1892–93 Burslem Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Second Division
Finishing in 11th place, they finished one place above bottom club Walsall Town Swifts, and level on points with Crewe Alexandra. Their fifteen points were less than half the tally of champions Small Heath (who were not promoted after losing their 'Test Match'). A time of expansion for the competition, they retained their league status despite their poor showing (disbanded Bootle were the only team to lose their status), and the next season three more teams were added to the league. Vale's defence performed admirably (most of the time), however Vale only scored 30 goals in their 22 league games. Their first ever point came at Bootle, and their first ever win was a 4–1 home victory over Crewe Alexandra.


1892–93 Burslem Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Cup competitions
Despite reaching the Fifth Round of the FA Cup in 1885–86, they failed to make it through the qualifying stages this time round. In the Staffordshire Senior Cup they exited in the First Round to Burton Wanderers, and in the Birmingham Senior Cup they left at the Second Round after a 4–1 defeat by Aston Villa.


1892–93 Celtic F.C. season
During the 1892–93 Scottish football season, Celtic competed in the Scottish Football League.


1892–93 Colorado Agricultural football team
The 1892–93 Colorado Agricultural CACs football team represented Colorado Agricultural College (now known as Colorado State University) in the Colorado Football Association (CFA) during the 1892–93 academic year. The team compiled a 2–3 record and was outscored by a total of 98 to 54. The team had no coach.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season
The 1892–93 season was the 20th Scottish football season in which Dumbarton competed at a national level, entering the Scottish Football League and the Scottish Cup. In addition Dumbarton played in the Dunbartonshire Cup and the Glasgow Charity Cup.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, June–July
A close season tournament was played for the benefit of Port Glasgow AFC and on 27 June Dumbarton defeated the hosts 7-2, whilst in the other tie, Rangers got the better of Clyde by 4-0.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, June–July
On 9 July the final of the Port Glasgow benefit tournament was played at Ibrox, but with the loss of Taylor early in the game who was ordered off for kicking the Rangers goalkeeper, Rangers were rarely troubled and ran out winners by 4-1.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, August
The 1892-93 season opened on 13 August with a friendly fixture in Dumfries against 5th KRV, and whilst the team was composed mostly of 2nd XI players, Dumbarton still managed a win by 3-2.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, August
The league season opened a week later with a home tie against St Mirren. The loss of the backbone of the team – added to the three who had travelled south were Taylor who was suspended and McMillan who had yet to decide on his future, meant that the unbeaten league record at ‘fatal’ Boghead would be sorely tested and so it proved with the visitors leaving as the winners by 2-1.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, August
On the 27th, Dumbarton travelled to Ayr to play a friendly, and in a foul strewn game came away with a 1-1 draw.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, September
On 3 September Dumbarton had the unenviable task of a visit on league business to Ibrox, and while most pundits expected an easy Rangers win, with the return of McMillan to the fold, Dumbarton put up a strong performance, and although leading twice eventually succumbed by 3-2.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, September
The following week saw the visit of Leith Athletic to Boghead, and whilst the game was not great, a 2-1 win ensured that Dumbarton gained their first league points of the season.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, September
It was meant to be a league visit to neighbours Renton on 20 September, but as the referee failed to appear, a friendly was played, which Dumbarton won 2-0.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, September
A week later, despite having most of the play, Dumbarton allowed Third Lanark to leave Boghead with both points in the league encounter, the latter winning 2-1.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, September
So at the end of the month, Hearts topped the league table with 11 points from 6 games, 2 ahead of Rangers who had a game in hand. Dumbarton trailed in 8th with 2 points from 4 games played.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, October
On 1 October, Dumbarton played their return league fixture at Paisley against St Mirren. The match was an even one, and Dumbarton went in at half time 2-1 ahead. However Smith was lost to injury early in the second half and despite scoring a third goal which was disallowed, it was St Mirren that made their 1-man advantagetell by winning 3-2.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, October
The following week Dumbarton travelled to play Hearts at Tynecastle. Hearts had been going well in the league, but the introduction of David Thomson and Lawrence Bell to the team, and the return from suspension of Taylor, made a huge difference to the Dumbarton performance, who were well worthy of their 3-1 win.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, October
Following on from the previous week's success, Dumbarton looked forward to a home tie against Celtic with an unchanged team. However the Celts completely dominated the game and left Boghead with a 3-0 win.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, October
On 24 October, Abercorn were the visitors to Boghead and were soundly thrashed 5-1 – Dumbarton's biggest win of the season so far. Interestingly, McLeod left his usual position of goalkeeper to play centre forward in the first half of the game, with Hartley taking his place between the sticks.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, October
A week later brought a visit to Boghead by neighbours Renton for a friendly fixture and ended in a 2-1 win for Dumbarton.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, October
So at the end of the month Rangers still led the league with 14 points from 8 games, ahead of Hearts a point behind with a game more played. Dumbarton remained in 8th place with 6 points from 8 games.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, November
The return fixture against Third Lanark was played at Cathkin Park on 5 November. Dumbarton were missing Keir and J. Bell due to injury and this showed as a 3-0 defeat was suffered.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, November
The following week there was a rest for the club, but not for all the players. John McLeod, Tom McMillan, William Thomson, John Taylor, Abe Hartley and James McNaught were all selected to play in the Dumbartonshire representative team against a Renfrewshire XI at Abercorn's ground. The match was drawn 2-2 with Taylor scoring one of the goals.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, November
A return to a full strength squad did not have the desired effect on 19 November as Dumbarton lost away to Leith Athletic by 3-0. Notwithstanding the score, Dumbarton had most of the  play but were met by a ‘superlative’ display by the Leith goalkeeper.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, November
The 26 November saw Dumbarton visit Clyde for their first game in the Scottish Cup. Unfortunately the weather had turned Barrowfield Park into a ‘series of small lakes’, nevertheless a friendly was played which Clyde won 4-1.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, November
So at the end of November the league was still led by Rangers with 15 points from 9 games, with Celtic and Hearts 2 points behind. Dumbarton still held on to 8th place with 6 points from 10 games.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, December
The first two Saturdays in December were written off due to wintry weather, but at the fourth time of asking the outstanding Scottish Cup tie against Clyde was eventually played off on 17 December. However, with Dumbarton leading 6-1 twenty minutes into the second half, the home crowd invaded the pitch assaulting the referee and some of the Dumbarton players. The referee was unable to continue and the game suspended. However at a subsequent SFA meeting the tie was awarded to Dumbarton.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, December
It was supposed to be a return to league duty a week later with Rangers visiting Boghead, but again the weather intervened.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, December
And so the final game of 1892 would be the first of Dumbarton's holiday matches with a fine 5-1 away win against Kirkcaldy.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, January
The holiday success at Kirkcaldy was followed by friendly wins over Dunfermline (5-0) and Hearts (2-0) on 2 and 3 January respectively.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, January
The following Saturday was supposed to see Rangers visit Dumbarton for a Scottish Cup tie but once again a postponement  was necessary due to an unplayable pitch. The same was the case a week later.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, January
The long-awaited match took place on 21 January and not for the first time this season it was a case of an inspired goalkeeper who kept the Dumbarton forwards at bay and Rangers left with a 1-0 win. A protest from Dumbarton that the referee ended the match 3 minutes early was subsequently withdrawn. On the same day however it was better news for the second XI as the Dumbarton Rangers defeated the Union reserves to secure the county cup.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, January
On 28 January, neighbours Vale of Leven came to Boghead on county cup business, and despite having most of the play Dumbarton had to settle for a 1-1 draw.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, February
Dumbarton answered the doubters in the replay of the semi final of the Dumbartonshire Cup on 4 February at Alexandria by recording a fine 6-2 win.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, February
A week later, and being free of league and cup duties, Dumbarton travelled over the Irish Channel to play Linfield Athletic. The 4-2 defeat suffered may have had something to do with the rough journey over to Ireland as most of the Dumbarton team were seasick and had barely recovered when play commenced.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, February
It was back to league business on 18 February where Dumbarton travelled to Barrowfield and came away with a 2-1 victory.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, February
The chance to bring silverware back to Boghead was not missed as on 25 February Dumbarton easily defeated Levendale 7-1 to lift the county cup for the fifth year in succession.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, March
International trial matches were held on 4 March to consider selection of teams to represent Scotland in the upcoming Home International Championship - John McLeod and John Taylor took part. Despite this, the league match against Renton went ahead on the same day. The result of a 1-1 draw was a fair one – bearing in mind that Renton were also short of men for the international trials. Although the absence of McNaught who had travelled south, in addition to the ‘trialists’ and the sending off of Lawrence Bell in the second half did not help Dumbarton's cause.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, March
With the final of the Scottish Cup being played at Hampden, Dumbarton journeyed to London on 11 March to play the Royal Arsenal. Unfortunately while a 3-1 defeat was suffered, the game had other consequences in that the club's president Denny resigned due to his pro-amateurism stance.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, March
On 18 March, McLeod, Thomson and John Bell played for Scotland against Wales in an 8-0 victory for the Scots. It was unsurprising then that these men were sorely missed in the league match played against Celtic at Parkhead on the same day – a heavy 5-1 beating being handed out.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, March
The following week Dumbarton made the trip to Edinburgh to play Hibs in a friendly and in an evenly contested match it was the home team who took the spoils 3-2.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, March
So the league at the end of March looked like this; Rangers played 13 with 22 points; St Mirren played 16 with 20 points; Celtic played 12 with 19 points. Dumbarton were stuck in 8th with 9 points from 13 games.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, April
On the first day of April Dumbarton welcomed Hearts to Boghead and achieved a convincing 5-1 win. This would mark John Bell's last game for Dumbarton and his goal scoring skills would be sadly missed.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, April
So a week later, while the club had a rest weekend, John Bell and John Taylor earned their second 'League' caps in the Scottish League XI vs. the English League match at Parkhead - the game finishing in a 4-3 win for the English, with Taylor scoring one of the goals.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, April
On 15 April, Clyde visited Boghead in the league and left having been defeated 3-1 – the first time Dumbarton had strung two successive victories together all season.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, April
A week later it was Rangers turn to come to Dumbarton – league leaders with an unbeaten record to date but never having won at Boghead – and it was Dumbarton who would triumph in a stunning 3-0 victory.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, April
However the successful run came to an abrupt end on 29 April, when a visit to Abercorn in the penultimate league game ended in a dismal 4-0 defeat.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, April
So at the end of the month Rangers still topped the league with 26 points, with one game left to play, but Celtic were only 3 points behind with 3 games in hand. Dumbarton maintained 8th place with 15 points.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, May
Tuesday 2 May was an important date for Scottish football as it was on this date that the SFA officially accepted professionalism within the sport - Dumbarton was one of the few dissenting voices.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, May
Following a free week, Dumbarton travelled to Cathkin Park to meet Celtic in the semi final of the Glasgow Charity Cup, and a close encounter finished in a 0-0 draw. Four days later at the same venue however it was Celtic that prevailed by 3-1.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, May
And so on 20 May, the last league game of the season took place at Tontine Park, where Dumbarton defeated Renton handsomely by 4-0.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, May
The result meant that Dumbarton leap-frogged Renton into 7th place in the league, and thereby avoided the dreaded reselection process – and it was Celtic who claimed their first ever championship, pipping Rangers by a single point.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, June
At the club's AGM a motion to adopt professionalism for the following season was passed.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Player statistics
As Dumbarton entered season 1892-93, the defending league champions for the second year running, while professionalism in England was widespread, clubs in Scotland could do little to detract their players from the offers being made by English agents.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Player statistics
Dumbarton were no exception and by the start of the season had already lost the services of John Miller to Liverpool, Dickie Boyle to Everton and James Galbraith to Middlesbrough.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Player statistics
However, during the season Dumbarton were further weakened by the loss of Abe Harley to Everton (January), James McNaught to Newton Heath (March), John Bell to Everton (April) and William Thomson to Aston Villa (April), not forgetting John Gillan, who had become a first team regular in November, also to Aston Villa (April). Nevertheless, the second XI continued to provide new local talent, and among those stepping up to the senior team were Lawrence Bell, Daniel Thomson, William Nash and Albert Saunderson.


1892–93 Dumbarton F.C. season, Reserve Team
Dumbarton lost out to Clyde in the third round of the Scottish Second XI Cup but made it five wins on the trot by beating Dumbarton Union in the final of the Dumbartonshire Second XI Cup.


1892–93 Eastville Rovers F.C. season
The 1892–93 season was the tenth to be played by the team now known as Bristol Rovers, and their ninth playing under the name Eastville Rovers. It was significant in that it was their first year competing in an organised league, when they became founder members of the Bristol & District League (now known as the Western League).


1892–93 Eastville Rovers F.C. season, Season review
Rovers finished in sixth place in the league. They had to a slow start to their campaign, but finished strongly, winning their last four games. There was some confusion surrounding the game against St George on 22 October, which although originally arranged as a league match it was played as a friendly as no referee had been appointed.


1892–93 Eastville Rovers F.C. season, Season review
Though the match between Eastville Rovers and St. George on Saturday was a league fixture, it now appears it was altered by consent of both sides to a "friendly" game. Through some misunderstanding a referee was not appointed and the captains arranged that the game should be played on another day.


1892–93 Eastville Rovers F.C. season, Match results, Bristol & District League
Eastville Rovers were nominally the home team, but the match was played at Mangotsfield  Game stopped after 78 minutes due to poor light  Wells only fielded ten players


1892–93 Eastville Rovers F.C. season, Match results, Friendlies, First team
The game against St George on 22 October was originally scheduled to be a league match, but was played as a friendly when it was discovered that no referee had been appointed. Swindon Athletic began the game with eight players, but were brought up to full strength when three substitutes were found.


1892–93 Eastville Rovers F.C. season, Statistics, Cumulative record
The total cumulative record of Eastville Rovers up to the end of the 1892–93 season is shown below. This is calculated by adding the numbers in the section above to the total games played up to the end of the previous season. Friendly matches are not included in this table, and games held at neutral venues are considered to have been played away from home.


1892–93 Everton F.C. season, Regular Football League First team
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1892–93 Everton F.C. season, Regular Football League First team
Number of League games in which this eleven was fielded = 0


1892–93 Everton F.C. season, Other members of the first team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1892–93 Everton F.C. season, Other members of the first team squad
Everton were expected to be serious title contenders in the 1892-93 season but a summer of off the field turmoil played a part in a good but not great season. The club were forced to vacate their Anfield Road home and set up at a brand new venue of Goodison Park, leaving behind them their first choice left back, Duncan McLean and forward Alan Wylie.


1892–93 Everton F.C. season, Other members of the first team squad
The latter probably realised that the return from injury of Fred Geary would see him left out of the front line but McLean's decision was a surprise to the club and fans and Bob Howarth found himself with six full back partners during the season. For the second year in a row the club struggled to find a first choice keeper as six different custodians filled that role as well, including Joey Murray on three occasions, despite his normal position being as a forward.


1892–93 Everton F.C. season, Other members of the first team squad
The indecision in goal was more down to the selectors than poor performance as each defeat the club suffered in the first half of the campaign was met with the keeper being dropped. Eventually the selectors settled for Richard Williams whose regular clean sheets in the latter half of the season saw the club rally to finish the season in third place and reach the cup final.


1892–93 Everton F.C. season, Other members of the first team squad
Everton's midfield trio was also broken up this season as Bob Kelso lost his place to Dickie Boyle who arrived from Dumbarton. The clubs erratic start also saw Hope Robertson replaced eight games in by Jimmy Jamieson. The Scottish left half's stay at Goodison was short and after just four months he left for Sheffield Wednesday.


1892–93 Everton F.C. season, Other members of the first team squad
With Sunderland marching to the title and Everton having to settle for a distant third place, albeit after an excellent run in which saw them win nine of their last ten games it was the F A cup that captured the excitement as the club won through to the final for the first time. The selectors famously fielded a weakened side for the trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers in a league game a week before the two sides met in the cup final and won 4–2.


1892–93 Everton F.C. season, Other members of the first team squad
Only four of that team appeared the following week at the cup final as Boyle and Latta were joined by Kelso, having re-established himself in defence ahead of Collins and Stewart who had taken over after Jamieson had left for Sheffield Wednesday the previous month. The major selection surprise was that Patrick Gordon was selected ahead of Fred Geary in attack.


1892–93 Everton F.C. season, Other members of the first team squad
The game became farce when the fans encroached onto the woefully inadequate field at Fallowfield in Manchester and made it impossible for Latta and Milward to use their wing play to proper effect, the latter being physically tripped by a spectator on one occasion. Wolves won the game in the second half when Harry Allen's hopeful punt deceived Dick Williams who lost the ball in the sun.


1892–93 Everton F.C. season, Other members of the first team squad
Everton were furious though that Allen had received the ball from a spectator who had kicked the ball of Dickie Boyle's toe as the Everton half was taking the ball away from danger and felt that the game should have been reduced to the level of a friendly with the cup being played for at a later date. The game would leave a bad taste in the mouths of every Evertonian for over a decade until they finally did win the cup in 1906.


1892–93 Everton F.C. season, Records
The following positive or neutral records were set by the 1891–92 Everton team


1892–93 Everton F.C. season, Records
The following negative records were also set by the team


1892–93 FA Cup
The 1892–93 FA Cup was the 22nd staging of the world's oldest football cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup. Wolverhampton Wanderers won the competition, beating Everton 1–0 in the final at Fallowfield Stadium for the only time (moved from Kennington Oval), with Wembley Stadium still 30 years away from being built. Wolves continued the recent Midlands dominance of the FA Cup, after the success of West Brom, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest the previous season.


1892–93 FA Cup
Matches were scheduled to be played at the stadium of the team named first on the date specified for each round, which was always a Saturday. Some matches, however, might be rescheduled for other days if there were clashes with games for other competitions or the weather was inclement. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played, a replay would take place at the stadium of the second-named team later the same week. If the replayed match was drawn further replays would be held until a winner was determined. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played in a replay, a 30-minute period of extra time would be played.


1892–93 FA Cup, Results, Final
The Final was  played on 25 March 1893 at Fallowfield Stadium. The final was contested by Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton. Wolves won 1-0, with a single goal from Harry Allen.


1892–93 Football League
The 1892–93 season was the fifth season of The Football League. This season saw the introduction of the Second Division.


1892–93 Football League, Final league tables
The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at the  website and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, with home and away statistics separated.


1892–93 Football League, Final league tables
Beginning with the season 1894–95, clubs finishing level on points were separated according to goal average (goals scored divided by goals conceded). The goal average system was eventually scrapped beginning with the 1976–77 season. Since the goal average was used for this purpose for such a long time, it is presented in the tables below even for the seasons prior to 1894–95.


1892–93 Football League, Final league tables
During the first five seasons of the league, that is until the season 1893–94 re-election process concerned the clubs which finished in the bottom four of the league.


1892–93 Football League, Test matches
The test matches were neutral-venue play-offs between the bottom 3 First Division teams and the top 3 Second Division teams. The First Division teams, if coming out as winners, would retain their places in the division. If a Second Division team won, it would be considered for First Division membership through an election process. Losing Second Division teams would stay in the Second Division.


1892–93 Football League, Test matches, Сonsequences
Of the winners, Darwen and Sheffield United were elected into the First Division, while Newton Heath (later known as Manchester United F.C.) remained in the First Division.


1892–93 Football League, Test matches, Сonsequences
Of the losers Small Heath (later known as Birmingham City F.C.) and Notts County continued in the Second Division, while Accrington resigned from the league altogether.


1892–93 Football Tournament
Statistics of the Football Tournament in the 1892/1893 season. The format was slightly unusual in that all games had to have a winner. Therefore, if the match was level after 90 minutes, extra time was played. If the match was still level after extra time, the match was replayed until a winner emerged.


1892–93 Football Tournament, Overview
It was contested by 5 teams, and Akademisk Boldklub won the championship.


1892–93 French Rugby Union Championship
The 1892–93 French Rugby Championship was the second edition of the annual French rugby union championship under the auspices of the USFSA, a one off game between Racing Club de France and Stade Français. Stade Français defeated Racing Club de France in the final to win the Bouclier de Brennus.


1892–93 French Rugby Union Championship
The tournament was played by five clubs, with a preliminary round, semifinals and final.


1892–93 French Rugby Union Championship, Finale
The referee,  Thomas Ryan, had participated 1884 at the first tour by New Zealand in New South Wales.


1892–93 Heart of Midlothian F.C. season
During the 1892–93 season Hearts competed in the Scottish Football League, the Scottish Cup and the East of Scotland Shield.


1892–93 Irish League
The Irish League in season 1892–1893 comprised 6 teams, and Linfield F.C. won the championship.


1892–93 Kilmarnock F.C. season
Season 1892–93 was the 20th season of competitive football by Kilmarnock.


1892–93 Kilmarnock F.C. season, Overview
For the second consecutive season, Kilmarnock competed in the Scottish Football Alliance and finished seventh out of 10 teams. They reached the second round of the Scottish Cup after a 2–1 win against to Albion Rovers at Meadow Park but were eliminated in the second round by Queen's Park.


1892–93 Kilmarnock F.C. season, Overview
Kilmarnock also suffered a second round defeat in the Ayrshire Cup. After receiving a bye in the first round, they lost 5–4 to Ayr Parkhouse. Killie's defence of the Kilmarnock Merchants' Charity Cup ended at the final hurdle as they lost 5–2 to Annbank in the final.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season
The 1892–93 season was the ninth season of competitive association football played by Lincoln City F.C. After finishing in ninth position in the Football Alliance in 1891–92, Lincoln City was one of 12 clubs elected to the newly formed Second Division for the 1892–93 Football League season.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season
During the season, City coped well at home winning six of their 11 matches, but all season they constantly struggled only winning once at Burslem Port Vale, in the second half of the season Lincoln did score five goals in three home matches with Frank Smallman becoming the first Lincoln City player to score a hat-trick in the football league when he netted four against Burton Swifts in February. At the end of the season Lincoln finished 9th in the league and had to apply for re-election which was successful as the division was to be expanded to 16 teams.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season
In the 1892-93 FA Cup Lincoln entered at the first qualifying round and after beating Newark Town, Greenhalgh's and Rotherham Town, they succumbed to a heavy 0–5 defeat away at local rivals Grimsby Town.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season
In all competitive league and cup matches Lincoln used 20 players and had 10 different goalscorers, William Gresham, Quentin Neill, Frank Smallman and James Gresham played in all 22 league games and the six cup matches, Frank Smallman scored 19 goals in total while no other player reached double figures.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Background
Although Lincoln City struggled in the 1891–92 season in the Football Alliance finishing in 9th place and with debts of £110, the committee decided to spend a sizeable sum over the close season on summer wages and signing-on fees, the new recruits were goalkeeper William Gresham from Gainsborough Trinity, back Charles Coulton from Birmingham St George's and forwards James Kelly from Renton F.C. and finally Robert Cameron from Clydebank.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, September
Lincoln City started their campaign at Bramall Lane against Sheffield Utd, the start was delayed by 35 minutes due to Lincoln turning up late and then they were a goal behind within 10 minutes, Robert Cameron scored Lincoln City's first ever football league goal before Sheffield regained the lead before half time, the game ended 2–4 in favour of the home side with Irving scoring the other Lincoln goal.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, September
The "Cits" had to wait three weeks before their next league game when they played away against Small Heath, but had no joy again as they found themselves four goals behind by the interval, they did manage to gain a consolation goal in the second half.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, October
Lincoln's first home game was the reverse against Sheffield Utd, Mick Richardson came into the side for his debut, there were no goals in the first half, but a goal by Cameron secured Lincoln's first win and points of the season.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, October
After their first win they travelled to meet Walsall Town Swifts who had yet to win in the league, the game started in a rain storm and the first half ended goalless, but not long after the break Lincoln scored the first goal, "this roused Walsall" who then equalised and carried on pressing, then with five minutes to go Walsall scored the winner and secured their first win of the season.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, October
Lincoln entered the FA Cup at the 1st qualifying stage and were drawn at home against Newark, wet weather prevailed and was played under protest, Lincoln went one nil up after 10 minutes but Newark levelled just before half-time, Shaw got injured and had to retire, Lincoln had the better of the second half and finished winners by 3–1. Newark protested to the FA due to the bad state of the pitch so the match was ordered to be replayed at Newark.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, October
Before the replay Lincoln played host to Burslem Port Vale, and it wasn't long before the visitors were 2–0 up, before half-time Smallman scored out of a scrimmage, in the second half the home side pressed forward and Gresham levelled, then the visitors put on the pressure and scored twice in four minutes before Smallman scored a late goal, thus ending the match 3–4 to the visitors.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, October
In the replayed FA Cup match at Newark the home side went one up within the first five minutes before Kelly and Irving (2) scored for Lincoln, the home side came back with two goals of their own before a goal from a scrimmage put Lincoln through to the next round.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, October
Just two days later Lincoln travelled to Greenhalgh's F.C. for the 2nd round qualifying tie in the FA Cup, a big crowd gathered due to the home team's good form, not long after the start Moore scored for Lincoln, it stayed like that till the second half when Lincoln scored two more goals, according to the Nottingham Evening Post both goalkeepers made "splendid" and "capital" saves, and in the end Lincoln won 3–0.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, November
Their next fixture was an away friendly fixture against Woolwich Arsenal, although Lincoln lost 0–4, it was noted for the appearance of Welsh International Bob Roberts playing in Lincoln colours having signed from Preston North End F.C


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, November
Roberts made his official debut a week later in the home league match against second place Darwen F.C., with Lincoln lying bottom of the league with two points, Lincolnshire Chronicle reported of the home fans "sanguine anticipation", and Lincoln didn't let their fans down, Smallman gave them a first half lead, in the second half Lincoln had their chances to improve the scoreline but it was Darwen who pressed near the end and after striking the crossbar they eventually grabbed a leveller.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, November
Next up was the home tie against Rotherham Town in the FA Cup 3rd qualifying round, 3000 spectators watched the match, although a close tie, Smallman and Irving put Lincoln 2 up before half time and the score stayed the same, so Lincoln progressed to the next round.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, December
This was a busy month for Lincoln they played five league games and one FA Cup match, first up was the away fixture at Burslem Port Vale, although the opening exchanges were even, Lincoln were soon leading by two goals, before Burslem pulled one back before half time, the home side pressed forward in the second half but were unable to add another goal, thus giving Lincoln their first away league win.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, December
Next up was the away tie in the 4th FA Cup qualifying against local rivals Grimsby Town, on a frozen pitch covered in sand the match went ahead in front of 4000 supporters, but it was a day to forget as Lincoln were soundly beaten 0–5.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, December
Lincoln were back in bottom position after their visit to Burton Swifts, the game was fairly even until the 25th minute when attempting to save the ball Roberts put into his own net, and by half-time Burton had doubled their lead, after the restart the Swifts scored two more before Lincoln started to play better and Jock Fleming scored twice, but the game finished 2–4.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, December
Over the Christmas period Lincoln had two home games, first up was third place Ardwick, Lincoln's Smallman scored the opener in the first half then both teams scored in the second half giving Lincoln an unexpected win.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, December
Boxing Day was a bank holiday so around 2000 turned up to watch Lincoln host Crewe Alexandra, the match was played in dense fog and before Jock Fleming scored before half time Smallman had hit the bar and Crewe had a goal disallowed for offside, in the second half Crewe played stubbornly before equalizing near the end to earn a point.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, December
Lincoln visited Northwich Victoria on New Year's Eve, a match watched by a 1000 spectators, Victoria won by 2–1 and it could have been a lot more if it hadn't been for the Lincoln backs.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, January
The New Year started with a home game against Small Heath, played in bitterly cold conditions on a hard surface, Lincoln went in at half time 2–1 leaders after being 1 down after 20 minutes, a goal each after the interval restored Lincoln's 1-goal lead, but the win was lost in the last fifteen minutes when Small Heath scored twice.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, January
A week later Lincoln made the long trip to Darwen and within a minute of the start Lincoln were losing 0–1, Darwen continued to press and scored again before Roberts scored his first Lincoln goal from a free kick, in the second half Darwen scored again, they carried on pressing but shooting was made difficult due to the ice.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, January
Two weeks later Lincoln were again on their travels this time to Crewe Alexandra, they started better this time with James Gresham scoring in the first five minutes, Lincoln continued to have the better of the play then just before half time they conceded three goals in just three minutes, in the second half they added another, so Lincoln lost 1–4, their fourth defeat in a row.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, February
After another two-week league break Lincoln needed some luck and the weather did its part when Burton Swifts visited, defending against the wind the home side only conceded one goal before half time, after the interval it was a different story with Lincoln playing with the wind they scored five times with Frank Smallman netting four, thus scoring Lincoln City's first ever Professional League hat trick.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, February
A week later Lincoln visited Grimsby Town for the first Lincolnshire derby in the Football League and according to the Lincolnshire Echo "a small band of 400 to 500 went out to Grimsby". It turned out to be a good match with both teams scoring in each half to share the points, Smallman bagged himself another two goals.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, February
Northwich Victoria were up next at the John O'Gaunts ground and although the visitors were lying higher in the league table Lincoln were full of confidence, but very early on in the match Northwich took the lead, but before half time Smallman leveled the game with his seventh goal in three matches, the second half was a different matter as City scored three goals in as many minutes and just before the end Northwich scored an own goal, so in consecutive home matches Lincoln have won by 5–1.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, March
Lincoln were at home again on the first Saturday in March against Lincolnshire rivals Grimsby Town, after three matches without defeat a lot was expected from the 3000 crowd and early on J.Gresham gave the home side the lead, but after that it was all Grimsby who went on to win the game 3–1. A Lincolnshire Echo columnist reported "The City were very disappointing" and "it is time the Committee began to look up some new blood for next season" and "advised they fight shy of third rate Scotch men as long as there is a decent local man to be caught hold off."


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, March
It was over three weeks before Lincoln's next league game and that was another home match this time against Walsall Town Swifts, in front of 2000 spectators the game kicked off at 3:30 pm, and within five minutes Smallman put Lincoln ahead, all the action happened in the first half with Smallman scoring three times for his second hat trick of the season and making his tally off 10 goals in last five matches.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, April
Due to Easter this was Lincoln's second game in two days and their last at home in the league this season, they entertained Bootle and it was an evenly contested first half with Cits leading 1–0 thanks to a Raby goal, in the second half Lincoln had scored two more within six minutes off the start, Bootle scored a tame goal in reply before Lincoln added another two, so for the third time Lincoln had won a match by 5–1.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Review, April
Lincoln's last two matches of the season were both away and played within three days, both ended in defeat firstly against Bootle where they lost 1–4, then two days layer they suffered a 1–3 defeated to Ardwick, in both matches Moore scored the Lincoln goals.


1892–93 Lincoln City F.C. season, Squad statistics
This table includes appearances and goals in nationally organised competitions – the Football League and FA Cup – only.


1892–93 Liverpool F.C. season
The 1892–93 season was the first season in Liverpool Football Club's existence, and their first year in the Lancashire League and the FA Cup.


1892–93 Netherlands Football League Championship
The Netherlands Football League Championship 1892–1893 was contested by five teams from the cities Amsterdam, The Hague, Haarlem and Rotterdam. The teams participated in the competition that would later be called Eerste Klasse West. But since the western football district of the Netherlands was the only one to have a competition at the time, it could be regarded as a national championship. Koninklijke HFC won the championship, however this championship was not official, since the teams had not played an equal number of matches.


1892–93 Newcastle United F.C. season
The 1892–93 season was the first season in the history of Newcastle United after the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End. The club started the season as Newcastle East End, taking the name Newcastle United during December. They participated in the Northern League, the only season they have not competed in The Football League, finishing in second place behind Middlesbrough Ironopolis. They also competed in the FA Cup, but lost in the first round to Middlesbrough.


1892–93 Newcastle United F.C. season, Matches, League
* Newcastle played this game with ten men, as Joseph McKane missed the train and failed to turn up. The match was also delayed by 45 minutes as the rest of the team arrived late.


1892–93 Newton Heath F.C. season
The 1892–93 season was Newton Heath's first season in the Football League. They finished last in Division One championship with 18 points and due to the absence of formal relegation from the league they were one of the teams that had to win a test match against a Second Division team in order to retain their place in the league for the following season. They beat Birmingham City after two matches to remain in the top division. Newton Heath lost to Blackburn Rovers in their opening match in the FA Cup this season.


1892–93 Northern Football League
The 1892–93 Northern Football League season was the fourth in the history of the Northern Football League, a football competition in Northern England.


1892–93 Northern Football League, Clubs
The league featured 6 clubs which competed in the last season, no new clubs joined the league this season.


1892–93 Northwich Victoria F.C. season
The 1892–93 season was Northwich Victoria's first season in the Football League. They competed in the newly formed 12 team Football League Second Division, for which they were a founding member. The league was then the second tier of English football, where they finished in seventh-place.


1892–93 Northwich Victoria F.C. season, Season synopsis
The season began on 3 September 1892, when Northwich played Grimsby Town, losing 2–1. Losing a further two games, it was not until 24 September when Northwich gained their first points in a 1–1 draw at Manchester City.


1892–93 Ottawa Hockey Club season
The 1892–93 Ottawa Hockey Club season was the club's eighth season of play. The Club would play in the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC) and the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) leagues. Ottawa placed second in the AHAC championship. Ottawa won the OHA championship for the third year in a row after the Toronto Granites defaulted.


1892–93 Ottawa Hockey Club season, OHA season, Results
The Toronto Granite Club, scheduled to play the final in Ottawa, defaulted, giving the championship to Ottawa. The Granites suggested putting together a team composed of players from all Toronto teams. However, the Granites failed to organize the team and the game did not take place.


1892–93 Ottawa Hockey Club season, AHAC season
The AHAC adopted a new round-robin format for the regular season, with the league winner to be the inaugural winner of the Stanley Cup. Each team played two games against other opponents.


1892–93 Ottawa Hockey Club season, AHAC season
Ottawa lost to the Montreal Victorias in the opening game of the schedule on January 7. It would be the Victorias only win of the season and was the margin between Ottawa in second and the Montreal Hockey Club in first place. Ottawa split its series with Montreal, handing Montreal its only loss. After the season, Ottawa challenged Montreal to a final playoff, but this was refused.


1892–93 Rangers F.C. season
The 1892–93 season is the 19th season of competitive football by Rangers.


1892–93 Rangers F.C. season, Overview
Rangers played a total of 21 competitive matches during the 1892–93 season. They finished second in the Scottish League with a record of 12 wins from 18 matches.


1892–93 Rangers F.C. season, Overview
The club ended the season without the Scottish Cup after being beaten at the quarter final stage by St Bernard's, 3–2. They had previously defeated Annbank United and Dumbarton during the cup run.


1892–93 Royal Arsenal F.C. season
The 1892-93 Royal Arsenal season was their seventh since foundation as Dial Square F.C., and their fourth since their first official entry into the FA Cup. This campaign turned out to be one of the most tumultuous in the clubs history. After elimination in the first round proper of the FA Cup to Sunderland in late January, the club was taken to court by former centre-forward George Davie, who demanded fifty pounds for breach of contract earlier in the season.


1892–93 Royal Arsenal F.C. season
Davie had initially been signed in October 1891, but an especially successful first season-wherein he netted 32 times in just 47 matches-Davie was re-signed by the club in the off-season of 1892. The club requested that Davie train twice per day, but an injury picked up in early September meant he only appeared in 54 of the required 156 sessions. Royal Arsenal perceived it as indiscipline on Davie's part, and terminated his contract in December of that year. But Davie argued the cause was simply down to his injury, and duly took the club to court to claim his fifty pounds. The day-long hearing ended with the jury finding for Royal Arsenal, and after this defeat Davie returned to his home country Scotland.


1892–93 Royal Arsenal F.C. season
Around the same time, the club was informed that George Weaver, landlord of the home ground Invicta Ground, had doubled the £200 rent to a mammoth £400, and so the club returned to Manor Field. The club also moved headquarters to the Lord Derby pub, and in early May morphed into Woolwich Arsenal.


1892–93 Royal Arsenal F.C. season
Meanwhile, the on-field season began with a home tie against Highland Light Infantry; the game was comfortably won 3–0, with the aforementioned Davie scoring alongside Arthur Elliot and captain Charles Booth. The club then won a record game against City Ramblers 10–1, with James Henderson, Elliot, and Booth all scoring hat-tricks(another record) alongside another Davie goal. The side then narrowly beat Millwall 3–2 with David Howat and Henderson scoring alongside the first competitive own goal that Royal Arsenal had ever profited from-scored by goalkeeper Obed Caygill. Gavin Crawford, Henderson and Booth all scored in a 3–0 victory over Clapton to ensure qualification into the first round proper of the FA Cup, but the side were thrashed 6-0 by Sunderland, conceding five first-half goals en route to elimination at that stage yet again.


1892–93 Rugby Union County Championship
The 1892–93 Rugby Union County Championship was the fifth edition of England's premier rugby union club competition at the time.


1892–93 Rugby Union County Championship
Yorkshire won the competition for the fourth time, defeating all three teams in the Championship Series.


1892–93 Scottish Cup
The 1892–93 Scottish Cup was the 20th season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. The Cup was won by Queen's Park when they beat Celtic 2–1 in the final after a replay.


1892–93 Scottish Cup, Final
Match declared void due to frozen pitch (decided pre-match after inspection, but not announced to spectators until the second half).


1892–93 Scottish Cup, Final, Final replay
The winning goal was believed by some observers not to have fully entered the goal before being cleared, and Celtic protested but the score stood. Although their use would not have resolved that particular incident, this controversy and debate led to goal nets being introduced in the latter stages of the Scottish Cup from then on.


1892–93 Scottish Districts season
The 1892–93 Scottish Districts season is a record of all the  rugby union matches for Scotland's district teams.


1892–93 Scottish Districts season, History
North of Scotland District listed this season's district matches in September 1892.


1892–93 Scottish Districts season, History
Northern Counties Football Union. A meeting ot captains and secretaries of clubs this Union was held on Friday in the office of the hon. secretary, and fixed the principal Union matches under, as also those the various club fixtures. The first two matches will be under the auspices of the Union, to enable the committee to select the best team against Galashiels on 8 October. The annual match Ancients v. Moderns on the 24th Inst., probably at Holburn Grounds, is already being looked forward to among the followers of the game, and judgement as to the result of the contest is in favour of the Ancients.


1892–93 Scottish Districts season, History
List matches—Ancients v. Moderns, 24 September ; Probables  v. Improbables, October Ist; Galashiels v. Northern Counties. 8 October; City v. Varsity, 19 November ; Midlands v. Northern Counties, 26 November; Glasgow v. Edinburgh, 3 December ; North v. Edinburgh, 10 December ; South of Scotland v. Glasgow, 10 December; Anglo-Scots v. Scotland. 25 December; Northern Counties v. Perthshire, 2 January ; North v. South of Scotland, 14 January ; Scotland v. Wales, 4 February; Scotland v. Ireland, 18 February; City v Varsity, 25 February; Merchistonians v. Northern Counties, 4 March; Scotland v. England, 4 March. A general meeting of the Northern Counties’ Union will be hold Friday, 30 September. Secretaries local clubs will please send their card of fixtures for publication.


1892–93 Scottish Districts season, History
The 10 December 1892 Match listed above against Edinburgh was later listed as North and Midlands against Edinburgh District. Unfortunately this match was called off due to snow.


1892–93 Scottish Districts season, History
Glasgow District beat Edinburgh District in this season's Inter-City match.


1892–93 Scottish Districts season, History
West of Scotland District beat East of Scotland District in this season's international trial match. Players from London Scottish, Manchester, Oxford University and Cambridge University made their way into the East and West selections.


1892–93 Scottish Districts season, History
A North of Scotland District versus South of Scotland District match was scheduled for 14 January 1893 but called off due to the weather.


1892–93 Scottish Districts season, History
The North of Scotland District and the South of Scotland District were reported in The Scottish Referee as feeling that the Scottish Rugby Union was not giving their players a proper estimate in regard to international selection.


1892–93 Scottish Football League, Overview
Celtic became Scottish Football League champions for the first time.


1892–93 Sheffield Shield season
The 1892–93 Sheffield Shield season was the first season of the Sheffield Shield, the domestic first-class cricket competition of Australia. The competition took place between 16 December 1892 to 21 March 1983 and was contested by three teams. The competition was won by Victoria, who after defeating New South Wales at the Association Ground would go on to win all four of their matches. George Giffen scored the most runs in the competition with 468 runs while also taking the most wickets at 33 which included a nine wicket innings against Victoria in Adelaide.


1892–93 Sheffield United F.C. season
The 1892–93 season was the fourth in existence for Sheffield United. This was their first season playing in the recently formed Football League Second Division as the club sought to establish itself as a major footballing force. With some members of the football committee unconvinced of the long-term future of the Football League, the club also retained its membership of the Northern League.


1892–93 Sheffield United F.C. season, Background
Sheffield United had finished third in the Northern League the previous season. Their ambition, however, was to play in the Football League and in April 1982 their application to join was successful at the second attempt. The club's application had previously been rejected in 1891 but with the league being expanded from 12 to 28 teams United, along with a number of other clubs including local rivals The Wednesday, were elected to play in the Football League for the 1892–93 season.


1892–93 Sheffield United F.C. season, Background
To the annoyance of the club's directors however, whereas The Wednesday were given entry directly into the First Division, United were placed in the newly formed Second Division. Despite their Football League application being successful some members of United's football committee were unconvinced of its long-term future, and so the club elected to retain its membership of the Northern League as well.


1892–93 Sheffield United F.C. season, Kit
With the club now a member of The Football League, United elected to adopt a new jersey consisting of thick red and white stripes. This replaced the all white jersey they had worn in the previous season and was the first introduction of a strip that has remained (some minor alterations aside) to the present day. United retained their white jersey as a change strip and matched both shirts with blue knickers and socks. The club badge that had also adorned their jerseys the previous season was also dropped.


1892–93 Sheffield United F.C. season, Season, Pre-season
With United set to play in the newly formed Football League Second Division the club looked to strengthen its squad, as a number of fringe players departed Bramall Lane. Squad players William Getliff and W. Nesbitt were not retained, and long-serving defender Ned Stringer retired from playing to take up a scouting post with the club. Billy Bairstow was allowed to join local side Penistone, while Thomas Smith's brief stay with the club came to an end as he was signed by Yorkshire neighbours Barnsley.


1892–93 Sheffield United F.C. season, Season, Pre-season
Moving in the opposite direction, Walter Wigmore was signed from Worksop Town on 12 June. By July United had added defender William Mellor, and signed striker Arthur McCabe from nearby Rotherham Town on a free transfer. Sheffield born defender George Waller, who had played in the 1890 FA Cup Final for cross–city rivals The Wednesday, was signed from Middlesbrough at the start of August, before the club's pre-season dealings concluded with the arrival of wide player Joe Brady arrived from Renton. Despite this influx of new players, the established first team remained largely unchanged from the previous season, with those players signed during the summer being used mainly as reserves and making relatively few first team appearances.


1892–93 Sheffield United F.C. season, Season, Pre-season
With the new season about to start, United kicked off their fixture list with a show-piece friendly game against established Scottish side Celtic, beating their visitors 1–0 courtesy of a Harry Hammond goal.


1892–93 Sheffield United F.C. season, Squad, First team
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1892–93 Sheffield United F.C. season, Squad, Players leaving before the end of the season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season
The 1892–93 season was the twelfth season of competitive association football played by Small Heath F.C., an English football club based in Birmingham. After finishing in third position in the Football Alliance in 1891–92, Small Heath was one of 12 clubs elected to the newly formed Second Division for the 1892–93 Football League season.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season
During the season, the team scored 90 goals at an average of four goals per game, beat Walsall Town Swifts 12–0 to set a club record League victory which, as of 2012, still stands, remained undefeated on their own ground throughout the season, and won the last nine matches of the League season to take the Second Division title at their first attempt. Promotion to the First Division was not automatic, even for the champions, but depended on the results of test matches between the top three Second Division and bottom three First Division teams. Small Heath lost to Newton Heath, the 16th-placed First Division team, after a replay, so were not promoted, although the teams placed second and third were.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season
Small Heath entered the 1892–93 FA Cup at the first round proper, and lost in that round to First Division club Burnley. In local competitions, they were eliminated by Aston Villa in the semi-final of the Birmingham Senior Cup and the final of the Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup. Small Heath also played several friendly matches during the season, including benefit matches for players Harry Morris, Caesar Jenkyns and Fred Speller.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season
Small Heath used 19 different players in nationally organised competitive matches during the season and had ten different goalscorers. Three players, Fred Wheldon, Tommy Hands and Billy Ollis, appeared in every League match. The top scorer was inside-forward Wheldon with 25 League goals, a total which made him the Second Division's leading scorer, and the other four first-choice forwards all reached double figures. Chris Charsley became the first Small Heath player to represent the England national football team, and Fred Jones was capped for Wales.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Background
Small Heath Football Club's 1891–92 season had been relatively successful after several years of declining interest. On the field, they finished third in the Football Alliance. Off it, the Annual General Meeting of the club, held at Jenkins Street Board School in July 1892, heard that "skilful management, good matches, and capital 'gates'" had combined to produce a statement of financial affairs "distinctly creditable to managers and players", and the directors were to be congratulated.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Background
The club's application for election to the Football League First Division when it was expanded to 16 clubs was unsuccessful, but it was one of 12 clubs, mostly from the previous season's Football Alliance, elected to compete in the inaugural season of that league's Second Division. Alfred Jones had been acting as club secretary on a voluntary basis since 1885, when payment of players was first permitted. Prior to entering the Football League, the board of directors appointed him as the club's first paid official, as secretary-manager. Caesar Jenkyns captained the team.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Background
All the regular first-team members during the previous season – goalkeepers Chris Charsley and George Hollis, backs Tom Bayley and Fred Speller, half-backs Ted Devey, Caesar Jenkyns and Billy Ollis, and forwards Jack Hallam, Tommy Hands, Harry Morris, Billy Walton and Fred Wheldon – remained with the club. Others from the Football Alliance side included the versatile Bernard Pumfrey and George Short, and the long-serving Charlie Simms, who was by 1892 employed as the first-team trainer, but retained his playing registration for emergencies.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Background
Among the newcomers were back Fred Jones from Newton Heath, forward Harry Edwards, signed from Singer's of Coventry, and centre-forward Frank Mobley, who joined soon after the start of the season, also from Singer's. They played in the same kit as in the previous season: royal blue shirts and stockings with white knickerbockers.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, September
Small Heath opened their first season in the Football League at home to Burslem Port Vale. The match was due to kick off at 3:30 pm, but the visitors arrived half an hour late. Small Heath won the toss and, with the dual benefit of a strong wind behind them and their opponents having only ten men because their centre-forward Billy Beats had missed his train, had most of the play in the first half.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, September
After a near-miss by Tommy Hands, their first goal came as "the right wing took the ball in front of goal, and after a little scrimmaging it was sent between the posts"; the goal was credited to Fred Wheldon. Port Vale rallied, and the game, "more vigorous than scientific", was even until Small Heath scored twice just before half-time. In the second half, with the advantage of the wind, Port Vale pulled a goal back, but the final score was 5–1.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, September
Small Heath made the short trip to Walsall Town Swifts for their first away match of the season. In a "hard-fought" game, Wheldon opened the scoring after 25 minutes with a "swift oblique shot" after all five forwards broke in a line. Walsall equalised with a scrappy goal from a corner, and attempted to impose themselves on the game, but the visitors' combination play held them at bay. Small Heath regained the lead when Walsall defender Alf Pinches headed into his own goal under pressure in a crowded goalmouth. In the second half, team captain Caesar Jenkyns increased the visitors' lead following a corner, and as the players of both sides tired, the play became disjointed, both goalkeepers had several saves to make, and a Walsall goal was disallowed for offside.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, September
A benefit match for Harry Morris, who had been a regular first-team player since 1885 and captained the club in the 1891–92 season, produced an "exciting contest" against a Birmingham and District eleven which Small Heath won 4–3. The visit to Sheffield United proved less productive. The home side opened the scoring early on, and "only good half-back and back play by the visitors prevented the United greatly increasing the lead".


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, September
In the second half, with "a brilliant sun shining in the faces of their opponents", the play was more even, and Jack Hallam came close to equalising, but Sheffield United made the score 2–0 three minutes from time, when Harry Hammond ran through the Small Heath defence and scored with a "magnificent shot".


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, September
A comfortable victory against Lincoln City, with two goals from Wheldon and one each from Jenkyns and debutant Frank Mobley, all scored before half-time, left Small Heath in fourth place in the division with three wins from their September programme. According to the Birmingham Daily Gazette, Mobley, "a determined player, though on the small side, [who] passes well to his wings", made a "very favourable impression for a first appearance".


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, October
October began with a 3–2 defeat at Grimsby Town. The home side, who "showed a clear superiority" in the first half, led 3–1 at half-time, and though Wheldon pulled one back from a free kick against the run of play, Small Heath did well to prevent Grimsby adding to their lead. Two days later they played a close game away to Burton Swifts in "dismal" weather; Small Heath led at half-time, Burton equalised 20 minutes into the second half, but Small Heath regained the lead and held on for a 3–2 win.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, October
Their next game was an open affair at home to Crewe Alexandra, in which the accuracy of Crewe's shooting let them down. Despite playing against the wind, Small Heath led 2–0 by half-time, a lead extended to 6–0 by the close in a one-sided second half. Each goal was scored by a different player: Billy Walton, Hallam, Ted Devey, Wheldon, Hands and Mobley, of whom the Birmingham Daily Post suggested he had "the making of an excellent centre forward".


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, October
Against division leaders Ardwick at Manchester, the home club took a two-goal lead by the interval, aided by some poor shooting by the visitors. Wheldon scored in the second half, and then a heavy rain- and hailstorm began, blowing into the faces of the Ardwick players. Wheldon scored again and Small Heath pressed hard, but their shooting failed to improve, and they were fortunate not to lose the game when a shot from William Lambie hit the crossbar.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, October
Charsley put up a good performance playing on the winning side for the Midlands against a Lancashire and the North XI in a trial match for the Football League representative team. Although getting a hand to the first shot on target, from Sunderland's Jimmy Hannah, he could only turn it onto the underside of the bar and into the net. Early in the second half, he made a smart double save to thwart the same club's John Campbell, first from a "fast shot low down" and then from the rebound. Later on, Charsley held on to the ball in a scrimmage and needed the assistance of Sheffield Wednesday full-back Tom Brandon to keep from carrying the ball over the line.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, October
In Small Heath's last game in October, at home to Darwen, a 3–2 victory was marred by a serious injury to full-back Fred Speller. Soon after kickoff. Speller was in the act of kicking the ball when the onrushing William Campbell collided with him, knocking him to the ground. A police constable administered first aid before the player, whose leg was broken, was carried from the field on a plank and taken to hospital.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, October
On a heavy pitch in poor condition, it was nearly impossible to dribble the ball, and Small Heath's decision to play on with only one back meant Darwen's attackers were frequently caught offside. In the second half, Small Heath's forwards took control, and repeated attacks resulted in goals from Hallam and from Hands after Hallam had struck the bar.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, October
Darwen's committee decided not to proceed with a protest lodged "on account of the bankings at the corners of the field", despite "the Small Heath ground hardly reflect[ing] credit on a club which holds such an important position in the football world". The win meant Small Heath overtook Darwen to reach second place in the division.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, November
Because of other teams' FA Cup engagements, Small Heath played only twice in the League during November. A comfortable victory by four goals to one at Bootle on 5 November took them to the top of the table, one point clear of Ardwick who lost at Grimsby. Their next game was less straightforward. At home to Burton Swifts, the visitors' superior finishing gave them a 2–0 lead at half-time; the second half was quite the opposite.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, November
Mobley scored from a Hallam cross after ten minutes, "shot after shot was sent in to the Burton goal", and eventually, with ten minutes left, Walton headed home the equaliser. The crowd's vocal support and the home side's "desperate efforts to win" were rewarded by Caesar Jenkyns with a late header.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, November
Billy Walton scored the only goal of a friendly match against First Division team Derby County, in which Small Heath gave a first opportunity to brothers Arnold and Fred Jones. In the first half, Derby's attacks were foiled by the defensive tactics of the Small Heath half-backs, on fine form, and Wheldon twice hit the post. Derby, who had the better of the second half, appeared to score from a free kick, but the goal was disallowed because the ball had not been touched on its way to the net.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, November
That apart, Small Heath's defence held out, and Hollis, in goal for the unavailable Charsley, "defended brilliantly". The next weekend, they enjoyed a comfortable 4–1 win against Gainsborough Trinity. Despite playing only friendlies in the second half of the month, Small Heath retained their lead in the division, level on points with Darwen having played one game fewer.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, December
In their first League match for three weeks, Small Heath played out a 1–1 draw with Sheffield United. Wheldon's positional sense left him free to receive a pass from Mobley and score after only five minutes, and then the game went from end to end, both sides attacking but failing to score. Full -back Fred Jones turned up late, but once he did take the field he was kept busy by the Sheffield forwards.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, December
The visitors had much the better of the second half; "shot after shot rained upon the Small Heath goal, and it was only by swarming round Charsley that the Coventry road men kept the ball out." With 11 minutes left, the ball was dribbled from the goal-line into midfield, then passed from flank to flank before a cross from Drummond found Davies who scored the equalising goal.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, December
A top-of-the-table clash followed as Small Heath visited Darwen in what the Blackburn Standard described as "the most exciting game that has been played on the Darwen ground for years". In icy conditions, Small Heath scored early, again just before the interval, and a combination of home goalkeeper Kenyon and defender Orr presented them with a third soon afterwards; Darwen scored three times in the last 12 minutes to take the game 4–3. The same newspaper suggested that were it not for the "grand player" Charsley's "magnificent display, the Birmingham club would have met with a severe thrashing". The win gave Darwen a three-point lead in the table, having played one more game than Small Heath.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, December
Small Heath returned to winning ways the following week at home to Walsall Town Swifts, producing what remains, their record League victory: they won 12–0. Six goals came in each half, three from Mobley, three by Walton, whose third was the culmination of a "brilliant run", and two each from the other three forwards, Hallam, Wheldon and Hands. The goalscoring continued on Christmas Eve with a 6–0 victory at Northwich Victoria, and a 3–1 home win against Crewe Alexandra which meant Small Heath would begin the new year at the top of the table. On Boxing Day, they visited Aston Villa for a friendly attended by 7,000 spectators. Without both Charsley and George Hollis, trainer Charlie Simms played in goal as Villa won 3–2 with the last kick of the game.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, January
Simms made his Football League debut at Lincoln City in place of Caesar Jenkyns, who had missed his train. In bitterly cold weather, after snow had been cleared from the pitch, Lincoln took advantage of winning the toss by choosing to play downhill, and took a 2–1 lead. On change of ends, Small Heath came back into the game, and scored twice in the last quarter of an hour to take the game 4–3.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, January
On a hard and dangerous playing surface, Small Heath had much the better of the game against Northwich Victoria. The visitors scored first, which only served to settle the home side. The forwards dominated, the remainder of the first half being "practically a bombardment of the Northwich goal". After Hallam used his pace to equalise, inside-left Wheldon was actively involved in the rest of the goals. Hallam just failed to reach the rebound from Wheldon's shot, and full-back Billy Ollis headed home from a Wheldon cross.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, January
The same player's shot across goal was tapped in by Walton, and a goal was awarded despite the Northwich goalkeeper's claim that the ball had not crossed the line. Wheldon himself scored the fourth with a "brilliant shot", then he and Hands ran the ball upfield before crossing for Hallam to score with a header. In the second half, Wheldon scored Small Heath's sixth from 30 yards (27 m), before the pace of the game dropped and Northwich scored a consolation with a long-range cross-shot.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, January
After the match, 150 guests attended a dinner at the Old Royal Hotel in central Birmingham "in order that the shareholders and friends of the Small Heath Club might meet the players and congratulate them of their achievements and wish them still further success".


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, January
Walter Hart, the club's chairman, spoke of the good character of the players, most of whom still worked at their own trades when not required for football, suggesting that "a man who had nothing to do but loaf about from week's end to week's end was not ready for play, and such a mode of life was not conducive to good football".


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, January
He praised the players' esprit de corps and pluck which had taken them to the top of the division, and encouraged them to resist the temptation to sign for other clubs, insisting that "whatever money [the club] made after providing things of necessity would come to the players and ... the club could do as well for its players, if they only clung together, as any club in the country". In reply, captain Caesar Jenkyns agreed that the players' efforts meant they "deserved all the praise that had been bestowed on them", and promised they would do their utmost to beat First Division club Burnley the following week in the FA Cup.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, January
Despite media predictions of an upset, their utmost proved insufficient, though in the Dart's opinion, "Small Heath deserve[d] all praise for the splendid fight they made with the Burnley eleven, who are all great players on their own ground." Playing downwind, Burnley scored after half an hour from a scrimmage under the crossbar, and doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time. In the second half, "dangerous fouls" were given against both sides. Small Heath continued to play a neat passing game but were kept at bay by Burnley's strong defence and the offside rule.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, January
Small Heath's final game of January was a 3–1 defeat of Burton Swifts in the Birmingham Cup. They went into February with a three-point lead over Darwen, each club having only four League games left to play. Sheffield United, in third place, eight points behind with five games in hand, were the only other team with a chance of overtaking them for the divisional title.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, February
With no competitive fixture for the first two weekends of the month, friendlies were arranged against First Division Bolton Wanderers, at home, and Royal Arsenal away. With Charsley, a serving police officer, unavailable, regular full-back Fred Jones played in goal, giving an opportunity to triallist Arthur Littleford at right-back, as Small Heath beat Bolton 4–3, the visitors having a goal disallowed late on in the game. "In the presence of a large company", Arsenal won 3–1.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, February
When Small Heath finally returned to League football, their forwards, "conspicuous for some really beautiful passing" on a soft and slippery playing surface, gave them a 6–2 victory over Bootle. The Sheffield & Rotherham Independent accepted that their local team was not going to win the title, for "Small Heath can scarcely be dislodged except by a very great reversal of form such as is not likely to come about", though still expected Sheffield United to finish in the top three.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, February
Chris Charsley became the first Small Heath player to play for England, and only the second, after Caesar Jenkyns for Wales, to represent his country at full international level, when he took the field against Ireland on 27 February at Aston Villa's ground in Perry Barr, Birmingham. Although a strong team, it was composed solely of amateurs. Charsley had little to do, as England won the match 6–1, but a series of four saves in quick succession "demonstrated his ability between the sticks to everyone's satisfaction".


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, February
Back in the League, Hollis took Charsley's place in goal, as customary in the latter's absence. The heavy ground did not suit the visitors, Grimsby Town, and the Small Heath forwards' hard-working combination play brought them victory by eight goals to three. The following week, the Coventry Road ground hosted benefit matches for striking ironplate-workers.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, February
Around 1,500 spectators watched a match between tinplate- and ironplate-workers' elevens, followed by a second between teams raised by former Aston Villa captain Archie Hunter, whose poor health prevented him playing, and the recently retired Small Heath forward Eddy Stanley, who led his team to a 9–3 victory.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, February
Small Heath went into March with a four-point lead over Darwen, each club having only two League games left to play, but the former's goal average was so much superior that Sheffield United, in third place, ten points behind with five games in hand, were the only team still able to overhaul them.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, March
Small Heath fielded eight of their regular starting eleven in a friendly against First Division Nottingham Forest. A close and exciting game, which featured "both goal-keepers displaying wonderful cleverness and resource", was won by Forest with a late goal. In their first competitive fixture of the month, the quarter-final of the Birmingham Cup, they beat Wednesbury Old Athletic, a team from the Birmingham & District League, by five goals to nil in a match "characterised by a good deal of rough play". A "fairly strong" team suffered a rare home defeat in a friendly against Middlesbrough of the Northern League. Jack Hallam appeared to score in the first half, but the referee disallowed the goal, having spotted that Hallam had knocked the ball in with hand rather than head, and Middlesbrough went on to score twice without reply in the second period.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, March
Fred Jones missed the Middlesbrough match because of international duty. Selected among the reserves for Wales' match against Scotland, he was required to play after both first-choice backs dropped out. The Liverpool Mercury reported that he had "a wretched game at back and completely disorganised the Welsh defence", as Scotland won 8–0, while according to the Wrexham Advertiser, "some-one said that he appeared to have made a resolve before he went on the field not to kick the ball".


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, March
On 20 March, Small Heath played West Bromwich Albion in a benefit match for captain Caesar Jenkyns. Teddy Jolley made his first appearance for the club, and a relatively strong side whose forwards "were very quick on the ball, and passed remarkably well", notably Wheldon, who "as usual, played brilliantly", won 5–0 in front of about 4,000 spectators. In an uneventful penultimate League match of the regular season, Small Heath won 3–0 at the Athletic Ground against Burslem Port Vale, Walton opening the scoring just before half-time with a penalty kick. The Sheffield & Rotherham Independent now predicted that Sheffield United would win their remaining four matches, all away from home, to take the divisional title on goal average.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, April
Despite competition from holiday entertainments which included the Military Tournament at Bingley Hall, Hengler's circus at Curzon Hall, the fairground, variety shows and dancing at Aston Lower Grounds, and boating and other amusements in the public parks, a large attendance was expected at Small Heath's last League match of the season, on a fine Easter weekend at home to Ardwick. Ardwick took an early lead, which Hands came close to equalising after a clever passing move with Wheldon. Just before the interval, Wheldon forced a corner, from which the ball was rushed across the line.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, April
In the second half, Small Heath went all out in attack, and after the Ardwick goalkeeper had made several saves, Walton scored with a header, and Hallam made it three from a Walton pass. Ardwick pulled one back, but Small Heath's "admirable defence" held out "by watchfulness and combination" for a gratifying result for the supporters. On Easter Monday they visited Middlesbrough where they lost 2–1 to the Ironopolis club in a friendly.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, April
The next Saturday saw the meeting with Aston Villa in the semifinal of the Birmingham Senior Cup. Both clubs fielded full first teams, Small Heath missing only Walton, for whom Harry Edwards proved a "very indifferent" substitute. In front of 15,000 spectators at Aston Lower Grounds, Small Heath outplayed their First Division opponents for the first half-hour, and had several chances which they failed to take, but Aston Villa improved thereafter, winning 5–0 after a quite one-sided second half.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, April
On the Monday, Darwen visited Small Heath to play a benefit match for Fred Speller, who had been injured playing against that club in October. Unfortunately for the beneficiary, the attendance was affected by the semi-final of the Mayor's Charity Cup between Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion being played the same day. Friendlies against First Division Stoke and West Bromwich Albion produced wins by 4–2 and 4–1 respectively, and Sheffield United's failure to beat Walsall in their last League match of the season confirmed Small Heath as inaugural Second Division champions. Ahead of the promotion test match, against 16th-placed First Division team Newton Heath at Stoke's Victoria Ground, the Birmingham Daily Gazette was sure that "all the good wishes of Midland sportsmen will go with the Heathens for their success after a consistently good season's performance".


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, April
Small Heath forced several early corners, but then conceded on the break when Alf Farman scored from a Tommy Fitzsimmons pass. Towards half-time, they had chances from a scramble in front of the Newton Heath goal, and pressed hard after the interval, the persistence of Wheldon eventually securing an equaliser "after brilliant work by all of the Small Heath forwards". "Capital defensive play" by both teams prevailed thereafter, and the match was drawn.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, April
The Manchester Guardian noted the contrast in attacking style, as "the Small Heath players were playing a most scientific game, but the rushes of Newton Heath were often very dangerous", and the Gazette's reporter felt that half-backs George Short and, particularly, Jenkyns had been "inclined to take matters a little too easily" in the first half.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, April
Two days later, Small Heath, with Jack Lee and Bernard Pumfrey in the forward line instead of Walton and Mobley, and Littleford standing in at back, played a similarly depleted Wolverhampton Wanderers in the semi-final of the Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup. Hands scored Small Heath's opening goal, but sustained a leg injury after about half an hour; although he continued for a time, he was struggling, and could not complete the game. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Lee scored twice for Small Heath to take the tie 3–1.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, April
Harry Morris replaced the injured Hands at outside left for the test match replay at Olive Grove, Sheffield. Newton Heath had a goal disallowed for handball before Wheldon opened the scoring with a powerful shot from distance. After several attacks at each end – Tom Bayley cleared off the line and Wheldon hit the foot of a post – Farman equalised after 37 minutes with a penalty awarded against Bayley for handball.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, April
Soon after half-time, Newton Heath took the lead from a goalmouth scramble, within a minute a pass from Hallam found Walton who equalised, but in the end Small Heath were overrun. With 18 minutes remaining, goals from Joe Cassidy, Jimmy Coupar and Farman made the final score 5–2, ensuring that Small Heath would remain in the Second Division for another year.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, April
In the final of the Mayor's Charity Cup at the Lower Grounds – Small Heath's last competitive match of the season, and their fourth in eight days – Hallam opened the scoring from the rebound after a long shot hit the post in the first attacking move of the game. Aston Villa took a 2–1 lead, Small Heath equalised in the second half, but Villa scored the winning goal after torrential rain had driven "a great many" of the spectators from the ground.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Summary and aftermath
Small Heath went through the season unbeaten at Coventry Road. In the League, they scored 90 goals, at a rate of more than 4 goals per game, and all five first-choice forwards reached double figures. The leading scorer was Fred Wheldon, with 25 goals from the 22 League fixtures and 1 in the test match, a total which made him the top scorer for the Second Division. Wheldon, Tommy Hands and Billy Ollis were ever-present in the League, and Caesar Jenkyns and Jack Hallam missed only one game apiece.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Summary and aftermath
Unable to dislodge Wheldon or Billy Walton from the inside forward position, Harry Edwards chose to leave at the end of the season. Tom Bayley was released, and Fred Jones left for Lincoln City after losing his place at left back to Bernard Pumfrey. Harry Morris retired to concentrate on his plumbing business. Fred Speller attempted a comeback, appearing twice for the first team in September 1893, but the injury received against Darwen effectively proved the end of his football career.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Summary and aftermath
Speculation by "people who profess to believe that these test matches will not be played at all, and that if they are, and a First Division team is knocked out, the rules will be circumvented in some way" proved unfounded. The League's Annual General Meeting heard proposals that the First Division be expanded to either 20 or 18 teams.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Summary and aftermath
Both motions were seconded by Small Heath – not surprisingly, after they as champions had failed to gain promotion while the teams in second and third place had succeeded – but both were defeated, thus confirming that the team would play in the Second Division for the 1893–94 season. Small Heath were to finish that season as runners-up and, this time, achieved promotion to the First Division via the test matches.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Match details
For consistency, attendances and goalscorers' names in the League, Test Match and FA Cup match details tables are sourced from Matthews' Complete Record. Attendance figures were estimated, so information in contemporary newspaper reports could, and often did, differ. For example, the attendance at the last match of the regular season, against Ardwick, is variously recorded as 1,000, 2,000, and "about 4,000". League positions are sourced from 11v11.com.


1892–93 Small Heath F.C. season, Squad statistics
This table includes appearances and goals in nationally organised competitions – the Football League, including promotion test matches, and FA Cup – only. For a description of the playing positions, see Formation (association football)#2–3–5 (Pyramid).


1892–93 St. Mary's F.C. season
The 1892–93 season was the eighth since the foundation of St. Mary's F.C. based in Southampton in southern England. It was the second year that the club competed in the qualifying rounds of the FA Cup and the first season that the club embraced professionalism with several players being signed on professional terms. This policy was not to prove a great success initially as the club were not only defeated in the second qualifying round of the FA Cup but also suffered their first-ever defeat in a final of a Hampshire F.A. cup competition.


1892–93 St. Mary's F.C. season, Summary of the season
At the start of the season, the club's administration was in disarray as the secretary, Mr. J. Hendin was seriously ill and was convalescing in Brighton. As a result, by the end of August no fixture list had been printed and rumours were circulating in the local press that the club was £50 in debt. Several of the club's best players were unavailable with F. A. Delamotte's work as a surveyor taking him to Derby and Ernie Nicholls also leaving the area; Arthur Farwell's employment with Edwin Jones made him unavailable to play on Saturday afternoons.


1892–93 St. Mary's F.C. season, Summary of the season
To bolster the side, the committee attempted to recruit George Ridges on professional terms from local rivals, Freemantle, but Ridges refused the offer and remained with the "Magpies" as an amateur. The "Saints" then turned their attentions to another Freemantle player, Jack Dollin, who was paid £1 a week and found a job, thus becoming the club's first professional player, although the club kept his professional status a secret for many years, for fear of being ostracised by other clubs.


1892–93 St. Mary's F.C. season, Summary of the season
The club's opening match was a friendly played at The County Ground against a team from the South Staffordshire Regiment on 17 September 1892. The appearance of the players was described as "shambolic" with the players turning out in a variety of shirts, with two players in white, three in various coloured shirts and only half the side wearing the correct strip of alternate cherry red squares. The players' appearance was reflected in their performance, with the team suffering a 4–0 defeat.


1892–93 St. Mary's F.C. season, Summary of the season
The next three matches were also lost and there was a "palpable sense of relief" in the town when the Saints defeated Newbury in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup on 15 October. Two weeks later, however, the side were easily defeated in the next round of the cup, going down 4–0 to Maidenhead; this was the Saints first defeat in a major cup match.


1892–93 St. Mary's F.C. season, Summary of the season
After the FA Cup defeat, the St. Mary's committee attempted to sign F.W. Janes, who had scored a hat-trick for Maidenhead, but the signing was overturned by the Football Association. In an attempt to strengthen the side, the committee then advertised for players in the "athletic press"; the first major new signing was Jack Dorkin, who was "bought out" of his service with the Royal Engineers based at Chatham in Kent. As with Jack Dollin, his status was rather ambiguous initially with the club maintaining that he should be "reckoned as an amateur player", although he was signed too late to be able to play in the Hampshire Senior Cup.


1892–93 St. Mary's F.C. season, Summary of the season
In the Hampshire Senior Cup, the team reached the finals where they were eliminated by local rivals, Freemantle in controversial circumstances (see below).


1892–93 St. Mary's F.C. season, Summary of the season
Having suffered two cup defeats (never having lost a major cup match before), St. Mary's played out the season with friendly matches. Most notable of these was the penultimate match of the season, played at the County Ground on 26 April 1893 against Stoke who were founder members of The Football League and were seventh in the First Division. St. Mary's were without captain George Carter but were able to call on the services of 18-year-old Charles Miller.


1892–93 St. Mary's F.C. season, Summary of the season
Miller had made his debut for St. Mary's a year earlier, but was later to achieve fame as the "father of Brazilian football". Another large crowd, "packed around the ropes like peas in a pod (with) the grandstand full to overflowing" witnessed a comprehensive defeat, with Stoke winning 8–0 as the Saints were "outplayed fairly and squarely on every point". Despite the defeat, the spectators "thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition, and it is hoped that we shall witness more matches of a similar character".


1892–93 St. Mary's F.C. season, Summary of the season
The size of the defeat in this match served to bring home the need for St. Mary's to look outside the local area for players; within little over a year, the Saints had signed three of the Stoke team (forward Charles Baker and half-backs Alf Littlehales and Lachie Thomson) in readiness for their first season in the Southern League.


1892–93 St. Mary's F.C. season, Summary of the season
Towards the end of the season, St. Mary's recruited their first player from a Football League club when former Everton player Ernie Taylor joined the club. Taylor was employed as a cashier with the American Shipping Company in Liverpool, but was transferred to their Southampton office. Taylor was engaged by St. Mary's as an amateur and made his competitive debut on 15 April 1893 in the Hampshire County Cricket Club Charity Cup.


1892–93 St. Mary's F.C. season, FA Cup
The Saints entered the FA Cup in the First Qualifying Round when they defeated Newbury 4–1 (with a hat-trick from Bob Kiddle) at the Antelope Ground.


1892–93 St. Mary's F.C. season, FA Cup
In the Second Qualifying Round they played Maidenhead at the Antelope Ground on 29 October 1892. Although the team was boosted by Ernie Nicholls (who had returned from his temporary absence) and George Ridges (on loan from Freemantle), they suffered a 4–0 defeat. Apart from the Hampshire County Cricket Club Charity Cup the previous April, this was the Saints first defeat in a cup match. Three of Maidenhead's goals were scored by F.W. Janes. St. Mary's promptly signed Janes on professional terms, but the signing was revoked by the Football Association, who judged that he was "in no fit condition to realise what he was doing when he signed for Southampton", presumably because he had consumed too much alcohol at the time of signing.


1892–93 St. Mary's F.C. season, Hampshire Senior Cup
St. Mary's also competed in the Hampshire Senior Cup in 1892–93, hoping to claim a third consecutive victory. After 2–0 wins over the Royal Engineers and an amateur side representing Portsmouth, they reached the final against local rivals Freemantle.


1892–93 St. Mary's F.C. season, Hampshire Senior Cup
With Dorkin unavailable, Southampton were able to call on the services of Delamotte, who had returned to the town, and Farwell, who had been allowed to take the afternoon off work. The final, played at the County Ground on 11 March, generated great excitement in the town and produced a crowd estimated at 7,000 and gate receipts of £122.


1892–93 St. Mary's F.C. season, Hampshire Senior Cup
The Bournemouth Guardian reported: "the attendance completely upset all ideas as to the accommodation that would be required, and the magnificent spectacle of between 6,000 and 7,000 excited individuals massed together round the field of play ... was one that Hampshire and indeed none of the counties south of the Thames and this side of London has ever witnessed at an Association football match."


1892–93 St. Mary's F.C. season, Hampshire Senior Cup
Freemantle led 1–0 at half-time before Jack Dollin equalised. With the score 1–1 and only a few minutes left to play, a Freemantle forward, Horton, was about to score past Ralph Ruffell in the Saints' goal when he was tripped by William Stride. Despite protests from St. Mary's, the referee awarded a penalty to Freemantle, which was converted by Shirley Hawkins, giving Freemantle their first trophy. After the match, captain George Carter protested to the referee that the foul had been committed outside the penalty area, saying that he could point out the exact spot where the offence occurred. The referee, Mr. Royston Bourke, replied: "In that case, I suggest you have a tombstone erected over it."


1892–93 St. Mary's F.C. season, Hampshire Senior Cup
St. Mary's initially lodged a formal protest but this was withdrawn before the Hampshire F.A. could convene to hear it.


1892–93 St. Mary's F.C. season, Friendly matches
During the 1892–93 season, St. Mary's played 27 friendly matches of which 13 were won, with five draws and nine defeats. Other than the match against Stoke, the opponents were either military sides or from clubs in southern England. Notable among these was the visit of Woolwich Arsenal, the south's only "openly professional" side, who were defeated 2–0. The most comprehensive victories were against teams from the Royal Artillery (won 7–0) and King's Own Rifles (won 7–1).


1892–93 St. Mary's F.C. season, Player statistics
The players who appeared in any of the three Cup tournaments were as follows. This list does not include players who only played in friendly matches.