THE SCOTS SLAUGHTERED
— James Catton | 08/04/1895 —

The crowd was fully 20,000 strong half-an-hour before the time fixed for the kick-off, but the interval was whiled away in speculation as to the result of the content, in good-humoured banter between Englishmen and Scotchmen, and in enjoying the spectacle of two stalwart pipers marching round the enclosure playing "music" which appealed to the gathering of the clans. A large party of Scotchmen who aassembled in a solid phalanx on the reserved stand were particularly demonstrative every time they were thrilled by the pibroch; but then there was no mistaking the fact that the distilled dewdrops of the mountainsides had been freely assinalated. Four o'clock was, truly, late enough for a commencement, but as that hour, and just as the peregrinating pipers had completed their last parade, Gosling led on the English team amid cheers; but they were not immediately followed by the Scots. Indeed, early eleven minutes elapsed before Oswald headed Scotia's eleven. The teams were:—

SCOTLAND.— M'Arthur (Celtic), goal; Drummond (Rangers) and Doyle (Celtic), backs; Simpson (Third Lanark), Russell (Heart of Midlothian), and Gibson (Rangers), half-backs; Waddell (Queen's Park), Gulliland (Queen's Park), Oswald (St Bernard's), M'Pherson (Rangers), and Lambie (Queen's Park), forwards.

ENGLAND.— J W Sutcliffe (Bolton Wanderers), goal; J. Crabtree (Burnley) and L. V. Lodge (Cambridge University), backs; J. Reynolds (Aston Villa), J. Holt (Everton) and E. Needham (Sheffield United), half-backs; W. J. Bassett (West Bromwich Albion), S. Bloomer (Derby County), J. Goodall (Derby County), R. C. Gosling (Old Etonians), and S. Smith (Aston Villa), forwards.

Referee: J. Reid (Irish F.A.). Linesmen: N. L. Jackson and A Shinan.

Oswald lost no time in shaking hands with Gosling, and the coin being tossed in the air the Edinburgh centre-forward named it. Scotland accordingly took the City goal, which gave them the advantage of a slight wind blowing towards Walton. The hurly-burly began as the teams lined up, and at 4-13 Goodall gave the ball motion. M'Pherson and Lambie raised hopes as they promptly dashed along the left. They were nearing the goal of their ambition when Lodge brought them up. England, who were dressed in white, while Scotland donned dark blue, promptly retaliated. The towering figure of Gosling, with the ball at his toe, was seen threading his way through a maze of players. Just as he passed the eighteen yards line he was tackled by Simpson, while Drummond kicked out, over the stand. This, however, did not thwart the Englishmen, for they pressed, and at the end of two minutes were conceded the first corner, but Needham placed the ball behind the goal. The game was fast and furious, the left wings of both sides doing most of the leading work, while Crabtree and Doyle were conspicuous for clever back-play. Needham was likewise very prominent in these early exchanges, and the last-named centred right in front of the Scotch goal, but Reynolds lifted the ball over the bar. Smith and Gosling continued their agresive movements, the pair working admirably together, and Reynolds, obtaining the leather, dribbled in nicely and steadied himself, but his final effort was wide of the mark. On really settling down the feature of the game was the speedy combined movements of the English forwards. They lined up time after time at a thrilling pace, the Scotch half-backs being quite powerless to check their advances. Bassett and Bloomer were very smart on the ball, but their shots were not as accurate as they might have been Waddell and Gulliland, on the other side, were likewise a source of danger, and when Crabtree was beaten by Waddell, who centred finely, matters looked askward; but Lodge, ever on the alert, cleared his lines with a huge kick. This Scotch wing was indeed very troublesome for some time, but Lodge repeatedly distinguished himself by his well-timed and judicious relief kicks. On the other side, Doyle made some excellent returns. A brilliant run by Smith, who was well fed by Bosling, was loudly applauded. The ball, however, being repassed to the English captain, he could not quite steady himself, and Smith, regainning the leather, sent in a clever scre shot, which the Celtic goalkeeper nearly put into the net, Drummond clearing right off the line to the middle of the field. This helped Scotland to attack, but the ball was twice sent over the English goal, the shooting of the Scottish forwards being very wild. Lodge and Reynolds put in some good work in defeating Lambie, M'Pherson, and Oswald; but once the Scotchmen were beaten back, there seemed, from this point, no holding the English forwards, their combination and passing being in brilliant contrast to the scrambling, ragged efforts of the Caledonians. Owing to the clever work of the three English inside men, the Scotch stronghold seemed in danger of being captured. Bloomer was in a splendid position, but could not take aim owing to being hustled. Still, two shots, with great pace behind them, were made. One of them struck Doyle, and finally the ball was scrummaged away — a very narrow escape for the Scotchmen, who, however, rallied. Sutcliffe was tested by shots from Lambie and M'Pherson. The first of these he got away rather slowly, and from a second he gave a corner. The flag-kick was well taken, and in the play which followed, Waddell, at 4-35, shot through the English goal, but Sutcliffe vigorously claimed a foul, and the referee agreeing with him, no point was allowed. The whites made straight away to the other end, and just about the 18 yards line a free kick for hands was claimed and allowed. Holt placed the ball very nicely, and Bloomer, seeing his opening, sent in a terrific ground ball with this left foot. This took effect, and so the first goal was scored for England at 4-38.

Save that Waddell initiated a strong attack, which was neutralised by the magnificent head play of Lodge, the Southerners continued to have the best of the argument, and at the end of four minutes (4-42) a second goal was credited to England. Smith, from a pass by Gosling, sped swiftly down his wing. He transferred to his partner, who tipped the ball to Goodall. The latter appeared to be going clean through the Scottish defence, but a serummage occurred. Goodall sent in a shot which brought M'Arthur to his knees. He only partially cleared. and the ball rebounded off Gibson through the Scottish goal. This was the seec nd point registered. Waddell and Gulliland did most of the leading work for their side, but there was a great lack of unity in the Scotch forwards, and their attacks were never consummated. owing to this defect. Reynolds and Bassett, Gosling and Holt, were very tricky in their move- ments, and at times it appeared as if the Englishmen could almost do as they liked. The English captain was given a fine chance, but his shot was a poor thing, and passed harmlessly outside the posts. Still, Gosling played with conspicuous unselfishness. His one idea seemed to be to give Smith every chance. The Aston Villa man got over a lot of ground in workmanlike fashion, but Drummond dashing in, gave the ball to his front rank, and Lodge, being considerably pressed kicked back to Sutcliue, who punted out in most approved style. Another attack by the Englishmen enabled Needham to put in a rare screw which was cunningly curing under the bar when Doyle intercepted its flight with his head. Scotland here made a spirited effort, and Sutcliffe cleared a long shot by Oswald. The Scotch captain shortly afterwards passed to Lambie, who steadied himself, and tested Sutelife from close range with a swift ball. The Bolton Wanderer, however, threw away most deftly, but even then danger was not averted, for Waddell made two shots, both very dangerous. It was at this tune that Sutcliffe distinguished himself by a marvellous feat. The Scotch forwards were all in front of him, and the excitement was intense as Sutcliffe, with unfailing judgment, ran out a distance of four or five yards, and using his hand like a cricket bat, took the ball clean away from the toes of his opponents. It was a stroke in the nature of a drive, and the leather rolled swiftly along the grass outside the corner flag. These daring tactics were applauded to the echo. Sutcliffe did not escape scatheless, for in the fray he was accidentally kicked at the back of the head by Waddell. The ringing cheers had barely subsided before Gosling and his comrades had rushed to the other extremity of the ground. It was an incisive attack, and Drummond headed away a difficult shot. The ball went to the foot of Smith who registered the third goal a minute before half-time with a beautiful lofty shot, which travelled at such a pace and so accurately that the Scottish custodian had no chance of intercepting it. Although three goals in arrear Scotland attacked with spirit, and a free kick for hands against Lodge looked very dangerous, but Holt relieved, and the interval arrived.

The game was restarted at 5-8, and the Scots commenced in good form, there being some admirable passing between Gulliland and Oswald, which enabled the Scotch captain to become very dangerous, but Lodge doubled him up while Sutcliffe cleared. Gosling passed beautifully to Smith, and the latter sprinting along centred magnificently, but Bassett was rather at fault, and Russell cleared. Oswald several times tried to break away, but Holt was his policeman. The English forwards still continued their masterly tactics, and Bassett forced a erner off Doyle, but the ball was headed wide, while shortly afterwards Simpson neutralisednice movement by the English right. The Vhites were running round the Scotchmen, but their shooting at the finish of all their work was very faulty. Sutcliffe cleared from Waddell, and the ball was quickly transferred to the other end, when a splendid centre by Bassett right from the line seemed likely to take effect. M'Arthur, however, jumped up, and cut the ball out just near the bar. Sutcliffe was, however, not allowed to rest on his laurels, and he cleared two or three shots in fine form, while Smith sent in a brilliant screw which Doyle headed effectively, So the game waged, but it certainly was not increasing in interest. The English forwards and half-backs were doing most of the leading work, but trickiness with the ball rather than sterling play was the rule. The Englishmen did not go straight for goal in determined fashion. They appeared prone to play to the gallery, and naturally these tactics, although pretty, did not bring goals. Lambie, M'Pherson, end Gulliland were the leading spirits in several forward movements, but Crabtree, Lodge, and Needham were not to be beaten, while when the ball got past them there was still that huge stumbling-block Sutcliffe. Thrice did the Holton Wanderer deal with well-meant efforts, and one of these — a very swift ball from Waddell in the midst of a scrummage — Sutclifie cleared amid cheers. Goodall and Gosling were very conspicuous, and the latter running clean through several opponents, crashed the ball into the net, but no goal was allowed, the offside rule having being infringed. The English forwards were again in full swing, but Russell was very prominent in pulling then up. The Scotchmen did their share of attacking, and Sutcliffe twice more relieved his lines with huge punts in the most approved style of a finished three-quarter back. The Englishmen certainly showed a disinclination to shoot, although they were having the best of the argument, and at this time the referee came in for considerable criticism owing to some of his decisions in regard to offside, such, for instance, as giving a free kick against Smith with four or five plavers in front of him. Smith shortly afterwards ran round Drummond, and passing to the right, Bloomer and Goodall put in some clever work, M'Arthur saving his change with a dash of luck. After a fine but abortive run by Bassett, who was grassed by Russell, the Scotch forwards lined up capitally, but Sutcliffe dashed out in the nick of time, and with excellent judgment kicked away. Towards the finish the Southrous swarmed round the Scotch goal, and put in repeated shots, but without avail. Scotland made a kind of expiring effort by their left wing, but the ball went wide, and the English forwards had just travelled into Scotch quarters when the reterve sounded the whistle for the cessation of hostilities.

We have seen much more interesting games. The match was desperately contested, but the standard of English play was all round so much superior, so much more finished, so much more accurate, that it may truly be said the Scotchmen were outclassed. If everything that the Englishmen attempted did not succeed, there was still a scientific design at the back of all their movements. There was nothing wild about the football of the winning team. Every man kept his head, kept his place, and did his work in a style which was in marked contrast to the efforts of the Scotchmen. True, in the second half there were no goals scored, but this is explained by the fact that the winners hardly taxed themselves so severely as before the interval. The result was in safe keeping, and a win by three goals was sufficient. The Southern forwards did all that was expected of them. They were selected from four different clubs, but they played so well together that they might have been accustomed to each others tactics. They were very speedy and very tricky, their only fault being that they did not shoot so precisely and so accurately as could have been wished. Gosling almost entirely sacrificed his individualism; he fed Smith most persistently, and gave every chance to his comrades right and left of him. he could pass to an inch, but did not seem to have such a command over the ball as the other four. Goodall was the slowed of the five, but he rarely made a mistake, and held his wings well together. Bassett was quite the Bassett of old, and never shirked an encounter with burly Douyle. The two freshmen, Smith and Bloomer, certainly won their spurs. The Aston Villa forward is a very speedy, brilliant man, and the point which he scored was undoubtedly the goal of the match. Bloomer stayed the whole of the ninety minutes as fresh as paint; he was ever in the front, and so lithe and sinuous was his style that he was a most difficult man to deal with. He has a rare turn of speed, and if he keeps his form he will be heard of for many years to come. 

The English half-backs left nothing to be desired. They worked well together, and, truthfully, it is difficult to five more praise to one man than anothe, although Needham, if anything, was the best of the trio.

The English defence was a simply magnificent. A whole column might easily be written describing the play and singing the praises of this division. Lodge thoroughly justified his selection, and on the day's play there is no better back in England. A tall, powerfully-built young fellow, dressed in white, with a shaggy red poll, he was always conspicuous. He displayed great dash and determination, but never lost his head, and if the ball got twice beyond him he found in Crabtree a valiant partner. They were a well-matched pair. Crabtree, who usually plays right, appeared on the left, and his facility in kicking accurately with either foot in any position evoked a great admiration. Rarely has England posssessed a better goalkeeper than Sutcliffe. He fills the space allotted to him, and not only does he stop the ball, but we have never seen a goalkeeper who gets it so well away. Time after time he drop-kicked right over the half-way line, which saved the forwards a lot of work. The one particular save to which we have already referred in the first half, will never be forgotten by those who were privileged to see it. His vis-a-vis did well, especially on one occasion, but M'Arthur did not strike us as a goalkeeper, say, of the M'Aulay stamp. There was great doubt as to whether Doule should be played, but he was, and acquitted himself fairl well, although we did not care much about his style. Drummond was certainly quite as good. As to the Scotch half-backs, perhaps the less said the better. Russell, of the Heart of Midlothian, was far and away the cleverest and most reliable. Simpson worked hard, but discounted his value by unnecessary roughness. The Scotch forwards, we have already said, did not work well together. They were ragged, scrambling, loose, unfinished, crude, and pretty well everything but what they ought to have been. We have seen Oswald play and infinitely superior game, and M'Pherson, who was supposed to be so strong, did not force himself upon our notice by the character of his play. Waddell and Gulliland were undoubtedly the cleverest and best of the Scotch front rank, and take it all round we should be inclined to say that Waddell was the best man on his side. Still, collectively and individually England were superior, and deserved their victory. The pipers did not play at the finish.