Review 1896–97 Small Heath F.C. season

1 review

1.1 september–october
1.2 november–december
1.3 january–february
1.4 march–april

review
september–october

small heath prepared new season friendly match @ aston villa in connection fred wheldon s transfer. wheldon scored twice villa won 3–1, small heath s goal coming walter abbott. because kickoff delayed until 6 o clock, match ended in near darkness. league season began spirited performance @ home newcastle united on rain-soaked pitch. first-half goals alex leake, jimmy inglis header tom farnall s free kick, , jack jones gave small heath 3–1 victory, prompting press predict finish in test match positions. in return fixture, newcastle led 3–2 @ half time – 3 goals richard smellie against jones s two – reduced ten men, william graham having broken arm. inglis tied scores in second half home team scored late winner. 2 days later, small heath enjoyed comfortable home win against darwen in early-evening match. inglis opened scoring header, in second half, disputed goal allowed, , fine shot billy walton , 2 goals william robertson made final score 5–1.

in poor game, small heath suffered unexpected defeat @ home lincoln city. leicester chronicle suggested if heathens have pretentions towards regaining position in first division, believe ambition, have show form vastly different last saturday. inglis header gave team first-half lead on slippery surface @ burton swifts, , both sides wasted chances before swifts equalised ten minutes left.

a 2–1 defeat @ home burton swifts preceded visit league leaders newton heath , reunion former captain caesar jenkyns. home side had better of first half, in torrential rain following thunderstorm before kickoff, closest came scoring when smith hit bar. in second half, newton heath scored scrimmage, jones equalised small heath after forwards rushed downfield. playing benefit of slope, walsall took lead twice in staffordshire cup, on change of ends, small heath equalised, , scored twice more in time progress next round.

in mid-october, former england international forward dennis hodgetts joined aston villa. dundee courier & argus assessed player thus:

aston villa have many clever forwards afford dispense man hodgetts, naturally slow, , disinclined work. judgment , coaching powers should render him useful recruit other birmingham club ... hodgetts 1 historic forward england has produced. inside left doubtful if ever had equal; never had superior. 1 of artistic dribblers , dodgers ever seen, , unselfishness proverbial.

he made debut on dull, damp day @ home gainsborough trinity. small heath took two-goal lead through inglis , leake, visitors brought scores level before half time, , 15 minutes left, trinity s john scott sent off striking jack jones. when matter came before county association, player received suspension of 1 week – minimum punishment permissible – because of 17 years unblemished conduct , having acted under great provocation, jones having kicked him off legs , cleaned 1 hand on him . small heath overwhelmed 4 goals nil wolverhampton wanderers in staffordshire cup. perhaps fortunate find walsall without first-choice goalkeeper , 3 forwards, small heath won 6–1 away home, 2 goals inglis , walton , 1 apiece jones , charles izon. despite convincing nature of victory, leicester chronicle thought late team reach test match positions. john logan, late of partick thistle, made debut in 1–0 defeat @ home grimsby town proved appearance in english leagues.

november–december

having no competitive fixture scheduled during part of november, small heath played wolverhampton wanderers in friendly part of day of musical , sporting entertainments @ crystal palace grounds. on raw day, 500 spectators watched small heath s 2–0 victory failed entertain penny illustrated paper:

that paid player wanting in keenness when match friendly , i.e. not associated league or cup competition, has nearly, if not quite, become proverbial. small heath , wolverhampton wanderers gave exhibition @ crystal palace not calculated impress visitors favourably.

back in league, woolwich arsenal took lead @ coventry road 4–1 down half time, hodgetts scoring twice , walton , robertson once each. in second half james brock pulled 1 visitors, charlie hare, on debut after joining arsenal few days before, made final score 5–2. visit darwen produced 2–0 defeat have been heavier had home club not had 2 second-half goals disallowed. according leicester chronicle, match between newton heath , small heath, usual, when these teams meet, not scientific one, players on both sides being prone play man instead of ball. jimmy inglis had leave field badly winded , , hare had several shots distance, goal scored jones after 5 minutes.

a friendly arranged @ short notice @ millwall athletic attracted few spectators, poor form displayed small heath causing fixture possess little interest ; millwall won 9–1. in league, fine attacking display gave grimsby town 2–0 half-time lead; on change of ends, playing against wind, small heath s performance improved, , hare scored on break ten minutes time, unable equalise. in first round of birmingham cup, own goal earned small heath draw @ burton swifts. losing run in league continued sorry show @ loughborough. home side s long-ball style disrupted small heath s preference close passing, , game finished 2–0. @ home walsall, whom had beaten 6–1 in previous meeting, small heath had better of first half, goals charlie izon , denny hodgetts, visitors equalised after goalkeeping error, , final score 3–3, walsall being unlucky in not winning .

december ended 2 friendly matches. on boxing day, visitors, scottish league leaders hibernians, began match in brilliant style , , although heavy pitch inhibited shooting, came out winners 5 goals two. crowd of 4,000 attended benefit match aston villa full-back jim elliott, had been incapacitated illness . elliott died less 3 years later, @ age of 29. after series of poor results, attendances had dwindled. owl s correspondent approved of selection of hare @ centre-forward, suggested until club signed 2 or 3 men play in defensive positions, team s decline continue.

january–february

small heath suffered predictable defeat @ hyde road against manchester city on new year s day. poor goalkeeping ernest pointer allowed james sharples open scoring, though both goalkeepers made saves restrict first-half score 1 goal. after interval, city increased lead first scrimmage, , again free kick. after recent defeats, committee made several changes following day s visit gainsborough trinity. jimmy inglis, reported have been content take matters of late , omitted, billy walton moved half-back line former position of inside right, , tom farnall returned @ half-back. gainsborough fielded former small heath players bernard pumfrey , tom bayley. although visitors fell behind in game, goals walton , denny hodgetts gave visitors half-time lead, extended 3–1 close.

a friendly visit new brompton in kent produced 4–1 defeat, followed on monday billy walton s benefit match against aston villa. unfortunately beneficiary, had served club 8 years , admitted consistent player club possesses , fears attendance low 1 realised. dart s hear column suggested match raised £30, deserved far more, , pity committee not see way make respectable sum . without fixture following saturday, small heath attempted arrange friendly in south of england, after previous performances in such matches, no potential opponent prepared offer sufficient financial guarantee them agree travel. perhaps free weekend motivated players, in wintry weather won replayed birmingham cup-tie against burton swifts 7 goals one.

a gale damaged roof of grandstand @ coventry road ground; fortunately, next day s match away, @ blackpool, , damage repaired before small heath played @ home again. blackpool took lead after 5 minutes, cause hindered afterwards when lost harry stirzaker head injury in game, , tom oakes scored twice small heath exploited numerical advantage win 3–1. january ended first-round fa cup tie played in heavy sleet @ home against second division leaders notts county. in first half, notts largely on defensive, in second, twice forced ball home. small heath pressed again, , walton scored, unable equalise. owl reported suffered cruel luck , notts victory owed george toone s goalkeeping, , attack better have seen season. dart offered particular praise denny hodgetts, far cleverest player on field , , not @ has-been thought when signed.

small heath put out strong side against wolverhampton wanderers in second round of birmingham cup, lost oakes injury in first half, , suffered defeat 8 goals two. again, owl bemoaned lack of vigorous , resourceful backs . returned league action 6–2 win @ burton wanderers, including 2 goals on debut reserve forward walter gadsby; five-goal lead after half time led visitors backs taking things rather easy . comfortable 5–1 win against weakened liverpool team, in charlie hare, shooting in dangerous manner, , making best use of openings given him , scored hat-trick, preceded return fixture against burton wanderers, featured former small heath regulars , ted devey. exciting game saw small heath fight win 3–2 secure fourth consecutive victory, marred first-half injury billy walton proved broken shoulderblade kept him out remainder of season. leicester chronicle wondered might give of points let slip in beginning of season .

march–april

in front of 6,000 spectators @ coventry road, blackpool took lead after half hour, , doubled in second half. after many fruitless attempts, small heath scored scrimmage, jimmy martin extended blackpool s lead again. despite reaching interval goal in arrears lincoln city, small heath s winning run resumed overran division s bottom club second-half goals inglis, oakes , jack jones, , loughborough found home side s forwards in top form lost 3–0 @ coventry road. denny hodgetts scored goal of small heath s visit leicester fosse. despite strong cross-field wind, game excellent one: writing local readership, leicester chronicle thought no 1 can begrudge small heath victory, though @ same time draw more adequately have represented play , , had fosse won, game undoubtedly have been voted 1 of best seen on ground; was, drawback splendid exhibition regrettable failure in front of goal. strong wind @ plumstead blew along pitch, , had significant effect on game. playing both wind , sun @ backs, woolwich arsenal took 2–1 lead in first half, on change of ends, former arsenal player charlie hare scored twice give small heath fourth consecutive win.

a great surprise london standard s assessment of victory @ division leaders notts county 2 walter abbott goals 1 tom boucher. win completed remarkable series of performances small heath, in short space of 8 days capture[d] full share of points away home such clubs fosse, woolwich arsenal, , notts county , effort came late oust newton heath second position. in return fixture notts, of divisional championship, small heath took 3–0 half time lead, after did not exert great extent , , won game 3–1. playing wind in favour @ coventry road, leicester fosse had one-goal lead @ interval, on change of ends inglis equalised, , game finished 2 goals apiece. in last game of season, @ home manchester city, billy meredith opened scoring after robert hill had goal disallowed offside, small heath added 3 goals in second half, header , penalty leake , third hare, earn decisive victory, seventh in last 8 matches of season, earning them finishing position of fourth, 2 points outside test match places.

when football association announced list of clubs exempt qualifying competition 1897–98 fa cup, small heath not on it, although less successful local rivals walsall were. sports argus suggested club s own doing: well-known league club s secretary told me small heath had blame non-inclusion among exempted clubs, , whereas had not single friend @ court , walsall people had had assiduously campaigned support . after league season finished, small heath played friendly against grimsby town in hull, city strong rugby league tradition, in order encourage game [of association football] in town .