Hill, London BC 1 2 HL
62 05-Mar-1898 Ireland Solitude Ground, Cliftonville, Belfast BC 3 2 AW
63 28-Mar-1898 Wales Racecourse Ground, Wrexham BC 3 0 AW
64 02-Apr-1898 Scotland Parkhead, Glasgow BC 3 1 AW Wreford-Brown, Charles
The London Times and Sporting Life say Gilbert Smith was captain, but the Northern Whig and the Ulster Football & Cycling News say Wreford-Brown, as does The Sportsman, Glasgow Herald, and Manchester Guardian. The Guardian sums it up: 'Wreford-Brown, the captain, was said to be the weak spot... but he justified his selection.'  The FA's own minutes, also confirm Wreford-Brown as captain.
65 18-Feb-1899 Ireland Roker Park, Sunderland BC 13 2 HW Smith, Gilbert O.
66 20-Mar-1899 Wales Ashton Gate, Bristol BC 4 0 HW
67 08-Apr-1899 Scotland Villa Park, Birmingham BC 2 1 HW
68 17-Mar-1900 Ireland Lansdowne Road, Dublin BC 2 0 AW
69 26-Mar-1900 Wales Arms Park, Cardiff BC 1 1 AD
70 07-Apr-1900 Scotland Parkhead, Glasgow BC 1 4 AL
71 09-Mar-1901 Ireland The Dell, Southampton BC 3 0 HW Oakley, William J. 
72 18-Mar-1901 Wales St. James' Park, Newcastle-upon-Tyne BC 6 0 HW Needham, Ernest
73 30-Mar-1901 Scotland The Crystal Palace, Sydenham Hill, London BC 2 2 HD Smith, Gilbert O.
74 03-Mar-1902 Wales Racecourse Ground, Wrexham BC 0 0 AD Foster, Reginald Erskine
75 22-Mar-1902 Ireland Balmoral Showgrounds, Balmoral, Belfast