Charles W. Alcock, Hon. Secretary of Football
Association.
West Dulwich, Surrey, 1st November, 1870.
The matches arranged by Mr. Alcock, and styled, by
courtesy, "Internationals," were as follows:—
19th November, 1870—England won by 1 goal to 0.
28th February, 1871—A draw, 1 goal each.
18th November, 1871—England won by 2 goals to 1.
24th February, 1872—England won by 1 goal to 0.
These games have had no official cognisance taken of
them. The first International recognised as an official match between
England and Scotland is that at Partick, of 30th November, 1872, in which
the Queen's Park Club provided the Scottish team as a whole.
This letter attracted the attention of the Queen's Park
committee, who at once wrote to London requesting that one of
their players might be allowed to take part in the match. At the meeting at
which the letter was discussed, the club decided to join the Football
Association, and was placed on the roll as a member in November, 1870. Mr.
Robert Smith, who had shortly before this removed to London, and was a
playing member of South Norwood, was nominated by the Queen's Park as its
representative in the coming International. The match was duly played at the
Oval on 19th November, 1870, and was won by England by one goal to none.
"The representative of the Queen's Park," it is stated, "greatly
distinguished himself by his dashing play," which can readily be believed,
as Mr. Smith was one of the smartest forwards of his day, and greatly
assisted, both on the field and on the council board, in making the fame of
the Queen's Park. Mr. Smith sent an account of the game to his club, giving
a particular recital of the English system of play, according to Association
rules, showing the chief features were—an entire prohibition of the use of
the hands; while the ball was in play the practice was to run or dribble the
ball with the feet, instead of indulging in high or long kicks. Mr. Smith
duly received the thanks of the committee for this much-desired information,
and their appreciation of his " able and spirited play on behalf of the
Queen's Park and Scotland at both Association matches." As this minute is
dated 21st March, 1871, it is obvious Mr. Smith participated also in that of
28th February, 1871. It will be perhaps found interesting to give the names
of the Scottish team of 1870 : —
Scotland—J. Kirkpatrick (Civil Service), A. F. Kinnaird
(Old Etonians), G. E. W. Crawford (Harrow School), H. W. Primrose (Civil
Service), C. E. Nepean (University College, Oxford), Quintin Hogg
(Wanderers), G. P. Congreve (Old Rugbeians), R. Smith (Queen's Park), G. G.
Kennedy (Wanderers), J. F. Inglis (Charterhouse), F. Chappell (Oxford), A.
K. Smith (Oxford), and W. H. Gladstone, M.P. (Old Etonians).
The last on the list is the son of "the Grand Old Man,"
the late Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, M.P., and is now Lord Gladstone. The
Hon. A. F. Kinnaird, now Lord Kinnaird, still takes an interest in the game
as president of the Football Association.
Having obtained what it considered at the time the very
high honour of having one of its players capped in an International match,
the Queen's Park was not disposed to rest content, possessing a natural
ambition to have more honours of the kind come the way of the club, and also
to bring credit to Scotland. So in the summer of 1872 the secretary was
instructed to write to Mr. Alcock, asking whether any, and if so what,
arrangements had been made regarding the two International matches played
annually, with special reference to the one to be played in Scotland. On
28th September, Mr. Alcock intimated that the committee of the Football
Association would probably shortly fix to send an English team to Glasgow,
to play a Scottish Eleven, on or about 23rd November, and asking if any, and
if so what, facilities, railway or otherwise, would be accorded them. The
Queen's Park, with that high spirit which attended all their efforts to
popularise the game, unanimously decided to accept the responsibility of all
the arrangements for the match on this side of the Border, and forthwith
appointed a sub-committee to make inquiries regarding the cost, etc., of all
available grounds, and generally the probable expenses of the match all
through. It was a big undertaking, especially as the cash in hand at the
commencement of the season was only £7 17s. 1d. Yet the general meeting, in
October, guaranteed the committee against all loss connected with the match.
A dinner was to be given to the English team. Tickets, advertising,
policemen, etc., had all to be attended to, and everything was gone about in
a thoroughly businesslike way by this inexperienced coterie of footballers.
All this foresight, this natural aptitude, are remarkable in a body of men
who had no previous experience of a serious undertaking of the kind. To the
football secretary of to-day it would be a small detail. A great financial
responsibility was about to be taken on its shoulders. The venture might be
a success, or more probably a failure, and how was the loss, if loss there
be, to be faced by a club with little or no assets, save unbounded
enthusiasm? Small committees were appointed—ground, dinner, and finance
committees—and by this division of labour satisfactory results were
obtained. Glasgow Academical Rugby Club offered their ground at Burnbank
free of cost for the International. The West of Scotland Cricket Club ground
at Partick was, however, preferred, and fixed upon as the scene of the great
encounter.
The "West" were to be offered £10 for the match, and in
case the gross drawings exceeded £45 one-half of any drawings over that sum,
until the drawings reached £65, and one-third of the drawings over £50
whatever they might be ; or, should these offers be refused, £10, and a
further sum of £10 should the drawings amount to £50. This last was
apparently accepted by the West of Scotland club, as £20 was the sum paid
the "West" for the use of their ground. The game financially proved to be an
enormous success, as the takings amounted to £102 19s. 6d., and the
expenditure £69 l1s. 6d., leaving a balance of £33 8s. 0d. This credit
balance was set aside as an "International fund," and £32 of it was used to
send Queen's Park players to London to play the return International there
on 8th March, 1873, which Scotland lost by four goals to two. This team
contained seven Queen's Park players, and both these International teams
were selected solely by the Queen's Park captain, Mr. Gardner.
The game itself created quite a sensation, not only in
Glasgow, but also all over the Kingdom. It was the first real event of the
kind that had ever been played between the two nations. No organised body
existed at the time to superintend it; all rested on the shoulders of the
Queen's Park as a club. The Football Association had got together its crack
players, having plenty of, clubs and men to select from. It seemed an
unequal contest, one club against a nation in arms—Scotland's "contemptible
little army" against the English hosts. That little army was the forerunner
of great events, as the English hosts were brought to a full stop. They
failed to rout the Scots, who held their own, and left the battlefield with
honours even—no goals to anybody. The game must rank in history as the chief
event in the realm of the new sport. Its effect on the popularity of the
game was enormous. There existed a force in Scottish football hitherto
wholly unsuspected, and that force had to be seriously reckoned with in
future. The game itself was a revelation of latent talent that only required
development, and the opportunity to display itself, which had hitherto been
denied Scotland. With this game began an interesting series of
Internationals which continued unbroken until the outbreak of the Great War
in 1914. The series was resumed when the warring nations found peace, and
the Hun was brought to his knees. Two unofficial matches were played in
1919, after the Armistice. At Sheffield, in April, 1920, the series was
continued, Scotland being there vanquished by five goals to four.
Look for a moment at the Queen's Park players who took
part in this first match. R. Gardner, who had upheld his own fortress
without a single goal having been recorded against him, and who, in 1873,
left the Queen's Park for Clydesdale, where further International honours
followed him. J. Taylor, one of the finest backs Scotland ever produced,
full of speed, a sure and strong kick, with a wealth of resource. W. Ker,
another man the same ; he was the hero of the day, one run of his, from his
base to the enemy's goal, electrifying the crowd. J. J. Thomson, at half, a
stalwart, a man of weight, equal to any attack, paying back with interest
hard knocks, and always at the point where he was most needed. His partner,
James Smith, one of the famous brothers, a man of great experience in his
team, plucky and reliable; he broke the English forwards that-day. Then the
forwards—J. B. Weir, the " prince of dribblers," and a dead shot for goal ;
crouching, he dodged all opponents, slipped through, and was an eternal
thorn in the side of any defending team. He earned great fame afterwards,
and his memory has already passed into a tradition, and is undying. R.
Leckie, a fast and brilliant dribbler also, and he too could find the gap
between the posts; he and Weir were a pair. Of the centres, W. M'Kinnon, the
most distinguished man in the position of his day and generation, was the
hero of eight consecutive Internationals against England, of which this was
his first; his dribbling and passing were a revelation, and his shooting
capacity splendid. D. Wotherspoon was one of the original Queen's Parkers, a
founder of the club, a great player, strong, with speed and judgment, and a
first-class kick with either foot—an athlete to the manner born. Robert
Smith was a man full of go, a heavy charger, a very quick and wide dribbler,
with a great turn of speed, another of the original members, whose business
acumen did much to make the Queen's Park what it ultimately became. Last,
but not least, A. Rhind, a fine forward, who went straight ahead, dribbling
towards his goal; though to the light side, he had plenty of dash and speed,
and was not easily dispossessed. Such were the men who made history in this
great match. Alas, only three survivors remain—W. Ker, who now owns a large
ranche in Texas; W. M'Kinnon, still in Glasgow; and A. Rhind, now of
Inverness. All the others have gone to that bourne from whence no traveller
returns. Many changes have taken place in the intervening forty-five years.
Still, there are many alive to-day who saw the match, and who are as
enthusiastic over its incidents as if the game were of quite recent origin.
The English formation in this first match consisted of one goalkeeper, one
back, one half-back, and eight forwards. Ottaway played usually as "flykick."
The Scots were arranged with six forwards, two half-backs, two backs, and
the goalkeeper. The English adopted the Scottish formation in the return
International, played in London on 8th March, 1873, which the Saxons won by
four goals to two. In this latter game the combination and knowledge of each
other which characterised the play of the Queen's Park in the 1872 game were
wholly destroyed, and this was in a great measure the cause of the loss of
this game. Only seven Queen's Park players took part in it—namely, R.
Gardner, goal; J. Taylor and W. Ker, backs; J. J. Thomson and J. Smith,
half-backs; W. M'Kinnon and D. Wotherspoon, forwards. The remaining forwards
were W. Gibb (Clydes-. dale), Rennie Tailyour (Royal Engineers), Hon. A. F.
Kinnaird (Wanderers), and J. E. Blackburn (Royal Engineers). Why these Scots
in England were played it is now difficult to understand, seeing that the
match was still under the control of the Queen's Park, who had arranged the
first International and the return. Full and sole power was given Mr.
Gardner to select the International team which he was to captain. It may
have been a question of expense, and most probably was. The club, from its "
International match fund," used £32 of the £33 odds of the balance from the
Partick match to pay the expenses of the team to London—£4 to each player
and the secretary, Mr. H. N. Smith, who acted as umpire. The remaining sum
was afterwards taken into the general funds of the club. Be that as it may,
the combination of the whole team was ruined. The back divisions did not
understand what the forwards were about, and the two great Queen's Park
players in the attack placed no reliance, or could place none, on the
outsiders, who had learned their style of play in England, save Gibb, and
played accordingly. The Scots were under a handicap, and the incubus bore
them down. However, the Thistle was amply revenged for this unfortunate
result, as
the Scots, from 1874 to 1878, won four of the five games,
one —that of 1875—ending in a draw of two goals each. After 1873 the
Internationals were under the auspices of the Scottish Football Association.
This body was a godchild of the Queen's Park, who had it impressed upon the
members that a governing body was absolutely necessary to control the sport
in Scotland, not that they were unwilling to shoulder the responsibility.
Their then secretary, Mr. Archibald Rae, called a meeting of the clubs in
1873 to consider the question of establishing such a body on similar lines
to the Football Association of England. This step was actually taken in
February, before the second Internationa] was played at the Oval in March,
1873. The object of the meeting was to establish a Scottish Cup competition
for the following season, and an Association to manage football. Mr.
Archibald Rae, Queen's Park, was the first secretary of the Scottish
Football Association. Now the club was free from responsibility, the
government of football being in the bauds of the general body of Scottish
clubs themselves. From these small beginnings arose a great national
organisation. Another outcome of the first International was, it brought to
the purview of the Queen's Park that a private ground of their own was an
absolute necessity. On 21st January, 1873, a sub-committee was appointed to
look out for a suitable site in the district, and ascertain the price and
obtain particulars. This was the preliminary step to the first Hampden Park
and its successors, of which more anon.
1872 INTERNATIONAL GAME
Scotland versus England
"North British Daily Mail," 2nd December, 1872
This first International at once established a record, as
it was played in presence of the largest assemblage previously seen at any
football match in Scotland, close on four thousand, including a number of
ladies, being present. For the first time this match was a real
International, all the players of both teams being bona-fide players
in each country. The Queen's Park provided the entire Scotch eleven. The
English team, even with the changes made in it, was very strong, containing
representatives from nine crack English clubs. The Southerners had a choice
of men from nearly 100 clubs, while in Scotland only about ten clubs played
Association rules, all without experience, save the Queen's Park, who,
therefore, shouldered the whole burden of the International match. The
Scotch team, though not comprising so many brilliant players as were in the
English eleven, worked from first to last well together through knowing each
other's play. England, especially forward, astonished the spectators by some
very pretty dribbling, an art then novel and curious. The English uniform
consisted of white jerseys, with the arms of England as a badge on the left
breast, dark blue caps, and white knickerbockers. The Scots played in dark
blue jerseys, with the Scottish Lion rampant for a badge, white knickers,
and blue and white stockings, and red cowls as a headgear. The Scottish
captain, R. Gardner, having won the toss, England was given the disadvantage
of playing up the brae in the first half. After some skirmishing, the
English captain, Ottaway, distinguished himself by a piece of 'beautiful
dribbling, finishing up, fifteen yards from the home goal, with a good kick,
which sent the ball over. The Scots now came with a great rush, Leckie,
M'Kinnon, and others dribbling so smartly that the English goal was closely
besieged. The Scotch play at this stage elicited loud cheers. Weir next had
a splendid run into the heart of his opponents' territory, but the English
captain followed this up with a still finer piece of play, his dribbling the
ball past nearly all opposition being unique. Rhind and Weir turned the
tables for Scotland, and passed the English forwards, until Welch stopped
their career. Weir and Leckie once more put the visitors' goal in danger.
Greenhalgh, however, came to the rescue, and, after charging first one and
then another, piloted the ball out of danger. Scotland returned to the
assault, and, through a misunderstanding between Ottaway and Greenhalgh,
Weir got off, but was caught up by the former when the goal lay at the
Scot's mercy. As if to show what they could do, the Scottish team made a
supreme effort, and came right into the heart of English territory. So
certain did success appear that the greatest excitement prevailed, a good
kick by Leckie causing tremendous cheering from all parts of the ground, so
satisfied were the majority that a goal had been scored for Scotland. To the
great chagrin of the Scotch it was given no goal, the ball having passed
hardly an inch over the tape. Half-time was now called, and ends reversed.
Both sides now redoubled their energy for the final struggle, the Scotch
fighting with indomitable pluck against the immense forward strength of
England. Ottaway, Clegg, Kirke-Smith, and Morice made vigorous onslaughts,
which were brilliantly repulsed, and Scotland's ground was again cleared for
a time, and the war carried into the enemy's camp. The same English
quartette were not to be denied, and worked the ball into Scottish
territory, and once or twice all but got through. The Scots next had a turn
at pressing. Maynard, Morice, and Kirke-Smith raised the siege, and Scotland
had to act somewhat on the defensive. Once the home goal was only saved
through a combined effort on the part of Weir, Rhind, Wotherspoon, Leckie,
and Ker, the last named passing all opponents and bringing the ball to
midfield. Chappell knocked aside some half-dozen opponents, and by a
well-executed run. piloted the ball out of danger—a piece of play which was
cheered. Brockbank, when looking dangerous, was splendidly charged by
M'Kinnon and Wotherspoon, the whole three falling heavily. Nothing else of
note occurred, time being called when the ball was in the centre of the
field, the game ending in a draw—no goals. Where all did so well special
mention seems invidious, though the splendid play of the captain (Ottaway),
Kirke-Smith, Brockbank, Morice, and Clegg, for England, was the subject of
remark. For Scotland, Weir, Leckie, Rhind, and Wotherspoon, with the backs,
J. Taylor and W. Ker, the half-backs, J. J. Thomson and J. Smith, were
especially conspicuous. The umpires were Mr. C. W. Alcock, for England, and
Mr. H. N. Smith, for Scotland. At the conclusion of the match three hearty
cheers were given to the English team—a compliment they returned to the
Scottish team In the evening the Englishmen were entertained to dinner, in
Carrick's Royal Hotel.
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION MATCH AT GLASGOW
England versus Scotland
"Glasgow Herald," 2nd December, 1872
On Saturday afternoon a football match between teams
selected from England and Scotland took place on the West of Scotland
ground, Hamilton Crescent, Partick. This was the first occasion on which an
Association team has contested a Scotch eleven on this side of the Border,
and the event naturally created an unusual degree of interest. The weather
happily proved favourable, and! there was a large attendance of
spectators—four thousand surrounded the ropes. The Scotchmen won the toss,
and the strangers kicked-off at a quarter past two. During the whole of the
first three-quarters of an hour—the half of the time for play—the match was
very evenly and toughly contested, splendid runs toeing made by men on both
sides. Ottaway (captain of the English team), Kirke-Smith, and Brockbank, on
the English side, dribbled beautifully, and displayed great skill in the
management of the ball, piloting it round their opponents in a style which
is seldom equalled. The home club played well together, and carried the ball
down into the enemy's quarters by vigorous rushes, but Welch, who was well
supported by Greenhalgh and Barker, succeeded in almost every instance in
turning the ball. Near the end of the first three-quarters of an hour the
ball was taken well down to the English goal by Wotherspoon, Weir, and R.
Smith, but Barker (English goal) having returned it, it was caught by the
Scotch forwards, and was driven by Leckie over the English goal. The
spectators •cheered enthusiastically, under the impression that a point had
been gained for Scotland, but the umpires ruled that no goal had been
obtained, as the ball had gone over instead of under the tape. Ends were
changed immediately, and the English now started with the advantage of the
slight elevation of the field. The game was again very evenly contested
until about the last fifteen minutes, when the Scotch were hard pressed by
their opponents, but the magnificent play of the backs of the former,
especially that of Ker, who made himself conspicuous all through the match
by his splendid kicking, prevented the enemy scoring, and they had succeeded
in carrying the ball well up to the English goal when time was called, and
the game resulted in a draw. The match throughout was splendidly contested,
and the play was acknowledged to be exceptionally good. The Englishmen had
all the advantage in respect of weight, their average being about two stones
heavier than the Scotchmen, and they had also the advantage in pace. The
strong point with the home club was that they played excellently well
together.
Umpires.—England—C. W. Alcock, honorary secretary,
Football Association. Scotland—William Keay, Queen's Park Club.
Teams.—Scotland—Robert Gardner (Queen's Par)
(captain), goal; William Ker (Granville and Queen's Park) and J. Taylor
(Queen's Park), backs ; J. J. Thomson (Queen's Park) and James Smith
(Queen's Park and South Norwood), halt-backs; Robert Smith (Queen's Park and
South Norwood), Robert Leckie, Alex-and Rhind, W. M'Kinnon, J. Weir, and D.
Wotherspoon (Queen's Park), forwards.
England.—R. Barker (Herefordshire Rangers), goal; E. H.
Greenhalgh (Notts Club), three-quarter back; R. C. Welch (Harrow Chequers),
half-back; F. Chappell (Oxford University), fly-kick; C. J. Ottaway (Oxford
University) (captain), C. J. Chenery (Crystal Palace and Oxford University),
J. C. Clegg (Sheffield), and A. S. Kirke-Smith (Oxford University), middles;
J. Brockbank (Oxford University), right side; and W. J. Maynard (1st Surrey
Rifles) and J. F. Mor ice (Barnes Club), left side.
In the evening the English team were entertained by the
Scotsmen to dinner in Carrick's Royal Hotel.
THE ORIGIN OF THE INTERNATIONALS
The action of the Football Association in playing in
London what were called "International" matches, England v. Scotland, the
latter team being composed entirely of Scots resident in England, so annoyed
all classes of footballers in, Scotland, especially those of the Rugby
persuasion, that this, peculiar twist of the English Association really led
to the inauguration of both the Rugby and Association Internationals. The
presumption of a few men in London to select teams representative of
Scotland was so strongly resented that a challenge was inserted in the
"North British Daily Mail," in the autumn of 1870, to the best twenty Rugby
players in England, signed on behalf of Edinburgh Academicals, Glasgow
Academicals, West of Scotland, Merchistonians,, and St. Andrews University,
which clubs then constituted nearly the whole of Rugby Scotland, to play an
International game against England. The players of England accepted the
challenge, and the result was the institution of the first International
(Rugby) football match, played at Edinburgh in 1871, and won by Scotland by
one goal one try to one try. Since that time the match has been an annual
one, and has been played with the greatest success in Scotland and England
alternately, with three breaks, owing to disputes, in 1885, 1888, and 1889.
The Associationists in England held their four "Internationals," so called,
the last in February, 1872; then the Queen's Park took up the gauntlet
thrown down by Mr. C. W. Alcock on behalf of England, and began the series,
which has continued throughout the years until the spring of 1914, after
which all International matches were abandoned until the Angel of Peace
returned once more to this troubled earth. In April, 1920, the series was
continued.