England Football Online

Contact Us Page Last Updated 23 October 2024
 
 

Chronological
Name
Number of Matches
Points %
Tenure

England's Pre-War Captains
by Chronological
1872-1914
1919-39
1946-60
1960-70
1970-80
1980-90
1990-2000
2000-10
2010-20
2020-30
 
No. Player
 
Club
Apps Capt W D L GF GA Pt% First & Last Tenure
1 Cuthbert Ottaway
 Oxford University
2 2 0 1 1 1 2 25 30 November 1872 0-0 vs. Scotland (1)
7 March 1874 1-2 vs. Scotland (2)
1 yr
98 dys
2 Alec Morten
 Crystal Palace
1 1 1 0 0 4 2 100 8 March 1873 4-2 vs. Scotland (1) 1 dy
(90 min)
3 Charles Alcock
 Wanderers
1 1 0 1 0 2 2 50 6 March 1875 2-2 vs. Scotland (1) 1 dy
(90 min)
4 Hubert Heron
 Wanderers & Swifts
5 1 0 0 1 0 3 0 4 March 1876 0-3 vs. Scotland (4) 1 dy
(90 min)
5 William Rawson
 Oxford University & Wanderers, Old Westminsters
2 1 0 0 1 1 3 0 3 March 1877 1-3 vs. Scotland (2) 1 dy
(90 min)
6 Arthur Cursham
 
Notts County
6 2 1 0 1 4 8 50 2 March 1878 2-7 vs. Scotland (3)
18 January 1879 2-1 vs. Wales (4)
319 dys
7 Henry Wace
 
Wanderers & Clapham Rovers
3 1 1 0 0 5 4 100 5 April 1879 5-4 vs. Scotland (3) 1 dy
(90 min)
8 Charles Wollaston
 Wanderers, Lancing Old Boys & Clapham Rovers
4 1 0 0 1 4 5 0 13 March 1880 4-5 vs. Scotland (4) 1 dy
(90 min)
9 Francis Sparks
 
Clapham Rovers
3 1 1 0 0 3 2 100 15 March 1880 3-2 vs. Wales (3) 1 dy
(90 min)
10 Jack Hunter
 
Heeley, Providence, Wednesday & Sheffield Alb
7 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 26 February 1881 0-1 vs. Wales (4) 1 dy
(90 min)
11 Norman Bailey
 
Clapham Rovers¹¹,
 & Corinthians⁴
19 15 6 3 6 40 28 50 12 March 1881 1-6 vs. Scotland (5)
19 March 1887 2-3 vs. Scotland (19)
6 yrs
8 dys
12 Charlie Bambridge
 
Swifts¹, & Corinthians¹
18 2 2 0 0 20 0 100 18 February 1882 13-0 vs. Ireland (4)
5 February 1887 7-0 vs. Ireland (16)
4 yrs
353 dys
13 Jack Hudson
 Heeley, Sheffield & Wednesday
1 1 1 0 0 7 0 100 24 February 1883 7-0 vs. Ireland (1) 1 dy
(90 min)
14 Percy Walters
 
Old Carthusians &
 Corinthians
13 4 3 0 1 15 6 75 13 March 1886 6-1 vs. Ireland (3)
15 March 1890 3-1 vs. Wales (12)
4 yrs
3 dys

There is a significant possibility that Percy Walters received a fifth captaincy in his final match against Scotland, 5 April 1890, but as with all elements of doubt, we have left this out of his captain's record.

15 Tinsley Lindley
 
Cambridge Un., Nottingham Forest & Corinthians³, Nottingham F. & Corinthians¹
13 4 4 0 0 21 3 100 4 February 1888 5-1 vs. Wales (7)
7 March 1891 6-1 vs. Ireland (13)
3 yrs
32 dys
16 Jack Brodie
 Wolverhampton Wanderers
3 1 0 0 0 6 1 100 2 March 1889 6-1 vs. Ireland (1) 1 dy
(90 min)
17 Arthur Walters
 
Old Carthusians &
 Corinthians
9 1 0 1 0 1 1 50 5 April 1890 1-1 vs. Scotland (9) 1 dy
(90 min)

There is a significant possibility that it was Arthur's brother who was captain in this match against Scotland, 5 April 1890.

18 John Goodall
 Derby County
14 2 1 1 0 6 3 75 7 March 1891 4-1 vs. Wales (5)
7 April 1894 2-2 vs. Scotland (9)
3 yrs
32 dys
19 Billy Moon
 
Old Westminsters &
 Corinthians
7 1 1 0 0 2 1 100 4 April 1891 2-1 vs. Scotland (7) 1 dy
(90 min)
20 Arthur Dunn
 Old Etonians & Corinthians
4 2 2 0 0 6 1 100 5 March 1892 2-0 vs. Wales
2 April 1892 4-1 vs. Scotland
29 dys
21 George Cotterill
 
Old Brightonians
&
 Corinthians
4 2 2 0 0 11 3 100 25 February 1893 6-1 vs. Ireland (3)
1 April 1893 5-2 vs. Scotland (4)
36 dys
22 Bob Holmes
 
Preston North End
7 3 2 1 0 17 2 83.3 13 March 1893 6-0 vs. Wales (4)
9 March 1895 9-0 vs. Ireland (7)
1 yr
362 dys
23 Charles Wreford-Brown
 Old Carthusians
&
 Corinthians
4 2 1 1 0 6 2 75 18 March 1895 1-1 vs. Wales (3)
2 April 1898 3-1 vs. Scotland (4)
3 yrs
16 dys

Various sources cannot decide who was captain for the match against Wales, 12 March 1894, probably Charles Wreford-Brown (2), but possibly Cunliffe Gosling. Wreford-Brown was by far the oldest in an inexperienced team, but a lot of sources decline to mention any captain. This match is therefore excluded from Wreford-Brown's captaincy record.

24 Cunliffe Gosling
 Old Etonians & Corinthians
5 1 1 0 0 3 0 100 6 April 1895 3-0 vs. Scotland 1 dy
(90 min)
25 Gilbert Smith
 Oxford University & Old
 Carthusians & Corinthians¹,
 Old Carthusians &
 Corinthians¹².
20 13 8 2 1 43 16 69.2 4 April 1896 1-2 vs. Scotland
30 March 1901 2-2 vs. Scotland
4 yrs
360 dys

It is feasible that Smith had as many as 15 captaincies - but in the match against Ireland, 7 March 1896, the captaincy remains disputed between Smith, George Raikes and Vaughan Lodge. The following match against Wales, 16 March 1896, the captaincy also remains unknown - although some have guessed at Smith. These two matches are excluded from Smith's records.

26 Bill Oakley
 
Corinthians
16 1 1 0 0 3 0 100 9 March 1901 3-0 vs. Ireland 1 dy
(90 min)
27 Ernest Needham
 Sheffield United
16 1 1 0 0 6 0 100 18 March 1901 6-0 vs. Wales 1 dy
(90 min)
28 Reginald Erskine Foster
 Old Malvernians &
 Corinthians
5 1 0 1 0 0 0 50 3 March 1902 0-0 vs. Wales 1 dy
(90 min)
29 Frank Forman
 Nottingham Forest
9 2 2 0 0 3 1 100 22 March 1902 1-0 vs. Ireland
2 March 1903 2-1 vs. Wales
345 dys
30 Steve Bloomer
 
Derby County
23 1 0 1 0 2 2 50 3 May 1902 2-2 vs. Scotland 1 dy
(90 min)
31 Howard Spencer
 Aston Villa
6 3 3 0 0 8 1 100 14 February 1903 1-2 vs. Scotland
1 April 1905 2-2 vs. Scotland
2 yrs
47 dys
32 Bob Crompton
 
Blackburn Rovers
41 21 11 5 5 34 24 64.3 4 April 1903 1-2 vs. Scotland
4 April 1914 1-3 vs. Scotland
11 yrs
33 Stanley Harris
 
Old Westminsters &
 Corinthians
6 4 2 1 1 8 3 62.5 25 February 1905 1-1 vs. Ireland
7 April 1906 1-2 vs. Scotland
1 yr
42 dys
34 Vivian Woodward
 Tottenham Hot.¹², Chelsea²
23 14 12 2 0 69 11 92.9 15 February 1908 3-1 vs. Ireland
13 March 1911 3-0 vs. Wales
3 yrs
27 dys
35 Arthur Knight
 Portsmouth
1 1 0 1 0 1 1 50 25 October 1919 1-1 vs. Ireland 1 dy
(90 min)
36 Jesse Pennington
 West Bromwich Albion
25 2 1 0 1 6 6 50 15 March 1920 1-2 vs. Wales
10 April 1920 5-4 vs. Scotland
27 dys
37 Joe McCall
 Preston North End
5 1 1 0 0 2 0 100 23 October 1920 2-0 vs. Ireland 1 dy
(90 min)
38 Charlie Buchan
 Sunderland
6 2 1 1 0 4 1 75 14 March 1921 0-0 vs. Wales
10 May 1923 4-1 vs. France
2 yrs
58 dys
39 Arthur Grimsdell
 Tottenham Hotspur
6 3 1 1 1 4 5 50 9 April 1921 0-3 vs. Scotland
5 March 1923 2-2 vs. Wales
1 yr
331 dys
40 Ephraim Longworth
 Liverpool
5 1 1 0 0 2 0 100 21 May 1921 2-0 vs. Belgium 1 dy
(90 min)
41 George Wilson
 T
he Wednesday
12 7 2 2 3 14 10 42.9 22 October 1921 1-1 vs. Ireland
17 May 1924 3-1 vs. France
2 yrs
209 dys
42 Max Woosnam
 Manchester City
1 1 1 0 0 1 0 100 13 March 1922 1-0 vs. Wales 1 dy
(90 min)
43 Basil Patchitt
 
Corinthians
2 2 2 0 0 7 3 100 21 May 1923 4-2 vs. Sweden
24 May 1923 3-1 vs. Sweden
4 dys
44 Graham Doggart
 Corinthians
1 1 0 1 0 2 2 50 1 November 1923 2-2 vs. Belgium 1 dy
(90 min)
45 Frank Moss
 
Aston Villa
5 1 0 1 0 1 1 50 12 April 1924 1-1 vs. Scotland 1 dy
(90 min)
46 Sam Wadsworth
 
Huddersfield Town
9 4 1 1 2 7 9 37.5 22 October 1924 3-1 vs. Ireland
20 October 1926 3-3 vs. Ireland
1 yr
364 dys
47 Alfred George Bower
 Corinthians
5 3 2 1 0 9 4 83.3 8 December 1924 4-0 vs. Belgium
12 February 1927 3-3 vs. Wales
2 yrs
67 dys
48 Billy Walker
 Aston Villa
18 3 2 0 1 7 6 66.7 21 May 1925 3-2 vs. France
7 December 1932 4-3 vs. Austria
7 yrs
231 dys
49 Claude Ashton
 Corinthians & Old
 Wykehamists
1 1 0 1 0 0 0 50 24 October 1925 0-0 vs. Northern Ireland 1 dy
(90 min)
50 Thomas Lucas
 Liverpool
3 1 1 0 0 5 3 100 24 May 1926 5-3 vs. Belgium 1 dy
(90 min)
51 Jack Hill
 Burnley⁵ Newcastle Utd³
11 8 5 0 3 30 12 62.5 2 April 1927 2-1 vs. England
15 May 1929 3-4 vs. Spain
2 yrs
44 dys
52 Fred Kean
 
The Wednesday
9 1 1 0 0 5 2 100 21 May 1927 5-2 vs. Luxembourg 1 dy
(90 min)
53 Roy Goodall
 Huddersfield Town
25 12 8 1 3 37 16 70.8 31 March 1928 1-5 vs. Scotland
6 December 1933 4-1 vs. France
5 yrs
251 dys
54 Willis Edwards
 Leeds United
16 5 4 0 1 14 4 80 22 October 1928 2-1 vs. Northern Ireland
20 November 1929 6-0 vs. Wales
1 yr
30 dys
55 David Jack
 Arsenal
9 4 1 3 0 8 5 62.5 5 April 1930 5-2 vs. Scotland
16 November 1932 0-0 vs. Wales
2 yrs
226 dys
56 Alf Strange
 Sheffield Wednesday
20 3 2 0 1 9 7 66.7 14 May 1931 2-5 vs. France
19 November 1931 3-1 vs. Wales
190 dys
57 Ernie Blenkinsop
 Sheffield Wednesday
26 4 3 0 1 12 3 75 9 December 1931 7-1 vs. Spain
1 April 1933 1-2 vs. Scotland
1 yr
114 dys
58 Tommy Cooper
 
Derby County
15 4 2 0 2 9 4 50 14 April 1934 3-0 vs. Scotland
29 September 1934 4-0 vs. Wales
169 dys
59 Eddie Hapgood
 Arsenal
30 21 11 2 8 49 31 57.1 14 November 1934 3-2 vs. Italy
18 May 1939 1-2 vs. Yugoslavia
4 yrs
186 dys
60 Jack Barker
 
Derby County
11 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 17 October 1936 1-2 vs. Wales 1 dy
(90 min)
61 George Male
 Arsenal
19 6 5 0 1 28 6 83.3 18 November 1936 3-1 vs. Ireland
20 May 1937 8-0 vs. Finland
184 dys
62 Sam Barkas
 Manchester City
18 3 3 0 0 12 6 100 23 October 1937 5-1 vs. Northern Ireland
1 December 1937 5-4 vs. Czechoslovakia
353 dys
63 Stan Cullis
 
Wolverhampton Wanderers
12 1 1 0 0 2 0 100 24 May 1939 2-0 vs. Romania 1 dy
(90 min)
 

CG