An Appeal To Good Sportsmen

There was a perception during the early days of the 1914-18 war that footballers (or football, as in the institution of the game) was failing in its patriotic duty. This arose from the failure of the Football League to suspend play at the outset of hostilities. Rugby Union footballers were seen to be flocking to the colours as one. 

Footballers did, of course, make proportionate sacrifices. Fatalities included Leigh Richmond Roose (Wales and numerous clubs- notably Stoke and Sunderland), Walter Tull (Northampton Town, Tottenham Hotspur), Bradford City's  Bob Torrance, Jimmy Speirs, Evelyn Lintott, James Conlin, James Comrie and  Gerald Kirk. George 'Gattling Gun' Hilsden (Chelsea, West Ham United and England) was incapacitated by a mustard gas attack having rather ignominiously tried to avoid the call up- he was arrested having hidden in a shed.

England from the spot...

It is worth remembering that the penalty kick was the brainchild of an Irishman.  Supporters of England in the modern era have every reason to dislike the free kick from eleven metres, but it seems that England's fear of the penalty kick is almost as old as the penalty kick itself.
The first thing that struck me when looking at the stats was the relatively low frequency with which penalties seem to have been awarded in internationals. Only 13 kicks awarded in the 167 internationals that England played between the introduction of the penalty in August 1891 and the summer of 1937, when our coverage of football history ends. 5 goals in 13 attempts represents a 38% success rate.

Date		Player		Opponents	Venue
18.02.99	X	Jimmy Crabtree (Aston Villa)		Ireland	Roker Park
18.03.01	✔	Ernest Needham (Sheffield United)		Wales	St.James Park
30.03.01	X	Ernest Needham (Sheffield United)		Scotland	Crystal Palace
Saved
03.03.02	X	Ernest Needham (Sheffield United)		Wales	Racecourse Wrexham
13.06.08	✔	George Hilsdon (Chelsea)		Bohemia	Stadión Letná Prague
13.02.09	✔	George Hilsdon (Chelsea)		Ireland	Park Avenue
21.05.21	X	George Jud Harrison (Everton)		Belgium	Stade du Daring Brussels
Missed from the spot on debut, played just 2 internationals and never scored for England
08.12.24	X	Billy Walker (Aston Villa)		Belgium	The Hawthorns
28.11.27	X	Roy Goodall (Huddersfield Town)		Wales	Turf Moor
19.10.29	✔	Ernest Hine (Leicester City)		Ireland	Windsor Park
20.10.30	X	Alf Strange (Sheffield Wednesday)		Ireland	Bramall Lane
16.05.31	✔	Eric Coog  Houghton (Aston Villa)		Belgium	Stade du Daring Brussels
14.11.34	X	Eric Brook (Manchester City)		Italy	Highbury
Saved - This came in the first minute of the infamous Battle of Highbury match. Brook scored twice in the first ten minutes regardless.
	13	X	8		✔	5

Ernest Needham

George 'Gattling Gun' Hilsdon 

Ernest Hine 

Coog Houghton

England European tour 1908

36 years after they played their first international England played their first official matches against opponents from outside the British isles, taking a mixed team of amateurs and professionals to Austria-Hungary. In one week in June they played 5 internationals against Austria (twice) Hungary and Bohemia.

Austria had played 10 previous internationals, all against Hungary.
6 June 1908 a crowd of 3,500 watched England beat Austria 6-1 at Vienna's Cricketer Platz. 2 days later at Hohe Warte Stadium, in the same city England ran out 11-1 winners (Attendance: 5,000).

England (standing) Hungary (seated)

 Hugo Meisl refereed the meeting between England and Hungary at Budapest on 10th June. It was Hungary's 16th international, all the previous ones being against either Austria or Bohemia. England won 7-0 in front of a 7,000 crowd.

Bohemia's team for the game at Prague on the 13th was made up of eleven Slavia Prague players. Bohemia's 5 previous internationals had all been against Hungary. A crowd of 12,000 saw England win 4-0. 

George  'Gatling Gun' Hilsdon

28 goals in 7 days for England, 8 for George Hilsdon (Chelsea), 6 for the captain, Vivian Woodward (Tottenham Hotspur) and 5 for Jimmy Windridge (Chelsea).