The Blueing of the Game
Chapter Two
And More
Now at this juncture there is, of course, the possibility that the first season of England’s League had been an aberration. However, because there was little in the way of change in terms of both the number of teams and the teams themselves, the following season, 1889-90, on the face of it seems to allow direct and indicative comparison. Yet it could be only partial not least because beneath that surface there were developments, specifically in the total number of Scots players employed in England. It had increased to over eighty, the number in the twelve League clubs to sixty-two, so up by 17%. A result was that the proportion plying their trade in the League had fallen to three-quarters yet in that League was still a little up at 23%, suggesting judgement taken of the reality of the previous year’s outcomes
Then of course the order in which the League clubs finished was a little different, although Preston still came top, and the two Scots secretaries remained in post. Moreover, Scots player-distribution had also altered. On the one hand, whilst Preston, albeit now with it and Edinburgh’s Jimmy Ross as the League’s top marksman, in fact halved its contingent, it was replaced by newly top six, indeed second-placed Everton as the squad with most; an increase of one to nine. Furthermore Bolton doubled its contingent, as did Villa, and Stoke and Notts County both went from two to seven. Yet on the other hand the new team in the top six, Accrington, did it with no Scots and third-placed Blackburn took the Cup with a reduction from six to four, albeit by heavily defeating The Wednesday, i.e. Sheffield Wednesday, that was both non-League and had fielded none.
It meant that, whilst the overall Scot’s input to success in the Cup increased by half, mainly due to Thomas Mitchell’s involvement, in the League it was actually down by a quarter and a judgement could have been taken that the importation of Scots talent be curtailed. Yet the difference between the upper and lower halves of that same League table belie this notion, indeed in contradiction point to deliberate investment specifically in Scots. In the former, the upper half, just nineteen were on the books, whereas in the latter it was forty-three, up from twenty eight. And, if anything, in other teams outwith the League but interested in joining it this trend was more marked still. Across the city from The Wednesday Sheffield United went from zero to four and at the opposite end of the country Arsenal, then Woolwich Arsenal, from two to five.
In fact this indication of investment rather retrenchment would be born out by what would unfold in the 1890-91 season. As Stoke lost its League place, admittedly with nine albeit fleeting Scots on the roster, and Sunderland came in, once more the pattern of increase was replicated. The general involvement of Scots players south of the border again increased and by 30% to one hundred and seventeen and in the League, whilst the proportion fell a little to 64%, the number also increased by the same percentage to eighty.
And now the increase was evident in the most successful teams. Preston now in finishing second had restored its contingent to eleven and Everton in taking the title from Deepdale had thirteen on its books. Indeed, with such numbers both clubs, even if they had not been before, were now and for the first time effectively fully playing Scots-style outwith its homeland. And so probably was Sunderland with twelve in its squad with Burnley and ten not far behind. Plus there was Bolton with eight in fifth league spot and Notts County still with seven but having risen from tenth and successful re-election the previous season to third. However, perhaps more stark still was the situation at the other end of the table. Four teams now required re-election, Aston Villa, Accrington, Derby County and West Bromwich, and they had the same number as champions Everton, not individually but in total. The message now seemed simple. Not to engage Scots threatened relegation, this whilst Blackburn also became a repeat Cup winner but in a final with a difference. There it would field four Scots, including John Forbes now captain, but the opposition, Notts County, for the first time as a loser in the professional era fielded more, seven in all, so eleven in total, precisely half those on the pitch that day, including one name, David Calderhead, that would reoccur. It meant that at half, 50%, again as a professional first, the Scots input to the English Cup exceeded that of the League, albeit, itself at a remarkable 41%.
As it happened all four of the clubs requiring re-election for the 1891-2 season achieved it. And Stoke also returned as the number of League teams was increased from twelve to fourteen. Darwen made up the numbers. Thus, whilst the total number of Scots in the English game increased by 10% to one hundred and thirty so did the proportion in the enlarged League and the average per team remained roughly the same. And the effect of those Scots also was largely unchanged, although there was again a new champion. It was Sunderland, still with thirteen from north of the border employed, once more followed by Preston with nine and Bolton in third with the same. Even Villa in fourth place now had five Scots on its books with Everton in fifth still very much Scots-style with thirteen. Only Wolverhampton Wanderers in sixth place seems to buck the trend with just one but in terms of success it was the exception. Darwen with just three finished last and failed re-election and, whilst Stoke again struggled even with eight but survived, the two teams above them, Accrington and West Bromwich, did so with zero and four respectively with at least a consolation prize for the latter. It was the Albion that took the Cup in the final playing just two of its contingent and defeating once more a team with more, Aston Villa and four. It meant that in terms of the Cup the Scots input had fallen by two thirds but this was in complete contrast to the League, where for the first time it was half, in fact at 55% more than half.
And the League impact at a time of change, indeed fourfold change, once more did not go unnoticed. For the beginning of the 1892-3 season the one-team-per-town rule was dropped and two more teams were added to the First Division. The Wednesday finally came into the fold, as did Nottingham Forest and a team called Newton Heath that would become Manchester United. Additionally a Second Division was added, which amongst others included Small Heath, the precursor to Birmingham City and Ardwick, the future Manchester City. Moreover, Darwen was accommodated by the introduction of relegation and by default its corollary, promotion. And last but not least the number of Scots in England’s football leapt to one hundred and ninety-six, a 50% jump, with now one hundred and thirty-four, a 49% increase in now sixteen League clubs. Furthermore, four rather than three First Division teams, Everton, Burnley, Sunderland and newcomer Newton Heath, could theoretically send out a full team from north of the border. Indeed, Everton employed the services of a total of seventeen. And seven more clubs, Preston, Blackburn, Aston Villa, Bolton, Notts County, Stoke, Derby and Nottingham Forest, so twelve of sixteen, could field at least half a team. The exceptions were West Bromwich, Wolves, The Wednesday and Accrington and, whilst even with nine and thirteen Scots respectively Derby and Newton Heath also struggled, the latter having newly recruited ten and clearly failing to blend them, the four finished no higher than eighth.
Yet still there was a contradiction. Wolves, with one Scot on the books and none its team on the day won the Cup and in doing so it was Everton, eight places above the Midlands team and fielding six, that was vanquished, albeit by a single goal and against the run of play. Moreover, it was perhaps further evidence after the previous year’s final that Scots influence, so notable in the grind of the League, could in one-off games at times be overcome and, as demonstrated by Wolves, with one particular tactic, the long-ball game. Certainly it seemed to show in the statistics. Whilst Scots input to League success had marginally increased from the previous year and at 51% was still just over half, in the Cup Final it fell to just 12%.
However, whilst a differential between Scots involvement in League and Cup success seemed to be emerging it also appeared that there were the first signs of the success of the format of the former eclipsing that of the latter. Indeed League was becoming leagues. Whilst in 1893-94 and in 1894-95 ten more Scots were recruited to the top-flight game in each season elsewhere there was both expansion and attenuating change.
The former was the foundation in 1894 of the Southern League. An alternative to the northern-dominated Football League it consisted initially of sixteen clubs in two divisions, the teams from which that would become Football League teams in due course had pre-formation just three Scots on their books, in the first season seven and in the following one, 1895-96, sixteen. This was as the Football League was won firstly by Aston Villa, reduced to five Scots, ahead of Sunderland, now seventeen, and Derby, ten, then the following year by Sunderland, reduced to merely sixteen, ahead of Everton, eleven, and Villa, five once more, the net effect of which were inputs of 59% and 45% respectively. And, whilst the Cup was taken firstly by Notts County, with five Scots and six Englishman over Bolton, seven and four and the following year in a Midlands’ clash Villa, two, over West Bromwich, also two but also a first Northern Irishman, Jack Taggart, input rose to 36% before falling back to 22%
And the attenuation had been in 1893 both the acceptance in Scotland of professionalism as the reality and the addition of Second Division to its league. It therefore provided for a first time an alternative to employment in England allowing those who had already gone south to return, with a number doing just that, and in theory also doubled the number of clubs better able to employ emerging talent. In fact it also created a rival market and prices no doubt responded accordingly with some results that would become apparent soon enough.