1899 Western University of Pennsylvania football team, Game summaries, Swissvale Athletic Club
The WUP lineup for the game against Swissvale A. C. was Chester Fisher (left end), William Mitchell (left tackle), Walter Stifel (left guard), Parke Bachman (center), Weber (right guard), John Martin (right tackle), Victor King (right end), William Cullers (quarterback), John Crooks (left halfback), Fred Robinson (right halfback), and William Sterrett (fullback). Emmett Bates replaced Chester Fisher at left end for the second half and was disqualified for slugging. He was replaced by Wesley Jones. James Chessrown replaced Parke Bachman at center and Malcolm McConnell replaced John Crooks at left halfback.


1899 Western University of Pennsylvania football team, Game summaries, Bethany (WV)
When the Bethany College eleven came to Pittsburgh on November 15, they were greeted to a muddy Recreation Park field for their match with the WUP. The Pittsburgh Daily Post noted that the visitors had some "ringers" in their line-up: "Bethany came here loaded, having Sweeney, McCutcheon, Core, and Duffy in their line-up". Close to a thousand spectators were present for the game and they were treated to a fierce struggle. The first half was a scoreless defensive battle.


1899 Western University of Pennsylvania football team, Game summaries, Bethany (WV)
The WUP offense twice was able to advance the ball near the goal line, but the visiting defense then held on downs. The Bethany offense was unable to advance the ball and punted it back to midfield. Near the end of the first half, Sweeney of Bethany slugged the WUP quarterback Cullers and was ejected from the game. The second half produced more drama. After the WUP offense again drove the ball down the field near the Bethany goal line, McConnell, WUP halfback, scored a touchdown.


1899 Western University of Pennsylvania football team, Game summaries, Bethany (WV)
As he crossed the line, he either dropped the ball or it was knocked from his grasp. Bethany disputed the touchdown call, claiming it was a fumble. The referee did not change his mind and Bethany headed for the train back to West Virginia. Coach Robinson told the referee to change the call and the game continued. The ball was put in play at the 25-yard line and the Bethany offense was ineffective so they punted. The WUP offense methodically marched down the field and McConnell carried the ball into the end zone for a touchdown.


1899 Western University of Pennsylvania football team, Game summaries, Bethany (WV)
Sterrett missed the goal kick after making the score WUP 5 – Bethany 0. Bethany kicked to the Universities and again the offensive play of the WUP eleven kept the Bethany defense on its heels. As time ran out, the WUP had the ball on the Bethany two-yard line. The WUP lineup for the game against Bethany was Emmett Bates (left end), William Mitchell (left tackle), Walter Stifel (left guard), James Chessrown (center), Weber (right guard), John Martin (right tackle), Victor King (right end), William Cullers (quarterback), Malcolm McConnell (left halfback), Fred Robinson (right halfback), and William Sterrett (fullback).


1899 Western University of Pennsylvania football team, Game summaries, at J. F. Lalus
Three days later the WUP eleven squared off against the undefeated and unscores upon J. F. Lalus Athletic Club team on the muddy Pittsburgh Athletic Club grounds. Fifteen hundred fans braved the November weather and enjoyed an entertaining game. The WUP received the opening kick and their offense behind the running of Robinson and Weber advanced the ball into Lalus territory. The Lalus defense stiffened and took over on downs. Lalus backs McChesney, Nagle and Willis worked the ball to the WUP 15-yard line.


1899 Western University of Pennsylvania football team, Game summaries, at J. F. Lalus
On third down, Horne scored a touchdown and McChesney kicked the goal after for a 6-0 lead for Lalus. WUP kicked off and Nagle gained 30 yards. On first down Horne gained 40 yards and fumbled but Lalus recovered. Lalus was offside on the next play and the WUP offense took over. They were able to move the ball to the Lalus 10-yard line, but WUP quarterback McConnell fumbled and E. Willis of Lalus recovered. The first half ended with Lalus at midfield. Lalas received the second half kickoff and proceeded to march down the field.


1899 Western University of Pennsylvania football team, Game summaries, at J. F. Lalus
The WUP defense could not stop the running of Horne, Loeffler, E. Wilson, Nagle and J. Willis. Horne finally scored from the two-yard line and McChesney was again successful on the goal after to make the score 12-0 in favor of Lalus. After the kickoff the WUP defense dug in and stopped the Lalus offense on downs. The WUP offense advanced the ball but then turned the ball over on downs. The Lalus offense was unable to generate a drive and the WUP offense regained possession. The WUP backs carried the ball to the Lalus 10-yard line.


1899 Western University of Pennsylvania football team, Game summaries, at J. F. Lalus
On the next play, Robinson fumbled and McChesney fell on the ball for Lalus. On first down J. Willis raced 40 yards to get Lalus near midfield and time ran out a few plays later with Lalus on the WUP 11-yard line. The WUP lineup for the game against J. F. Lalus was Chester Fisher (left end), William Mitchell (left tackle), Walter Stifel (left guard), Parke Bachman (center), Weber (right guard), John Martin (right tackle), Victor King (right end), Malcolm McConnell (quarterback), Fred Robinson (left halfback), John Crooks (right halfback), and William Sterrett (fullback). James Chessrown replaced Parke Bachman at center.


1899 Western University of Pennsylvania football team, Game summaries, at Waynesburg
The next game was scheduled four days later against the Waynesburg College eleven on November 22. The WUP claimed that four of their best players were injured and they would have to cancel the trip.


1899 Western University of Pennsylvania football team, Game summaries, at Acme
The final game was scheduled for Thanksgiving Day against the Acmes of Steubenville, Ohio. But manager Grau had to cancel again due to lack of interest by the players.


1899 Western University of Pennsylvania football team, Roster
The roster of the 1899 Western University of Pennsylvania football team:


1899 William & Mary Orange and White football team
The 1899 William & Mary Orange and White football team was an American football team that represented the College of William & Mary as an independent during the 1899 college football season. Led by William H. Burke in his first and only season as head coach, the Orange and White compiled a record of 2–3.


1899 Wimbledon Championships
The 1899 Wimbledon Championships took place on the outdoor grass courts at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom. The tournament ran from 19 June until 27 June. It was the 23rd staging of the Wimbledon Championships, and the first Grand Slam tennis event of 1899.


1899 Wimbledon Championships, Champions, Men's Singles
Reginald Doherty defeated  Arthur Gore, 1–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–3


1899 Wimbledon Championships, Champions, Men's Doubles
Laurence Doherty /  Reginald Doherty defeated  Clarence Hobart /  Harold Nisbet, 7–5, 6–0, 6–2


1899 Wimbledon Championships – Gentlemen's Singles
Arthur Gore defeated Sydney Smith 3–6, 6–1, 6–2, 6–4 in the All Comers' Final, but the reigning champion Reginald Doherty defeated Gore 1–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–3 in the Challenge Round to win the Gentlemen's Singles tennis title at the 1899 Wimbledon Championships.


1899 Wimbledon Championships – Men's Doubles
Clarence Hobart and Harold Nisbet defeated Herbert Roper Barrett and Arthur Gore 6–4, 6–1, 8–6 in the All Comers' Final, but the reigning champions Laurence Doherty and Reginald Doherty defeated Hobart and Nisbet 7–5, 6–0, 6–2 in the Challenge Round to win the Gentlemen' Doubles tennis title at the 1899 Wimbledon Championships.


1899 Wimbledon Championships – Women's Singles
Blanche Hillyard defeated Ruth Durlacher 7–5, 6–8, 6–1 in the All Comers' Final, and then defeated the reigning champion Charlotte Cooper 6–2, 6–3 in the Challenge Round to win the Ladies' Singles tennis title at the 1899 Wimbledon Championships.


1899 Wisconsin Badgers football team
The 1899 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin in the 1899 college football season.


1899 World Allround Speed Skating Championships
The 1899 World Allround Speed Skating Championships took place at 4 and 5 February 1899 at the ice rinks Friedenauer Sportplatz & Westeisbahn in Berlin, Germany. The first day was skated at the ice rink Friedenauer Sportplatz (a 400 m ice rink). Due to the bad ice conditions the second day the distances were skated at the ice rink Westeisbahn (a 335 m ice rink).


1899 World Allround Speed Skating Championships
Peder Østlund was the defending champion and succeeded in defending his championship. He won three distances and became World champion.


1899 World Allround Speed Skating Championships, Rules
One could only win the World Championships by winning at least three of the four distances, so there would be no World Champion if no skater won at least three distances.


1899 World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion.


1899 World Figure Skating Championships
The competition took place on February 12 in Davos, Switzerland. All judges came from Switzerland; however, there were no distortions in the judging, because there was no Swiss competitor.


1899 Wyoming Cowboys football team
The 1899 Wyoming Cowboys football team represented the University of Wyoming during the 1899 college football season. In its fifth non-consecutive season under head coach Justus F. Soule, a professor of Latin and Greek, the team compiled a 0–1–1 record and was outscored by a total of 17 to 5. The season included the first scheduled game with Colorado Agricultural College (now known as Colorado State University), a series that became Wyoming's oldest rivalry, now known as the Border War. Fred Brees was the team captain.


1899 Yakutat Bay earthquakes
During September 1899 there was a series of severe earthquakes in the region around Yakutat Bay in Alaska. The most powerful of these occurred on September 10 at about noon, local time. The area was sparsely populated and no fatalities were recorded, but the earthquakes were notable for the degree of elevation recorded, up to 47 feet, and for the effects on the glaciers in the region. Fieldwork on the effects of the earthquake was carried out between 1905 and 1910, and a summary report was published in 1912


1899 Yakutat Bay earthquakes, Eyewitness accounts
The most dramatic accounts came from a group of prospectors whose camp was close to a glacial stream about a mile SE of the ice cliff of Hubbard Glacier. After the initial shock on the morning of September 10, they rigged up a seismograph using dangling knives, and counted 52 shocks before the most powerful shock occurred at noon. This was strong enough that the men could not stand, and some of them avoided being thrown about by holding on to the tent pole. The shock lasted several minutes, with the ground shaking like the swell of the sea.


1899 Yakutat Bay earthquakes, Eyewitness accounts
There was a lake above the camp, which burst its bank due to the shock, and deluged the site of the camp with water and debris. Shortly after this a wave of water 20 feet high came in from the sea. One can imagine the men running for their lives while not knowing which way to turn, but all escaped to the higher ground, though losing most of their provisions. After things had calmed down they returned to the campsite to find that one of their boats had survived intact.


1899 Yakutat Bay earthquakes, Eyewitness accounts
The next morning they found an empty damaged native canoe that they were able to repair, and with the two boats were able to make their way to the small settlement of Yakutat. This took several days, as they had to make their way through a mass of floating ice. When they reached Yakutat they found the place empty, and the whole village camped out on the hill behind the village.


1899 Yakutat Bay earthquakes, Uplift
Field investigations by members of the US Geological Survey in subsequent years found evidence of substantial changes in ground level in the affected areas, mostly uplift.


1899 Yakutat Bay earthquakes, Uplift
The evidence was of several types: physiographic, such as elevated sea-cliffs, sea-caves, and beaches as well as new reefs and islands; biologic, most conspicuously barnacles, whose shells were often found still attached to the rocks well above the highest tidal level, and the killing of trees by saltwater where depression had occurred; and human testimony, both comparison with reports of previous expeditions and the evidence of native american inhabitants who knew the coast well from their hunting activities. Taken together they found evidence for uplift of up to 47 feet (about 14 metres). This is more than had ever been reported up to that date


1899 Yakutat Bay earthquakes, Effects on glaciers
The immediate effect of the earthquake on the glaciers of the Yukutat Bay region was shattering of the ice at the margins of the glaciers. This led to a release of many icebergs (which caused difficulties to the prospectors on their way to safety, and to ships arriving in the region in the days after the earthquake) and to the formation of deep crevasses, which made traverse of the ice impossible in areas that had been previously passable. Longer-term effects noted in the fieldwork were substantial advances in many of the icebergs close to the earthquake zone.


1899 Yakutat Bay earthquakes, Effects on glaciers
Tarr and Martin attribute this to earthquake-induced avalanches in the mountainous areas above the glaciers leading to an increase in the snow and ice deposited on the upper parts of the glacier. This additional load would work is way down the track of the glacier over a period of years. By contrast, Muir Glacier, about 100 miles SE of Yakutat Bay, receded substantially in the years after the earthquake. The reasons for this are less clear.


1899 Yakutat Bay earthquakes, Further afield
The earthquake was clearly felt up to 250 miles from the centre of activity, and there were reports from up to 700 miles away that may have been of the same earthquake or of associated shocks. Seismographs throughout the world recorded the earthquake of September 10, as well as the earlier and later shocks during September. Records show that the time of the heaviest shock on September 10 was 12:22 pm local solar time, equivalent to 21:40:13 UTC. The magnitude of the earthquake has been estimated at 8.0, and the approximate location of the epicentre was 60 deg north, 140 deg west.


1899 Yale Bulldogs football team
The 1899 Yale Bulldogs football team represented Yale University in the 1899 college football season. The team compiled a 7–2–1 record, recorded eight shutouts, and outscored all opponents by a total of 191 to 16. The team defeated Wisconsin (6–0), Army (24–0), and Penn State (42–0), played a scoreless tie against Harvard, and lost to Columbia (0–5) and Princeton (10–11).


1899 Yale Bulldogs football team
The loss to Columbia at Manhattan Field was described by The New York Times as "one of the most disastrous defeats Yale has ever experienced in her athletic history." Columbia's freshman back Harold Weekes scored the game's only points on a 50-yard touchdown run in the middle of the second half. A relative unknown in 1899, Weekes was selected as a consensus All-American in 1901 and was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.


1899 Yale Bulldogs football team
Harvard and Princeton are recognized as the national champions for the 1899 season. Yale played the former to a scoreless tie and lost by one point to the latter. The loss to Princeton was decided with one minute left in the game by a dropkicked field goal (then worth five points) from the 35-yard line by Princeton's All-American Art Poe.


1899 Yale Bulldogs football team
Four Yale players (halfback Albert Sharpe, fullback Malcolm McBride, tackle George S. Stillman and guard Gordon Brown) were consensus picks for the 1899 College Football All-America Team.


1899 Yale Bulldogs football team
The team's head coach was James O. Rodgers who had played for Yale from 1894 to 1897. He was announced as the head coach on September 28, 1899, just two days before the season opened. Rodgers was at the time a student at Harvard Law School and was unable to devote his full time to coaching the team. Rodgers was assisted as the team's coach by Walter Camp and Fred Murphy.


1899 college baseball season
The 1899 college baseball season, play of college baseball in the United States began in the spring of 1899. Play largely consisted of regional matchups, some organized by conferences, and ended in June. No national championship event was held until 1947.


1899 college baseball season, Conference winners
This is a partial list of conference champions from the 1899 season.


1899 college football season
The 1899 college football season had no clear-cut champion, with the Official NCAA Division I Football Records Book listing Harvard and Princeton as having been selected national champions.


1899 college football season
Chicago and Sewanee went undefeated. With just 13 players, the Sewanee team, known as the "Iron Men", had a six-day road trip with five shutout wins over Texas A&M; Texas; Tulane; LSU; and Ole Miss. Sportswriter Grantland Rice called the group "the most durable football team I ever saw."


1899 in Afghanistan
The following lists events that happened during 1899 in Afghanistan.


1899 in Afghanistan
Not for many years has Afghanistan been less disturbed than this year. Few tribal risings occur and the amir Abdor Rahman continues to express friendly relations with Britain. Yet there is a disquieting rumour that Russia is preparing to advance on Herat in certain eventualities, and that an experimental mobilization of Russian troops from Tiflis to Kushk (some sixty miles from Herat) was made at the close of the year. The amir keeps up a friendly correspondence with the viceroy, Lord Curzon, during the year, and the relations between Afghanistan and the Indian government were never more cordial.


1899 in Afghanistan, February 1899
Several small disturbances are created along the frontier by marauding bands of Waziris and Mahsuds, which are easily suppressed by the local militia without aid from regular troops.


1899 in Afghanistan, March 1, 1899
Capt. George Roos-Keppel makes a sudden attack on a predatory band of Chamkannis that have been raiding in the Kurram Valley and captures 100 prisoners with 3,000 head of cattle. These raids, though tiresome, are, however, of no political importance.


1899 in Afghanistan, May 1899
In consequence of repeated outrages committed by the Waziris, and especially because of the murder of Col. E.H. le Marchant of the Hampshire Regiment, the Indian government orders the partial disarmament of the Peshawar division, and of all trans-border Pashtuns at the frontier, and the disarmament of all persons without licenses in all municipalities and cantonments within the division.


1899 in Afghanistan, July 1899
In spite of punitive measures, the Waziri robbers continue their lawless attacks, chiefly with a view to cattle raiding.


1899 in Afghanistan, December 1899
In accordance with the frontier policy of the viceroy, all regular troops are withdrawn from the Khyber Pass to Peshawar, leaving the forts and posts in the pass to be guarded by the Khyber Rifles. Complete tranquillity prevails in consequence, and the Afridis and other local tribes are thereby convinced that the government has no idea of annexing their territory or of placing British garrisons over the border.


1899 in Argentine football
1899 in Argentine football saw the Argentine league reduced to 4 teams to accommodate the creation of a Second Division. Palermo A.C. and United Banks left the Association while Banfield registered to the recently created Segunda División.


1899 in Argentine football
Banfield would win the title, becoming the first second division champion ever.


1899 in Argentine football, Primera división
The championship Primera división took the format of a league of 4 teams, with each team playing the other twice. Lanús Athletic only completed 2 games, with the other 4 fixtures being awarded to their opponents. The game between Lomas and Lobos was awarded to Lobos.


1899 in Australia
The following lists events that happened during 1899 in Australia.


1899 in Australian literature
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1899.


1899 in Australian literature, Births
A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1899 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.


1899 in Australian literature, Deaths
A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1899 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.


1899 in Australian soccer
The 1899 season was the 16th season of competitive association football in Australia.


1899 in Australian soccer, Cup competitions
(Note: figures in parentheses display the club's competition record as winners/runners-up.)


1899 in Canada, Historical Documents
Missionary persuades Cree leader Yellow Bear to burn his "heathen idols" at Shoal Lake in Saskatchewan (Note: "bad spirit" and other stereotypes)


1899 in Canada, Historical Documents
Southern Tutchone man describes transfer of reindeer to Yukon from Alaska


1899 in Canada, Historical Documents
Official describes Indigenous and Metis people at Treaty 8 signing (Note: "wild men" and other stereotypes)


1899 in Canada, Historical Documents
Old woman in Fort Erie, Ontario tells of escaping slavery in Virginia with her parents and six siblings


1899 in Canada, Historical Documents
Mackenzie King realizes his parliamentary vocation at Westminster in London


1899 in Canada, Historical Documents
Oozing tar and leaking gas on Athabasca River near Fort McMurray


1899 in Canada, Historical Documents
Nurse treats feisty patients under horrible conditions in Dawson City's hospital


1899 in Canada, Historical Documents
Murals provided to new Toronto City Hall to encourage development of wall decoration


1899 in Canadian football, Regular season, Final regular season standings
Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Pts = Points


1899 in Chile
The following lists events that happened during 1899 in Chile.


1899 in India, Events
Swami Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission at Calcutta on 1st May.


1899 in India, Notable Works
This year in India article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .


1899 in Italy, Events
The year is marked by the fight over a new coercive Public Safety bill introduced by Prime Minister Luigi Pelloux after the Bava Beccaris massacre in May 1898 in Milan. The Radicals and Socialist start an obstructionist campaign.


1899 in Japan
Events in the year 1899 in Japan. It corresponds to Meiji 32 (明治32年) in the Japanese calendar.


1899 in New Zealand
The following lists events that happened during 1899 in New Zealand.


1899 in New Zealand, Incumbents, Government and law
The Liberal Party is re-elected and forms the 14th New Zealand Parliament. The number of MPs is increased to 80.


1899 in New Zealand, Sport, Chess
National Champion: No tournament held in calendar year (see 1898)


1899 in Norwegian music
The following is a list of notable events and releases of the year 1899 in Norwegian music.


1899 in South Africa
The following lists events that happened during 1899 in South Africa.


1899 in Swedish football
The 1899 season in Swedish football, starting January 1899 and ending December 1899:


1899 in Taiwan
Events from the year 1899 in Taiwan, Empire of Japan.


1899 in Wales
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1899 to Wales and its people.


1899 in association football
The following are the association football events of the year 1899 throughout the world.


1899 in baseball
The following are the baseball events of the year 1899  throughout the world.


1899 in film
The following is an overview of the events of 1899 in film, including a list of films released and notable births.


1899 in literature
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1899.


1899 in motorsport
The following is an overview of the events of 1899 in motorsport including the major racing events, motorsport venues that were opened and closed during a year, championships and non-championship events that were established and disestablished in a year, and births and deaths of racing drivers and other motorsport people.


1899 in paleontology
Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 1899.


1899 in paleontology, Archosauromorphs, Newly named dinosaurs
Reaasigned to Rhabdodon in 1915, then to Zalmoxes in 2003.


1899 in poetry
— Opening lines of Rudyard Kipling's White Man's Burden, first published this year


1899 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature (for instance, Irish or France).


1899 in poetry, Births
Death years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:


1899 in poetry, Deaths
Birth years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:


1899 in rail transport
This article lists events related to rail transport that occurred in 1899.


1899 in science
The year 1899 in science involved some significant events, listed below.


1899 in sports
1899 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.


1899 in the Congo Free State
The following lists events that happened during 1899 in the Congo Free State.


1899 in the Philippines
The following lists events that happened during 1899 in the Philippine Republic.


1899–1900 Aston Villa F.C. season
The 1899–1900 Football League season was Aston Villa's 12th season in the Football League First Division, the top flight of English football at the time. Villa finished the season  as Champions.


1899–1900 Aston Villa F.C. season
Sheffield United set the pace this season and built up a six-point lead by the end of December. Villa grew stronger towards the end of the season, losing just one game in their last 13, to leave United in second place by two points. Villafinished their programme first, leaving a mathematical chance for the Blades if they scored plenty of goals in the last two games. Their last game at Burnley was lost, leaving Villa champions by two points.


1899–1900 Aston Villa F.C. season
Billy Garraty, great-great grandfather of footballer Jack Grealish, was League top scorer this season. Garraty was a local man, signed from Aston Shakespeare, and just 21 years of age this season. He was an industrious player able to play in almost any position – one of the first great "utility" players. He was capped once by England. He scored 96 goals in 224 League games during his career at Villa.


1899–1900 Belgian First Division, Overview
It was contested by 10 teams, and Racing Club de Bruxelles won the championship.


1899–1900 Brentford F.C. season
During the 1899–1900 English football season, Brentford competed in the Southern League Second Division. A Middlesex FA investigation into the club's financial affairs necessitated a change to professional status mid-season, but a forgettable campaign ended with the Bees finishing third-from-bottom.


1899–1900 Brentford F.C. season, Season summary
After a difficult first season in the Southern League Second Division, Brentford's AGM in May 1899 revealed that the club had lost £100 on the previous season, taking the overall debt to £180 (equivalent to £20,400 in 2021). After a series of meetings, a new committee was elected in July after it was decided that the club would continue to operate on an amateur basis.


1899–1900 Brentford F.C. season, Season summary
On the playing side, only six members of the team that finished the previous season remained at the club – goalkeeper Ben Brown, full back George Turner, half backs 'Nick' Mattocks, Billy Smith and forwards Richard Dailley, Thomas Knapman and Charlie Evans. Incoming transfers included full back Bert Lane, half back G. Pearce and forwards E. Andrews and John Bayne.


1899–1900 Brentford F.C. season, Season summary
Brentford won and drew each of the opening two Second Division fixtures, with new forward John Bayne scoring in each, before he and George Turner, both soldiers, departed for service in the Second Boer War with their regiments. Things went from bad to worse in October when the Middlesex FA opened an enquiry into Brentford's "shamateurism", the results of which saw the club fined £10 and suspended from football for a month beginning 20 November. Additionally, a number of members of the club's committee were suspended sine die or until 30 April 1900. A new committee took charge of the club and elected to turn professional.


1899–1900 Brentford F.C. season, Season summary
Following the resumption of competitive play on 23 December, Brentford showed appalling form, failing to win until late March 1900. A 13-match winless streak, which stretched back to 23 September, culminated in a 7–0 thrashing at the hands of Grays United on 24 March. Additionally, a meeting had been called in January to discuss if the club could even continue, but donations of £60 (equivalent to £6,800 in 2021) helped to ensure that the Bees would survive for the immediate future. Late in the season, professional half backs Frederick Broughton and Ralph McElhaney joined the club and immediately fortunes turned around on the pitch, with Brentford winning four and drawing one of the final six matches of the season to finish in 9th position, two places off the bottom.


1899–1900 Brentford F.C. season, Playing squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1899–1900 Brentford F.C. season, Playing squad, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1899–1900 British Home Championship
The 1899–1900 British Home Championship was an edition of the annual football tournament played between the British Home Nations. Conducted in the second half of the 1899–1900 season, it was dominated by Scotland who achieved a whitewash of their opponents by winning all three games. Wales and England shared second place, with Ireland bringing up the rear.


1899–1900 British Home Championship
Wales and Ireland began the competition in Llandudno, the Welsh side winning 2–0 to take immediate advantage. Ireland then returned to Belfast to play Scotland, where they again lost, conceding three without reply. In Cardiff, Wales and England played out a draw giving both a chance of success in the tournament before Wales' hopes were ended by a heavy 5–2 defeat by Scotland in Aberdeen. England however remained strong, beating the Irish and needing a draw to share the trophy with Scotland and a win to take it undisputed. Scotland however were much too strong, dominating the match and winning 4–1 to complete three victories and win the competition.


1899–1900 Brown men's ice hockey season
The 1899–1900 Brown men's ice hockey season was the 3rd season of play for the program.


1899–1900 Brown men's ice hockey season, Season
After beginning their program with two winning seasons, the men's hockey team had a dreadful third year, losing 5 of their seven games and being hopelessly outmatched in those games. The only contests they didn't were the two against teams playing in their first year. Unfortunately, this began a trend of losing for Brown that would not be corrected for almost 30 years.


1899–1900 Brown men's ice hockey season, Season
Charles Cooke was captain of the team despite not playing in any games and having graduated in 1899.


1899–1900 Brown men's ice hockey season, Season
Note: Brown University did not formally adopt the Bear as its mascot until the fall of 1905.


1899–1900 Bucknell Bison men's basketball team
The 1899–1900 Bucknell Bison men's basketball team represented Bucknell University during the 1899–1900 college men's basketball season. The team had finished with an overall record of 6–3.


1899–1900 Burnley F.C. season
The 1899–1900 Burnley F.C. season was the 18th season in the history of Burnley Football Club and their 12th in the Football League.


1899–1900 Burslem Port Vale F.C. season
The 1899–1900 season was Burslem Port Vale's second consecutive season (sixth overall) of football in the English Football League. Another season of charging to the summit of the Second Division table, only to fall into mid-table obscurity, this time the club suffered from low support and subsequently poor finances. Once again the team maintained a decent defensive record, only to fail miserably in front of goal – the second lowest total in the league.


1899–1900 Burslem Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Second Division
During the pre-season, the Athletic Ground had its capacity increased to 25,000. Last season's top scorers Dick Evans and James Peake departed for Reading and Millwall Athletic respectively; also star player Tommy Clare retired. Four new forwards were signed, namely Scots Billy Grassam (Maryhill) and James Reid (Hibernian), and local lads Charles Walters (Gainsborough Trinity) and Billy Leech (Tottenham Hotspur).


1899–1900 Burslem Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Second Division
The season started with four defeats in the first six games in a dismal September. They turned their form around with a six game win streak that gave them a 100% win record in October and November. However one win in the next thirteen games followed, as the club slipped back down the league. Their decline was helped by the regular selling of key players in order to balance the books.


1899–1900 Burslem Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Finances
Attendance figures made grim reading, and left-half Ted McDonald had to be sold to Notts County in November in order to raise cash. Goalkeeper Herbert Birchenough was sold to Glossop in January, with top scorer Howard Harvey also sold to Manchester City that same month. Their second to last match saw a mere 300 supporters turn up to watch. At the end of the season there were drastic budget cuts, even so much as to stop paying players wages over the summer period – the only club in the league to do so. Cheaper, local talent was recruited to fill the void left by departing stars. The club lost £73 over the course of the campaign, despite having trimmed ten times that figure from the playing budget.


1899–1900 Burslem Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Cup competitions
In the FA Cup, the club vanquished nearby Nantwich and Crewe Alexandra, but failed to make it to the First Round Proper. They reached the final of the Staffordshire Senior Cup and the Birmingham Senior Cup, losing to West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers respectively. West Brom defeated Vale 5–0 in the final at Villa Park, taking revenge for the "Valeites" dumping West Brom out of the Birmingham Cup by the same scoreline.


1899–1900 Celtic F.C. season
During the 1899–1900 Scottish football season, Celtic competed in the Scottish First Division.


1899–1900 Columbia men's ice hockey season
The 1899–1900 Columbia men's ice hockey season was the 4th season of play for the program.


1899–1900 Columbia men's ice hockey season, Season
Note: Columbia University adopted the Lion as its mascot in 1910.


1899–1900 Cornell Big Red men's basketball team
The 1899–1900 Cornell Big Red men's basketball team represented Cornell University during the 1899–1900 college men's basketball season. The team finished with a final record of 1–4.


1899–1900 Dumbarton F.C. season
The 1899–1900 season was the 27th Scottish football season in which Dumbarton competed at national level entering the Scottish Qualifying Cup. In addition Dumbarton played in the Dumbartonshire Cup.


1899–1900 Dumbarton F.C. season, Scottish Qualifying Cup
In their only 'national' competition, Dumbarton were knocked out in the second round of the Scottish Qualifying Cup by Vale of Leven and thus failed to qualify to play in the Scottish Cup for the first time since its inception.


1899–1900 Dumbarton F.C. season, Dumbartonshire Cup
Locally, the Dumbartonshire Cup was played on a league basis for the first time with the top two meeting in the final. All competing teams finished on 6 points but Dumbarton ended up in third position on goal difference.


1899–1900 Dumbarton F.C. season, Friendlies
For the third season running there were no league fixtures, and attractive 'friendlies' were becoming more difficult to arrange.


1899–1900 Dumbarton F.C. season, Friendlies
A dwindling fixture list saw only 11 'friendly' matches played during the season, although this included a creditable draw against Celtic and a match against Aberdeen which celebrated the opening of Pittodrie Park. In all 4 were won, 1 drawn and 6 lost, scoring 23 goals and conceding 34.


1899–1900 Dumbarton F.C. season, Reserve team
Dumbarton lost in the first round of the Scottish Second XI Cup to Queen's Park.


1899–1900 Dundee F.C. season
The 1899–1900 season was the seventh season in which Dundee competed at a Scottish national level, playing in Division One and finishing in 6th place. Dundee would also compete in the Scottish Cup. This was the first season Dundee played at their current home of Dens Park, after moving from Carolina Port.


1899–1900 FA Cup
The 1899–1900 FA Cup was the 29th staging of the world's oldest association football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup (more usually known as the FA Cup), and the last to be held fully in the 19th Century. The cup was won by Bury, who defeated Southampton 4–0 in the final of the competition, played at Crystal Palace in London.


1899–1900 FA Cup
Matches were scheduled to be played at the stadium of the team named first on the date specified for each round, which was always a Saturday. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played, a replay would take place at the stadium of the second-named team later the same week. If the replayed match was drawn further replays would be held at neutral venues until a winner was determined. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played in a replay, a 30-minute period of extra time would be played.


1899–1900 FA Cup, Calendar
The format of the FA Cup for the season had a preliminary round, five qualifying rounds, three proper rounds, and the semi finals and final.


1899–1900 FA Cup, First round proper
The First Round Proper contained sixteen ties between 32 teams. 17 of the 18 First Division sides were given a bye to this round, as were The Wednesday and Bolton Wanderers from the Second Division, and non-league Southampton, Bristol City and Tottenham Hotspur. Glossop, along with all the other Second Division sides, were entered into the Third Qualifying Round. Of those sides, only Grimsby Town, Walsall and Leicester Fosse qualified to the FA Cup Proper. Seven non-league sides also qualified.


1899–1900 FA Cup, First round proper
The matches were played on Saturday, 27 January 1900. Six matches were drawn, with the replays taking place in the following midweek fixture. One match went to a second replay, played the following week.


1899–1900 FA Cup, Second round proper
The eight second-round matches were scheduled for Saturday, 10 February 1900, although only three games were played on this date. The other five games were played the following Saturday. There were three replays, played in the following midweek fixture.


1899–1900 FA Cup, Second round proper
The Southampton v. Newcastle United match was originally played on 10 February but was abandoned after 55 minutes due to a heavy snowstorm.


1899–1900 FA Cup, Third round proper
The four quarter final matches were scheduled for Saturday, 24 February 1900. Three of the four matches were replayed in the following midweek fixture, with the Millwall Athletic – Aston Villa match going to a second replay the following week.


1899–1900 FA Cup, Semi finals
The semi-final matches were both played on Saturday, 24 April 1900. Both matches went to replays, played the following Wednesday or Thursday. Bury and Southampton came through the semi-finals to meet in the final at Crystal Palace.


1899–1900 FA Cup, Final
The final took place on Saturday, 21 April 1900 at Crystal Palace. Just under 69,000 supporters attended the match. Jasper McLuckie opened the scoring for Bury after about 9 minutes. Willie Wood doubled the advantage seven minutes later, before McLuckie added a third seven minutes after that. Jack Plant scored the fourth and final goal in the eightieth minute, to cap a good victory for the northern side.


1899–1900 FC Barcelona season
The 1899-1900 season was the first season for FC Barcelona. The club played some friendly matches against local clubs.


1899–1900 FC Barcelona season, Events
On October 22, 1899, a sports weekly printed in Barcelona, Los Deportes, published an advert in which Hans Gamper, a 21-year-old German-speaking Swiss, called for soccer fans.


1899–1900 FC Barcelona season, Events
Football Club Barcelona was created on November 29 the same year, after a meeting held at Gimnasio Solé, a gym located at number 5 Montjuïc del Carme Street, in Barcelona's El Raval. Walter Wild, Lluís d'Ossó i Serra, Bartomeu Terrades i Brutau, Otto Künzli, Otto Maier Zeuner, Enric Ducay Aguilera, Pere Cabot Roldós, Carles Puyol, Josep Llobet, John Parsons, William Parsons, and Hans Gamper signed the record.


1899–1900 FC Barcelona season, Events
On December 8, Barcelona played their first match, at the former Velòdrom de la Bonanova, against some Englishmen who had settled in the city. Both teams played with 10-men squads. The English Colony won 0-1 and a report was published on the local newspaper La Vanguardia the day after.


1899–1900 FC Barcelona season, Events
The first board of directors was established on December 14. Walter Wild was elected chairman since he was the oldest of the members. Dark blue and garnet were the chosen colors for the uniform, the same colors of Gamper's former Swiss team, FC Basel. The badge was to be the same as the coat of arms of the city. The membership fee was set at two pesetas.


1899–1900 FC Basel season
The FC Basel 1899–1900 season was their seventh season since the club's foundation on 15 November 1893. In this season they did not compete for the Swiss championship. The club's chairman was Charlie Volderauer, who was chairman between 1896 and 1900. He stood down at the AGM and Ernst-Alfred Thalmann was elected as the new club chairman. FC Basel played their home games in the Landhof, in the Quarter Kleinbasel.


1899–1900 FC Basel season, Overview
The first national championship in Switzerland took place in 1897–98. This championship is considered as unofficial because it was not organized by the Swiss Football Association (SFA; founded in 1895). FC Basel did not participate in this first championship. But they did in the second edition during the last season. Basel did not compete in the championship this season either. But they have participated in every season since.


1899–1900 FC Basel season, Overview
Georges Fürstenberger was appointed as team captain by the club’s board of directors under chairman Charlie Volderauer. As captain Fürstenberger led the team trainings and was responsible for the line-ups. Basel played 16 friendly games in the season, six were won, two drawn and eight ended with a defeat. The team scored 31 goals, but only seven goal scorers are documented, and they conceded 37 goals.


1899–1900 FC Basel season, Overview
Eleven of these friendly games were played at home in the Landhof, five were played away. As in the previous season, all the friendly games were played against Swiss teams. Among the opponents were reigning Swiss champions Anglo-American Club Zürich and Basel won both the home game and the return match. They also played twice against Zürich, but both games ended with a defeat. Further there were two games against local rivals Old Boys and these were both lost as well. The two games against FC Concordia Zürich ended with a win at home but a defeat away. The two games against Biel-Bienne ended with a home defeat, but an away win.


1899–1900 FC Basel season, Players
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1899–1900 FC Basel season, Sources
(NB: Despite all efforts, the editors of these books and the authors in "Basler Fussballarchiv" have failed to be able to identify all the players, their date and place of birth or date and place of death, who played in the games during the early years of FC Basel. Much documentation for this season is missing, most goal scorers remain unknown.)


1899–1900 Football League
The 1899–1900 season was the 12th season of The Football League.


1899–1900 Football League, Final league tables
The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at  website and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, with home and away statistics separated.


1899–1900 Football League, Final league tables
Beginning with the season 1894–95, clubs finishing level on points were separated according to goal average (goals scored divided by goals conceded), or more properly put, goal ratio. 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.


1899–1900 Football League, Final league tables
During the first five seasons of the league, that is until the season, 1893–94, re-election process concerned the clubs which finished in the bottom four of the league. From the 1894–95 season and until the 1920–21 season the re-election process was required of the clubs which finished in the bottom three of the league.


1899–1900 Football Tournament, Overview
It was contested by 5 teams, and Boldklubben af 1893 won the championship.


1899–1900 French Rugby Union Championship
The 1899–1900 French Rugby Union Championship  was won by Racing club de France that defeated SBUC in the final.


1899–1900 French Rugby Union Championship
The winner of the tournament of province was SBUC that won the championship of Garonne, after the F.C. Lyon refused to participate at the final stage. Stade Bordelais beat S.O.E. Toulouse that leave the field contesting the hard play of their opponents.


1899–1900 Harvard Crimson men's ice hockey season
The 1899–1900 Harvard Crimson men's ice hockey season was the 3rd season of play for the program.


1899–1900 Harvard Crimson men's ice hockey season, Season
For the first time Harvard was able to play a more rounded schedule. The Crimson won most of their games and were in contention for the Intercollegiate championship until losing their final game of the season to Yale. The contest against the Bulldogs was the first in what would become college ice hockey's oldest rivalry.


1899–1900 Heart of Midlothian F.C. season
During the 1899–1900 season Hearts competed in the Scottish First Division, the Scottish Cup and the East of Scotland Shield.


1899–1900 Hibernian F.C. season
During the 1899–1900 season Hibernian, a football club based in Edinburgh, finished third out of 10 clubs in the Scottish First Division.


1899–1900 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team
The 1899–1900 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team represented Indiana State University during the 1899–1900 collegiate men's basketball season. The head coach was John Kimmell, in his first season coaching the Sycamores. The team played their home games at North Hall in Terre Haute, Indiana.


1899–1900 Irish League
The Irish League in season 1899–1900 comprised 6 teams, and Belfast Celtic won the championship.


1899–1900 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team
The 1899–1900 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team represented the University of Kansas in its second season of collegiate basketball. The head coach was James Naismith, the inventor of the game, who served his second year. The Jayhawks finished the season 3–4.


1899–1900 MIT Engineers men's ice hockey season
The 1899–1900 MIT Engineers men's ice hockey season was the 2nd season of play for the program.


1899–1900 MIT Engineers men's ice hockey season, Season
Students at MIT formed the ice hockey club in November 1899 in order to introduce the game to the entire student body.


1899–1900 MIT Engineers men's ice hockey season, Season
The team did not have a head coach but Roger Burr served as team manager and president.


1899–1900 MIT Engineers men's ice hockey season, Season
Note: Massachusetts Institute of Technology athletics were referred to as 'Engineers' or 'Techmen' during the first two decades of the 20th century. By 1920 all sports programs had adopted the Engineer moniker.


1899–1900 Manchester City F.C. season
The 1899–1900 season was Manchester City F.C. 's ninth season of league football and first season in the First Division of the Football League.


1899–1900 Michigan State Normal Normalites men's basketball team
1899–1900 was the third year of basketball at Michigan State Normal School. Both games were played against Michigan State University. Michigan State Normal School ended up splitting the games and finished 1–1. It was the only year for coach Leslie A. Butler.


1899–1900 Michigan State Normal Normalites men's basketball team, Schedule
Eastern Michigan Media Guide and school yearbook list two games played while Michigan State Media Guide only list one.


1899–1900 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by PrimeBOT (talk | contribs) at 22:00, 20 June 2020 (→Schedule: Task 30 - remove deprecated parameter in Template:CBB schedule entry). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


1899–1900 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team
The 1899–00 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University for the 1899–00 college men's basketball season. The head coach was Charles Bemies coaching the team is first season.


1899–1900 Nebraska Cornhuskers men's basketball team
The 1899–1900 Nebraska Cornhuskers men's basketball team represented the University of Nebraska during the 1899–1900 collegiate men's basketball season. The head coach was T.P. Hewitt, coaching the huskers in his first season. The team played their home games at Grant Memorial Hall in Lincoln, Nebraska.


1899–1900 Netherlands Football League Championship
The Netherlands Football League Championship 1899–1900 was contested by thirteen teams participating in two divisions. The national champion would be determined by a play-off featuring the winners of the eastern and western football division of the Netherlands. HVV Den Haag won this year's championship by beating Victoria Wageningen 1–0 in a decision match.


1899–1900 Newcastle United F.C. season
The 1899–1900 season was Newcastle United's second season in the Football League First Division, the top flight of English football at the time. Newcastle finished the season in 5th place.


1899–1900 Newton Heath F.C. season
The 1899–1900 season was Newton Heath's eighth season in the Football League and their sixth in the Second Division. They finished fourth in the league, which was not enough to earn promotion back to the First Division. In the FA Cup, the Heathens were knocked out in the First Round Qualifying by South Shore.


1899–1900 Newton Heath F.C. season
The club also entered teams in the Lancashire and Manchester Senior Cups in 1899–1900, but little progress was made in either competition. The club received a bye to the third round of the Manchester Senior Cup, but lost 5–0 to Bury. It was a similar story in the Lancashire Cup, as they beat Bolton Wanderers 3–2 in the first round before losing 1–0 to Southport Central in the second round.


1899–1900 Northern Football League
The 1899–1900 Northern Football League season was the eleventh in the history of the Northern Football League, a football competition in Northern England.


1899–1900 Northern Football League, Division One
The division featured 7 clubs which competed in the last season, along with two new clubs, promoted from last seasons's Division Two:


1899–1900 Northern Football League, Division Two
The division featured 7 clubs which competed in the last season, along with three new clubs:


1899–1900 Northern Rugby Football Union season
The 1899–1900 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the fifth season of rugby league football.


1899–1900 Northern Rugby Football Union season, Season summary
The Lancashire Senior Competition was won by Runcorn (from Cheshire) and the Yorkshire Senior Competition by Bradford.


1899–1900 Northern Rugby Football Union season, Season summary
Hull Kingston Rovers played their first season in the Northern Rugby Union this season. Their first match away at Bradford on 2 September ended in a 3-0 defeat.


1899–1900 Northern Rugby Football Union season, Lancashire Senior Competition
Millom replaced Morecambe. Although participating in the Lancashire Senior Competition, Runcorn and Stockport were from Cheshire, and Millom were from Cumberland. Runcorn won the competition and Tyldesley were relegated after finishing bottom of the league and losing the promotion/relegation match 22–8 to Barrow.


1899–1900 Northern Rugby Football Union season, Yorkshire Senior Competition
Bradford won the competition. There was no promotion or relegation as Liversedge won the promotion/relegation test match against Heckmondwike 11–2.


1899–1900 Northern Rugby Football Union season, Challenge Cup
Swinton beat Salford 16-8 in the Challenge Cup Final at Fallowfield Stadium, Manchester played before a crowd of 17,864.


1899–1900 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team
The 1899–1900 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team represented the Ohio State University in its second  season of collegiate basketball. Their coach was unknown. They finished with an 8-4 record.


1899–1900 Ottawa Hockey Club season
The 1899–1900 Ottawa Hockey Club season was the club's 15th season of play. Ottawa placed third in the league.


1899–1900 Ottawa Hockey Club season, Team business
Hod Stuart was named captain for the season. Harvey Pulford returned to the club.


1899–1900 Penn State Nittany Lions basketball team
The 1899–1900 Penn State Nittany Lions basketball team represented Penn State University during the 1899–00 college men's basketball season. The team finished with a final record of 7–1.


1899–1900 Princeton Tigers men's ice hockey season
The 1899–1900 Princeton Tigers men's ice hockey season was the inaugural season of play for the program.


1899–1900 Princeton Tigers men's ice hockey season, Season
Princeton joined the Intercollegiate Hockey Association, replacing the spot previously held by Pennsylvania. While the Tigers did not win any games they were competitive in several and the team got progressively better as the year went along.


1899–1900 Rangers F.C. season
The 1899–1900 season is the 26th season of competitive football by Rangers.


1899–1900 Rangers F.C. season, Overview
Rangers played a total of 23 competitive matches during the 1899–1900 season. They finished top of the Scottish Division One with 15 wins from 18 matches, losing only once to Old Firm rivals Celtic.


1899–1900 Rangers F.C. season, Overview
The club again ended the season without the Scottish Cup after losing a semi-final replay to Celtic by 4–0, the original match was drawn 2–2.


1899–1900 Rugby Union County Championship
The 1898–99 Rugby Union County Championship was the 12th edition of England's premier rugby union club competition at the time.


1899–1900 Rugby Union County Championship
Durham won the competition for the first time defeating Devon in the final.


1899–1900 Scottish Cup
The 1899–1900 Scottish Cup was the 27th season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. The Cup was won by Celtic when they beat Queen's Park 4-3 in the final.


1899–1900 Scottish Districts season
The 1899–1900 Scottish Districts season is a record of all the rugby union matches for Scotland's district teams.


1899–1900 Scottish Districts season, History
Edinburgh District beat Glasgow District for the first time in 10 years, in the Inter-City match.


1899–1900 Scottish Division One
The 1899–1900 Scottish Division One season was won by Rangers by seven points over nearest rival Celtic.


1899–1900 Scottish Division Two
The 1899–1900 Scottish Division Two was won by Partick Thistle with Linthouse finishing bottom.


1899–1900 Sheffield Shield season
The 1899–1900 Sheffield Shield season was the eighth season of the Sheffield Shield, the domestic first-class cricket competition of Australia. New South Wales won the championship.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season
The 1899–1900 Football League season was Small Heath Football Club's eighth in the Football League and their sixth in the Second Division. They spent most of the season in the top four in the 18-team division, but rarely in the top two, eventually finishing in third place, six points behind the promotion positions. They also took part in the 1899–1900 FA Cup, entering at the third qualifying round and losing to Walsall after a replay in the fifth qualifying round. In local cup competitions, they were beaten by Wolverhampton Wanderers in the first round of both the Birmingham and Staffordshire Cups, and by Walsall in the semi-final of the Lord Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season
Twenty-one players represented the club in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were fifteen different goalscorers. Bob McRoberts was the top scorer with 24 goals, of which 19 came in league matches. No other player reached double figures. McRoberts, goalkeeper Nat Robinson and full-back Arthur Archer played in every match. Off the field, the club made a significant financial loss over the season. The directors made it clear they could not continue funding a loss-making enterprise, and suggested that a reduction in players' wages was the only course of action.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Background
After being close to the second promotion place throughout the 1898–99 season, Small Heath eventually finished eighth, five points behind second-placed Glossop North End and a further six behind champions Manchester City. They scored more goals than any other team in the division except Manchester City, and scored more at home than any other, but their away record was poor. The Dart suggested that "the backs are all right, the defect that needs remedying is the half-back line, which is hardly up to the necessary standard."


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Background
Walter Abbott, who had scored 42 goals (34 in the league), both totals remaining (as of 2020) club records, signed for Everton for a fee of £250 plus the proceeds of a midweek friendly match. William Robertson left for Bristol Rovers, and Clutterbuck joined Southern League club Queens Park Rangers. Walter Main, a forward signed from Airdrieonians, was "expected to be a worthy successor to Abbott", and half-back Tom Farnall returned from Bristol Rovers.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Background
There were no major changes off the field. Walter Hart remained as chairman and Alf Jones as secretary. Alec Leake retained the captaincy, and there were no changes to the kit of light blue shirts with navy collar trim, cuffs and pocket, white knickerbockers and navy socks.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, September–October
A good crowd was expected to see Walsall, employers of Small Heath's former captain Caesar Jenkyns, open the season at Coventry Road. Playing with the wind, Small Heath took an early lead, Wigmore hooking the ball into the net, and the same player scored the third goal off the crossbar in the second half as his side won 3–2. The team travelled as far as York on the Friday for the following day's match against Middlesbrough, newly admitted to the Football League.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, September–October
The local newspapers had little confidence in their respective teams: the Dart predicted that "Small Heath will have to struggle hard to gain a point", while the Yorkshire Herald feared that "victory can hardly be hoped for over the clever combination Small Heath". Small Heath's forward play, relying on passing between all five forwards, an approach "only possible with a forward line, the members of which have been long acquainted with each other's play", was more effective than Middlesbrough's preference for attacking down either wing and then putting in a cross.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, September–October
In addition, the visiting backs were not adverse to the professional foul, "gaining time from the penalty against them", and the forwards "were not particular either about using hands if dispossessed of the ball". In front of a crowd of 10,000 spectators, McRoberts scored all three goals as Small Heath won 3–1. In the first round of the Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup, Small Heath put five second-half goals past a weak Wolverhampton Wanderers eleven, but lost the semi-final to Walsall by three goals to two.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, September–October
At home to another new team, Chesterfield Town, Walter Wigmore dropped back to centre-half in place of Alex Leake, who had been injured in the Charity Cup-tie. Billy Bennett replaced Wigmore in the forward line. Playing against a strong wind, McRoberts opened the scoring when he was first to the rebound after his shot was fumbled, and Bennett converted a cross from Sid Wharton not long before the interval. Persistent attacking led to further goals, from Harry Wilcox and Walter Main, before the visitors' Herbert Munday scored when the ball rebounded off the crossbar.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, September–October
Main scored his second, and the home team's fifth, from a sweeping passing move, then Chesterfield made the final score 5–3. On a pitch made slippery by a thunderstorm before kickoff, the visitors had Nat Robinson to thank for keeping Gainsborough Trinity at bay; the home side protested that one shot "scooped out" by Robinson had in fact crossed the line. Then McRoberts scored a solo goal, Trinity's goalkeeper allowed Wharton's shot from distance to slip through his hands into the net, and Wharton made the half-time score 3–0 after a move between McRoberts and Wigmore left him a tap-in.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, September–October
Freddie Fenton pulled one back with a header after Robinson missed his punch, and Bennett made the final score 4–1 after the goalkeeper failed to hold a low shot. It was confirmed that Leake had gone to Manchester for specialist treatment on damaged ankle ligaments. At home to Bolton Wanderers, relegated from the First Division in 1899, the defence was worked hard from the outset, but Small Heath "began to wake up", and the attack went to the other end, John Willie Sutcliffe playing "grandly", particularly when the visitors temporarily went down to ten men. In heavy rain in the second half, the defences had the upper hand, and the game finished goalless. With four wins and a draw, Small Heath went into October in third place in the league, two points behind Leicester Fosse having played one game fewer.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, September–October
McRoberts and Wigmore scored in the first half, against the wind, and the same players contributed three goals in the second to give Small Heath an easy victory at home to Lincoln City. A weakened eleven still managed a 2–1 win at Loughborough, which preceded the visit of Newton Heath to Coventry Road. On a fine day on a pitch in good condition, Small Heath fielded a stronger eleven than had recently been the case, Alex Leake resuming at centre-half.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, September–October
Goalless at the interval after a "stubbornly contested" first half, the home side had much the better of the second, and Main's 55th-minute goal from McRoberts' "excellent" pass was enough to secure the win. In the first round of the Staffordshire Cup, Small Heath drew 2–2 at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers, but lost the replay by eight goals to nil.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, September–October
A crowd of more than 13,000 spectators attended league leaders Small Heath's visit to Sheffield Wednesday, where the kickoff was delayed for ten minutes because the referee had not arrived. One of the linesmen took his place, and the two teams tossed a coin to decide which would provide a replacement linesman; Small Heath won the toss. By the time the referee arrived some 15 minutes into the game, Wednesday were a goal ahead, and with two neutral officials running the line, they scored three more in the next 20 minutes.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, September–October
In the second half, the visitors had more of the play: their "defence was excellent, and they fully held their own", but they could not score, Wednesday's Tommy Crawshaw regularly "checking determined rushes by the visitors' front rank" to disrupt their attacking play. Robinson was singled out for praise, despite conceding four goals. In a friendly arranged as part of Walter Abbott's transfer, Small Heath beat an Everton XI by six goals to two.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, September–October
Oswestry United agreed to switch the venue of the third qualifying round of the FA Cup to Coventry Road, took an unexpected but, on the balance of play, deserved 2–1 lead in the first half, and then conceded nine without reply. Small Heath went into November in second place in the division, level on points with Sheffield Wednesday having played one match fewer.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, November–December
Small Heath strengthened their squad with two signings. The first, Bristol Rovers' 21-year-old forward Jack Leonard, who had several previous clubs despite his youth, joined for "a large sum" and a benefit match. The second was the 33-year-old full-back Bob Cain, who played for many years for Sheffield United without missing a league match, and left Tottenham Hotspur for Albion Rovers the previous season because "the hard work was too much for him. The Hotspur that year took part in no fewer than eighty-eight fixtures, and Cain played in eighty-four of them."


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, November–December
They began November with a visit to Burton Swifts. With the game still goalless, Swifts missed a penalty; immediately thereafter, Arthur Archer converted a penalty against them to take the lead, and the visitors won by three goals. For the visit to New Brighton Tower, in "boisterous" weather, Small Heath were without full back Billy Pratt. Scriven opened the scoring for the visitors with a header just after Main had a goal disallowed for offside, and Leake doubled the lead just before half time with a shot that gave the goalkeeper no chance.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, November–December
The home side had much the better of the second half, coming close to scoring several times before Sam Raybould eventually converted a free kick, the same player equalised with an angled shot four minutes from time, and the home team came close to winning the game before time was called. The Dart thought they had thrown a point away. In the friendly agreed with Bristol Rovers as part of the Leonard transfer, Small Heath fielded several reserve players and lost 2–0.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, November–December
Fog prevented Small Heath playing Wrexham in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup. Although Wrexham would have preferred to rearrange the game for the following Saturday, Small Heath had a league fixture against Woolwich Arsenal scheduled for that day, so guaranteed Wrexham £50 from the gate money if they agreed to play in mid-week. Small Heath were too casual in the first half; after McRoberts opened the scoring with a header, they made little positive effort and were surprised by a long shot that tied the scores.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, November–December
In the second half, they resumed "in a more business like style", and scored five times. The Birmingham Daily Post remarked on Billy Bennett's accurate placement of corner kicks. As the attendance was expected to be augmented by Aston Villa supporters unable to go to Liverpool to watch their own team, Small Heath arranged for half-time and full-time scores from Anfield to be displayed at their ground.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, November–December
At Woolwich Arsenal, "only the fine defence of Robinson and Pratt prevented a very heavy score"; Robinson's "splendid saves" kept the Arsenal out in the first half, but in the second, they had much the better of matters, and won 3–0. Small Heath went into December in third place in the division, level on points with leaders Sheffield Wednesday and second-placed Leicester Fosse, having played two games more than the Wednesday and one more than the Fosse.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, November–December
The visit of Barnsley began in an open but scrappy fashion. Small Heath had numerous attempts at goal: Wharton "shot ridiculously high over, Leonard did the same", Leake's wild shot elicited laughter from the crowd, the same player inadvertently blocked a shot on target, before a passing move involving Main and Wharton led to McRoberts "cleverly touch[ing] the ball past Greaves". Wigmore added a second shortly before the interval.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, November–December
In the second half, the Heathens added three more goals and had another three disallowed, all for offside; the referee "was very strong on the off-side rule, and some of his decisions, which affected both sides, greatly displeased the spectators". Walsall's goalkeeper Billy Tennant kept his side in the fifth qualifying round FA Cup-tie at Coventry Road. The match finished goalless, and was replayed later in the week, forcing the postponement of the first round Birmingham Cup-tie against Wolverhampton Wanderers. On a snow-covered pitch, Walsall scored twice in the first half, Small Heath missed a penalty and failed to progress to the rounds proper of the competition.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, November–December
After frozen snow was removed from the playing surface, Small Heath enjoyed a deserved 3–0 victory against Luton Town with two goals from Bennett and a late third from Scriven. A week later, in fine weather, they lost by the same score at Burslem Port Vale. The Boxing Day friendly at Aston Villa attracted a large attendance, who saw the home side win by five goals to two. The next day's match at home to Grimsby Town started on a frosty pitch in misty conditions. Visibility worsened and the players left the field after 25 minutes.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, November–December
Play resumed and Leonard scored for Small Heath, but the match was abandoned at half time because of the fog. In the two clubs' fifth meeting of the season, "for a long time Small Heath scarcely crossed the half-way line, and it was fortunate for them that the defence was so reliable", but Walsall gradually took control of play and retained that control throughout the match.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, November–December
The Birmingham Post attributed Walsall's dominance to centre-half Caesar Jenkyns – Small Heath's former captain – "who again played a wonderfully-fine game—not only checking the opposing vanguard but feeding his own forwards with excellent judgment." Small Heath went into the new year in fourth place in the division, four points behind leaders Leicester Fosse having played one game fewer.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, January–February
The "miserable weather" left the pitch in a "sloppy" condition and deterred the paying public from witnessing Small Heath's 5–0 defeat of Middlesbrough with goals from five different scorers: Pratt, Bayley and Bennett in the first half, Scrivens and McRoberts in the second. In the postponed Birmingham Cup-tie, Wolverhampton Wanderers missed a second-half penalty awarded when Lester, selected at full back in place of Archer, caught the ball in the mistaken belief that it had gone out of play, but scored the only goal of the game five minutes later.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, January–February
On an uneven surface, Small Heath played out a goalless draw at Chesterfield Town. The defence and half-backs, particularly Leake at centre half, "times out of number breaking up the attack of his opponents by his dogged determination", were singled out for praise, but the forwards were "ragged and unsatisfactory", not helped by Scrivens' shoulder injury. The Sheffield Independent suggested that "each team appeared to hold the other in deepest respect", and neither side seemed disappointed with the result.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, January–February
After Gainsborough Trinity took the lead at Coventry Road, Small Heath lost a forward when Jack Aston, newly arrived from Woolwich Arsenal, suffered a coughing fit and was withdrawn on doctor's orders. The home side equalised before half time, Layton scored after the interval, and when he added a third goal, the visitors fell apart and conceded a further five goals in the last fifteen minutes. Aston recovered in time to start the next game, at home to Burslem Port Vale, and opened the scoring from a free kick after ten minutes, but the visitors soon tied the scores. In the second half, Small Heath raised their game, "at times more force than necessary was used", and Leake headed the winner. They went into February still in fourth place in the division, three points behind leaders Bolton Wanderers having played one game fewer.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, January–February
The club lost a forward on a permanent basis when the directors dismissed Jack Leonard for misconduct. Having been fined 20s plus costs on 18 January for being drunk and disorderly, Leonard committed a similar offence that same night and was sentenced to one month's imprisonment.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, January–February
A draw at league leaders Bolton Wanderers, combined with Sheffield Wednesday's defeat at Newton Heath, improved Small Heath's chances of promotion. McRoberts scored in the first half, but Bolton equalised ten minutes from time, having earlier missed a penalty. The Birmingham Daily Post suggested that "a few more games like this away from Coventry Road will go a long way towards securing them admission to the First League".


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, January–February
On hard ground, with snow carried on the "biting cold wind", Alec Leake, playing at inside-left instead of his customary half-back position, was involved in most of the six goals Small Heath put past Loughborough to move up to second place in the division. Against Grimsby Town in the match originally postponed because of fog, the home side's "failure to score was simply unaccountable", while Pratt's attempted clearance produced an own goal to give the visitors an unexpected victory.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, January–February
At Newton Heath, faced with such a "muddy swamp" that "sometimes [the ball] would hit a dry patch and skim along for some distance, at other times, a hard shot would simply send it a yard or two through the mud", Small Heath protested that the ground was unfit for play, but the referee disagreed. Nevertheless, the visitors took a 2–1 half-time lead through Aston and Wharton, but the home players forced a 3–2 win. The Post thought the winning goal should have been disallowed.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, January–February
Messrs Thos. Cook & Son put on a cheap rail excursion in connection with the visit of Sheffield Wednesday. Wednesday were without several players through injury, and old Small Heath favourite Billy Walton played his first game of the season in place of Jack Aston. Heavy rain had left the pitch muddy with pools of standing water, but the referee made little allowance for the conditions, stopping the game frequently, "often for trivial breaches of the law". Layton and Wharton gave Small Heath a 2–1 lead by half time, and Bennett and Leake took the final score to 4–1. The Sheffield Independent thought that "the losers had quite as much of the game as the winners" and that "all the luck in the game went one way, and that in the way of the 'Heathens'."


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, March–April
March began with a 1–0 friendly defeat at Southern League club Reading; the home team missed "chances galore". As part of Birmingham Athletic Club's annual gymnastics display, in aid of the Birmingham Daily Mail's Reservists' Fund, a selection of Small Heath footballers took on (and beat) their Aston Villa counterparts at tug-of-war. Other attractions included exhibition drills by local regiments, a demonstration of quarterstaff fighting, weightlifting, and "a coloured boxer, Joe Elms, from America". The club sponsored a charity concert at the Prince of Wales Theatre, in aid of the Reservists' Fund and local hospitals.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, March–April
The league programme resumed with Small Heath in third place in the division, one point behind leaders Sheffield Wednesday and level with second-placed Bolton Wanderers, having played two games more than the Wednesday and one more than Bolton. They recorded a 2–0 home win against Burton Swifts, though the performance was unimpressive. The forward play was disorganised, attributed by the Post to McRoberts' late withdrawal through injury. Walton, the regular twelfth man, was absent, so reserve team player Sam Cole was called out of the crowd to take McRoberts' place.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, March–April
The spectators did him no favours: "inasmuch as he did not commence well, a section of the crowd began to jeer at him, and naturally he performed more indifferently than before". It proved his only Football League appearance. Lester and Cain were also injured; it was suspected that Cain's twisted knee would keep him out for the season.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, March–April
The scoreline was repeated the next week at home to New Brighton Tower. Tom Scrivens scored both goals, and according to the Post, "was always in the thick of the fights around goal, and with more experience should make a very capable player in the centre-forward position." The team travelled to Grimsby Town the day before the match, breaking their journey at Lincoln. Still without McRoberts, the team's weakness was in attack – Billy Walton was the fifth different centre-forward in five games, and less effective than Scrivens – and at left-half, where Layton was frequently beaten, and Grimsby won by two goals to one.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, March–April
Small Heath had to manage without Walter Wigmore for the home game against Woolwich Arsenal because he was engaged for the Football League representative eleven to play the Scottish League XI. The Glasgow Herald thought the English half backs, "while all working hard, showed no special aptitude such as is necessary for great matches", and the Birmingham Daily Post believed that having to desert his "dashing, bustling" style for a more "quiet, scientific" method of play affected him adversely.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, March–April
McRoberts' return to fitness "had a very beneficial effect" on Small Heath, who beat the Arsenal 3–1 with goals from Leake, McRoberts himself, and Aston. The crowd picked out Arsenal full-back Jimmy Jackson as that day's target for abuse, to the extent that he "lost his temper ... and subsequently became erratic."


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, March–April
The Dundee Courier and Argus reported that Small Heath were suffering financial difficulties stemming from falling attendances. On the field, they could only draw at Barnsley. Leake scored the equalising goal, but was kicked on the knee during the second half and could contribute little thereafter. Another draw followed, this time goalless in "a perfect hurricane" at Lincoln City, who had the better of a rough game. Small Heath enjoyed an unexpectedly comfortable victory at home to Leicester Fosse, by four goals to one, but in the reverse fixture two days later, the Fosse won 2–0.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, March–April
Between these two matches, Tom Scrivens and Walter Main were part of the Birmingham & District League team that opposed the Lancashire Combination at Coventry Road. Scrivens created the only goal of the game, scored by Leigh of Aston Villa. The league season finished with Small Heath's first away victory of 1900. They defeated Luton Town by two goals to one, both goals scored in the first half by McRoberts and the on-form Main. The result confirmed their third-place finish, six points adrift of the promotion positions.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Review, March–April
Small Heath's reserves reached the semi-final of the Walsall Cup, but were beaten 4–1 in a replay by an Aston Villa reserve team "showing superior form in all departments of the game". In a post-season friendly, Jack Aston's goal earned a draw with West Bromwich Albion, and in the last match of the season at Coventry Road, the reserves played a Birmingham Police team to benefit the Association for Providing Boots and Clothing for Destitute Children.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Summary and aftermath
After the first game of the season, Small Heath were never out of the top four in the division, but were rarely in the top two. Opinions varied as to the quality of their achievement. The Liverpool Mercury thought that "Small Heath deserve some commiseration, for they rank a good third, but next season the probability is that they will not have such strong rivals to battle against as the Wanderers and the Blades". The Sheffield Independent concurred, but the Dart was less supportive: "The Heathens were confidently expected to gain second place, but they gave one or two woeful exhibitions at home, and threw good chances away."


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Summary and aftermath
Twenty-one different players represented the club in nationally organised competitive matches during the season and there were fifteen different goalscorers. Bob McRoberts was the top scorer with 24 goals, but no other player reached double figures. Goalkeeper Nat Robinson, full-back Arthur Archer and McRoberts played in every match. The match against Bolton Wanderers attracted a crowd of 12,000, but only around 1,000 were present for the visit of Middlesbrough in January.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Summary and aftermath
Chairman W.W. Hart, who was re-elected to the management committee of the Football League at its annual meeting in May, reported that the club had made a significant financial loss over the season. The £250 deficit of the previous season had risen to more than £1,100. He made it clear that the directors could not continue funding a loss-making enterprise, and the only viable solution was to reduce the wage bill.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Summary and aftermath
Although most league clubs were in a comparable position because of unusual circumstances, namely the pressure placed on them to increase wages in order to retain players sought after by the wealthy southern clubs, it was "monstrous" that from an income of £3,400, £2,800 should be paid out in players' wages. However, ths southern clubs now being less well-off would make no short-term improvement in the club's finances, because contracts for the coming season had already been agreed.


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Summary and aftermath
According to the Birmingham Argus, "had they known that the Southern clubs would not be scrambling for their players, they might have saved £350 in wages during the next football season." The chairman did not think the ongoing Boer War had an adverse effect on attendances. Some £140 was raised by holding sports meetings at Coventry Road. As well as the usual athletics and cycling, the club hosted a horse show with "nearly 200 entries ... from all parts of England".


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Summary and aftermath
By mid-May, all the first-team players apart from Sid Wharton and Billy Bennett had signed on for the coming season,; and those two later did so. Tom Farnall, who had had little first-team football, moved on to Watford, and Bob Cain, whose season had been ruined by injury, returned home to Sheffield. James Tebbs, an outside left, signed from Loughborough, and a number of young players joined the squad. The Dart took a positive view: "The Heathens mean making a great attempt to gain admission into the 'charmed circle' this season, and if they will only perform a little more consistently away from home I think they will just about accomplish the feat."


1899–1900 Small Heath F.C. season, Squad statistics
This table includes appearances and goals in nationally organised competitions – the Football League and FA Cup – only. For a description of the playing positions, see Formation (association football)#2–3–5 (Pyramid).


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season
The 1899–1900 season was the 15th since the foundation of Southampton F.C. and their sixth in league football, as members of the Southern League.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season
They ended the season third in the Southern League, but reached the final of the FA Cup, thus becoming the first southern professional side to do so, and the first side from south of the midlands since 1883. In the final, they played badly as a result of divisions amongst the players and lost 4–0 to Bury.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, Start of the season
Having won the Southern League title in each of the three previous seasons, Southampton were now considered to be the best football team in England outside The Football League. The club had considered applying to join the league but decided that, because of their location on the south coast, the cost of travelling would be prohibitive. The popular boys' newspaper, Chums featured the club in their October 1899 edition:


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, Start of the season
The Southampton club is the surprise packet of the football world. No team can boast of having fought their way to the front with such lightning-like rapidity as the champions of the South and, if the opinion of experienced judges are worth anything, the Southampton men have absolutely no superiors. It is true that they do not engage in first League duels, but the reason they do not do so is not that they consider they stand no chance of achieving premier honours, but that the departure would not pay them. There are no League clubs in the South, the consequence being that if Southampton were to enter for the competition, about half their time would be spent in travelling to the North and back — a proceeding that would soon land them high and dry in Bankruptcy Court.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, Start of the season
With the club £1,000 in debt and in an attempt to ensure success on the pitch, the directors had recruited several top-class players on substantial wages. In order to meet these, the cost of entry to home matches was doubled from sixpence to a shilling. The opening Southern League match was attended by a meeting of "anti-bobs" in Milton Road; "after [their] grievances had been aired, the participants therein wended their way to other haunts than the football field". As a result, the attendance for the match against New Brompton was "disappointingly small" with "barely two thousand people present". Explaining the decision to double the price of admission, the secretary Mr. Arnfield told the Football Echo


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, Start of the season
Candidly, I don't like it personally, but if we don't get enough 'tanners' we must have the 'bobs'. There is [an] alternative ... to an occasional shilling gate, and that is to reduce the wages of players, which means inferior men. After all the brilliant players we have had, Southampton people won't put up with a mediocre team. Why, our people would throw bricks at us. The Board are particularly anxious to retain a good team, but you must remember we have a big deficit and our summer wage bill is within £12 of our winter one, whilst for over four months we have not taken a penny.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, Players
During the summer of 1899, several players left the club including forward Abe Hartley, who joined Woolwich Arsenal, and Jacky Robertson, who joined Rangers, shortly after becoming the first Southampton player to play for Scotland in April 1899.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, Players
Three forwards joined the club in the pre-season: Jack Farrell returned from Stoke, where he had spent the 1898–99 season having played for Southampton from 1895 to 1898, and Archie Turner was recruited from East & West Surrey League club St. Michael's, Camberley, but the major signing was former England international Alf Milward from Football League Second Division side New Brighton Tower.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, Players
The team mow consisted mainly of experienced former Football League players. Ten players appeared in all six F.A. Cup matches and twenty or more Southern League matches, with Alf Milward being ever-present and becoming the team's top goal-scorer. The team had three past or present England internationals (goalkeeper Jack Robinson and forwards Alf Milward and Harry Wood), while full-back Peter Meechan had previously played for Scotland.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, Players
Archie Turner was the only regular player to have been born in Hampshire and was also the only player not to have previously played in The Football League, but he ended the season by achieving the then unique distinction of being called up for England in his first season in first-class football, and also becoming the first Hampshire-born player to represent England.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, Players
Goalkeeper Jack Robinson had previously played for Derby County and was the current England international 'keeper. The full-backs were Peter Durber and Peter Meechan who had previously played for Stoke and Everton respectively. Centre-half Arthur Chadwick had previously played for Burton Swifts and would end the season with two England caps. Either side of him were Scotsmen, Samuel Meston (another former Stoke player) and Bob Petrie, formerly with Sheffield Wednesday. The centre-forward position was contested by Jack Farrell and former West Bromwich Albion and Leicester Fosse player Roddy McLeod. Alongside Archie Turner on the right was Jimmy Yates, previously with Sheffield United and Ardwick, with the two former England internationals, Alf Milward and Harry Wood on the left.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, Players
Several of the players were on high wages with Wood on £5 a week and Robinson earning £5 10s with the total wages bill exceeding £60 per week, which with bonuses put the annual total to in excess of £4,000, a total believed to be exceeded by only five or six Football League clubs.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, Players
In an interview with the boys' paper Chums, the club's "popular secretary and manager, Mr. Arnfield" said:


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, Players
In the main, [the cause of our success is] our bold forward policy of engaging only tip-top players. No man is good enough for us who isn't good enough to take his place in any team in England. We shouldn't dream of engaging a player who wasn't worthy of inclusion in the Aston Villa eleven, for instance. This is our Standard.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, League season
For the 1899–1900 season, the Southern League had been expanded from the 13 clubs, which had ended the 1898–99 season to 17 by the admission of Bristol Rovers and Queens Park Rangers and the promotion of Cowes and Thames Ironworks. The newly formed Portsmouth club inherited the place vacated by the Royal Artillery. Of the 17 clubs, Cowes and Brighton United failed to complete the season, with their records being expunged.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, League season
The season started with a comfortable home 6–2 win over New Brompton but this was followed by a draw at Gravesend United and defeat at home to Swindon Town. After the 3–1 victory at Bristol City on 23 September, Roddy McLeod was dropped to be replaced by Archie Turner on the right-wing. This was the start of a run of twelve games with only one defeat and by mid-January, the Saints were at the top of the table. Amongst the victories were defeats of Chatham 9–0 on 20 December (with four goals from Turner) and of Gravesend 8–0 on 6 January.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, League season
The season was then interrupted by bad weather and by the time the league restarted in early March, Saints were without Jack Farrell who had been seriously injured in the F.A. Cup match against Newcastle United. He was replaced by Roddy McLeod but the FA Cup run distracted the team from the league, which resulted in a run of poor performances. The 2–0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on Good Friday 13 April finally extinguished any chance of retaining the title.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, League season
There then followed consecutive matches against newcomers, Portsmouth to decide who would come second to Tottenham. The match at The Dell on Saturday 14 April was attended by "barely 3,000" supporters with the home fans being more interested in the Cup Final the following Saturday. Despite the Saints' best efforts, they were thwarted by "Gunner" Matt Reilly in the Portsmouth goal, and Saints went down to goals from Sandy Brown and Dan Cunliffe. The return match at Fratton Park two days later, was attended by an Easter Monday crowd of 10,000 supporters who witnessed a "complete triumph" for Portsmouth with the two goals coming from Sandy Brown and Billy Smith.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, League season
Saints' performance against Portsmouth was described as "poor in the extreme" and "there was really no comparison between the two teams". The Portsmouth manager, Frank Brettell described Southampton as "stale" and predicted a "comfortable" victory for Bury in the FA Cup Final.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, League season
After the humiliating 4–0 defeat in the final, Saints played out the remaining three "dead" matches including victories at home to Bristol City and Millwall, in both of which McLeod (who had not been selected for the Cup Final) scored.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, League season
The league season ended with Southampton third in the table, nine points behind champions, Tottenham Hotspur.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, FA Cup
In the FA Cup, Saints were no longer required to qualify and entered at the First Round proper, where they met Everton, who had finished in fourth place in the First Division in 1899. Everton were easily beaten in a "stunning" 3–0 victory with former Everton player Alf Milward scoring twice.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, FA Cup
The next visitors to The Dell were Newcastle United who Southampton had defeated at the same stage two years earlier. The match was played on 10 February 1900 in wintery conditions. With the match goalless, Jack Farrell was forced to leave the pitch with a dislocated left collar-bone. Southampton played on with ten men until the 50th minute, when referee Arthur Kingscott abandoned the match because of a heavy snowstorm. The sides met again the following Saturday, with Roddy McLeod replacing the injured Farrell. McLeod "seized the opportunity" and scored twice in an easy 4–1 victory.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, FA Cup
The Third Round match was played a week later against another First Division side, West Bromwich Albion against whom McLeod scored again in a 2–1 victory.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, FA Cup
With fellow Southern League team Millwall Athletic having defeated Football League champions Aston Villa in their Round 3 match, after the third of three "epic confrontations", the four semi-finalists were Millwall and Southampton from the Southern League and Bury and Nottingham Forest of the Football League First Division. The draw for the semi-final paired the Southern League and Football League sides, thus guaranteeing that a side from the Southern League would reach the FA Cup Final for the first time.


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, FA Cup
To prepare for the semi-final, the Southampton players were sent to Buxton for a week's special training starting with morning walks "certainly the fat ones" followed by a bath. The team's secretary, Mr. Arnfield explained the training routine to Chums magazine:


1899–1900 Southampton F.C. season, FA Cup
... in the afternoon, sprinting and ball-kicking are the order. Baths are capital for removing stiffness from the joints. And ... everyone in training should go to bed early. Our fellows usually retire at ten, but the night before a big match they are all in bed by nine, They enjoy a long sleep, and don't appear for breakfast before nine. Our diet is an extremely plain one. The customary fare consists of fish, chops and steaks. Vegetables and sweets are banned when a match is about to be played and so are spirits. Half a pint of beer per meal, however, is allowed, and directly the match is over, the players can eat whatever they please. As regards smoking, we only prohibit it on the morning preceding a big match.