1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, December
On 21 December, it was a home game against Partick Thistle, McMillan and Bell were missing from the Sons line up. Galbraith scored his second goal in successive games within minutes to put the home side one up and Goodwin also scored but this time it was into his own goal leaving the half time score  at 1-1. Partick went ahead early in the second half but a last minute goal from Mair rescued a 2-2 draw.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, December
The final game of 1889 saw a local derby against Renton at Boghead. Bell and McMillan returned but Stewart and Fraser did not play. Dumbarton were two ahead at half time but early into the second half Renton had managed to equalise. The Sons then retook the lead only for Renton to put through just on time to make the final score 3-3.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, January
The New Year's holiday was taken up with a tour of north Scotland and Fife. The hectic schedule began with a trouncing by Forfar Athletic 0-7, but improved greatly over the next three days with wins over Our Boys Dundee (4-1), Arbroath (8-3) and Dunfermline (8-0).


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, January
On 11 January, Dumbarton visited Tynecastle with a ‘scratch’ team which was missing 5 regulars. Nonetheless a McLeod double (who was playing outfield rather than his usual place between the posts) was enough to secure a 2-2 draw. Interestingly Hearts ‘scored’ a third goal which the referee allowed, but following a Dumbarton protest, the Hearts players agreed that the ball had gone over the bar, and persuaded the  referee that the goal be disallowed.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, January
Following a free week, it was Kilmarnock who were visitors to Boghead. The team took on a more recognizable look but McLeod maintained his place in the attack. Bell equalised an earlier Kilmarnock goal before half time and Bell with his second half and Mair scored in the second for a final score of 3-1.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, February
The month began with a free week for Dumbarton – but not its players. Two inter-county games were played on 1 February, with McMillan; Keir; Bell and Galbraith playing against the East of Scotland and McLeod; Hannah and Lindsay playing against Refrewshire. Both games were lost, 3-5 and 3-7 respectively.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, February
After a blank week due to fog, on 15 February the Scottish Cup final between Queens Park and Vale of Leven was played. While the Dumbarton first XI did not play the Sons second string were represented in the final of the Scottish Second XI Cup against Rangers, but finished as runners-up after a 1-0 defeat.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, February
On 22 February Dumbarton played a match against neighbours Methlan Park at Boghead. Taylor replaced Keir and Goodwin maintained his place in an otherwise full strength team. Goals from Bell in the first half and Galbraith and Aitken in the second made for a comfortable 3-0 win.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, March
At Boghead on 1 March, Dumbarton, the county cupholders faced Vale of Leven, runners up in the Scottish Cup the week previously, in the final of the county championship. Keir returned at left half and Hutcheson replaced Taylor in the attack Despite being underdogs, Galbraith scored a goal in each half and it was Dumbarton who would retain the cup with a 2-0 win.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, March
A week later, while Dumbarton first XI rested up, a trial match was held at Celtic Park to decide on the players to represent Scotland in the upcoming Home Internationals, with both John Bell and John McLeod selected to take part. At the same time the second XIs of Dumbarton and Vale of Leven met to decide on the destination of the Dumbartonshire Second XI Cup, and Dumbarton made it a county double with an easy 7-1 win.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, March
On 15 March, Dumbarton visited Renton for a local derby match. A strong Sons team took the field minus McMillan, and played up well with Mair scoring for a half time lead. In the second half Mair completed his hat trick and another from Hutcheson made the final score 4-0.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, March
Dumbarton played a ‘scratch’ team as they hosted a trial match for the Dumbartonshire Junior Association XI on 22 March. The juniors put up stiff opposition before going down to the senior team by 3-2.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, March
On 29 March, Scotland played Ireland in Belfast. John McLeod and John Bell were both capped for this match – which resulted in a 4-1 win for the Scots. On the same day, Dumbarton travelled to Kilmarnock, and despite the missing personnel, returned with a 2-1 win.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, April
The month began with a local derby at home against Clydebank on 5 April. The Bankies scored first but the Sons equalised when the Clydebank keeper scored an own goal. By half time Dumbarton had increased their score to three and another in the second half made the final result 4-1.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, April
Two days later as part of the Easter holidays Dumbarton set sail for their first ‘overseas’ challenge, and played out an exciting 4-4 draw with Belfast Distillery. Thomson, McDonald and Galbraith had the Sons 3-1 ahead at halftime but despite another from Galbraith the Belfast side fought back for the draw.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, April
On 12 April Dumbarton played Glasgow Thistle in the first round of a tournament organised by Glasgow Hibernians. The Sons were missing three of their cup team but played well to deserve a half time lead from a Galbraith goal. The second half was completely one-sided and the Thistle were brushed aside 6-1.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, April
The following week, while the team rested, three of the players, Hannah; McMillan and Boyle, were on county duty, with Dumbartonshire losing 2-4 to North Eastern Glasgow, McMillan scoring one of the goals.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, April
On 24 April, Dumbarton travelled to Edinburgh to play St Bernards. Four regulars were missing but the Sons managed to come out on top by 5-3


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, April
A couple of days later Dumbarton played their first tie in the Greenock Charity Cup against Dykebar at Cappielow. The Sons were on top from the start and were two up within 10 minutes. In the end Dumbarton came away with a fine 6-0 victory.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, May
May began with a match on the 3rd against Rangers at Ibrox. Boyle and Keir were amongst those of the ‘cup’ team missing from the team. Rangers were first to get on the score card but Mair equalised for Dumbarton in the second half for a 1-1 draw.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, May
It was not until 23 May that Dumbarton played their next match – coincidentally again against Rangers at Ibrox. This time it was in the first tie of a competition for the benefit of United Abstainers FC. The Sons were near full strength and with goals from McMillan, Bell and an own goal the Sons secured a 3-2 win.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, May
On 31 May another piece of silverware was up for grabs as Dumbarton took on Morton at Cappielow in the final of the Greenock Charity Cup. The Sons fielded the same team. Taylor had the Sons two ahead within six minutes. Bell made it three and it was four before half time. The domination continued in the second half as Dumbarton won the cup by 9-0.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, June
Only one tie remained to be decided at the beginning of June and that was the result of the United Abstainers FC tournament, which pitted Dumbarton against Third Lanark. On 5 June the teams turned out at Ibrox Park and fought out a goalless draw, but in the replay a fortnight later, it was Third Lanark who got the decisive goal in a close encounter.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Story of the Season, Post Season Notes
The season ended with the publication of the fixture list for the first ever Scottish Football League – Dumbarton's first tie would be against Cowlairs at home on 16 August. However one honour had already been achieved with former player Alex Lawrance of Dumbarton being voted in as Chairman of the League.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Player statistics
Amongst those leaving the club from the first XI were, John Madden to Celtic, William Lapsley to Third Lanark, Geordie Dewar to Blackburn Rovers and James Bell to Aston Villa.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Player statistics
Those joining the first XI included a number of players following the ‘amalgamation’ with near neighbours Dumbarton Athletic, notable among those being Joe Lindsay,  James Galbraith, John McLeod and Daniel Watson. In addition John Taylor joined from Newtown Thistle.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Player statistics
Only includes appearances and goals in competitive Scottish Cup matches.


1889–90 Dumbarton F.C. season, Reserve team
Dumbarton reached the third round of the Scottish Second XI Cup before losing out to Queen's Park in a replay. However the Dumbarrtonshire Second XI Cup was retained after a win in the final over Vale of Leven.


1889–90 Eastville Rovers F.C. season
The 1889–90 season was the seventh to be played by the team that are now known as Bristol Rovers, and their sixth playing under the name Eastville Rovers.


1889–90 Eastville Rovers F.C. season, Season review
As reigning Gloucestershire Cup champions, much was expected of Eastville Rovers during the 1889–90 season, but for much of the early part of the season they were unable to field a full-strength side and as a result they put in a number of lacklustre performances. They failed in their efforts to retain the trophy thanks to a heavy defeat to Clifton in the second round.


1889–90 Eastville Rovers F.C. season, Season review
Prior to their meeting with Rovers in the first round of the newly-renamed Gloucestershire Senior Challenge Cup, two Warmley players were banned for two months for excessively rough play in a match against Clifton. Serious consideration was given to postponing the cup tie because the Warmley team wouldn't have been at full strength, but the game went ahead on 18 January as planned, and was won by Rovers thanks to a single goal by Walter Perrin. Reports at the time commented on a large crowd attending the cup match in the hope of seeing some more violent play.


1889–90 Eastville Rovers F.C. season, Season review
The reserve team had fewer games than in previous seasons, but this year saw them enter a cup competition for the first time. They took part in the inaugural Gloucestershire Junior Challenge Cup, where they were drawn against Brandon in the first round. A comfortable 6–0 victory put the Rovers through to the second round, where they were beaten by eventual cup winners Kingswood Congregational. It took the Kingswood side four attempts to beat Warmley Reserves in the final – two draws were followed by a game that had to be replayed due to the use of ineligible players, with Kingswood Congregational finally taking the trophy after the third replay.


1889–90 Eastville Rovers F.C. season, Season review
A curious incident took place just before Christmas when the Bristol Mercury reported that the reserve team had drawn 23–23 with Clifton's reserves on 21 December. The following day the paper printed a retraction of the story, stating that they had been told by the honorary secretary of Clifton that the game had not taken place.


1889–90 Eastville Rovers F.C. season, Statistics, Cumulative record
The total cumulative record of Eastville Rovers up to the end of the 1889–90 season is shown below. This is calculated by adding the numbers in the section above to the total games played up to last season. Friendly matches are not included in this table, and games held at neutral venues are considered to have been played away from home.


1889–90 Eastville Rovers F.C. season, Statistics, Cumulative record
As of the summer of 1889, Rovers' competitive matches had all been played in the Gloucestershire Cup.


1889–90 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.


1889–90 Everton F.C. season, Regular Football League First team
Such was the transition at Everton over the summer that just four of the previous season's first choice eleven, Smalley, Farmer, Holt and Chadwick remained in place, the latter being the only player to play in every Everton League game since the formation of the competition. Twenty-five-year-old right back, Andrew Hannah was brought from Renton to replace the retired George Dobson. A disappointed Nick Ross returned to Preston having missed their double winning season and was replaced by the Bolton veteran left back, Dan Doyle.


1889–90 Everton F.C. season, Regular Football League First team
Charlie Parry arrived from Chester St Oswalds, pushing James Weir out of the side and striker Frank Sugg was also pushed out as Fred Geary was brought in from Notts County. Joe Davies returned to his hometown club Chirk to be replaced by Alex Latta from Dumbarton meaning that no less than five new signings made their debut on the opening day of the season with two of them, Geary and Parry both becoming instant heroes by scoring the goals in a 3–2 victory over Blackburn.


1889–90 Everton F.C. season, Regular Football League First team
The loss of inside right Robert Watson to Gorton Villa during the summer left a gap that wasn't properly filled until November when Alec Brady arrived from Sunderland and also scored on his debut in the 8–0 mauling of Stoke.


1889–90 Everton F.C. season, Regular Football League First team
His arrival completed what became the first choice eleven for the season but they only actually played as a team on one occasion when, in the formation listed above, they slumped to their worst result of the entire season, losing 1–5 at home to Preston on 16 November, despite leading at half time. Their second half display that day would ultimately cost Everton the title as the two points won by Preston proved to be the margin between the two sides at the end of the season.


1889–90 Everton F.C. season, Regular Football League First team
Centre Half, George Farmer was heavily criticised for the defeat and was the only change for the next game, which Everton won 4–2 at Blackburn Rovers. He never regained his place in the side and was released at the end of the season.


1889–90 Everton F.C. season, Regular Football League First team
Farmer's and Brady's Everton careers overlapped only three games, hence the solitary appearance of the first eleven, although the other nine, along with Farmer during the first half of the season and Brady during the latter half were almost a constant, with the result that five played all twenty-two games while Holt and Latta each missed just one.


1889–90 Everton F.C. season, Other players used in the Football League
Bob Cain (4 appearances at centre back), Walter Cox (4 apps in goal), Harry Hammond (1 app at left back), R Jamieson (1 app at centre forward), Charles Jolliffe (1 app in goal), Robert Jones (1 app at inside right), Daniel Kirkwood (11 apps at inside right), W Orr (1 app at centre forward), Frank Sugg (1 app at centre back), James Weir (3 apps at left back)


1889–90 Everton F.C. season, Other players used in the Football League
Sugg and Weir had both been first team regulars the previous season but were edged out by new faces, the former going on to achieve greater fame as a cricketer of the highest calibre. Harry Hammond made only this one appearance for Everton before going on to narrowly miss out on winning the title with Sheffield United


1889–90 Everton F.C. season, Achievements
The 1889/90 team set the following club records in the League


1889–90 FA Cup
The 1889–90 FA Cup was the nineteenth season of the world's oldest football knockout competition, The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup.


1889–90 FA Cup, Qualifying rounds
For information on the matches played from the First Round Qualifying to the Fourth Round Qualifying, see 1889–90 FA Cup qualifying rounds.


1889–90 FA Cup qualifying rounds
This was the second season where the FA Cup, or the Football Association Challenge Cup, used a series of qualifying rounds in order to determine qualifiers for the actual Cup competition itself.


1889–90 FA Cup qualifying rounds
See 1889–90 FA Cup for details of the rounds from the first round onwards.


1889–90 Football Alliance
The 1889–90 Football Alliance was the first season of the Football Alliance, an association football league which was set up in England as an alternative to The Football League, which had begun in the 1888–89 season. A proposal that the Football League be expanded to 24 teams was rejected, so a new league was formed to cater for those excluded. Twelve clubs were accepted for membership, the same number as in the Football League, and they were drawn from a similar geographical area, stretching from the Midlands to the North West, but also further east in Sheffield, Grimsby and Sunderland.


1889–90 Football Alliance
Two points were awarded for a win and one point for a draw, each team played every other team once at home and once away from home. The Wednesday were the first champions; after hitting an eight-match winning run which started in November, they found themselves at the top of the league by the end of December, and remained there for the rest of the season. Long Eaton Rangers finished last of the 12 clubs and dropped out to join the Midland Football League.


1889–90 Football Alliance, Team kits
These were the kits worn by the teams that season.


1889–90 Football Alliance, The Football League election process
At the Football League election meeting no vote was taken, but it was agreed that Burnley and Notts County were re-elected to the Football League and that Sunderland was elected to join the League in place of Stoke, who would play in the Football Alliance the following season.


1889–90 Football Alliance, The Football League election process
The applications of Football Alliance sides Bootle, Darwen, Grimsby Town, Newton Heath and Sunderland Albion to join the League were rejected.


1889–90 Football League
The 1889–90 Football League was the second season of English league football, with Preston North End being crowned as the champions for the second successive season. The clubs competing were the 12 original clubs which were the founders of the league the previous year. Unlike the modern system, two points were awarded for a win, with one for a draw and no points for a loss; this system was carried on until the 1980s when teams were awarded three points for a win.


1889–90 Football League, Final league table
The table below is reproduced here in the exact form that it 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.


1889–90 Football League, Final league table
Beginning with the season 1894–95, clubs finishing level on points were separated according to goal average (goals scored divided by goals conceded). In case one or more teams had the same goal difference, this system favoured those teams who had scored fewer goals. 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.


1889–90 Football League, Final league table
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.


1889–90 Football League, Re-election process
At the Football League election meeting no vote was taken, and it was agreed that Burnley and Notts County were re-elected and that Sunderland was elected in place of Stoke, who played in the Football Alliance the following season but returned to the Football League after a year's absence.


1889–90 Football League, Re-election process
The applications of Football Alliance sides Bootle, Darwen, Grimsby Town, Newton Heath and Sunderland Albion were rejected.


1889–90 Football Tournament, Overview
It was contested by 7 teams, and Akademisk Boldklub won the championship. 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.


1889–90 Heart of Midlothian F.C. season
The 1889–90 season is the 15th season of competitive football by Heart of Midlothian. Hearts competed in the Scottish Cup, the Rosebery Charity Cup and the East of Scotland Shield.


1889–90 Hibernian F.C. season
Season 1889–90 was the 14th season in which Hibernian competed at a Scottish national level, entering the Scottish Cup for the 13th time.


1889–90 Hibernian F.C. season, Overview
Hibs reached the sixth round of the Scottish Cup, losing 6–2 to Abercorn.


1889–90 Midland Football League
The 1889–90 Midland Football League season was the first in the history of the Midland Football League, a football competition in England.


1889–90 Netherlands Football League Championship
The Netherlands Football League Championship 1889–1890 was contested by seven 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 from Haarlem won the championship, however this championship was not official, since the teams had not played an equal number of matches.


1889–90 Newton Heath LYR F.C. season
The 1889–90 season was Newton Heath LYR's first season in the Football Alliance; they finished in 8th position. The club also took part in the FA Cup and the Lancashire Senior Cup, failing to get past the First Round in both competitions, as well as the Manchester and District Challenge Cup, in which they came out winners.


1889–90 Northern Football League
The 1889–90 Northern Football League season was the inaugural season in the history of the Northern Football League, a football competition in Northern England.


1889–90 Preston North End F.C. season
The 1889–90 season was Preston's 2nd season in professional football. The club entered the season as double defending champions, having won both the league and FA Cup titles the previous season. Although the Bolton Wanderers removed them from the cup, a successive league title was assured on the final day. With the Lilywhites holding off the challenges of Everton and the Blackburn Rovers.


1889–90 Preston North End F.C. season, Players
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1889–90 Rangers F.C. season
The 1889–90 season is the 16th season of competitive football by Rangers.


1889–90 Royal Arsenal F.C. season
1889-90 marked the 4th season of the club that was to become Arsenal F.C.. They remained at the Manor Field in Plumstead for the second consecutive season, and competed in four cup competitions, including the FA Cup, for the first time, reaching the fourth qualifying round. This season saw Arsenal win their first silverware, in the form of the Kent Senior Cup and the London Charity Cup, whilst also finishing runners up in the London Senior Cup.


1889–90 Royal Arsenal F.C. season, Players
Below is a list of players who made at least one appearance for Royal Arsenal during the season, with number of appearances, and goals. Debutantes are marked in Bold, whilst goalkeepers are marked in Italics. David Danskin again captained Arsenal for the season. Out of 41 games played across the season, 39 full lineups were recorded, with the other 2 games line-ups being partially recorded.


1889–90 Royal Arsenal F.C. season, Matches
Below is a list of results of all fixtures played by the Royal Arsenal during the season. Out of 41 games, 4 of these were FA Cup fixtures, another 11 were competitive fixtures for other cups. They also played 26 friendlies. The overall season record stands at 31 wins, 5 draws, and 5 losses.


1889–90 Rugby Union County Championship
The 1889–90 Rugby Union County Championship was the second edition of England's premier rugby union club competition at the time.


1889–90 Rugby Union County Championship
Yorkshire won the competition for the second time. They were declared the champion county after finishing the season undefeated and were selected to play the Rest of England in the end of season county fixtures.


1889–90 Scottish Cup
The 1889–90 Scottish Cup was the 17th season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. Queen's Park defeated rivals Vale of Leven 2–1 in a replayed final.


1889–90 Scottish Cup, Teams
All 158 teams entered the competition in the first round.


1889–90 Scottish Cup, First round
Camelon, Clyde, Dumfries Harp, Dunfermline, Edinburgh University, Kirkintilloch Athletic, Lanemark and Lochgilphead received a bye to the second round.


1889–90 Scottish Cup, Second round
Ayr Athletic, Champfleurie, Edinburgh University, Kilsyth Wanderers, Pollokshaws and Wishaw Thistle received a bye to the third round.


1889–90 Scottish Cup, Fifth round
Hibernian, Kilbirnie, Leith Athletic and 3rd Lanark RV received a bye to the quarter-finals.


1889–90 Scottish Districts season
The 1889–90 Scottish Districts season is a record of all the  rugby union matches for Scotland's district teams.


1889–90 Scottish Districts season, History
Glasgow District and North of Scotland District were due to play at Forfar on 14 December 1889. Edinburgh District and South of Scotland District were due to play at Galashiels on 14 December 1889. Both matches were called off due to the weather despite the teams all showing up for play. The South team was selected.


1889–90 Scottish Districts season, Results, Inter-City
Glasgow District: A. Lede (Glasgow University), W. J. Reid (West of Scotland), C. F. P. Fraser (Glasgow University), J. J. Mitchell (Glasgow Academicals), C. E. Orr (West of Scotland), C. E. McEwan (West of Scotland), W. A. Macdonald [captain], E. M. Donaldson (Glasgow University), K. M. Bishop (Glasgow Academicals), J. D. Boswell (West of Scotland), J. E. Orr (West of Scotland), W. Auld (West of Scotland), H. F. Menzies (West of Scotland), E. H. Wynne (West of Scotland), R. O. Caw (Kelvinside Academicals),  Edinburgh District: A. W. Cameron (Watsonians), W. C. Smith (Edinburgh University), H. J. Stevenson (Edinburgh Academicals), J. Duncan (Edinburgh Academicals), F. B. Majoribanks (Edinburgh Academicals), G. R. Aitchison (Edinburgh Wanderers), A. M. Gordon(Edinburgh Academicals) [ captain], W. R. Ferguson (Edinburgh Academicals), (Edinburgh Academicals) A. A. Scot-Skirving (Edinburgh Academicals), A. Duke (Royal HSFP), R. J. Davidson (Royal HSFP), P. H. Blyth (Watsonians), R.M. M. Roddich (Watsonians), A. T. Aitken (Edinburgh Institution)


1889–90 Sheffield United F.C. season
The 1889–90 season was the first in existence for Sheffield United. Having not been elected to any organised league at that point they predominantly played friendly fixtures but did enter the FA Cup for the first time as well as locally arranged cup competitions The Sheffield Challenge Cup and the Wharncliffe Charity Cup. The club did not employ a manager in this period; tactics and team selection were decided by The Football Committee and the players were coached by a trainer.


1889–90 Sheffield United F.C. season
J.B. Wostinholm held the position of club secretary, dealing with player transfers and contracts, arranging matches and dealing with the FA. The first season was deemed a reasonable success with steady attendances to home games and progress in the FA Cup although the fluctuating nature of the team meant that consistency was never really achieved.


1889–90 Sheffield United F.C. season
As the season progressed it became obvious that a better standard of player would be required to succeed in League Football and the club began to recruit new players in the spring, notably signing Rab Howell, Mick Whitham and Arthur Watson from nearby Rotherham Swifts who were in financial difficulties. United eventually reached the second round proper of the FA Cup where they were comprehensively beaten by the more experienced Bolton Wanderers and finished the season having been accepted to play in the newly formed Midland Counties League the following term.


1889–90 Sheffield United F.C. season, Background
Sheffield United had been formed earlier in 1889 by the organising committee of the Sheffield United Cricket Club in response to the growing popularity of the game. They viewed a football team as a means of generating extra revenue and a greater utilisation of the club facilities, particularly in the winter months. The initial plan was to sign a core squad of players and augment them with the best amateur players from the region as guests. The club had duly advertised for players in the local press and in Glasgow as it was considered that Scotland was an untapped pool of talent. Respondents were invited for trials and a basic squad were offered contracts.


1889–90 Sheffield United F.C. season, Kit
For their first season the team wore a plain white 'jersey' and blue 'knickers' and socks. The club would not adopt its now traditional red and white stripes until the following season.


1889–90 Sheffield United F.C. season, Season overview
With a team assembled over the summer months, United played their first ever fixture against Notts Rangers on 7 September 1889, a game which they lost 4–1. As they were not part of any organised league the club arranged a series of friendly and exhibition games to fill the schedule of their fledgling club. Their opponents were drawn both from the local area (Sheffield having a number of established teams at this time) and from further afield, particularly the North-West and West Midlands.


1889–90 Sheffield United F.C. season, Season overview
The establishment of a new, well-financed, football team in the city had caused some consternation amongst the local FA and United undertook a low-key start, not playing their first game at Bramall Lane until the end of September, against Birmingham St. George's. The team continued to play regularly and attendances at Bramall Lane steadily increased as interest in the new side grew. The team performed well against local sides but the fluctuating nature of the squad during this period meant there was little consistency in results.


1889–90 Sheffield United F.C. season, Season overview
By December however, it had become clear that better quality of players would be required if the club was to develop and take on the more established sides playing in the Football League. The initial plan of maintaining a core of players that would be boosted from the ranks of the local amateur game had not borne fruit as the players who appeared were often ageing and past their best. Similarly the players recruited from Scotland had largely failed to impress and so the football committee looked to bring in fresh players to strengthen the team.


1889–90 Sheffield United F.C. season, Season overview
Ironically, their first two new signings were a Scot, William Calder, and another local amateur, T.B.A. Clarke, who both arrived in December 1889 but the team was beginning to take on a more professional image. The team continued their campaign of friendly fixtures into 1890, with varying degrees of success, whilst competing in the FA Cup for the first time.


1889–90 Sheffield United F.C. season, Season overview
With the club hoping to be accepted into the newly formed Midland Counties League for the following season the committee made a number of additions to the squad in March, signing Billy Bairstow from local side Sheffield Club but more significantly signing a trio of players from nearby Rotherham Swifts. Rab Howell, Arthur Watson and Michael Whitham would all become stalwarts of the team in the coming seasons, with both Howell and Whitham subsequently going on to represent England. They represented United's first reported entry into the transfer market, arriving for a combined fee of £200, and signalled a new era of full professionalism for the club.


1889–90 Sheffield United F.C. season, Season overview, FA Cup
United made their debut in the FA Cup in an away fixture against Scarborough on 7 October 1889, a game which they comprehensively won 6–1. Required to play a number of qualifying games they went on to play various local sides before reaching the First round proper when they took on Burnley in January 1990. Having dispatched the Clarets, United were drawn against another Lancashire side in the next round – Bolton Wanderers. Giving up home advantage in return for a payment of £40 (a practice that was actually against the rules of the competition) they travelled across the Pennines only to be trounced 13–0, a result that remains United's worst ever cup defeat.


1889–90 Sheffield United F.C. season, Season overview, Local cup competitions
United entered both the Sheffield Challenge Cup and the Wharncliffe Charity Cup during the course of the season. Both competitions were ratified by the Sheffield FA and as such were viewed as fully competitive fixtures within the local area. United progressed through three early rounds of the Challenge Cup, beating Sheffield Exchange, Heeley and Attercliffe before facing Staveley at Bramall Lane in the semi-final. A 2–0 victory was enough to see them progress to the team's first ever 'cup final' where they took on an experienced Rotherham Town side over two legs. United were held to a 0–0 draw in the first fixture at Bramall Lane but succumbed to a single goal in the return leg which was played at the ground of Rotherham Swifts.


1889–90 Sheffield United F.C. season, Season overview, Local cup competitions
The Wharncliffe Cup was a smaller affair and The Blades needed only to beat Doncaster Rovers in a home game to progress to the semi-final. They travelled to Staveley but were beaten 2–1 by their hosts.


1889–90 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.


1889–90 Sheffield United F.C. season, Squad, Players leaving before end of the season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1889–90 Sheffield United F.C. season, Squad, Other players
During this season a number of other players played first team games for United during their various fixtures. They were either triallists who were not retained or local players drawn from neighbouring clubs as 'guests'. The only guest player to feature in a competitive fixture was 'T. Wilson'  who played in the FA Cup first round match against Burnley. 'Wilson' was most likely a pseudonym and his true identity remains unknown.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season
The 1889–90 season was the ninth season of competitive association football played by Small Heath F.C., an English football club based in the Small Heath district of Birmingham. They competed in the inaugural season of the Football Alliance. They finished in tenth position in the twelve-team league with six wins, five draws and eleven defeats, which gave them seventeen points. The team scored 44 goals in Alliance competition but conceded 67.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season
Small Heath entered the 1889–90 FA Cup at the second qualifying round stage. They progressed through three qualifying rounds and one round proper, eventually losing in the second round proper (last 16) to Football League club Wolverhampton Wanderers. In local competition, they were eliminated by West Bromwich Albion in the second round of the Birmingham Cup, and drew with Warwick County in the final of the Warwickshire Cup. Small Heath also played several friendly matches during the season.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season
Small Heath used twenty-four different players in nationally organised competitive matches during the season and had fourteen different goalscorers. Walter Gittins missed just one match over the season; his full-back partner Fred Speller missed two. The top scorer was centre-forward and captain Will Devey with 27 goals, of which 18 were scored in league competition.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Background
In the 1888–89 season, which coincided with the Small Heath club's first year as a limited company, it made enough profit to pay shareholders a dividend of 5 per cent. The team played in the Combination, a league established to provide regular competitive football for those clubs not invited to join the newly formed Football League. The Combination was not well organised, and not all teams completed their required 16 fixtures; Small Heath achieved 11. A proposal that the Football League be expanded to 24 teams was rejected, so a new league, to be known as the Football Alliance, was formed to cater for those excluded. Small Heath was one of the 12 clubs accepted.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Background
Small Heath retained most of the previous season's regular players, despite talk of "two or three desertions that will be serious to their prospects if rumour should turn out to be correct". Reports linking full-back Fred Speller with Warwick County left the Birmingham Daily Post "wondering at footballers' ingratitude." One major departure was goalscoring winger Ted Hill, who was unwilling to commit to regular competitive football. New arrivals included Fred Heath, "a fast runner and a good dribbler [who] centres while running at full speed", who was viewed as the replacement for Ted Hill, fellow forward Billy Pratt, full-back Walter Gittins and backup goalkeeper Francis Banks.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Background
Devey was appointed captain, though the Post suggested his tendency to argue with teammates made him a less than ideal candidate for the role. The team played in black shirts with an amber collar, white knickerbockers and black stockings.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, September–October
Small Heath opened the Football Alliance campaign with a win. They took an early two-goal lead against Birmingham St George's at Coventry Road, and although Saints equalised before the interval and had the better of the second half, Chris Charsley's goalkeeping and Fred Speller's defence kept the Heathens in the game, and Will Devey took advantage of a goalkeeping error for the winning goal. During the reserve team match played the same day, a young opponent was kneed in the abdomen; he died of his injuries two days later in Birmingham General Hospital.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, September–October
Walter Gittins and Wilton Lines made their debuts at home to Bootle in front of a large crowd, attracted by Bootle's success in holding "the Invincibles" – Preston North End, champions of the Football League, who had gone through the inaugural season unbeaten – to a draw in a friendly match. Small Heath came out of the match with a 2–2 draw, with goals from Devey and Eddy Stanley in the first 12 minutes of the game.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, September–October
Bootle scored once before Thomas Davenport narrowly failed to increase Heath's lead when he headed against the crossbar, and after Bootle tied the scores, the defence of both sides worked hard to keep the scores tied. For the third Alliance match in succession, Small Heath let slip a lead, as their visit to Walsall Town Swifts finished at one goal apiece, and September ended with a 3–1 defeat of Burslem Port Vale in a "somewhat dull" friendly.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, September–October
On a slippery pitch in "a perfect deluge", Small Heath held hosts Sunderland Albion to a one-all draw at half-time, but in the second half, Sunderland scored five goals without reply; Charsley "was indifferently supported, and the visitors seemed to fall all to pieces". At home to The Wednesday in similar conditions, Devey gave Small Heath a two-goal lead, but although Speller was able to frustrate many of Wednesday's left-wing attacks, they were able to score twice to draw the game.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, September–October
The Birmingham Daily Post thought Small Heath had done well to secure a draw, because their forwards passed wildly and lacked any effective combination, while Wednesday's forwards had been profligate in front of goal. The Sheffield Independent concurred that Small Heath were "somewhat lucky" to draw, as "in every part of the game [Wednesday] surpassed their opponents", and Small Heath only managed to keep them out by defending in numbers. The result left them seventh in the table, having spent September in the top three. In a one-sided game, Small Heath beat Oldbury Town 3–1 in the second qualifying round of the Association Cup.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, November–December
A goalless visit to Nottingham Forest, where but both sides' forwards were "altogether nonplussed by the wind, which careered about in the wildest gusts", was a better result for the visitors than for their hosts. Eddy Stanley shot against the crossbar, and Forest had a goal disallowed for offside.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, November–December
The 18-year-old Billy Walton made a "not conspicuously successful" debut; Walton had attended the 1886 FA Cup semi-final as a supporter of the then Small Heath Alliance, was to play for the club for fourteen years, helped clear snow from the pitch so that the official opening of the St Andrew's Ground in 1906 could go ahead, was present at the 1931 and 1956 FA Cup Finals, and attended St Andrew's until not long before his death in 1963. The match with Walsall Town Swifts began late because the visitors' kit had gone missing.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, November–December
Walsall's defence was sound, if unnecessarily rough, and their forwards took advantage of mistakes by Gittins and Speller to clinch a 2–0 win. Small Heath had no difficulty progressing in the Association Cup, winning 5–1 at the home of Wednesbury Old Athletic. The Alliance fixture with The Wednesday, scheduled for the same day, was postponed until 21 December.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, November–December
The comfortable victories continued at home to Grimsby Town in the Alliance, courtesy of a steadfast defence, two goals from Devey, and one by Heath, and then in the next round of the Cup, by four goals to nil at home to Walsall Town Swifts, on a pitch covered in a combination of snow, slush and mud on which "occasionally one of [the players] would take an involuntary slide of about a dozen yards, and then sit down with a force and a directness that must have been surprisingly sad."


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, November–December
Small Heath, without Charsley, Short, Walton and Will Devey, could field only ten men for their rearranged visit to The Wednesday, top of the table and a particularly strong side at home. Jenkyns took over the captaincy, and he, Speller and reserve goalkeeper Francis Banks performed well, but the team was overwhelmed; the result, a 9–1 loss, in which Small Heath's only goal was scored by Wednesday's Teddy Brayshaw, remains a club record defeat.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, November–December
Small Heath had three Alliance matches over the Christmas period. On Christmas morning, still without Devey and Walton, they played Birmingham St George's at Cape Hill. The home side took the lead, but Short equalised with a shot that rebounded off the underside of the crossbar shortly before half-time. In the second half, with the sun at their backs, St George's took charge, and the match finished 4–1.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, November–December
At Grimsby Town the following day, another weakened team lost by four clear goals, but two days later, Small Heath stopped the rot against Long Eaton Rangers despite the continued absence of Devey and Short's withdrawal. The play in a goalless first half suggested the players had enjoyed their Christmas festivities, but after the interval, Small Heath began to press, and came out winners by three goals to one. They went into the new year in seventh position; in terms of points, ten from twelve games placed them rather nearer the bottom than the top of the table.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, January–February
Will Devey was able to return to the attack, but his brother and Jenkyns were replaced in the half-back line by Morgan and Charlie Simms for the match at home to Crewe Alexandra; further depleted when Harry Morris left the field through injury, Small Heath lost 2–0. This was their last Alliance match until mid-February. With the half-back line at full strength, Small Heath took a two-goal lead at home to Long Eaton Rangers in the Birmingham Cup, but J. Start scored twice in the second half to force a replay.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, January–February
A 4–0 defeat of Notts Jardines in a friendly "played in the most apathetic manner" preceded the first round proper of the Association Cup, against London Cup-holders Clapton; the Birmingham Daily Post warned that the visitors were "somewhat of an unknown quantity", so should not be taken lightly.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, January–February
Simms and Stanley replaced Ted Devey and Short in a win by three goals to one, helped by Small Heath's superior passing and stamina, and the "brilliant run by which Stanley scored the third goal was one of the finest pieces of play that has been witnessed at Coventry Road for many a day". In the Birmingham Cup replay, at Long Eaton, the Rangers tried to force the game in the first half, but could not score, and Devey could; after the interval, the game was more open, and Small Heath won 2–0.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, January–February
Billed as a Birmingham Cup tie, the result was variously reported as such, as an Alliance match, or as both; the teams were scheduled to meet in the Alliance on 8 February, but did not do so, and the committee later ruled that the Birmingham Cup meeting should also count as an Alliance fixture.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, January–February
Small Heath were not expected to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers on their own ground, and they did not, but the match and the result were much closer than envisaged; the Liverpool Mercury described it as a "scare". The pitch was particularly deep in mud, and the visitors played under protest, but later decided it would be unsporting to take their complaint further. Heath played at left half instead of Ted Devey, and Short was absent, but Small Heath opened the scoring through Will Devey's determination, despite Wolverhampton allocating three men to mark him. The home players were more accustomed to the conditions, and this told in the end; despite the sound defensive work of Charsley, Speller and Heath, Wolverhampton scored twice, and went through to the last eight of the competition.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, January–February
Charsley, Speller, Morris, Jenkyns and Will Devey were selected to represent Warwickshire in a match against the Manchester Football Association; Speller sprained his ankle during the match, which Warwickshire lost 4–1, but his unavailability did not adversely affect Small Heath's return to Alliance competition with a 6–2 defeat of Darwen.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, January–February
The game marked the debuts of Jack Hallam, who went on to score 63 goals from 155 matches in national competition for the club, and Fred Wheldon, who scored 113 goals from 175 such matches before leaving for Aston Villa for a transfer fee of £350, reported to be an all-time record, and later played for England. With Speller still out, and the new forwards ineligible, Small Heath were eliminated from the Birmingham Cup by a strong West Bromwich Albion side. The first half of the visit to second-placed Crewe Alexandra was even; Crewe won the second half by five goals to one.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, January–February
For the second time this season, a serious accident happened in a Small Heath reserve match, on this occasion against Singer's in the Birmingham Junior Cup. A Singer's full back slipped and fell while attempting to head the ball, an opponent fell on top of him, and the victim was left paralysed.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, March–April
In an even, attacking friendly at Burslem Port Vale, Billy Walton scored twice late in the game to secure a 4–3 win. Small Heath were without the Devey brothers, on representative duty with the Birmingham Association teams. Will's eleven lost by a single goal to Lancashire, and Ted's eleven beat the London Association at Kennington Oval in a match reduced to 30 minutes each way because of heavy snow. Back in the Alliance, Small Heath were expected to beat Nottingham Forest, but the manner of their victory was "sensational and surprising".


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, March–April
Will Devey scored six goals, George Short three, Ted Devey two and Hallam one to set a club record victory margin in national competition of twelve goals to nil, that, As of July 2013, has been equalled but not beaten. The next Saturday, they failed to beat Newton Heath when Billy Walton failed to tap the ball into an open goal with little time remaining, and the week after, they did enough to beat Derby Junction in a dull friendly on a dull afternoon with Junction's goalkeeper the best player on the field. Playing against the wind at home to Sunderland Albion, Small Heath conceded three early goals; on change of ends the visitors' defence stood firm, apart from one "magnificent shot" by Will Devey.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, March–April
The Alliance campaign ended with a three-match tour of Lancashire over the Easter weekend. They went into Friday's match in eighth place, one point clear of the bottom four teams, who would have to apply for re-election to the competition for the new season. The absent Charsley was "much missed" as Bootle took a four-goal lead by the interval, and in a more competitive second half, scored only twice. On the Saturday, in an improved performance, they came off worse in an open, attacking game at Darwen, and on Monday at Newton Heath, they equalled their record defeat set only a few months earlier, a series of results that confirmed their finishing the season in the bottom four.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, March–April
Small Heath played several friendly matches after the end of the competitive season. They beat Kidderminster Harriers 4–1 in front of "a fair number" of spectators at Coventry Road, and played Stoke home and away, each match won by its hosts. A benefit match was held for Chris Charsley ahead of his retirement; despite the admission charge being increased for the occasion, around 6,000 spectators turned up to watch a schoolboys' match followed by the main attraction.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, March–April
In an encounter described by the Birmingham Daily Post as "perhaps the closest and most exciting ever played on the field", Aston Villa, featuring new signing Tom McKnight, drew 2–2 with a Small Heath eleven including St George's centre forward John Devey, older brother of Will and Ted, and future England international. A substantial sum was raised. Charsley and Will Devey represented the Birmingham Association against Liverpool and District at Anfield; Ted Devey was also selected, but was unable to play. The Liverpool team won by a single goal.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Season review, March–April
The season ended with the final of the Warwickshire Association's senior cup competition. Small Heath were exempted until the semi-final, in which they beat Unity Gas Department. Their opponents in the final were Warwick County, and the match was played at that club's home ground, the County Cricket Ground. The match was drawn, and the second half was marred by a fight for which one player from each side was sent off.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Summary and aftermath
Small Heath finished tenth in the inaugural season of the Football Alliance, and were re-elected for 1890–91. Among regular first-team players to leave the club were Walter Gittins, Eddy Stanley, and Chris Charsley. Gittins, who partnered Fred Speller at full-back throughout the season, moved on to Stafford Rangers. Stanley had been with the club for nine years before injury forced his retirement.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Summary and aftermath
During that time he scored 14 times in 22 FA Cup matches, contributed two goals and an assist as Small Heath won their first trophy, the 1883 Walsall Cup, and scored 5 goals from 13 games in the Football Alliance campaign. Goalkeeper Charsley, a serving police officer, announced his retirement. In June, he was honoured with a dinner at which he was presented with the proceeds of his benefit, some of which had been spent on a piano, and there was £40 left over. The Birmingham Daily Post suggested the club "were hardly likely ever to find so good a man again".


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Summary and aftermath
New arrivals included forward Charlie Short, who had played one match for Small Heath in March before finishing the season with Unity Gas, full-back Tom Bayley from Walsall Town Swifts, and goalkeeper Charles Partridge from Wednesbury Old Athletic. The club decided to change to a new kit – a plain royal blue shirt and stockings with white knickerbockers – because the black kit had proved difficult to see for players and spectators alike.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Match details
For consistency, attendances and goalscorers' names in the Football Alliance and FA Cup match details are sourced from Matthews (2010). Information in contemporary newspaper reports could, and often did, differ.


1889–90 Small Heath F.C. season, Match details, Other matches
Apart from those detailed below, Small Heath also played non-competitive fixtures against a Small Heath past players XI, Burton Swifts, and two other matches against Aston Villa. One of these matches was held as a benefit for the long-serving Eddy Stanley, and raised £15 10s.


1889–90 St. Mary's F.C. season
1889–90 was the fifth season for St. Mary's Football Club (St. Mary's F.C.) based in Southampton in southern England. The club retained the Hampshire Junior Cup for the third consecutive year.


1889–90 St. Mary's F.C. season, Summary of season
The season saw the club move into the Antelope Ground which would be their permanent home for the next seven years. They also changed their strip, playing in cherry red squares rather than a white shirt with a red sash.


1889–90 St. Mary's F.C. season, Summary of season
Although they were qualified to enter the Hampshire Senior Cup, the club committee decided to re-enter the Junior Cup, with a view to winning it for the third consecutive season, thereby enabling them to claim it outright. The passage through the cup was quite straightforward resulting in a 2–0 victory in the final against Lymington.


1889–90 St. Mary's F.C. season, Summary of season
At the end of the season, the club had a balance of £50 thus making it the "richest club in Hampshire". Writing in the Bournemouth Guardian, "Offside" prophesied the advent of professionalism:


1889–90 St. Mary's F.C. season, Summary of season
We shall be having some Scotchmen in the town soon. Perhaps "Captain" Carter will be taking a holiday among the Grampians this summer and coming back with a burly Highlander or two to help them to win the senior cup next year.


1889–90 St. Mary's F.C. season, Summary of season
Such was the club's dominance in the county that for the match against Dorset, the Hampshire F.A. selected ten players from St. Mary's. After protests from Lymington, Cowes and other clubs, St. Mary's withdrew all their players from the team. This led to a change of policy by the Hampshire F.A. although St. Mary's players continued to dominate the county sides for many years.


1889–90 St. Mary's F.C. season, Personnel
Following the retirement of his brother Charles following injury, Frank Bromley took over permanently as centre-forward with former Southampton Harriers  player Bob Kiddle alongside him. Arthur Fry retired during the season, leaving goalkeeper Ralph Ruffell as the only remaining player from the side who played in the inaugural match on 21 November 1885.


1889–90 St. Mary's F.C. season, Kit
Having played in white "tunics" with a red diagonal sash since their first match, the players kicked off the 1889–90 season in specially manufactured shirts of cherry and white quarters, with white shorts and dark blue socks. Writing some years later, F. J. Montgomery, who was a prominent committee member who also served as "umpire", claimed that the players "baulked at the expense of new shirts" and as a result he paid for them personally.


1889–90 St. Mary's F.C. season, Stadium
Since its inception, the club had had no permanent home and generally played their home matches on Southampton Common, where spectators could watch for free, using the County Cricket Ground or the Antelope Ground for cup matches and more popular friendly matches. Following the demise of the Woolston Works club, the Antelope Ground was now available. The ground, which stood in St. Mary's road, between Brinton's Terrace and   Clovelly Road, had initially been known as "Day's Ground" after the Hampshire cricketer Daniel Day.


1889–90 St. Mary's F.C. season, Stadium
The cricket club vacated the ground in 1884 to move to the County Ground, after which the Antelope Ground was used for rugby and association football matches, with the Woolston Works team renting it from 1887 until their demise in 1889. As a result, St. Mary's Football Club became joint tenants of the ground with the Trojans Rugby Club. Where there was a clash of fixtures, St. Mary's were still able to avail themselves of the County Ground, where the football club's "de facto" president, Dr. Russell Bencraft, was the cricket club's Hon. Secretary.


1889–90 St. Mary's F.C. season, Hampshire Junior Cup
Having won the Junior Cup in the two previous seasons, St. Mary's were qualified to play in the Hampshire Senior Cup, but the club committee decided to play another season in the Junior Cup with the intention of winning it for the third consecutive year, thus enabling them to win the cup outright.


1889–90 St. Mary's F.C. season, Hampshire Junior Cup
The club received a bye into the second round, where they easily disposed of Boscombe (now A.F.C. Bournemouth). This gave them a repeat of the previous season's semi-final against Cowes, who were defeated in a straightforward 2–1 victory in a match played in a gale-force wind. The semi-final, against Winchester Rovers was played at the County Ground in a snowstorm and match reports indicated that St. Mary's were "fortunate" to emerge with a 1–0 victory. This set up a final against Lymington who had defeated Freemantle in the semi-final.


1889–90 St. Mary's F.C. season, Hampshire Junior Cup
The final was played at the County Ground on 29 March 1890 on a "glorious afternoon". According to the Bournemouth Guardian, "the attendance at the County Ground cut the record. Altogether, over 2,000 paid for admission, which with ladies, members of the County Club, Bannister School, boysand officials, would give an attendance of something like 2,800". The gate receipts of £51 3s 6d, was reported as "the largest ever taken in the two counties (Hampshire and Dorset) and beats the big 'gate' at the Cowes match last year". The gate receipts were described as "a fortune" by William Pickford, the secretary of the Hampshire F.A.


1889–90 St. Mary's F.C. season, Hampshire Junior Cup
St. Mary's dominated the final and the scoreline, 2–0 did not reflect their superiority. This led to criticism in the Bournemouth Guardian that "with forwards equal to the defence, St. Mary's might play a good game with better clubs than we often see in Hampshire; though I still have my doubts about Aston Villa".


1889–90 St. Mary's F.C. season, Friendly matches
St. Mary's continued to play most of their football in friendly matches against other local teams and touring sides. They went through the season undefeated, with one draw, against Bannister Court. The penultimate match of the season was against the Aldershot-based Royal Engineers who had recently won the Hampshire Senior Cup for the second successive year.


1889–90 St. Mary's F.C. season, Friendly matches, Results
The results of the friendly matches that are known were as follows:


1889–90 St. Mary's F.C. season, Player statistics
The players who appeared in  the Hampshire Junior Cup were as follows. This list does not include appearances or goals in friendly matches.


1889–90 St. Mary's F.C. season, Players
The players who made their first appearance for the club in 1889–90 include the following:


1889–90 Stoke F.C. season
The 1889–90 season was Stoke's second season in the Football League.


1889–90 Stoke F.C. season
It was another poor season for Stoke, as they again finished bottom of the Football League but this time they failed to gain re-election and their place was taken by Sunderland and Stoke joined the Football Alliance for the following season. Stoke's worst league and FA Cup defeat came during the 1889–90 season, a 10–0 reverse against Preston North End and an 8–0 cup defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Stoke won just three matches all season and picked up just ten points making it the club's worst performance in league football.


1889–90 Stoke F.C. season, Season review, League
After finishing bottom of the league last season Stoke failed to improve a great deal in the 1889–90 season and again took the wooden spoon. They were humiliated 10–0 in the second match of the season away at Preston North End where all the goals were scored by Scottish internationals as Stoke suffered their worst league defeat. Stoke also lost 8–0 away to both Everton and Blackburn Rovers and they also suffered a 6–1 reverse against Aston Villa.


1889–90 Stoke F.C. season, Season review, League
Stoke were awful throughout the season and went on a ten match losing streak stretching from 19 October 1889 to 4 January 1890. In a tough home fixture against Burnley just before Christmas, Bob McCormick, the Stoke inside-right, badly injured his collar bone in a challenge with the Burnley full-back and at the end of the match some supporters invaded the pitch and confronted the "Clarets" defender. Stoke won the match 2–1 but Burnley lodged an appeal claiming their players had been intimidated. The League decided in Burnley's favour and ordered the match to be replayed, this time Burnley won 4–3.


1889–90 Stoke F.C. season, Season review, League
Stoke won only three matches this season and amassed a mere ten points three fewer than Burnley and 23 behind champions, for the second season running Preston. Stoke failed to gain re-election and the end of the season and their place was taken by Sunderland. Stoke joined the Football Alliance for the 1890–91 season. A 7–1 victory over Accrington where Bob Ramsay scored the "Potters" first hat-trick was a rare highlight in what was an awful season. At the end of the season manager Harry Lockett left the club to concentrate on his job as secretary of the Football League and Joseph Bradshaw took over.


1889–90 Stoke F.C. season, Season review, FA Cup
In the FA Cup, Stoke knocked out Old Westminsters and Everton but were ousted from the competition by Wolverhampton Wanderers. This third round tie was played on 15 February 1890 in driving sleet and rain on a heavy pitch and Wolves more suited to the conditions easily won the match 4–0. Stoke protested over the state of the pitch and the FA ordered a re-match the following Saturday. This time Wolves doubled the score to 8–0 much to the embarrassment of the Stoke officials. The result is Stoke's worst  in the FA Cup.


1889–90 in English football
The 1889–90 season was the 19th season of competitive football in England. Preston North End were Football League champions for the second successive season while The Wednesday finished top of the newly formed Football Alliance. Blackburn Rovers won the FA Cup.


1889–90 in English football, Football Alliance
A new competition, the Football Alliance, started this season. It was formed by 12 clubs as a rival to The Football League, which had begun in the 1888–89 season, also with 12 member clubs. The Alliance covered a similar area to the League, stretching from the Midlands to the North West, but also further east in Sheffield, Grimsby and Sunderland.


1889–90 in English football, FA Cup
The FA Cup was won by Blackburn Rovers, who beat The Wednesday 6–1 in the 1890 FA Cup Final to lift the trophy for the fourth time.


1889–90 in English football, National team
In the 1889–90 British Home Championship, England played matches against Wales and Ireland on the same day, 15 March 1890, winning both comfortably. The team for the Wales match were mainly amateur players, whereas the team against Ireland were all professional players. The Irish goal was scored by Jack Reynolds, who later played for England.


1889–90 in English football, National team
In the deciding match against Scotland, the teams drew 1–1 and shared the trophy.


1889–90 in Scottish football
The 1889–90 season was the 17th season of competitive football in Scotland.


188th (2/1st Northumberland) Brigade
The 188th (2/1st Northumberland) Brigade was formed in 1915 as a 2nd Line infantry brigade of the British Army's Territorial Force. It commanded four battalions of the Northumberland Fusiliers in the Home Defence role. It was broken up in November 1916 as its battalions were posted away.


188th (2/1st Northumberland) Brigade, History, Origin
In accordance with the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (7 Edw. 7, c.9) which brought the Territorial Force into being, the TF was intended to be a home defence force for service during wartime and members could not be compelled to serve outside the country. However, on the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914, many members volunteered for Imperial Service. Therefore, TF units were split into 1st Line (liable for overseas service) and 2nd Line (home service for those unable or unwilling to serve overseas) units.


188th (2/1st Northumberland) Brigade, History, Origin
2nd Line units performed the home defence role, although in fact most of these were also posted abroad in due course. Later, a 3rd Line was formed to act as a reserve, providing trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line units. Similarly, by 1915 most 2nd Line infantry battalions were formed into 2nd Line brigades and divisions with the same title and composition as the pre-war 1st Line formations.


188th (2/1st Northumberland) Brigade, History, Origin
188th (2/1st Northumberland) Brigade was organised in January 1915 from 2nd Line Territorial Force (TF) units of the Northumberland Fusiliers, and formed part of 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division. It was a duplicate of the pre-war Northumberland Brigade, Northumbrian Division of the TF (which were numbered 149th (Northumberland) Brigade and 50th (Northumbrian) Division respectively in April 1915).


188th (2/1st Northumberland) Brigade, History, Disbandment
The 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division was disbanded on 21 July 1916, and 188th Brigade followed on 14 November. The 2/4th, 2/5th and 2/6th battalions transferred to 217th Brigade in a new 72nd Division. The 2/7th Battalion sailed for Egypt on 20 January 1917 for service as a Garrison battalion.


188th (2/1st Northumberland) Brigade, History, Disbandment
The divisional number 63 was transferred to the Royal Naval Division, and its 3rd (Royal Marine) Brigade became a new 188th Brigade.


188th (Saskatchewan) Battalion, CEF
The 188th (Saskatchewan) Battalion, CEF was a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the World War I. Based in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, the unit began recruiting during the winter of 1915/16 throughout northern Saskatchewan. After sailing to England in October 1916, the battalion was absorbed into the 15th Reserve Battalion on January 4, 1917. The 188th (Saskatchewan) Battalion, CEF had one Officer Commanding: Lieutenant-Colonel S. J. Donaldson.


188th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (United States)
The  188th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion was  an Antiaircraft Battalion of the United States Army.


188th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (United States), Lineage
Constituted 28 June 1955 as the 188th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (Automatic Weapons)(Self Propelled) and allotted to the Colorado National Guard. Organized 1 August 1955 from existing organizations as follows-


188th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (United States), Lineage
Consolidated 1 February 1959 with the 157th Field Artillery, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System


188th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (United States), Decorations
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, Streamer embroidered 17 OCTOBER 1944 to 4 JULY 1945 (983rd Field Artillery Battalion cited DAGO 47,1950


188th Armored Brigade
The 188th "Barak" (Lightning) Armored Brigade is an Israeli armored brigade, subordinate to Israel's Northern Regional Command. The emblem of the Barak Armored Brigade is a red-bordered rhombus bearing a sword against a blue and white background depicting the Haifa coastline. The brigade has a long history beginning before the foundation of the State of Israel.


188th Armored Brigade
In 1990 the brigade was the first to adopt the Merkava mark-III main battle tank, phasing out its older Centurion tanks. The brigade is now phasing out the mark-III tanks and by end of July 2020 will be using only mark-IVs.


188th Armored Brigade, History
The brigade was formed as the 2nd Brigade during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, when it was split off from the Levanoni Brigade. Named the Carmeli Brigade because it was led by Moshe Carmel, the brigade was an infantry formation operating in northern Palestine. It played an important part in Operation Hiram. After the IDF was formed, the Carmeli Brigade became its 18th Brigade.


188th Armored Brigade, History
During the Sinai Campaign of 1956, the brigade was stationed along the Jordanian border, in case the Jordanians decided to open a second front, and was thus not involved in combat. It was shortly later assigned armored units to become the 45th Armored Brigade, also known as the "Barak Armored Brigade". It consisted of one tank battalion, two armored infantry battalions, a mortar battalion and reconnaissance units. The changeover was completed in 1962.


188th Armored Brigade, History
During the Yom Kippur War, it played an important role defending Israel's border against the Syrian attack in the southern Golan Heights. 112 soldiers were killed in action, including the brigade commander. The brigade was almost completely destroyed. The main Syrian attack at 14:30–14:50 PM, confronted by the newly positioned 74th Tank Battalion, under the command of Lt.Col. Yair Nafshi. Nafshi moved his battalion position 1.5 km forward from its previous defensive position, a maneuver that saved his men and machines from the Syrian artillery barrage.


188th Armored Brigade, History
His was the only remaining tank force, equipped with 36 Israeli modified Centurion tanks to fight the Syrians for 3 continuous days, until reinforcements and reserves were moved into positions. His battalion was reinforced with a tank company from the 53rd battalion. After 4 days of fighting, his battalion was reduced to 5 operational tanks. More than 102 soldiers and officers died defending the southern Golan Line, from reinforced points (bunkers) 107 to 114. For his gallant, professional, and courageous behavior during the war, Yair Nafshi received Israel's second highest decoration, the Medal of Valor. He retired from the army with the rank of Brigadier General.


188th Armored Brigade, History
During the battle, Lieutenant Zvika Greengold, who had arrived unattached to any unit, fought off attacks with his single tank until help arrived. "For the next 20 hours, Zvika Force, as he came to be known on the radio net, fought running battles with Syrian tanks—sometimes alone, sometimes as part of a larger unit, changing tanks half a dozen times as they were knocked out. He was wounded and burned but stayed in action and repeatedly showed up at critical moments from an unexpected direction to change the course of a skirmish."


188th Armored Brigade, History
After the war, the task of rebuilding the brigade was assigned to Yonatan Netanyahu. In the 1982 Lebanon War, it fought in Beirut and participated in the capture of the local airport. Today, the brigade is part of the 36th Armored Division, the largest regular service armored division in the IDF.


188th Armored Brigade, Memorial
The memorial is situated in the Golan Heights at Road 91 near the entrance to Nahal Gilbon and the former Syrian village Aleiqa. It is inscribed with a verse from a Hebrew song, citing Jeremiah 17:8: "A person is like a tree planted by water, seeking roots."


188th Infantry Brigade (United States)
The 188th Infantry Brigade is an infantry training brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Stewart, Georgia. It is a subordinate unit of the First United States Army, Division East.


188th Infantry Brigade (United States)
Active from 1921 to 1942 as part of the 94th Infantry Division, the brigade was transformed into a reconnaissance troop during and after World War II, supporting the 94th Division as it fought in Europe. Activated again from 1997 to 1999 and again in 2006, the unit gained responsibility for conducting training for other reserve component army units with a variety of purposes. Today, the unit is responsible for training selected United States Army Reserve and National Guard units East of the Mississippi River.


188th Infantry Brigade (United States), Organization
The brigade is subordinate to First Army Division East of the First United States Army, one of nine training brigades spread throughout the United States.


188th Infantry Brigade (United States), Organization, 2016 Organization
As part of Operation Bold Shift, the brigade absorbed battalions from inactivating First Army brigades.


188th Infantry Brigade (United States), History
The 188th Infantry Brigade was first constituted on 24 June 1921 in the organized reserves at Boston, Massachusetts. It was organized with two infantry regiments, the 376th Infantry Regiment and the 419th Infantry Regiment. It was, in turn, assigned to the 94th Infantry Division. From 1921 to 1942 the division remained on the Massachusetts organized reserve rolls, though the unit did not assemble except for regular weekend training. In 1925, the brigade relocated to Worcester, Massachusetts and in 1940 it moved to Springfield, Massachusetts.


188th Infantry Brigade (United States), History, 94th Reconnaissance Troop
The 94th Infantry Division was mobilized for deployment for World War II on 15 September 1942 at Fort Custer, Michigan. During this mobilization the 188th Infantry Brigade went through a series of reorganizations. The 376th Infantry Regiment continued as part of the 94th Infantry Division and the remainder of the 188th Infantry Brigade became the 94th Reconnaissance Troop, still assigned to the 94th Infantry Division.


188th Infantry Brigade (United States), History, 94th Reconnaissance Troop
The 94th Infantry Division, with the troop in tow, landed on Utah Beach on 8 September 1944, 94 days after D-Day. It and moved into Brittany to assume responsibility for containing some 60,000 German troops besieged in the ports of Lorient and Saint-Nazaire. The 94th inflicted over 2,700 casualties on the German forces and took 566 prisoners before being relieved on 1 January 1945.


188th Infantry Brigade (United States), History, 94th Reconnaissance Troop
Moving west, the troop followed the division as it took positions in the Saar-Moselle Triangle, facing the Siegfried Switch Line on 7 January 1945, and shifted to the offensive on 14 January, seizing Tettingen and Butzdorf that day. The following day, the Nennigberg-Wies area was wrested from the German army, but heavy counterattacks followed and Butzdorf, Berg, and most of Nennig changed hands several times before being finally secured. On 20 January, an unsuccessful battalion attack against Orscholz, eastern terminus of the switch position, cost the division most of two companies. In early February, the division, with troop in tow, took the woods of Campholz and later Sinz.


188th Infantry Brigade (United States), History, 94th Reconnaissance Troop
On 19 February 1945, the division launched a full-scale attack, storming Munzigen Ridge, the backbone of the Saar-Moselle Triangle, and captured all of its objectives. Moving forward, the 94th Infantry Division, along with the 10th Armored Division, secured the area from Orscholz to the confluence of the Saar and Moselle Rivers by 21 February 1945. Then, launching an attack across the Saar, it established and expanded a bridgehead. By 2 March 1945, the division stretched over a 10-mile (16 km) front, from Hocker Hill on the Saar through Zerf, and Lampaden to Ollmuth.


188th Infantry Brigade (United States), History, 94th Reconnaissance Troop
A heavy German attack near Lampaden achieved penetrations, but the line was shortly restored, and on 13 March, spearheading the XX Corps, the 94th broke out of the bridgehead and drove to the Rhine River, reaching it on 21 March. Ludwigshafen was taken on 24 March, with assistance from elements the 12th Armored Division.


188th Infantry Brigade (United States), History, 94th Reconnaissance Troop
The 94th Infantry Division then moved by railroad and motor to the vicinity of Krefeld, Germany, assuming responsibility for containing the west side of the Ruhr pocket from positions along the Rhine on 3 April. With the reduction of the pocket in mid-April, the 94th Infantry Division was assigned military government duties, first in the Krefeld and later in the Düsseldorf areas. Soldiers of the troop participated in this assignment.


188th Infantry Brigade (United States), History, 94th Reconnaissance Troop
The 94th Infantry Division participated in four World War II campaigns on mainland Europe. The 94th Reconnaissance Troop supported the division throughout its push through Europe. Upon the end of fighting in Europe, the 94th Infantry Division began conducting occupation duty in Europe until it returned to the US at the end of 1945. The Troop was demobilized at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey and deactivated on 7 February 1946.


188th Infantry Brigade (United States), History, 94th Reconnaissance Troop
The troop was reactivated on 13 February 1947 in Boston, Massachusetts. However, the troop did not see any significant actions during its post war years, still a part of the 94th Infantry Division, which itself was never called on for service. The troop was moved to Cohasset, Massachusetts in 1953, remaining there for another six years as an inactive reserve unit until 1959, when it was again disbanded and inactivated.


188th Infantry Brigade (United States), History, Training brigade
On 24 October 1997, the 188th Infantry Brigade was reactivated again in the Active duty force at Fort Stewart, Georgia. It was a reflagging of the 4th Brigade, 87th Division. The brigade was reactivated to provide training support to Reserve Component units in the region.


188th Infantry Brigade (United States), History, Training brigade
As of 1998 there were 248 soldiers assigned to the Brigade in five training support battalions and the Brigade Headquarters. At that time, the 188th Infantry Brigade supported the training of over 5,000 National Guard and Reserve Component soldiers in infantry, armor, cavalry, aviation, artillery, communications, medical, maintenance, and supply units.


188th Infantry Brigade (United States), History, Training brigade
The Brigade was composed entirely of active duty senior noncommissioned officers and officers who conducted training assistance and valuations for a variety of combat arms, combat support and combat service support units. A new building was constructed on Fort Stewart, Georgia for the Brigade and was occupied in August 1997. The First United States Army, the Brigade's higher headquarters, also purchased new furniture and computers for the Brigade's use. In 1999, the brigade was again reflagged as the 4th Brigade, 87th Division.


188th Infantry Brigade (United States), History, Present day
The brigade was reactivated on 1 October 2006 as part of another consolidation of US Army training commands, again at Fort Stewart. The division fell under the command of Division East of the First United States Army. During the consolidation, the brigade was given a larger area of responsibility, supporting the training of over 18,000 National Guard and Reserve Component soldiers in infantry, armor, cavalry, aviation, artillery, communications, medical, maintenance, and supply units both at and around the Fort Stewart area. The brigade grew to over 600 soldiers assigned to 6 training support battalions and the Headquarters.


188th Infantry Brigade (United States), History, Present day
On 15 January 2008, the brigade received a shoulder sleeve insignia and distinctive unit insignia. Both of these allude to the brigade's service to the 94th Infantry Division both during peacetime and as the 94th Reconnaissance Troop during and after World War II.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 188th Glider Infantry Regiment was a regiment in the United States Army that was active during World War II. It was a part of the 11th Airborne Division during its entire existence.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 188th Infantry Regiment was constituted on 12 November 1942 at Camp Mackall, North Carolina. On 25 February 1943, the 188th was activated under the command of Colonel Robert H. Soule. It was designated a glider regiment, and assigned to the 11th Airborne Division. A two battalion regiment, the 188th trained and prepared for combat with its men trained at the end of the war both as gliderists and parachutists. Subsequently, on 4 July 1945 the regiment was redesignated as the 188th Parachute Infantry.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States)
In April, 1944 the 11th was moved to Camp Stoneman, 30 miles (48 km) east of San Francisco, California. The camp processed units for movement overseas. The 11th spent 6 days at the camp being fed extremely well and provided with as much entertainment as possible. One of the tasks at Stoneman was to learn what to do on a ship in case of an attack, and the need to abandon ship. By 11 May the division had sailed on several ships from the port of San Francisco for a 28-day voyage to New Guinea.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), New Guinea
The 11th landed as a reserve unit for the Hollandia Operation. Japanese still occupied the island and there was fighting in other parts of the island. Although the 11th had combat alert, they were not committed. By July, 1944 the Japanese had been cut off and isolated in New Guinea. In the meantime Admiral Nimitz's "Island Hopping" had retaken the Solomons, Gilberts, Marshals and Marianas. Between June, 1944 and that September, the 11th had become accustomed to the heat and the jungle conditions. This included jumping into razor sharp Hunai grass. Malaria medication also became a daily routine.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), New Guinea
While they there, General MacArthur personally informed General Swing the 11th would be committed to a large operation. He was investigating an airborne assault. New training was centered on jump school and combat in the jungle, with an emphasis on live firing exercises. The entire 11th also had amphibious training whenever possible. General Swing took care of his troops in every way he deemed necessary to improve their survival and morale. His troops would realize after their combat experiences that he trained them hard, and well. He demanded the discipline they would need to survive. Staff and commanders were expected to bolster the welfare and morale of the men whenever possible.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), New Guinea
This ghost unit was created for specific purposes, not known to others. It was not an authorized unit. The members, on paper, were assigned to various units within the division. This included the 511th, 187th, and 188th. It was an all volunteer unit, and those men could drop out any time without explanation. General Swing wanted a small, well trained unit at his disposal to use as necessary without any explanation. It would be a secret that remained within the 11th.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines
On 3 October 1944 The Joint Chiefs of Staff approved MacArthur's commitment to return and free the Philippines. The 11th landed at Bito Beach on the Leyete Gulf in November, 1944. The 11th relieved the 7th Infantry Division and was ordered to search and destroy the enemy in their sector. The sector included a very rugged heavily forested mountain range which extended from the Cariaga Bay in the north to the Cabalian and Sogod Bays in the south. The 188th under Colonel "Shorty" Soule was to secure the southern part of the sector.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines
The 188th 1st Battalion also patrolled and engaged the enemy as far as the west coast of Leyte. They protected the 511th as it moved west. When that was completed, the 188th turned and moved north. Unknown at the time, the increased Japanese buildup of ground forces on Leyte would result in major combat for the 11th.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines
The first Japanese offensive occurred 5 December 1944. It was a major attack by General Yamashita to recapture the airfields in the Burauen-Dulag area. Before Japanese paratroopers with fighter escort jumped, the Buri, San Pablo, and medium bombers strafed Buyug airstrips. The enemy was repelled, and the 1st of the 187th was ordered to clear the Buri strip as soon as possible. The Japanese retreated because they recognized it was more important to hold another location, Ormoc. At the Bayug strip the enemy had set fire to a number of planes that the 11th relied on to keep troops in the hills supplied.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines, Luzon
The 11th landed on 31 January 1945. Two glider combat teams landed amphibiously at a town, Nasugbu, on the west coast of the island of Luzon, south of Manila. The 188th 1st battalion Co. C was among them. The plan was that the 188th Infantry Regimental Combat Team would assault Nasughu first and secure a beachhead. Co. C of the 1st 188th was also ordered by Colonel Soule to follow and clear Japanese from the area to the north of the beach.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines, Luzon
The landing was very dangerous. The seas were too calm, and the artillery supporting the 188th could not get ashore to suppress Japanese firepower. When the 2 Battalions of the 188th were organized on the shore, Colonel Soule then ordered them to push to an area, Tagaytay Ridge, to stop the enemy from setting up defensive positions against the 511th troopers who would be dropped there. As this occurred, the 187th relieved the 188th of the operations and defense of Nasugbu. General Eichelberger of the 8th Army had the 11th attached to his command. He bluffed the enemy into thinking a large force was moving up Highway 17 across Tagaytay Ridge heading for Manila. He ordered the men to move as fast as possible and make as much dust as possible. They were to fire as many weapons and artillery as possible.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines, Luzon
The 188th spearheaded the push to Manila. They moved so fast under Colonel Soule that the Japanese were taken by surprise at the Palico River Bridge, and it was captured. Later on Highway 17 they ran into the best Japanese combat troops since their landing. With the 1st of the 187th and the 188th they launched another major attack against Japanese defenses on Mount Aiming near Tagaytay Ridge.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines, Luzon
The attack began the morning of 1 February 1945. A Co. of the 188th withstood 4 hours of continuous counterattacks, and one Banzai attack. It continued to the morning of 3 February 1945 when the 188th and the 1st of the 187th launched an attack against the 3rd and final enemy position. The Japanese responded with heavy artillery and machine gun fire.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines, Luzon
The 188th and 1st of the 187th were pinned down along with several high-ranking officers. Two battalions of Japanese artillery were pounding the area of Tagaytay Ridge. In the final assault the 188th and the 1st of the 187th used flamethrowers and grenades to overtake an area of the ridge that was later renamed "Shorty Ridge". As a result, the 11th that landed amphibiously (187th & 188th) were ready to make contact with the 511th paratroopers who on 3 February 1945 were landing to the east on Tagaytay Ridge.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines, Luzon
After the 188th made contact with the 511th, they continued to clear enemy from the ridges and slopes south of the ridge, as well as from the caves and tunnels on "Shorty Ridge". It was then discovered that the ridge was honeycombed with enormous supply tunnels, reinforced concrete caves, as well as strong guns and individual firing positions. Then next day, 4 February 1945, a wounded Colonel Soule (recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross) would continue to lead the rest of the 188th, less one company to keep the ridge secure, on foot towards Manila.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines, Manila
Before its liberation the city of Manila and its people would suffer horrific destruction of its buildings and people. By the fall of 1944 there were 800,000 people in Manila. The Japanese had already destroyed large parts of the city and converted houses into machine gun nests. As the Americans advanced, Filipinos tried to flee the city. The Japanese retaliated with torture and other atrocities that they had used against civilians before. Nursing women were bayoneted in their breasts.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines, Manila
People’s tendons in the back of their necks were severed with sabers, so that a person could no longer hold their head up. Small children and babies were also bayoneted. Soon the 11th would face their own horrors and suffer heavy losses against the Japanese fortified Genko Line outside Manila. 12,500 Japanese were guarding Manila in an entrenched protected fortified area south of Manila, including Nichols Field and Fort William McKinley.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines, Manila
By 6 February 1945 the 511th had stormed into the southern suburbs of Manila. On 7 February 1945, the 188th attacked the area around Nichols Field, while the 511th fought house to house and in the streets. On 10 February 1945, the 1st of the 188th was pinned down by heavy machine fire until a Major Loeper led them in an attack on enemy positions. He died in action, and was later award the Distinguished Service Cross.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines, Manila
Nevertheless, by 11 February 1945, the Japanese firepower at Nichols Field remained unchanged. For this reason a full-scale attack was launched by the 187th and the 188th. The fighting was to the death with hand-to-hand combat using bayonets and knives. By nightfall, the 187th and 188th had cleared most of the field of enemy combatants. The next objective was Fort Mc Kinley itself. By 17 February 1945 the attack on the fort had begun. The plan called for the 188th, the 2nd of the 187th and the 511th to pivot and strike the Fort. They were to meet at the Caribon Gate of Fort McKinley.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines, Manila
By the next day the 1st of the 188th was within the fort, and joined by the 511th. The rest of the enemy retreated to the east. All organized resistance in Manila would not cease until the beginning of March. By then the 11th had control of the city and achieved their first of 2 goals given to them by Mac Arthur. The next task was the freeing of civilian POWS at the Los Baños Camp.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines, Raid at Los Baños
Since the beginning of the Philippines campaign, it was a priority of General MacArthur that both civilians and soldiers held in Japanese camps be rescued as soon as possible. He feared retribution on them, as the Japanese suffered defeats. The Los Baños Camp held more than 2,000 civilians of all ages, and nationalities who were captured during the Japanese invasion. The rescue would involve sending the 11th, 40 miles (64 km) behind Japanese lines. Also, a 90-minute march away from the camp were 9,000 battle hardened soldiers of the Japanese 19th Division, known as the "Tiger Division".


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines, Raid at Los Baños
In order to have a plan, Sgt. John Fulton of the 511th Signal Co. volunteered to join Filipino guerrillas in the area. For a few weeks he lived with them and transmitted information back to the 11th. He had also made contact with some young men who were sneaking out at night from the camp to search for food. In this way a rescue plan was designed to overtake the guards by surprise. Its success was dependent on knowing the camp routine, especially that of the guards.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines, Raid at Los Baños
The plan would involve the 672nd Amphibious Tractor Battalion, the 1st of the 511th and the 188th under Colonel Soule. Co. B of the 511th would lead a parachute attack on the camp. C. Co. of the 511th would jump and eliminate a small Japanese force nearby and set up a roadblock near the town of Los Baños. A Co. of the 511th would jump and also set up another roadblock to intercept the enemy. All the men were greatly outnumbered should this attack and rescue go wrong.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines, Raid at Los Baños
Again under the command of General Joe Swing, the attack began on 23 February 1945 at 7:00 a.m. The time was chosen because advance information had placed the guards at that time away from their weapons, doing calisthenics. The 511th easily overtook them. Several hours later the entire population had been moved and transported amphibiously across a large body of water to a safe area While the attack on the camp was occurring, the 188th had attacked Japanese positioned near the camp at the San Juan River.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines, Raid at Los Baños
By midmorning they had cleared the area of the enemy and marched towards Los Baños to provide more fighting power for the rescue. When Colonel Soule saw the Amtracs filled with the internees on Laguna de Bay moving to a safe location, Mamated, he gave new orders. He ordered a bridgehead near the San Juan River, and blocked the road from Santo Tomas, where the Tiger Marines were positioned. The 188th placed themselves directly in their path to Los Baños, should they be alerted. Fortunately, this did not occur. It would have been a death sentence for every man. The 188th was credited with the success of the raid and the protection of the 511th and others transporting the internees.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines, Raid at Los Baños
Besides Los Baños the 1st of the 188th, was ordered to clear the southern sector of Luzon of any enemy. They attacked in an area known as Ternate and the Pico de Loro Hills on the southern shore of Manila Bay. This action took one month. The Japanese were again using a cave defense system. The artillery and mortars couldn't hit their targets because of the terrain, and razor sharp thickets hid the caves. It required man-to-man combat. After this sector was captured by the 188th, they found 40 Japanese suicide Q boats used to ram American ships. The 1st lost 40 men and 103 wounded in action in one month. In April they were again engaged in another attack.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines, Raid at Los Baños
The entire division committed 105 days of combat from the landing at Nasugbu to the end of the Southern Luzon campaign with a battle at Malepungo. The last operation was Operation Aparri on 23 June 1945. 7 gliders were used, to drop troops, for the first time in the Pacific Theater. This was the end of the Luzon Campaign. The next destination would be the invasion of Japan. The 11th was poised to be among the first to lead the invasion. To that end the 11th was retrained, reorganized and sent on R&R to Australia. The 188th and the 674th became parachute units 20 July 1945 (glider regiments had been increased to 3 battalions).


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), The Philippines, Raid at Los Baños
Then the decision to use the atomic bomb on Japan changed the course of history. It was estimated that the U.S. would lose approximately one million men in an invasion, because of fanatical resistance by the population as well as the homeland troops. After 2 Atomic bombs were dropped, Japan was forced to an unconditional surrender.


188th Infantry Regiment (United States), Occupation, Japan
The 11th was selected by General Mac Arthur to lead the Allied Forces in occupying Japan. On 30 August 1945, the 188th were the first to land on Japanese soil at the Atsugi Airdrome with 1096 men. The 187th quickly followed with 1257 men and the 511th with 1165 men.


188th Mechanized Infantry Brigade (People's Republic of China)
The 188th Division (Chinese: 第188师) was created in January 1949 under the Regulation of the Redesignations of All Organizations and Units of the Army, issued by Central Military Commission on November 1, 1948, basing on the 8th Brigade, 3rd Column of the Jinchaji Military Region. Its history can be traced to the Hebei Guerrilla Army, formed in December 1937.