[Another long delay due to life getting in the way......trying to get going again now with this.]
MONTHLY ROUND-UP: JULY 1872
Champions the Old Westminsters end July with a two game lead in the Metropolitan League standings, after early season pacesetters The Regent’s Park continued to struggle this month. They lost their first three games, including two to fellow contenders Greenwich, and appeared to be slipping out of contention, only to rally and win twice in a day against the Westminsters. Greenwich are also two behind the Westminsters, with games to make up as they only played four in July, compared to six for each of their rivals. Kensington lost their last two games in the month and are now four back, leaving the race apparently down to three teams.
Salford are still fractionally ahead in the Manchester and District League despite winning just two of four games in July, as second placed Rochdale also lost twice. Oldham managed to share two with Salford but ended the month with defeat at the hands of Rochdale to leave them a game back, while newcomers Miles Platting have rediscovered some form to overtake champions Irwell and move into fourth place. Irwell are still in the race but have lost their last three, and eight of their last eleven, as they fight to remain involved.
In the Leeds and Bradford League, both Bowling and Wakefield had two wins and two losses this month, keeping Bowling just fractionally in front in the standings. Bowling won a dramatic meeting between the two by a score of 6-5 to extend their advantage, only to fall to defeat against last placed Huddersfield in their last game of July, allowing Wakefield to gain ground again with victory over Woodhouse. With four wins from five in July, Bradford have moved into a third place tie with Leeds Central.
Liverpool and St Helens needed a tiebreaker to separate them last year and they are tied for first place again in the Liverpool and District League. Postponements played a large role this month as St Helens played just two, winning both, while Liverpool won just one of their three games. Toxteth had a chance to make it a three-way tie to end the month but were beaten 4-1 by Great Float and sit a game back. Great Float and Linacre are just two back, despite Linacre losing three of four in July, as the race looks very difficult to predict.
Edmonton still have a significant lead in the Middlesex County League, although they gave hope to the other teams by losing their last two games in July, against Enfield and the Old Harrovians. Those teams share second place, but have struggled for consistency and are still only able to boast even records of nine wins and nine defeats. Indeed, all five teams chasing Edmonton are split by just a single game in the standings after Ealing won three successive games, culminating in a 2-1 win over Isleworth which left those two teams tied for last place.
The Sheffield and District League could also become a three-horse race as Sheffield Philadelphia defeated both of the teams above them in the standings during a four-game winning run. Both Doncaster and Sanderson’s Weir still had strong months, winning their other three games, but their defeats at the hands of Sheffield gave the third placed team the confidence to believe that they may yet be able to catch up. Entering August, the railway workers of Doncaster lead by two games, with a vital meeting with Weir due in the next game.
In Scotland, Lanark-Renfrew entered July two games ahead and looked to moving decisively ahead when they defeated Govan in their next game and Dundashill faltered against White Cart, extending the gap to three games. However, Lanark-Renfrew proceeded to lose their next two and with Dundashill winning twice, the margin was down to one game when the two met in the final game of the month. Lanark-Renfrew looked set to extend their advantage again when they led 1-0 going to the ninth inning, but two runs from Dundashill gave them the win and ensured that they go into August level at the top of the standings, with eleven games to play. Nobody else has a winning record, so it may be straight fight between those two teams for the first championship in Scotland.
