Christmas Day 1889 - Nick Ross

The first time that League football was played on Xmas Day was in 1889, the second season of League football.
In heavy conditions before a crowd of 6-7,000, top of the table Preston North End entertained Aston Villa at Deepdale.

North End took a 6th minute lead and then came back from 2-1 down to win 3-2.
When reading up on this match I was surprised to note that the scorer of Preston's goals was Nick Ross- one of the leading fullbacks of the era.
Ross had risen to prominence as a left back. In the 1888-89 season (when he was at Everton, reputedly earning £10 a week) he had played 2 games at centre forward, scoring once.
On his return to Preston for the 1889-90 season Ross played 16 of his 23 matches at centre forward, clocking up 24 goals.
Remarkably, with the exception of a match against Burnley in 1891 in which he played at outside right, all the remaining games of Ross' career were played as a back! He finished with a career total of 31 goals from his 6 seasons during the Football League era.
Incidentally the contemporary press referred to Ross (or Ross senior, as his younger brother Jimmy was also at Preston North End) as both Nick and Jack.  The great football writer Jimmy Catton (Tityrus) called him Nick- and that's the example I'll follow as Catton was very close to the Preston North End players.

Hibernians, Champions of the World.

Hibernians (pre 1892 there was a pluralizing s at the end) were victims of their own success.
 Formed in 1875 as a club for Edinburgh's Irish community by Catholic priest Canon Edward Hannan, Hibernians were the model for a similar venture in Glasgow. When brother Walfrid  formed Celtic in 1888 they initially loaned a number of Hibernians players, many of whom later moved permanently to the Glasgow club. 
Initially the Scottish Football Association refused Hibernians membership because they were Irish, not Scottish. 
After this bit of foolishness had been rectified Hibernians won the Scottish Cup in 1887.
The week before the clash with Preston North End, Hibernians defeated Stoke 2-1. The origin of the World Championship billing is unclear. Preston North End might well have been one of the foremost clubs in England, but they were not, as is often stated, the FA Cup holders when this match took place.  
The Glasgow Herald report of the match makes no reference whatsoever to a world championship billing, stating that the famous professional combination the Preston North End were, as in the previous year, opening their season with a tour of Scotland (see below). The Herald points out that Preston were weakened by absences, but had drafted in Trainer (Bolton Wanderers) Weir (Halliwell) and the newcomers Ferguson and the Goodall brothers.

McGhee put the home side in front in the tenth minute. In the second half McLaren doubled the lead with a swift low shot.After hitting the bar with a sitter, Archie Goodall pulled one back with a header. Hibs had a third goal disallowed for offside.

Hibernians: Tobin,  Lundie*, McLaughlin, Gallagher, McGinn, McLaren*, Clarke, Dunbar*, McGhee*, Groves*, Smith. 
* Scottish Internationals

A Hibernians line up featuring several of the players who faced Preston. A James McGhee,B Peter McGinn,C Phil Clarke,D John Tobin,E James McLaren,F Willie Groves,G James Lundie,

H George Smith. 

 Preston North End 

All four home nations were represented:

Trainer (Wales), Nick Ross (Scotland), Drummond (Scotland), Weir (England),  Ferguson (Scotland) Robertson (Scotland), Archie Goodall ( Ireland ), Dewhurst (England), John Goodall (England), Gordon (Scotland), Jimmy Ross (Scotland).

Preston North End tour 1887
13.8.87 Hibernians 2-1 Preston North End
18.8.87 Dundee Strathmore 2-16 Preston North End 
19.8.87 Arbroath 0-2 Preston North End 
20.8.87 Glasgow Rangers 1-8 Preston North End

The  following week Preston entertained Scottish visitors at Deepdale:
27.8.87 Preston North End 6-1 Third Lanark RV

World Team of the Decade-1880s

Just a bit of fun to stimulate some debate. I'm going to select a team for every decade from the 1880s to the 1930s. The inspiration? In November 1905 The Daily Mail chose a World XI to challenge another planet at football. I came across this when reading about Leigh Richmond Roose. 
As yet I have not been able to track down that 1905 World XI.
A difficult selection, as the 1880s was probably the decade in which the most profound changes in football took place. In 1880 the game at the highest level would have been almost exclusively the preserve of the old boys and amateurs. 
Three key developments shaped the decade:
 The emergence of the professional teams of Lancashire and the midlands.
The influx of Scottish professionals and the influence they had on the way the game was played.
The legalization of professionalism. 
Anyway, my selection for the 1880s- lining up in the 2-3-5 formation:

	Player	Team	Country
GK	Herby Arthur	Blackburn Rovers	England
In the 1880s the FA Cup was the measure of success in the domestic game and Arthur won it 3 years in a row with Rovers. Another considered was James Trainer of Preston North End.
RB	Nick Ross	Preston North End/Everton	Scotland
A pioneer professional, considered the best defender in the country, reputedly paid £10 a month in 1888.
LB	Fergus Suter	Blackburn Rovers	Scotland
One of the earliest professional signings in the game when he joined Darwen. Caused a stir by moving to neighbours Blackburn Rovers. Others considered were Walter Arnott ( Queen’s Park/ Scotland ) and P.M Walters (Old Carthusians/ England).
RH	Arthur Fitzgerald Kinnaird	Old Etonians	Scotland
Lord Kinnaird’s physical approach to the game may have been a bit old school even at the end of his own playing days, but his achievements cannot be overlooked. He could play in any position.
CH	Norman Bailey	Clapham Rovers	England
The first man to have a protracted run as England captain and the first to reach the magical figure of ten caps. A solid performer.
LH	Jimmy Forrest	Blackburn Rovers	England
The first openly professional player to represent England. Won the FA Cup 5 times.
OR	Billy Bassett	West Bromwich Albion	England
1.65 m in an era of physicality, Bassett was a winger who also scored goals.
IR	Fred Dewhurst	Preston North End	England
The team of the decade would have to have some representative from Corinthian FC, but Fred Dewhurst wasn’t your typical Corinthian- he was the only amateur in the Preston Invincibles line up. A prolific scorer at international level.
CF	John Goodall	Preston North End	England
I chose Goodall as one of the earliest in a long line of professional centre forwards who have been England superstars. I gave consideration also to Tinsley Lindley (Cambridge University, Nottingham Forest/ England) and Archie Hunter (Aston Villa/ Scotland).
IL	Jimmy Ross	Preston North End	Scotland
The Little Demon scored a goal a game in the first two seasons of the Football League. In his time at Preston he scored 250 goals in 220 appearances.
OL	James Brown	Blackburn Rovers	England
Brown was another leading figure in the FA Cup dominance of Blackburn Rovers. Charlie Bambridge (Swifts/England) was a contender.

I expect some criticism for the lack of Scotsmen in the team, and would welcome readers to submit their alternative selections.