Middlesbrough v Ecclesfield, (F A Cup); v Sunderland; v Stockton.
South Durham and Cleveland Mercury,
Match played Saturday, October 6, 1888.
MIDDLESBROUGH V. ECCLESFIELD
The encounter between Middlesbrough and Ecclesfield in the first round of the English
Cup ties was the centre of considerable interest, and thousands of spectators lined
the ropes on the Linthorpe-road ground to witness was expected to be, and what proved
a keenly contested match. Middlesbrough was represented in goal by W. Gilbert; the
backs were T.H. Wynn, T. Alvey; the half-backs J. Walsh, Sampson, J. Grant; and the
forwards, W. Fox and T. Cronshaw (right wing), A.Borrie (centre), R. Wilson and F.
Dennis (left wing). During the first half, play alternated between the two ends with
remarkable regularity, but with Brooks’s excellent defence, and the home forwards
bungling, no score was made either side, the Middlesbrough backs, who were playing
a splendid game, frustrating all the efforts of the Sheffield men, Wilson and Dennis
were either lazy or out of form, and failed in their attempts at a good dribble.
Borrie was completely out of it, and Fox and Cronshaw were found sadly wanting. Walsh,
too, left behind his faultless record, and with the exception of his two colleagues
at half, the full backs, and the goal custodian, the Middlesbrough spectators never
before saw their men so much at sea. In spite of the occasional advantages offered
by the spurts of the rear guard, no point was registered, and though the visitors
were almost as bad, they did manage occasionally, in passing the ball, to give possession
to their colleagues and not to their opponants, a feat in which the home team, but
too frequently failed. Change of ends brought no better play, and though the game
at times assumed quite an exciting aspect by the proximity of the ball to the goal
mouth, neither side displayed sufficient tact to register a goal until within a few
minutes of time, when Wilson rushed the leather between the posts and drew first
blood for Ecclesfield. During the few remaining minutes of the last forty-five play
ruled in the home quarters, but no further point was made, and Ecclesfield thus proved
themselves victors by one goal to nil. For the first time Middlesbrough has been
put out of the English Cup competition in the first round, although it may be some
little palliation of their shortcomings to state that three of their best men-- Tom
Bach (captain), O.H. Cochrane, and the Rev. E.E. Barber -- were not on the field.
Athletic News 23 October 1888.
THE NORTHERN CHAMPIONSHIP
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MIDDLESBROUGH v SUNDERLAND.
[BY “SCRUTATOR.”]
If ever two clubs longed to beat each other Middlesbrough and Sunderland have done
so for some time now, and this feeling of rivalry was intensified by the unfortunate
English Cup squabble last year. The draw at Middlesbrough, followed by Sunderland’s
victory on their native heath, and their subsequent disqualification -and what was
perhaps worse, the heavy costs of the Commission who adjudicated upon the case -are
all very fresh in the minds of Northern footballers, and when huge posters announced
that the two clubs had agreed to play an ordinary fixture at Middlesbrough wiseacres
said the gate would be a topper, and that the game might not be a gentle one. Sunderland
have done mighty things this year, with the aid of a strong Scotch contingent and
victories, amongst others, over Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn Rovers, made things
look rosy for them. But the spirit of dissension got abroad, and a two to none defeat
by Darlington upset their equanimity altogether last week, with the result that the
much sought-after Dickson and Phemister went their way homewards, and rumour says
that further changes will take place. Surely, the Scotch amateur bubble will burst
ere long!
A more beautiful day for football could not be imagined, and when time arrived
for a commencement to be made there was a perfect sea of heads all round the well
appointed Middlesbrough ground. Excursions from Sunderland brought the club’s followers
to the number of 1,900, and the attendance must have been between 7,000 and 8,000.
We hear a lot about gates at League matches, but how does this compare? It is the
largest gate ever seen at an ordinary fixture in the district. It was evident that
excitement would run high, and there was a lot of applause when the following teams
took their places:-
MIDDLESBROUGH. -Dawkins, goal; Wynn and Alvey, backs; Walsh, McCrie, and Samson,
half-backs; Cranshaw, Barber, Borrie, Wilson, and Dennis, forwards.
SUNDERLAND. -Kirtley, goal; Ford and McDermid, backs; Renny, McLaughlin, and Gibson,
half-backs; Davison, Brady, Breckenbridge, A.Peacock, and W.Peacock, forwards.
Referee, Mr.Howcroft.
Middlesbrough having won the toss, played with the sun at their backs. The Sunderland
forwards by some good short passing took the ball straight up the field, and Alvey
and Wynn soon had to defend, but they were all there, and the venue was soon changed.
Borrie shot past, and from the kick out Sunderland left-wing again went up at a fast
rate, and were very nearly scoring, but Alvey saved cleverly, and hands were given
Middlesbrough in front of their own goal. This relieved the pressure for a while,
and shortly afterwards Kirtley had an opportunity of distinguishing himself, which
he nearly mulled, but managed to get the ball out of danger. The pace was very fast,
the game being all over the place for the first twenty minutes, and Borrie and Peacock
each had shots in turn, after which Sunderland had an uneasy time of it for a while,
and were compelled to give a corner. Dennis headed past, and a second shot just grazed
the cross-bar, but at length Davison got away, and succeeded in reaching Middlesbrough
quarters, where a pass enabled a goal to be scored, but the referee immediately
disallowed it on account of the off-side rule being infringed. Breckenbridge, however,
made amends soon after by a splendid shot, which went just under the cross-bar.
It was a near thing, and the spectators were doubtful for a while; but when it was
seen that it was a goal the Sunderland partisans were very decidedly en evidence,
amidst derisive cries of “Play up Scotland.” Things were getting warm, and a lot
of feeling was infused into the game. But Middlesbrough did not play nearly so well
for a while after this reverse; and for a long time Sunderland held the upper hand,
Gibson in particular feeding his forwards well. A fast sprint by Dennis was the only
feature up to half-time, when the score stood: Sunderland, one goal; Middlesbrough,
none. The interval was employed by the Sunderland team in having a small picnic amongst
themselves, whilst the spectators had to look on and enjoy the spectacle.
The second half commenced at as rapid a rate as the first, both teams going to
with a will, but before long Brady wilfully charged McCrie from behind, and was
accordingly penalised. This was not his first offence, and the referee was seen to
speak to him, evidently pretty strongly. Nothing came of a corner for Middlesbrough,
but Peacock a few minutes afterwards scored a magnificent goal, making the game
two to nil, and things looked well for Sunderland. The home team, however, were not
to be denied, and after Walsh had made a capital long shot, which Kirtley saved in
good fashion. Cranshaw scored amidst tremendous cheering from the home spectators.
This gave Middlesbrough confidence again, and they pressed for some time continuously,
Barber especially playing well, excepting that the reverend gentleman declined to
charge or be charged. Perbably he thought it right to set an example of Christian
charity and forbearance. Sunderland were now showing the effects of the fast pace,
and Dennis following up a long kick, centered right off the goal -line, and Barber,
being well up, added the needful, making the score even. The spectators went almost
wild with excitement, and hats and sticks were freely used to demonstrate their feelings.
From this time the game slackened, Sunderland having somewhat the best of it, but
Dawkings showed some magnificent goalkeeping, and the game looked like resulting
in a tie when a dispute occurred in Middlesbrough quarters, and the referee blew
his whistle for play to cease a moment. It was getting near time, and the spectators
rushed onto the ground en masse, some evidently thinking time was up, others intending
to defend their friends in the free fight which looked like taking place. The police
were powerless to clear the ground, and the match thus ended in a most unseemly wrangle
with the score at two each. The vexed question of superiority therefore still remains
unsettled, but on Saturday Sunderland seemed to play the better forward game, their
short passing being much admired. The backs were well matched, but Alvey, McCrie,
and McLaughlin seemed to stand out conspicuously; whilst taking the forwards individually,
Wilson and Dennis, and Breckenbridge and A.Peacock were the best of two very good
lots. Albert Borrie played well at times, but did not keep his pace as he should
have done. The teams are certainly a capital match.
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Athletic News 24 December 1888
STOCKTON V. MIDDLESBROUGH.
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A FIASCO ON TEES-SIDE.
[BY CLYTO]
THAT the long held superiority of Middlesbrough in the Northern football world has
been seriously threatened by several rising clubs during the last season or two is
an acknowledged fact, and the rapid advance made by Stockton in that time created
a great amount of interest in the present fixture. Three thousand people were tempted
by the fine weather and the prospects of a good match, to stump down their modest
“threepences” and had all gone well, no doubt everyone would have got full value
for their money. But “something went wrong with the works,” and what promised to
be a good exposition of the game developed into a row worthy of worse surroundings.
But not to anticipate. At 2-45 the teams set to work, and that in very slovenly fashion,
the atmosphere being more like what we are accustomed to expect in summer, and we
had the spectacle of a football umpire following the game with his coat off to prevent
his melting altogether in the middle of December! It was seen that both teams were
strong, and the following is a full, true, and particular list:-
STOCKTON. - F H Welch, goal; H T Hopper and J Welford, backs; Price, W Atkinson
and J Rothwell, half-backs; T Strachan, A Hunter, G Gray, W Allan, and Deakin, forwards.
MIDDLESBROUGH. - Dawkins, goal; T Alvey and Collinson, backs; J Walsh, T Bach,
and T Wynn, half-backs; H Tompkins, Rev E E Barber, A Borrie, R Wilson, and F Dennis,
forwards.
Umpires, Messrs. A Mackie and Jackson Ewbank. Referee, Mr Kelleher.
Middlesbrough were the first to show up, but the Stockton forwards, by some very
good passing, retaliated. Very soon, however, Middlesbrough were again in the home
quarters, and a mistake by Hopper caused the first goal to be scored against his
team. This was hard lines for them, and for a while seemed to demoralise their play,
for in a very short time the second and third points were registered, against which
vigorous, but unsuccessful, appeals for off-side were made. The third goal in particular
was very doubtful, and a long consultation took place before it was allowed. From
this point, however, Stockton gave something like a show of their true form, and
some splendid runs by Allan and Deakin were loudly cheered. By the aid of some good
passing, the Stockton men had several chances, but the shooting at goal was faulty.
The Middlesbrough forwards, particularly the left wing, showed good combination,
and several times went the length of the field, but Hopper and Welford were on the
alert, and saved repeatedly. The game was very fast, and some first-class headwork
by Price was deservedly applauded. Hands for Middlesbrough, in front of Stockton
goal, gave them a chance, but Dennis, contrary to custom, mulled it, and Strachan
and Hunter, on the home right, had a turn, which resulted in a corner, the outside
wing man placing it admirably, but without result. Again the Middlesbrough left wing
had a run up, but Atkinson dispossessed Wilson and play remained in midfield for
some time. From now to the end of the first half Stockton did all the pressing, their
forwards working well together, and had it not been for weak shooting they might
have rubbed off, at any rate, a couple of goals. A good deal of unpleasantness was
caused by some unnecessarily rough play by Bach more than once, Gray being the principal
sufferer. Hands for Stockton, in front of the visitors’ goal, resulted in Atkinson
shooting through off the crossbar, but the ball was not played, and consequently
no goal scored. The home team kept up the pressure, the halves --particularly Price--
doing some good work; but, on the other hand, the Middlesbrough defence was capital,
Collinson putting in some very tall kicks on two or three critical occasions, and
half-time arrived with the score three to none in Middlesbrough’s favour. The second
half commenced very fast, Allan and Deakin again putting in some splendid dribbling
on the left, but, as in the first half, the shooting was bad, and Hunter and Gray
each missed easy chances by passing instead of taking advantage of a clear course
to shoot. About ten or fifteen minutes from the re-commencement Strachan put in a
shot across the goal mouth, and Allan attempted to rush Dawkins through. The ball
went past, but immediately the goalkeeper recovered himself he deliberately went
up to Allan and struck him in the most cowardly fashion. Considering the disparity
in the size of the two, apart from all questions of propriety, the act was most ungentlemanly,
and would undoubtedly have resulted in the intervention of the referee, but, before
he had time to say or do anything in the matter, the crowd in a most excited state
had rushed onto the field, and attempted to mob the offender. Fortunately for him,
a number of police were at hand, and with the assistance of some of the home team
he was escorted off the field about half an hour afterwards, the excitement having
then cooled down somewhat. Of course, further play was out of the question after
such a delay, the light having become very bad, and it is to be regretted that such
an incident should have occurred to put an end to the game. Without wishing for one
moment to excuse the action of the crowd, which was calculated to put an end to all
good feeling between the players, I must say the provocation was very great, and
no doubt the Cleveland Association will deal with the matter in a proper manner.
To return to the game, Middlesbrough ran round their opponents during the first 20
minutes, during which time they got all their goals, but the game was the other way
afterwards, and it was unfortunate for the home team that, just when they had every
appearance of making a good fight of it, the game should be stopped in such an abrupt
manner. It will be remembered that last year they scored three goals in the second
half against the same team at Stockton, and made a draw of what looked like a certain
win for Middlesbrough. Individually, for Middlesbrough, Wilson and Dennis on the
left wing, Wynn and Bach at half-back, and Collinson at full back played up to form,
whilst for Stockton Allan, Deakin, and Strachan forward, and Price at half-back,
all worked well, the latter’s heading being one of the features of the day’s play.
