It was England's 12th international (w 4 d 2 l 5 ) and their 3rd against Wales, the first time that they had played a home match away from The Oval. The England team had a strong northern representation, with 5 players from Lancashire clubs, 2 from Sheffield clubs and 2 from midlands clubs.
Wales' line up reflects the origins of the Welsh game in the north east border country.
The game was played at the East Lancashire Cricket Club- Alexandra Meadows. This was the home of Blackburn Rovers from 1878 -1881.We know that both sides wore white tops for this game- the Welsh players were distinguished by a sash. They also provided their own knickers (the Welsh FA has always been strapped for cash).
Kenrick reportedly suffered broken teeth and a 'dislocated knee' after a clash with Mosforth. The ground was in poor condition following snow and rain. England were decribed in the press as being both poor and unlucky- having many efforts on goal and a goal disallowed when Marshall, in an offside position, deflected a shot from Mosforth.
England
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G
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John Hawtrey
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Remnants
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B
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Alf Harvey
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Wednesbury Strollers
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B
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Arthur Bambridge
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Swifts
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H
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Jack Hunter (c)
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Sheffield Heeley
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H
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Fred Hargreaves
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Blackburn Rovers
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F
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Thomas Marshall
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Darwen
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F
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Thurston Rostron
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Darwen
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F
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Jimmy Brown
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Blackburn Rovers
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F
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George Tait
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Birmingham Excelsior
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F
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John Hargreaves
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Blackburn Rovers
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F
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Billy Mosforth
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The Wednesday
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Wales (archives)
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Contemporary press variations
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G
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Robert McMillan
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Shrewsbury Engineers
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B
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John Morgan
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Derby School
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B
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Llewelyn Kenrick
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Druids
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H
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William Williams
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Druids
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H
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William Bell
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Shrewsbury Engineers
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F
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William Owen
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Ruthin
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F
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Thomas Lewis
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Wrexham
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F
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Knyvett Crosse
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Druids
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CK Smith*
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Druids
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F
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John Price
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Wrexham
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F
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Uriah Goodwin
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Ruthin
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W Roberts
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Berwyn Rangers
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F
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John Vaughan
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Druids
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* I have seen 'CK Smith' in some press reports inn quotation marks- a journalistic device that denoted a pseudonym was in use.
William Pierce Owen, a student of Law and Ruthin Town's outside right, left this very revealing memoir of the game that tells us a great deal about the casual nature of football even at international level in these early days.
We traveled to Manchester by the 8 o'clock train from Ruthin, and on the way to the station I asked Uriah Goodwin where were his football clothes. "Oh!" he replied, "I've got them on". They were underneath his ordinary clothes!
At Manchester we met the rest of the team, mostly Druids, except Bell and McMillan of Shrewsbury. We arrived at Blackburn a man short and took the field with only ten men. To the best of my recollection the ground was nearly 200 yards long and 100 yards wide. The spectators stood on foot planks along the touch lines.
It was snowing and hailing and we had been playing for some time, when I saw what I thought was a spectator breaking into the field and making a violent attack upon Marshall and Rostrorn, the English right wing. Upon closer inspection I found it was Llewelyn Kenrick of Ruabon. He was dressed in long tweed trousers, wore ordinary boots and sported a smart Oxford shirt. He played with the utmost vigour until unfortunately his knee gave way and once more Wales had only ten men on the field. The only goal of the match was scored by Jack Vaughan from a pass I gave him; he was materially aided by Uriah Goodwin, who impeded the goalkeeper, as he was quite entitled to do in those days. We had to leave Blackburn immediately after the match; so we commandeered from the dining room some fowls and ham to eat on the homeward journey. We stopped at Chester for the night and then travelled on to Mold by train. In addition to our train fare we were given 10s (50p) to pay for a trap from Mold to Ruthin. Goodwin and I made arrangements whereby I was to stand him a pint at the 'Loggerheads', a far famed hostelry between Mold and Ruthin, if he carried my bag, and we agreed to divide the 10s and to walk the ten miles across the moor.
We reached Ruthin just as the people were coming out of church. We thought ourselves the greatest heroes, having vanquished the English XI.
Playing on a huge pitch.
Starting the match with 10 men- the 11th playing in his ordinary clothes and boots. The game certainly has changed.