Scottish players in The Football League 1888- 98

Reading about football in the 1870s, 1880s and 1890s a recurring theme is the influence that Scottish players had on the development of the game in England.
In order to ascertain what sort of numbers were involved in the influx of Scottish players into English football as it became more professionalized in the north and the midlands I have looked at the line ups of Football League teams on selected days.

No player was assumed to be Scottish without evidence, so one or two for whom the biographical data is sketchy may have escaped my attention.   A small number of Welsh (and an even smaller number of Irish ) players are in evidence.

Preston North End kicked off the first ever Football League campaign with 6 Scottish players in the side. 

As my starting point I looked at the line ups of the 12 Football League teams over the first two weeks of league football in Britain (08.09.88 & 15.09.88):

Team	Scottish Players	Welsh Players	% Scots	% Welsh	% Non English
Preston North End*	Sandy Robertson, Willie Graham,  Johnny Graham, Jack Gordon, Jimmy Ross,  Geordie Drummond	James Trainer	54.5	9
Burnley	Sandy Lang, Dannie Friel, Alec Brady, William Tait, Fred Poland, Pat Gallocher		54.5		54.5
Everton	Alec Dick, Nick Ross	Robert Jones,  William Lewis, George Farmer	18
Bolton Wanderers	Thomas Coupar, Alec Barbour, James Brogan	Bob Roberts
Accrington	John Stevenson,  Jim Bonar		18		18
Derby County	Archibald Ferguson, Sandy Higgins		18		18
Notts County	Tommy McLean, Bob Jardine		18		18
Blackburn Rovers	Jimmy Douglas		9		9
Stoke	Bob McSkimming		9		9
West Bromwich Albion	Billy Hendry		9		9
Aston Villa
Wolverhampton Wanderers

*I did not count John Goodall as being Scottish, even though he began his  football career in Scotland.

**I did not count Archie Goodall as Irish as he was capped by Ireland purely by virtue of having being born there. He learned his football in Scotland. 

	Total	English	Scottish	Welsh	Non English
Numbers	132	99	28	5	33
%		75	21	4	25

Nick Ross, Everton, Preston North End.

The next date I looked at were the corresponding weekends one year later, the opening fixtures of the 1889-90 season (07.09.89 & 14.09.89):

Team	Scottish Players	Welsh Players	% Scots	% Welsh	% Non English
Preston North End	Bob Kelso, Dave Russell, Johnny Graham, Jack Gordon, Jimmy Ross, Nick Ross, Sammy Thomson, Geordie Drummond	James Trainer	72.7	9	81.8
Everton	Andrew Hannah, Dan Doyle, Jimmy Weir, Alex Latta	George Farmer, Charlie Parry	36.3	18	54.5
Accrington	John Lindsay, John Stevenson, Pat Gallocher, Billy Barbour, J. McLuggage		45.4
Blackburn Rovers	Tom Brandon, John Forbes, Jimmy Douglas, Geordie Dewar, Harry Campbell		45.4
Notts County	James McMillan, Sandy Ferguson, Tom McLean, John Oswald, Jimmy Oswald		45.4
Stoke	Billy Hendry, Davy Christie, Bob McCormick, Peter Coupar, Wally McReddie		45.4
Bolton Wanderers	James Brogan	Di Jones, Bob Roberts	9	18
Burnley	Walter Cox, Bill McFettridge, Sandy Lang
Aston Villa	Jimmy Cowan, Archie Hunter		18		18
Derby*	Archibald Ferguson, Sandy Higgins		18		18
West Bromwich Albion
Wolverhampton Wanderers

	Total	English	Scottish	Welsh	Non English
Numbers	132	87	40	5	45
%		66	30.3	3.7	34

On 20.04.91.the first selection to represent the Football League played against the Football Alliance at Olive Grove (Sheffield):

League
England	Scotland	Wales
C Athersmith (Aston Villa), J Goodall (Derby County), E Chadwick (Everton), H Daft (Notts County)	T Brandon (Blackburn), N Ross (Preston North End), D Calderhead (Notts County), G Dewar (Blackburn Rovers), H Wilson (Sunderland), T McInnes (Notts County)	J Trainer (Preston North End)
4	6	1
Alliance
England	Scotland	Wales
R Roberts (Sunderland Albion), T Clare (Stoke), H Brandon (The Wednesday), H Davis (Birmingham St George’s), W Smith (Nottingham Forest), J Devey  (Birmingham St George’s), T Edge (Stoke)	J Rae (Sunderland Albion), H Clifford (Stoke), P McCracken (Sunderland Albion), D Hannah (Sunderland Albion)
7	4

By the time the 5th season of the Football League kicked off in September 1892 there had been a number of significant changes. 

League football was introduced in Scotland in 1890, but  professionalism remained illegal 'up there' until 1893. 

The Football League now consisted of 2 divisions (of 16 and 12 teams).

Sunderland, The Team of All the Talents, almost exclusively Scottish.

Let's look at Division One (03.09.92, 05.09.92, 10.09.92):

Team	Scottish Players	Welsh Players	% Scots	% Welsh	% Non English
Sunderland*	Teddy Doig, Robert Smellie,  Hughie Wilson,  John Auld, Will Gibson, Jimmy Hannah,  Davy Hannah,  Johnny Campbell, Jock Scott,  Jimmy Millar		90.9		90.9
Bolton Wanderers	John Sommerville Alex Paton,  Harry Gardiner, David McFetteridge, Jimmy Munro, Davie Willocks, Jimmy Cassidy	Di Jones,	63.6	9	72.7
Burnley	Tom Nicol, Sandy Lang, George King,  James Matthew,  Alec Stewart, Billy Bowes, Henry Boyd,  Jimmy Hill,		72.7		72.7
Notts County	Andrew Whitelaw, Jack Hendry,  J Parke, David Calderhead, Andrew McGregor,  Edward Docherty,  Jimmy Oswald		63.6		63.6
Everton	David Jardine,  John Dewar, Dickie Boyle, Hope Robertson, Alex  Latta, Alan Maxwell,		54.5		54.5
Nottingham Forest	Adam Scott, Tom Hamilton, Peter McCracken, Neil McCallum, Sandy Higgins, Tom McInnes		54.5		54.5
Newton Heath	William Stewart, Fred Erentz,  Jimmy Coupar,  Bob Donaldson, Adam Carson, William Mathieson		54.5		54.5
The Wednesday	Bill Allan,  Tom Brandon,  Sandy Hall,  Harry Brandon,  Alec Brady,  Bob Brown,		54.5		54.5
Preston North End	Nick Ross, Billy Stewart,  Jimmy Ross,  Geordie Drummond,  Hugh Gallacher	James Trainer	45.4		54.5
West Bromwich Albion**	Thomas McCulloch, Willie Groves,  Roddie McLeod,	Archie Bostock	36.3	9	45.4
		Jack Reynolds (Irish cap)		9
Stoke	Davy Christie, Davy Brodie,  Chippy Naughton,  Billy Dickson, Jimmie Robertson		45.4		45.4
Blackburn Rovers	John Murray, John Forbes,  Geordie Dewar, Coombe Hall		36.3		36.3
Derby County***	Jimmy Methven,  Johnny McMillan		18.1		18.1
Accrington	John Stevenson		9		9
Wolverhampton Wanderers	Jack Johnston		9		9

* Davy Hannah was born in Ireland, but was a product of Scottish football (Renton).

**Jack Reynolds is counted as Irish (he was capped by both England and Ireland) as he began his football career in Ireland.
***Henry Garden of Derby County was born in Ireland, but does not appear to have been Irish. 

	Total	English	Scottish	Welsh	Irish	Non English
Numbers	176	90	82	3	1*	86
%		51.1	46.5	1.7	0.5	48.8

This shows a 25% increase in the number of Scottish players in the First Division  from the number that played in the first day of League football 5 years previously.

Finally, lets look at the First Division on the 10th anniversary of the Football League. 18 teams now, with the north east and Sheffield getting a look in. These line ups from matches played on 01.09.98 and 03.09.98:

	Scottish Players	Irish Players	% Scots	% Irish	% Non English
Sunderland	Teddy Doig, Matthew Ferguson, Robert McNeill, Bill Raisbeck, Sandy McAllister, Billy Dunlop, James Crawford, Jim Leslie, Hugh Morgan, Hughie Wilson, Jimmy Chalmers		100		100
Preston North End	Peter McBride, Sandy Tait, Hugh Dunn, Bob Blyth, David Russell, Peter McIntyre, Jimmy Blessington, Sandy Brown, Colin McLatchie		90.9		90.9
Bolton Wanderers	John Somerville, George Lockhart, Bob Brown, Archie Freebairn, Billy Thomson, David Nicoll, Jocky Wright, Bob Jack		81.8		81.8
Newcastle United	Tommy Ghee, Jack Ostler, Andy `Daddler` Aitken, John Harvie, Johnny Campbell, Jock Peddie, William Smith, Willie Wardrope		81.8		81.8
Liverpool	Archie Goldie, Billy Dunlop, Alex Raisbeck, Billy Goldie, John Walker, George Allan, Hugh Morgan,  Tommy Robertson		72.7		72.7
Derby County	Jimmy Methven,  Joe Leiper, Robert Paterson,  Johnny May, John Boag, Jimmy Stevenson, Hugh McQueen		63.6
Burnley	Jerry Reynolds, Tom McLintock, David Beveridge, Archie Livingstone, Jimmy Ross, Billy Bowes,	Tommy `Ching` Morrison	54.5	9	63.6
Bury	Archie Montgomery, Jack Darroch, Tommy Davidson, Jack Pray, Walter Neilson,  James McLuckie,		54.5
Everton	Willie Muir, Dickie Boyle, Jack Taylor, John Divers,  John Proudfoot		45.4		45.4
Notts County	David Calderhead, Richard Hannigan, Alex Maconnachie, Jack Fraser		36.3		36.3
Nottingham Forest	Archie Ritchie, Adam Scott, John McPherson, Tom McInnes,		36.3		36.3
Stoke	Jack Robertson, Willie Maxwell, Jack Kennedy, Tommy Hyslop		36.3		36.3
The Wednesday	Bob Ferrier, Jimmy Jamieson, Willie Dryburgh, Alec Brady		36.3		36.3
Aston Villa	Tommy Bowman, Jimmy Cowan		18.1		18.1
Blackburn Rovers	Tom Brandon, Geordie Anderson		18.1		18.1
Wolverhampton Wanderers	George Fleming		9		9
Sheffield United
West Bromwich Albion

	Total	English	Scottish	Irish	Non English
Numbers	198	107	90	1	91
%		54	45.4	0.5	45.9

Perhaps just as remarkable as the fact that Sunderland fielded 11 Scotsmen and that the game between  Preston North End and Sunderland featured no fewer than 20 Scottish players  is that there were, as in 1888, 2 exclusively English teams. 

Line ups found at  http://www.enfa.co.uk./