Report of Weekly Exchange - October 16 1880.
Match played 9 October 1880
TYNE V MIDDLESBROUGH. -- The opening of the football season in Middlesbrough district
took place on Saturday, when the above old opponents met in friendly rivalry. The
match was arranged to take place in the cricket field , Linthorpe -road, but owing
to the bad state of the ground the locale of the contest was transferred by mutual
consent to the practice field, Breckon Hill. Weeks, the Newcastle captain, winning
the toss, elected to play with the wind, and a few minutes after three o’clock the
teams were arrayed against each other, the Tyne being a man short. The play for the
first half of the game was very fast. Bruce leading his forwards to attack after
attack on the Middlesbrough lines, whose defenders stoutly resisted, only making
an occasional sortie to feel the strength of their opponents. Towards the end of
the first half the home team broke through the lines of defence and scored the first
goal. At the commencement of the last half the “Tees-siders” were found to be cool,
well together, and confident whereas the “Tyne-siders” were loose and disjointed
showing a woeful want of practice; indeed, if it had not been for the sometimes brilliant
play of Bruce, Messent, and Gibson, their defeat would have been more disastrous
than it eventually proved. The Middlesbrough forwards assailed the fortress they
were so determined to capture with great vigour and precision, the passing work being
remarkably good, and effected its downfall no less than four times, thus winning
by five goals to nil. The teams were :--
Tyne --Chaloner, goal; Watson and Gibson, backs; Weeks (captain) and Border, half
backs; Messent, Hitchcock, Bruce, Fox, and Cochrane, forwards.
Middlesbrough --Harrison, goal, Bastard and Ransforth, backs; Booth and Peel,
half backs; Ewbank (captain), Hardwick, Shearer, Borrie, Dales, and Pickstock, forwards.
