21.5.13

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 (07.09.8914.09.89):


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./