The Association International of 1887
As the International of 1887 is, so to speak, a thing of yesterday, I have only introduced it here for two reasons. The first of these is to give me an opportunity of bringing new faces into my reminiscences, and shortly criticising their styles of play, and the second to show you how the admittedly best eleven sent out by England in all her matches with Scotland were vanquished on their own soil by three goals to two. The event came off at Blackburn in presence of some 10,000 spectators—a much larger crowd than ever appeared in London to see the International. The weather was dry overhead during the early stages of the tussle, but a heavy shower of hail fell later on, and this, added to a mud-covered ground, made matters anything but pleasant. The Scotchmen were the first to score, which they did through Mr. M’Call against the wind, half-an-hour from the start; but the Englishmen soon bore down on the Scottish lines, and Mr. Lindley equalised, so that at half-time both nationalities were on terms of equality. Not long after ends were changed, the Scotchmen made one of those determined charges for which they have been famed in many of the International games, and shoved both goalkeeper and ball through between the posts. No sooner, however, had the leather again been started than Mr. Dewhurst, the crack English forward, sent in a shooter, and once more squared the game. It was now “night or Blucher” for Scotland, and after a grand run between Messrs. Marshall and Allan, which was loudly cheered, even though an enemy did it, the young Queen’s Park forward made Scotland one goal up. Till the close the Englishmen had several brilliant sallies on the strangers’ goal, but the backs—Messrs. Arnott and Forbes—held their own, and Scotland won by three goals to two. Mr. Macaulay kept goal in fine style, and was the captain of the victorious team. The Englishmen chosen to meet the Scotchmen on the occasion were—Messrs. Roberts, A. M. Walters, P. M. Walters, N. C. Bailey, G. Howarth, J. Forrest, E. C. Bambridge, W. N. Cobbald, J. Lofthouse, F. Dewhurst, and T. Lindley. Besides the six who are mentioned below, Messrs. Arnott, Macaulay, Kelso, J. M’Call, and W. Sellar (who have already been noticed) also appeared against England in the same contest.