Fred Spiksley’s hat trick on his first England appearance v Wales in March 1893

 

Fred Spiksley’s hat trick on his first England appearance v Wales in March 1893

With (Sheffield) Wednesday having made the leap into Division One in 1892–93, the England selectors were aware of Fred Spiksley’s good form against better opposition, his healthy goals total and his ability to create numerous goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates.

When the teams were chosen for the Ireland and Wales games (played on 25 February and 13 March 1893 respectively), the former consisted largely of players with Corinthian connections. Gilbert Oswald Smith from Oxford University made his debut in the match. G O was to play twenty times for his country, sixteen as captain, and was considered by many to be the best player of the late nineteenth century. He scored once against Ireland as England won 6-1.

For the game against Wales, the England team selected were a fully professional one and were as follows: John Sutcliffe (Bolton Wanderers), Tom Clare (Stoke), Bob Holmes (Preston) (captain), John Reynolds (West Bromwich Albion), Charles Perry (West Bromwich Albion), Jimmy Turner (Bolton Wanderers), Billy Bassett (West Bromwich Albion), John Goodall (Derby County), John Southworth (Blackburn Rovers), Edgar Chadwick (Everton), Alf Milward (Everton)

Today, club versus country remains a contentious subject but back in 1893 there was never any argument, England came first! There was, therefore, a historic moment when a club refused to release players to represent England.

Everton were facing an FA Cup semi-final replay against Preston three days after the international match. England captain Bob Holmes was a Preston player and his club were happy to release him but Everton were concerned that if Chadwick or Milward was injured playing for their country then their Cup chances would be jeopardised. In the event, the selectors refused to make a fuss and elevated Stoke’s Joe Schofield and Wednesday’s Fred Spiksley to the starting line-up. This especially delighted followers of Schofield as the match was to be played at the Victoria Ground, Stoke.

Spiksley became the first Gainsborough man to play for England. He was followed by Alf Spouncer, one cap in 1900, and Arthur Brown who played twice, scoring once, between 1904 and 1906. All three started at Gainsborough Trinity.

A third change was forced on the selectors on the morning of the game when star forward John Southworth was forced to withdraw with a troublesome leg injury. John Whitehead of Accrington was summoned by telegram to play at inside right with John Goodall moved to centre forward. Spiksley’s selection for England elevated him to playing alongside the finest players in England – such as Goodall and Bassett who had established themselves with the greatest sides of the 1880s and early 1890s.

Bassett charged down the wing like a whippet. He was clever on the ball, possessed a powerful right-foot shot and served his club for a grand total of fifty-one years: thirteen as a player (1886–99), six as a coach (1899–1905), three as a director (1905–08) twenty-nine as chairman (1908 until his death in West Bromwich in 1937). He scored 77 goals in 311 first class matches, played in the 1888 and 1892 FA Cup-winning sides and in the losing side of 1895; he made sixteen appearances for England.

Wales lined up in the usual 2-3-5 formation as follows:- James Trainer (Preston), Dai Jones (Chirk and Bolton Wanderers), Charles Parry (Llansilin), Joseph Davies I (Druids and Wolves), Edwin Hugh Williams (Flint and Crewe), Edward Morris (Chirk), Edward Jones (Middlesbrough), James Vaughan (Chirk), John Butler (Druids), Benjamin Lewis (Wrexham and Chirk), Robert Roberts IV (Crewe)

The England professionals in the team received an appearance fee of £1 for home matches. Players stayed overnight before the game at a hotel near to the ground and shared a room with a teammate. Lunch consisted of roast mutton with dry toast. After this, one small cigarette was allowed! The players and officials were then taken to the ground where the trainer took charge.

After the game the players would return to the hotel before completing their expenses forms and having their heads measured for their England caps. They then returned home.

The FA liked to move England matches around the country so that as many supporters as possible could see the national side. The game was the second time that Stoke had been chosen to host an international match, the first being four years earlier when England beat Wales 4-1. England had won eleven out of the fourteen matches between the countries with two Welsh victories.

The people of Stoke had done their city proud and a 12,000 capacity crowd cheered the sides’ emergence from the dressing rooms. With no wind there was no advantage to be gained when Bob Holmes won the toss. Butler kicked off seven minutes after the advertised time of 3.30pm.

Fred Spiksley had his first touch of the ball at 3.41pm and he did not hang around as he darted past the Welsh right back Dai Jones before sending a perfect cross into the path of Billy Bassett. To everyone’s amazement, Bassett spurned the chance. A minute later Spiksley and Schofield combined from a free kick and when the former pushed the ball across to John Goodall it was surely goingto be 1-0. However, the Derby man inexplicably blazed wide.

Wales responded on fifteen minutes and Sutcliffe needed to make a fine save from Butler. A Goodall scorcher then sizzled just by and with the England forwards now combining superbly the Welsh side were unable to hang on.

On thirty minutes, the England outside left picked up the ball and dribbled with pace past the Welsh defenders before hitting the ball round Trainer to make it 1-0. It was a fine individual goal combining speed, skill and composure. The England side now fed the scorer who did not disappoint as he notched his second with a blistering left-foot shot and England went in at half-time leading 2-0.

Wales were not going to go down without a fight, though, and Sutcliffe was forced to make three fine saves.

Nevertheless, the game as a contest was over when, from a Spiksley through ball, Bassett banged home England’s third. The two then combined superbly to set up Goodall for the fourth goal.

Goodall made fourteen appearances for his country and scored twelve times, including two marvellous efforts when England beat Scotland 4-1 in April 1892. This might

not have pleased his many Scottish relatives. Goodall combined great speed and clever footwork with a willingness to shoot from distance and his accuracy in front of goal made him one of the best marksmen the game of has ever seen. Goodall had finished as top scorer for Preston in the inaugural Football League season after which he quit the League and FA Cup winners, moving to Derby County and accepting the tenancy of a local pub.

England extended their lead when Bassett found Reynolds and as the final whistle loomed Schofield was unfortunate when Trainer made a diving save with his right hand. When the ball ran loose it was Fred Spiksley who was first to it and drove it home to make it 6-0 and complete his hat-trick.

Years later, Fred was to say of his England debut that it seemed he could do no wrong and he was playing as if in a dream. Everything he touched turned to gold and the Welsh defenders just could not contain him. If it had not been for Trainer the result would have been more comprehensive. Trainer was capped twenty times but fell on hard times when he retired and any football team who visited London, where he was experiencing the seamy side of life, used to expect him as a caller in search of some cash.

For many years the record of England’s final goal against Wales has been incorrect. The reason for this is that The Times newspaper credited the sixth goal to Schofield.

Several other papers, all of whom must have relied on a single source, reported that Spiksley and Schofield had broken through to score England’s sixth goal. Schofield was seen as the latter player and this served to back up the Times match report.

Fred Spiksley laid claim to scoring a hat-trick on his England debut several times in writing, including his biographical pieces in 1907 and 1920. When a larger number of newspaper reports are examined it is clear that Fred has been hard done by, with the vast majority of reports crediting him with scoring a hat-trick, including those listed below. Indeed, modern day statisticians and historians agree with the authors of this book that Spiksley did indeed score the hat-trick and records should be amended to recognise this, including the England Online database, which is the most authoritative voice on statistics for the England international team.

Manchester Courier, Lancashire General Advertiser and York

Herald, 14 March 1893: “Trainer saved a grand attempt from Schofield, but Spiksley caught the leather on the rebound and scored an easy goal.”

Wrexham Advertiser, 18 March 1893: “Trainer managed to save, but Spiksley quickly clinched matters by adding the sixth point.”

Lincolnshire Echo, 27 March 1893: “Fred scored three against Wales and had a hand in a fourth.”

For clubs of the 1890s the ultimate accolade was to win the FA Cup, but this was very much seen as a team effort.

So for an individual player the biggest recognition was to be selected to play against Scotland, effectively meaning that you were considered the best in the country in your position. At the time, players received a red cap when selected to play against Wales, white against Ireland and blue against Scotland.