British and Irish Baseball - Making Another Attempt

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TOURNAMENT REVIEW: 1876 INTERNATIONAL SERIES

Having lost the first two editions of the international Series in deciding third games, Scotland knew that they must make the most of home advantage in game one this year if they were to have a good chance of taking the crown for the first time. The first game in Glasgow could not really have started worse for them however, as England took control in the second inning. Airdrie pitcher Bruce Fraser gave up a hit to Rochester’s Albert Wilson to begin the inning and then with one out, Harry Pardoe of Edmonton added another to give England runners at first and third. Next up was Mark Laidler of Manchester and District League champions Belle Vue, and he added a hit of his own to bring Wilson home and give England a 1-0 lead. That was followed by a three-base hit from William Thornton of Clapham, scoring both Pardoe and Laidler to make the score 3-0. Pitcher Fraser began to settle into the game but Scotland had to find a way to score at least three against Westminster man Daniel Armstrong, a difficult feat for any team. In the third, The Grange’s Dugald Christie began the inning with a two-base hit and just when it seemed that would be wasted, Walter Challinor of Tollcross did likewise with two out to put Scotland on the scoreboard at 3-1. Challinor then tried to score himself on a hit from Airdrie man Leslie Goldhawk but was thrown out at home plate to end the inning.

With England’s chances now being restricted by an in-form Fraser, Scotland’s next scoring chance came in the fifth when George Stewart of Firth of Tay led off with a hit. Scotland managed to move him to second with two out, where Haymarket’s Fraser Cash found the hit to bring him home and reduce the deficit further. In the sixth, England pitcher Armstrong allowed a hit to Leslie Goldhawk to begin the inning and then hit Tollcross man John Cunningham to give Scotland two baserunners with nobody out. After a ground ball advanced the runners to second and third, Ralph Collins of Arthur’s Seat came up to bat and his hit brought home both runners, completing the turnaround and giving Scotland a 4-3 lead. By the ninth inning, Scotland still led and England had not had a hit since the second inning, but with two out the visitors rallied. A second hit of the game for Albert Wilson and another for Thomas Sadler of Sanderson’s Weir gave England one more chance to tie the game with two out, but Harry Pardoe could not make contact and Scotland held on to record a fine comeback win.



England therefore had to win the second game a week later in London, and the game turned out to be tight duel between pitchers Armstrong and Fraser, both near the top of their form. After Scotland had the first hit of the game in the second inning, England responded in their half of the inning with a hit from Thomas Sadler. After he had been advanced to second, it was Belle Vue’s Mark Laidler who produced a hit with two out to bring Sadler home. Scoring chances were few and far between but Scotland advanced a runner to third in the fifth inning, only for pitcher Fraser to strike out and end the inning. In England’s half of the fifth, once more Laidler produced a hit to begin the inning and when he was standing at third with two out, Luke Bunn of Leeds delivered another hit to bring Laidler home. England led 2-0 and with pitcher Daniel Armstrong in superb form, would have felt that advantage would be sufficient. Scotland found a chance in the eighth however, as pitcher Fraser helped his own cause with the bat as his hit with two out extended the inning. That was followed by another hit from Fraser Cash, giving Walter Challinor of Tollcross the chance to reduce the deficit at least, but he could not find the important hit. That was Scotland’s chance and Armstrong successfully negotiated the ninth inning to complete a five-hit shutout victory and level the series at one game each. As champions, England called the coin toss for home advantage in the third game and their call was correct, meaning another game in London to end the season.



Needing an away win to take the series for the first time, Scotland made the perfect start to the third game as Fraser Cash led off the first with a hit, before advancing himself to second and reaching third on a ground ball for the second out. Then John Cunningham produced the vital hit to bring cash home and give Scotland the lead. The form of pitcher Bruce Fraser looked ominous for England early on but in the fourth, William Thornton started the inning with a hit and pitcher Armstrong moved him on to second with a sacrifice. Next man up was Luke Bunn, and his hit brought Thornton home to tie the score at 1-1. From that point the pitchers dominated and neither team got a runner past second base until the seventh inning, when England found themselves with runners at first and third and two out, but William Thornton could not find the hit that would have given his team the lead.

The score remained at 1-1 into the ninth, where another Clapham man Edmund Hodgson began with a hit. He moved on to second on a ground ball for the first out, and Scotland then decided that they would not pitch to Thomas Sadler, allowing him to go to first in the hope of ending the inning with two outs on the next play. Dennis Dunning of Clapham was next, and his hit advanced the winning run to third but England decided not to risk trying to score with only one out and in-form Mark Laidler coming up next. Laidler did not hit the ball out of the infield, but it was awkward enough for first baseman Walter Challinor to deal with that Scotland were not able to throw Hodgson out at home plate. He scored the winning run to give England a 2-1 victory in both the game and the series, and keep intact their record of winning every series played to date. To nobody’s surprise, Daniel Armstrong was named as the Best Pitcher in the series while Mark Laidler took Best Player, having recorded five hits from ten times at bat and driven in runs in all three games, including the series winning run in the third game.

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The 1876 season is now over and attention turns to 1877, when once more there will be new leagues to follow as well as new teams joining several of the existing leagues.

ROLL OF HONOUR: 1876 SEASON

Metropolitan League: Westminster Academic (4th title)
Manchester and District League: Belle Vue Gardens (1sr title)
Leeds and Bradford League: Leeds Central (1st title)
Liverpool and District League: Linacre Gas (1st title)
Glasgow and District League: Tail o’ the Bank (1st title)
Middlesex County League: Edmonton Green (2nd title)
Sheffield and District League: Sheffield Philadelphia (1st title)
Birmingham and District League: Dudley Castle (2nd title)
East of Scotland League: The Grange (2nd title)
Kent County League: Dartford Brent (1st title)
Derby and Nottingham League: Derby Union (1st title)
Lancashire County League: Blackburn Alexandra (1st title)
Surrey County League: Kingston Fairfield (2nd title)
Bristol and District League: Weston super Mare (1st title)
Essex County League: Romford Waterloo (1st title)
Leicester and Northampton League: Leicester South Fields (2nd title)
North Caledonian League: Arbroath Links (1st title)
Tyne and Wear League: Wearmouth Colliery (1st title)
Yorkshire County League: Derwent Bank (1st title)
Oxford University Championship: New College (2nd title)
Cambridge University Championship: Clare College (2nd title)
International Series: England (3rd title)
County Championship: Middlesex (4th title)
Scottish Counties Championship: Lanarkshire (2nd title)
Varsity Series: University of Cambridge (4th title)

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1877 SEASON

The 1877 season of baseball is nearly upon us and once again there are many changes this year. Among the leagues whose line-ups are the same, there are nevertheless a few minor alterations, with the Manchester and District League reducing the number of weeks where games begin at 2pm in the early and late parts of the season, while the Tyne and Wear and Yorkshire County Leagues have pushed back the start of their season by a week. In Scotland, the Glasgow and District League has turned professional for this season and added fully twelve weeks of scheduled double games through the summer, increasing its schedule from thirty games to forty-two. The clubs were split on whether to make that change or introduce midweek play, but decided to keep to Saturdays in the first professional season and take advantage of the long summer evenings. It is believed that midweek play will begin when the league next expands, which is expected to be either next year or the year after. The Bristol and District League has already become the first to announce that it will be admitting new clubs next year, with applications being invited ahead of a vote which is expected in the summer. The Liverpool and District League is also rumoured to be planning to expand for 1878, although that is yet to be confirmed.

EXPANDING LEAGUES

METROPOLITAN LEAGUE
Joining the Metropolitan League for this season are Limehouse Cut and the Hammersmith Ravens. Based in east London, Limehouse take their name from the canal which joins the Thames and Lea rivers. Influenced by the ‘lime’ part of their name, the club play in green jerseys with stripes in a darker shade of green. Hammersmith’s name comes from the park in west London where they play, Ravenscourt Park. Indeed, the club was initially known as ‘Ravenscourt Park’ before shortening to ‘The Ravens Club’. Fearing that spectators would not know where they were located, they added the name of Hammersmith to their title ahead of their election to the Metropolitan League. They will play in pale brown jerseys with the silhouettes of two ravens embroidered onto the chest. The election of Limehouse and Hammersmith coincides with the beginning of regular midweek play in the league, with a fifty-two game schedule, the longest seen yet in any league. Games will be on Saturdays and Wednesdays throughout the year, with each club playing every opponent four times. After each complete round of games, there is a spare Wednesday to allow some rescheduled games to be played. Also this year, Clapham Common have moved to a new home field and the restrictions of the common land on which they have been playing do not allow them to develop the site in the way that they would wish for the professional era.The new field lies just a few hundred yards from the old one.




EAST OF SCOTLAND LEAGUE
The East of Scotland League grows to eight teams this year with the admission of two clubs from Stirlingshire, neither of whom carry the name of their town. From Stirling itself come The King’s Knot, whose name is taken from earthworks which were part of the formal gardens at nearby Stirling Castle and lie close to the club’s home field in the King’s Park. The King’s Knot club play in yellow jerseys with red stripes. From the town of Falkirk are the even more unusually named Vallum Antonini, whose title is the Latin name for the Roman structure known in England as the Antonine Wall. This ancient fortification, of which little remains except earthworks, ran through what is now the town of Falkirk and close to the club’s home field. They play in green jerseys with brown sleeves. With the two new clubs joining, the league is using the same format as the Liverpool and District League whereby each team meets the others four times, but with two geographic groups of four facing two additional meetings with one another as double games in the summer. One of these groups will be made up of the four Edinburgh clubs, and the other will consist of the two Fife teams and the two newcomers from Stirlingshire.




DERBY AND NOTTINGHAM LEAGUE
The first expansion of the Derby and Nottingham League sees two new clubs from Nottinghamshire enter the competition. Newark on Trent simply take the name of their home town, on the River Trent, and play in dark red jerseys with the name of the town embroidered on the chest. Rock Valley Mansfield are the works team of the Rock Valley mustard mill and like Hammersmith in London, have added a geographic identifier in advance of joining a league as they were previously known simply as Rock Valley. Their jerseys are silver grey, with the club’s initials in gold and blue. With no obvious split into two geographic groups of four, the clubs voted in favour of a reduction from thirty games to twenty-eight and will simply play one another four times each.




LANCASHIRE COUNTY LEAGUE
The Lancashire County League also reduces to a twenty-eight game schedule with the admission of Barrow in Furness and Lancaster Giant Axe. Like the Newark club in Nottinghamshire, Barrow simply take the name of their town, which lies in the Furness area which is geographically detached from the rest of Lancashire. They play in yellow jerseys with black and white trimmings, and wear a ‘B’ with an arrow running through it, using a simlar visual pun on the town’s name to that which appears on the borough arms (where the arrow is accompanied by a bee). Lancaster’s name comes from the Giant Axe playing field on which they will play their home games, and two axes are embroidered onto their jerseys. Their main colour is dark blue, with pale green stripes.

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NEW LEAGUES

Three new leagues begin again this year, with a growing trend of teams in areas of the country with lower population density organising competitions.

EAST KENT LEAGUE
Formed by the majority of the clubs whose bids to join the Kent County League were overlooked a year ago, the East Kent League consists of six teams playing a thirty-two game schedule. Different from other six-team competitions, the teams are paired up with a geographical neighbour and will play eight times against that opponent, with six games against the other four teams. Of those who applied to the Kent County League, only the club from Sittingbourne are excluded, with the belief that they would have gained a place had an application come from an eighth team. The driving force behind the formation of the league are Canterbury-based club The Buffs, the team of the Royal East Kent Regiment, an infantry regiment of the British Army known by that nickname. They play in buff coloured jerseys with the regiment’s badge on their chest. They are paired for extra games with Ashford Gore, who take their name from the hill which their home field lies at the top of, on the northern side of the town. Their jerseys are pale red, with white and black stripes.

Paired together on the south coast are Dover Elms and Folkestone and Sandgate. The name of the Dover club comes from the lane on which their home field is located. They play in jerseys which are a bold shade of green. Folkestone and Sandgate take the name of both the larger town and smaller village that lie either side of their home field, and play in sandy-coloured jerseys with gold trimmings. The final two clubs paired together are on the Isle of Thanet in the far north-east of the county. The club’s seafront location is the inspiration for the name of Margate Esplanade, who play in jerseys which are two shades of blue. The name of Ramsgate St Lawrence comes from the parish in which the club is located, and they play in pale purple jerseys with stripes of a darker shade.

LOGOS AND UNIFORMS
Top Row (L-R): Ashford Gore, The Buffs, Dover Elms
Bottom Row (L-R): Folkestone and Sandgate, Margate Esplanade, Ramsgate St Lawrence


MAP OF TEAM LOCATIONS


STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTY LEAGUE
Although there are already several Staffordshire clubs playing in the Birmingham and District League, the new County League takes in clubs from the remainder of the county, further away from the Birmingham area. Three of the clubs come from the ‘Potteries’ area, with Hanley Etruria taking their name from the pottery factory in the district of that name. They wear blue-grey jerseys with red trim. Burslem Green Head are another team whose name comes from the area in which they play, and unsurprisingly their jerseys are coloured green. Newcastle under Lyme are another team who simply take the name of their town, as appears to be increasingly common when the town has a longer name. They play in gold, with dark blue caps. The fourth club from the north of the county are The Silk Pickers, who come from the town of Leek and originated amongst workers at several of the town’s silk mills who decided to join forces and form a single team. They come as close as any team to playing in white jerseys, as their chosen colour is pale yellow.

The other four clubs come from further south in the county, and near the border with Derbyshire are Burton Cresent, whose name comes from the Crescent Brewery, where the club’s founders worked. They play in blue with a crescent shape and initial ‘B’ on their chest. From Stafford itself, Stafford Hough take their name from the area on the edge of the town where their home field is located. They play in dark red and like the county team, feature the ‘Stafford knot’ emblem on their jerseys. Cannock Ridings are named after a brook which runs near to their home field, and they play in a very pale shade of green with stripes in darker green. Finally, Lichfield Close were formed by a group of men who attended the cathedral and who used to meet for practices among the buildings of Cathedral Close, before heading to their nearby field. They wear the arms of the cathedral and their jerseys match the colours of those arms, being red and grey halves. The league is the first to include scheduled double games in its first year, as it is following the format used in the Liverpool and District League where two geographically based groups of four teams play six games against one another rather than just four against the other to give a thirty-four game schedule. The four clubs from the north of the county are grouped together, as are Burton, Stafford, Cannock and Lichfield.

LOGOS AND UNIFORMS
Top Row (L-R): Burslem Green Head, Burton Crescent, Cannock Ridings, Hanley Etruria
Bottom Row (L-R): Lichfield Close, Newcastle under Lyme, The Silk Pickers, Stafford Hough


MAP OF TEAM LOCATIONS


WARWICKSHIRE COUNTY LEAGUE
Like Staffordshire, Warwickshire already has teams playing in the Birmingham and District League but the new competition takes in smaller towns across the county. It follows the common format of a six-team league with a thirty-game schedule and all clubs meeting six times. Warwick St Nicholas were formed by parishioners at the church of that name, and play in a riverside field nearby in jerseys which are grey with red sleeves. From nearby Royal Leamington Spa, the name of Leamington Archers is derived from the fact that their founders initially came together to practice archery, before also taking up baseball and forming a team. They play in yellow with red stripes, and a bow and arrow embroidered on the chest. Stratford Shakespeare take their name from the most famous resident of their town, playwright William Shakespeare, and they play in black with a large white collar.

Nuneaton Anker’s name comes from the cotton mill where the club’s founders worked, which in turn is named after the river which flows through the town. Their jerseys are light blue. Coventry Godiva play in jerseys in red and green halves, inspired by the city arms, and are named after the legendary figure of Lady Godiva, who allegedly rode naked through the city’s streets centuries ago. Finally, the name of the Rugbeian Masters is not a statement on their playing ability but rather a reflection on the fact that they are a club formed by past and present teachers of Rugby School, and play on the school’s own playing field. Their colours are the shades of blue used by Oxford and Cambridge universities, perhaps inspired by the number of students from the school who have gone on to those establishments.

LOGOS AND UNIFORMS
Top Row (L-R): Coventry Godiva, Leamington Archers, Nuneaton Anker
Bottom Row (L-R): Rugbeian Masters, Stratford Shakespeare, Warwick St Nicholas


MAP OF TEAM LOCATIONS

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TOURNAMENT REVIEW: 1877 COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

There was much talk before this year’s County Championship about the possible expansion of the competition next year, with the East Midlands counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire all hoping to join. There is believed to be interest from other counties as well, and the eight current members cannot ignore the demands for much longer. They were known to favour a straight knockout tournament with no byes, which led to suggestions that expansion should wait until there are eight applicant counties, giving a tournament of sixteen. However, it has also been suggested that very soon after that point there would be more interest again and counties cannot be expected to wait until there are another sixteen before being admitted. Furthermore, should every county in England eventually be admitted there would not be a perfect number and so gradual admission may be the best policy.

The counties are believed therefore to be considering a series of criteria which must be met before a county may be admitted, with the proviso that the total must be kept to an even number. It has been suggested that counties will be required to have either their own county league or a league which is shared with a second county, and that league will be required to have completed at least three seasons and have at least eight total clubs, of which at no fewer than three should be located in the applicant county. Should there be fewer than three in that league but a total of at least five across all leagues, that county would also be eligible. Should these criteria be adopted, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire would be eligible to join next year, while both Leicestershire and Northamptonshire would become eligible if the Leicester and Northampton League were to expand to eight clubs. Expansion of the Bristol and District League may also make Somerset and Gloucestershire eligible if that league is taken to be shared by those counties, depending on the location of the newly added teams.

As for this year’s competition, reigning champions Middlesex began their defence of the crown with a home game against Yorkshire in the quarter-finals and fell behind in the second inning, a three-base hit from Scarborough’s Daniel Webb bringing in Maurice Dodd of Bradford to score. The champions responded in the third, helped by an errant pitch and a fielding error which allowed pitcher Sidney Fisher of Tottenham to convert his hit into a run and level the scores. With Clapham’s Edmund Hodgson advancing himself to third, Elijah Ball of Peckham found a one-out hit to give Middlesex a 2-1 lead before Charlie Williams of The Regent’s Park drove home another run. Now trailing 3-1, Yorkshire needed a response and they got one run back in the fifth, as Luke Bunn of Leeds came to bat with one out and Lewis Thomas of Huddersfield standing at second base. Bunn’s hit brought Thomas home to reduce the gap to 3-2, putting Yorkshire back in the game. In the sixth, more poor fielding looked sure to hurt Yorkshire’s chances as another fielding error and another poor pitch from Hallamshire’s Robert Mitchell gave Middlesex an easy run, and they added another in the seventh by virtue of a home run from Hodgson. Yorkshire looked to be out of the running as they trailed 5-2, but they fought back in the eighth as with one man on base and one out, three successive hits brought in two runs to reduce the deficit to 5-4. With two out, Lewis Thomas found the vital hit to bring Dodd home from second and level the score. Middlesex were stunned, and in the ninth Hunslet’s Andrew Pengelly got himself on base for Yorkshire and Frank Houghton of Bowling Old Lane, batting next, produced a two-base hit which scored Pengelly all the way from first and gave Yorkshire a 6-5 lead. Champions Middlesex had no reply, and their title defence surprisingly ended in the opening round.



Yorkshire moved on to a semi-final against either Essex or Surrey, and in their meeting pitching was dominant early on. In the fourth inning, Angel newcomer Daniel Bazley came to bat for Surrey with runners at first and third and nobody out, and his ball hit deep into the outfield was far enough to score Croydon’s Abel Haye after the catch. In the fifth, it was Hackney’s Thomas Wakely who was up with two men on base and his hit brought in another run for Surrey, doubling their advantage and leaving Essex struggling as pitcher Reuben Marler, without a team at present, was in fine form. Essex were creating few opportunities and their hopes crumbled in the sixth, as Joe Lane of the Commercial Dock Workers stepped up with one out and two on base. His three base hit scored both runners, and when that was followed by an errant pitch from Essex starter Stephen Young, Lane came in to score and extend the lead further to 5-0. Essex manufactured one big chance in the ninth, as Westminster’s Daniel Armstrong came in to pitch for Surrey with one man already on base. Armstrong hit the first batter that he faced and then gave up a hit to Roland Lloyd of Greenwich, giving Essex three runners with two out. Lloyd’s club teammate Timothy Berry had the chance to reduce the deficit significantly and give Essex new hope, but hit a simple ground ball to end the game and give Surrey the win.



Having reached the final in each of their first two appearances in the tournament, Staffordshire began their campaign this year against Lancashire in another tight pitching battle. Lancashire had wasted three baserunners in the fourth inning but in the fifth, they got Blackburn’s Joseph Westley to second base with one out and gave William Elmar of Miles Platting a chance to produce a run. He duly did so with a hit to score Westley, putting Lancashire ahead 1-0. Poor fielding then handed that run straight back to Staffordshire, as second baseman Robert Godfrey of Bury made two errors which first put Bilston’s Martin Cheshire on base and then allowed him to score. The game remained finely poised at 1-1 heading to the ninth inning, where Howard Lewis of Belle Vue led off for Lancashire. From somewhere he found a home run, putting Lancashire ahead again. Pitcher Peter White of Burnley then needed only seven pitches to dismiss Staffordshire in their half of the ninth, and like Middlesex they too had suffered a surprisingly early exit, falling 2-1.



Lancashire’s semi-final opponents would be Warwickshire or Kent, and it was Warwickshire who struck first in that game when Aston’s Amos James began the second inning with a two base hit. He was moved over to third and then came home when pitcher Anthony Green, a newcomer with Rochester this year, was called for an illegal motion before the pitch. Pitching for Warwickshire was Henry Farmer, who will appear in the new County League for Warwick this season, and his form in this game suggested that they might be tough to beat. Farmer pitched superbly through until the ninth inning, as Kent had until that point only once advanced a man to third base all day. In the ninth however, Greenwich man Francis Armitage led off and took advantage of a rare error from Farmer, producing a home run to leave the scores suddenly tied. Farmer looked shaken and allowed hits to each of the next two batters, giving Kent a chance to win the game. With one out, Alexander Wheeler of The Regent’s Park produced a hit to bring home lead runner Albert Wilson of Rochester. Having led for so long and seemed secure behind such strong pitching, Warwickshire were stunned by the 2-1 loss.



On the basis of alphabetical order, Kent and Surrey were allowed to call coin tosses for home advantage in the semi-finals and although Kent called correctly, Surrey did not. Kent would therefore host Lancashire while Surrey had to travel north to Yorkshire. The game between Lancashire and Kent was another battle of the pitchers, as Peter White of Burnley and Anthony Green of Rochester did battle. Lancashire left a runner at third base in the fourth inning, Belle Vue’s Mark Laidler striking out when faced with a chance to give them the lead, while on the other side Kent wasted two hits to begin the seventh in their first clear scoring chance. The game headed into the ninth scoreless, when Oldham’s Matthew Loxton led off with a hit for Lancashire. After he had been moved on to second, it was Robert Godfrey of Bury who found the hit to bring Loxton home and score the first run of the day. As it turned out, it was the only run of the day as Kent could not respond in their half of the ninth, Lancashire claiming a 1-0 win to reach the final for the second time in three years.



In the other semi-final, Yorkshire pitcher Robert Mitchell began the second inning by hitting Angel’s Daniel Bazley and Surrey managed to move him over to third by the time there were two out. Patrick Stewart of Kingston came through with a two-out hit and Surrey had an early 1-0 lead. They maintained that advantage right through to the seventh, where everything went wrong for untried pitcher Reuben Marler. He gave up three hits to start that inning and was taken out of the game, replaced again by Westminster’s Daniel Armstrong. Armstrong fared little better however, giving up another hit to Bradford’s Maurice Dodd which brought in one run to tie the game. Next up was Daniel Webb of Scarborough, and his hit allowed to more to score, giving Yorkshire a 3-1 lead. It was vital for Surrey to get out of the inning with no further damage and when Armstrong got the next two outs, they seemed set to do that, only for Thomas Sadler of Sanderson’s Weir to produce one more Yorkshire hit. That brought in two more, extending the lead to 5-1 and leaving Surrey facing elimination. They needed to respond quickly and a two-base hit from Richmond’s Matthew Copestake was a good start. He advanced to third on a ground ball and then came home following a one-out hit from Hackney’s Thomas Wakely. With two out, a two-base hit from another unattached player, Oswald Harris, brought Wakely in and the deficit was reduced to 5-3. Harris is believed to be due to sign for an unidentified Metropolitan League team before the start of that competition, and he looks set to be a strong addition to the league. In the ninth inning, Commercial Dock’s Joe Lane found a home run to reduce the gap further to 5-4, but Surrey could not tie the game. Yorkshire held on, and reached the final for the very first time.



Having won the coin toss, Lancashire were to host the final but that home advantage counted for little in a disastrous first inning. Yorkshire were in front before anybody was out, and then with one out Bowling’s Wilfred Bicknell drove in another. Scarborough man Daniel Webb, having a fine tournament, came to bat with two out and two runners on. He produced another two base hit to score both runners, and Yorkshire led 4-0 in the very first inning. Lancashire had to respond somehow and they started well with a three-base hit from William Elmar to begin their half of the first. A ground ball from Sankey’s Harry Morrant was enough to bring Elmar in and Lancashire were on the scoreboard. In the second, Blackburn’s Joseph Westley produced a crucial hit with two out to score Anfield man Peter Frost, making the score just 4-2, before everything changed completely in the third. An error from Yorkshire, who made many across the tournament, put Elmar on base again and then after a hit from Harry Morrant, Bury’s Robert Godfrey drove in Elmar to bring Lancashire within a run. Yorkshire pitcher Robert Mitchell got the next two outs, but disaster struck when Peter Frost found a two-out hit to score both Morrant and Godfrey. Remarkably, having trailed 4-0 in the first inning Lancashire led 5-4 by the end of the third. With two out in the fourth, Thomas Sadler of Sanderson’s Weir was thrown out a home attempting to tie the score and ending the inning. That proved to be a vital mistake, as scoring chances for Yorkshire came to be few and far between. Sadler advanced himself to third in the seventh inning, but pitcher Peter White followed that with two strikeouts to end the danger. With two out in the ninth, Bowling’s Frank Houghton got himself a hit to keep hope faintly alive for Yorkshire, but Hunslet’s Andrew Pengelly struck out to end the game and give Lancashire the title for the first time. Winning pitcher Peter White took the Best Pitcher award, while Yorkshire’s strong hitting line-up dominated voting for Best Player. It went to Scarborough’s Daniel Webb, who drove in seven runs across his three games only to see poor pitching and fielding deny his team the title.

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TOURNAMENT REVIEW: 1877 SCOTTISH COUNTIES CHAMPIONSHIP

Undefeated in the first two years of the Scottish Counties Championship, Lanarkshire entered this year’s tournament seeking a third successive title but with a difference in their line-up, as Govan newcomer Gordon Mossman was preferred to Airdrie’s Bruce Fraser as starting pitcher. He allowed two hits in the first inning against Renfrewshire, but escaped without allowing a run and from that point on settled into the game well. White Cart’s John Byrne was also pitching well for Renfrewshire and the game was scoreless into the fifth inning, where Mossman himself came to bat with a runner on first base and two out. He aided his own cause with a two-base hit to give Lanarkshire the lead, and was followed by Tollcross man Walter Challinor hitting a home run to extend that advantage to 3-0. Renfrewshire missed an immediate chance to strike back when they wasted two baserunners in the sixth, before Lanarkshire turned up the pressure with three baserunners and nobody out in their half of the sixth. With Mossman pitching well, Renfrewshire needed to escape the inning with no further scoring and recorded two outs on force plays at home plate, but with one more out needed Allan Duxbury of Lanark-Renfrew found a two-base hit to score all three runners. Lanarkshire now led 6-0 and once more Mossman added to his pitching efforts with the bat, another hit bringing Duxbury in to make the score 7-0. Renfrewshire had no reply, and the champions moved through to a third successive final.



In the other semi-final tie, pitching was again largely dominant although Fife missed a good chance to score in the second inning when they had two men on base with only one out, and Edinburghshire did likewise in the third. The game was still scoreless in the sixth, when the deadlock was broken by a home run from Drew Pugh of Arthur’s Seat. Haymarket’s Fraser Cash followed that with a hit of his own and he was then brought home by Wilfred Ross of Dunfermline, putting Fife in control with a 2-0 lead. Edinburghshire wasted two baserunners again in the seventh, but in the eighth their first three hitters all reached base, giving a real chance to Hector Margrie, who plays south of the border with Worksop. His hit brought in two of the runners to tie the score, After recording the next two outs, Fife seemed set to escape the inning level but Andrew McHendrie of Arthur’s Seat managed to beat a throw to first base and extend the inning, allowing The Grange’s Walter Conway to score and put Edinburghshire on top 3-2. Edinburgh pitcher Joseph Scholey, who plays for East of Scotland League newcomers Vallum Antonini, eased through the last two innings to complete the comeback win and take Edinburghshire through to the final.



The final was played in Edinburgh after champions Lanarkshire incorrectly called the coin toss for home advantage, and just as in the semi-final it was Lanarkshire pitcher Gordon Mossman who helped his own cause with the bat. His hit in the third inning was the first of the game for either team, and was followed by a two-base hit from Walter Challinor which brought Mossman round to give Lanarkshire the lead. Edinburghshire were struggling to create any sort of scoring chance against Mossman, with single hits in the third, fourth, sixth and eighth not enough to advance a runner past second base. Lanarkshire missed a chance to secure the win in the ninth when they failed to get a runner home from third with two outs, but Mossman survived another hit in the Edinburghshire half of the ninth to complete his second successive shutout victory and maintain Lanarkshire’s undefeated record in the championship. For the second year running, a one-run margin in the final was enough for victory. In the award voting, an unprecedented turn of events saw Gordon Mossman chosen both as Best Pitcher and Best Player, having thrown two complete game shutouts and recorded four hits from just six attempts with the bat.

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1877 SEASON PREVIEW

Champions Westminster are expected to fall short of a successful title defence in the Metropolitan League, with Clapham and Angel expected to do battle for the crown this year. Of the new clubs, Limehouse should fare best but still finish just below half way, with Hammersmith looking likely to end up bottom of the pile. In the Middlesex County League, the widespread expectation is that champions Edmonton will take another crown this year, as they look comfortably the strongest team. Having lost the title to Dartford last year, two-time winners Rochester are overwhelming favourites to take back the crown in the Kent County League, especially having added highly-rated new pitcher Anthony Green to their ranks. Dartford may lead the chasing pack, while Tunbridge Wells could be up near the top of the standings as well after a superb second half to their debut season last time around. At the other end of the county, the new East Kent League looks to be a three-way fight between Ashford, Ramsgate and Canterbury-based team The Buffs, who are the most common pick to take the inaugural title. Kingston will be strong contenders to take a third successive Surrey County League crown, but Reigate may well be the team to stop them as they look to be much improved this year. Romford are favourites to defend their Essex County League championship, but Pig Alley seem sure to run them close while Barking should also not be far away.

Few expect Belle Vue to defend the Manchester and District League championship, as they are widely backed to end with a losing record this time. Runners-up Oldham should go close again, as should Irwell, but the title might go to either Bury or former champions Miles Platting, who look tough to separate. Having ended the run of five-time winners Liverpool St Patrick’s last year, Linacre will be in the running to retain the Liverpool and District League crown but face strong competition from Great Float, who are many people’s tip to take the title this time around. Wigan also look to be strong contenders, while there is much debate as to whether St Helens can improve on their dreadful performance last year. In the Lancashire County League, newcomers Barrow are considered possible challengers to champions Blackburn, who look certain to go close to retaining their title. Former winners Over Darwen will be in the race too, while the other new team Lancaster look more likely to be near the bottom of the standings.

This year’s Leeds and Bradford League championship race looks as wide open as any league has ever been, with all ten teams considered by some to have a realistic chance of taking the title. The two Bradford clubs, Bradford Beck and Bowling Old Lane, are the most common picks alongside Woodhouse Lane, but Hunslet and reigning champions Leeds Central will be close as well. Rule nobody out though, as we look forward to a fascinating battle. Doncaster’s reign as Sheffield and District League champions ended with a dreadful run at the end of last season but they look to be strong contenders again this time around, with Worksop well backed to have a much better season along with Holmes Tail. Champions Sheffield Philadelphia may struggle to repeat their successes of last year. Champions Derwent will battle with both Hull clubs in the Yorkshire County League, with West of Hull many people’s favourites despite falling away badly after a good start to the inaugural season a year ago. No team looks to be too far out of contention in an evenly matched league. In the Tyne and Wear League, champions Wearmouth and runners-up Newcastle will both contend again but it might be Sunderland Blue House who surprise them both, as their pitching looks to be especially strong this time around.

In the Birmingham and District League, lots of observers are picking Walsall as likely winners this year, although two-time champions Dudley will be one of a group looking to chase them. Other contenders could include Aston, Edgbaston and Birmingham Main Line, with Bilston not far away again and the Old Wulfrunians looking much improved. This looks likely to be the last season as an amateur competition for the Birmingham and District League, with professionalism having been narrowly rejected last year but the weight of opinion moving in that direction. In the Bristol and District League, only Bath look to be out of the running ahead of a close race and while champions Weston super Mare are many people’s favourites, Avon and Arno’s Castle are sure to run them especially close. The Derby and Nottingham League is too close to call with any confidence but Midland Loco look to be a much stronger team this time around and could battle city rivals and reigning champions Derby Union at the top of the standings. Trent Bridge also look much better than a year ago, while newcomers Newark and Rock Valley Mansfield should not be discounted. Leicester South Fields are looking for a third successive crown in the Leicester and Northampton League and have a chance of getting it, but Loughborough look very strong this year and have a good chance of taking the title away. Tipped to be the inaugural winners of the Staffordshire County League are Hanley Etruria, while Newcastle under Lyme could be their closest challengers although the league looks well matched overall. The Warwickshire County League looks impossible to predict, as Coventry, Nuneaton, Leamington and Warwick all look very closely matched. Strong pitching may make Warwick the slight favourites to be the first champions.

In Scotland, Burgh of Partick lost the Glasgow and District League title to Tail o’ the Bank last year but may well take it back this time, although the reigning champions won’t be far away and a much-improved Govan team may be even stronger challengers. Tollcross look to be a much stronger team this year as well. Having lost a third tiebreaker in four seasons last time around, Arthur’s Seat will go close again in the East of Scotland League, as will reigning champions The Grange and former winners Dunfermline. However, Haymarket are the most common choice to win it this year as they have added new players in several positions and look much improved. Vallum Antonini will surely be the better of the new clubs, with The King’s Knot expected to be near the foot of the standings. Few expect Arbroath to defend the North Caledonian League title, with Dundee-based Firth of Tay seen by many as favourites, with the two Aberdeen teams their most likely challengers.

At the universities, Magdalen are well backed in Oxford, with Merton expected to be hugely improved on last year. Champions New College shouldn’t be too far away either. In Cambridge, Christ’s College look to be much improved on a tough debut season last year and may battle with Emmanuel for the title. Champions Clare have lost many players this year and could find themselves near the foot of the standings, with the same problem facing Gonville & Caius after four successive top two finishes.

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MONTHLY ROUND-UP: MARCH 1877

LONDON AND THE SOUTH
Every league is now underway in the 1877 season with only one round of games played in the Metropolitan League where the three favourites all won their opening fixtures. Clapham were easy winners over the Commercial Dock Workers while champions Westminster shut out newcomers Hammersmith. Angel had a tougher time against the other new team Limehouse, needed two runs in the ninth for a comeback 3-2 victory. Greenwich, Hackney and Kensington were the other winners while the game between Peckham and The Regent’s Park was postponed. Champions Edmonton shut out Tottenham to start with a win in the Middlesex County League, while there was also a victory for last year’s runners-up Isleworth, as well as for Enfield and the Old Harrovians. After three rounds in the Kent County League, champions Dartford are one of two undefeated teams alongside Gravesend, while favourites Rochester recovered from an opening day defeat to win their next two. Three teams are without a win, including to many people’s surprise the highly rated Tunbridge Wells.

The new East Kent League has also played three games with The Buffs the only team yet to suffer defeat, helped by two victories over winless Ashford. Neighbours Ramsgate and Margate are leading the chase, having shared their two meetings and both winning their last games to have two wins from three. Richmond are the surprise early leaders in the Surrey County League as the only team to win both their games, while last year’s runners-up Wimbledon are the only team yet to win. It is last year’s champions Romford who are the only team to win in the Essex County League after a surprisingly poor start, with Pig Alley living up to their billing as potential challengers by winning their first two. The champions have also started poorly in the Bristol and District League, with Weston super Mare joining Swindon in losing both of their games so far. Avon and Bristol Easton lead the way with two victories each.



THE NORTH OF ENGLAND
Manchester and District League champions Belle Vue share first place with Rochdale after four rounds of fixtures, both having won three from four. After one postponement each, Moss Grove, Bolton and Bury are just behind having also been beaten just once. Glossop are the only team yet to win, losing all three of their games. Champions Linacre were beaten at Anfield on the opening day of the Liverpool and District League, while there were also wins for Liverpool St Patrick’s, Great Float and Wigan. Opening day in the Lancashire County League saw mixed fortunes for the newcomers as Barrow were beaten at Ribble while Lancaster defeated Chorley. Champions Blackburn won their opening game, as did highly rated Burnley.

Wakefield and Bradford remain undefeated in the Leeds and Bradford League, although Wakefield are narrowly ahead having played one game more. Champions Leeds lost their first two games before defeating Hunslet, while former winners Dewsbury and pre-season favourites Bowling have both yet to record a victory. Only two games were played on opening day in the Sheffield and District League, with Sanderson’s Weir defeating Holmes Tail and Barnsley overturning a 7-2 deficit to win at Doncaster. Scarborough are the only undefeated team after two weeks of play in the Yorkshire County League, while champions Derwent are the only club yet to win. Both Wearmouth and South Shields have two wins from two in the Tyne and Wear League, with Sunderland and Gateshead both losing their first two.



THE MIDLANDS
In the Birmingham and District League, Dudley defeated Bilston in a tiebreaker last year and both teams are undefeated to begin the new campaign, albeit with Dudley having played a game fewer following a postponement. The Old Wulfrunians, backed to be much improved this year, lead the chase while Small Heath are the only team yet to win. In the new Staffordshire County League, opening day brought wins for Burslem, Lichfield, Burton and Hanley, the latter tying their game with Newcastle under Lyme in the ninth before winning a seventeen-inning marathon. Warwick St Nicholas lead the Warwickshire County League after two rounds of play having won both their games, while Stratford are the only team to lose their first two.

Rock Valley Mansfield defeated fellow newcomers Newark on Trent to begin the season in the Derby and Nottingham League, while champions Derby lost to Trent Bridge and Old Basford defeated Midland Loco. The game between Ilkeston and Sherwood was postponed. Champions Leicester South Fields have lost both their games so far in the Leicester and Northampton League, as have Northampton. Wellingborough and St Margaret’s both have two wins from two and lead the way early on.



SCOTLAND
Champions Tail o’ the Bank are one of three teams to win their first two games in the Glasgow and District League, along with Airdrie and highly rated Govan, for whom pitcher Gordon Mossman is continuing the form he showed for Lanarkshire as they took the county crown. White Cart, Lanark-Renfrew and Dundashill have all lost both their games, while Burgh of Partick and Tollcross have a win and a loss each. Favourites Haymarket began the East of Scotland League season with a win over champions The Grange, while Arthur’s Seat were winners against Leith. Vallum Antonini won their first game in the league with a comeback against Dunfermline, but The King’s Knot must wait to begin their debut campaign after their meeting with Kirkcaldy was postponed. Dundee Law lead the North Caledonian League despite the postponement of their month ending game with Moncreiffe Island, as they are the only team yet to lose. Firth of Tay and Old Aberdeen have two wins from three, while champions Arbroath have just one win. Moncreiffe are the only team yet to record a victory.

UNIVERSITIES
After ten rounds of play at Oxford University, it is Magdalen College who lead the way despite playing only eight. Seven successive wins have followed an opening defeat, while Merton and champions New College are right alongside them but with a slightly worse winning percentage having taken eight out of ten. Nobody else has a winning record as those three open up a gap already, while University College sit last having lost their last seven and eight of nine overall. In Cambridge, Christ’s College made the best start but three defeats in their last four have allowed Trinity to move into a tie for first place with seven wins from ten. Gonville & Caius are just a fraction behind, while King’s, Sidney Sussex and Jesus College also have winning records. At the other end of the standings, Pembroke are already some way adrift having lost all nine of their games so far.

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MONTHLY ROUND-UP: APRIL 1877

LONDON AND THE SOUTH
Metropolitan League champions Westminster are looking strong contenders to defend their title after winning seven of their eight games in the first full month with regular midweek play. Only a surprise 3-2 loss at the Commercial Dock Workers denied them a perfect record, although Angel Islington are chasing hard. They lost two of their first three in April but went on to win the next five, including crucial back-to-back extra inning wins over Clapham and Hackney. Newcomers Hammersmith are surprisingly sitting third, having won four out of five since a heavy defeat against Angel early in the month. Enfield are the undefeated leaders of the Middlesex County League having ended April with a 2-0 victory over champions Edmonton, who had also been undefeated heading into the game. Those two teams are separated by the Old Harrovians, who look much improved on last year and sit one game back having also suffered their only defeat against Enfield.

Champions Dartford are undefeated at the top of the Kent County League but played only twice in April as rain caused problems with the schedule. They lead narrowly from Gravesend, who opened the month by losing at former champions Rochester but won their next three. Rochester are third having suffered a surprisingly heavy loss at the Royal Engineers. The Buffs remain undefeated in the new East Kent League, with Dover having emerged in second place as they won three out of four in April, losing only to The Buffs. Bristol Easton have a very small advantage at the top of the Bristol and District League despite playing only twice in April and losing one of those games, as Avon Gorge lost their last two. Wins over Swindon and struggling champions Weston super Mare moved Bath up to a winning record in third place, a fraction behind the top two.

In the Surrey County League, Richmond lost their undefeated record when they slipped up against Croydon, allowing champions Kingston to draw level. A week later, Kingston won their meeting 7-2 and end April with a one-game advantage at the top of the standings. Last year’s runners-up Wimbledon are still yet to win and sit well adrift in last place. In Essex, Forest Gate won their first two games in April but then saw the next two postponed. They sit effectively tied at the top with West Ham, with a fractionally better winning percentage, after West Ham recovered from losing their meeting to win their next three.

THE NORTH OF ENGLAND
A perfect month sees Bury leading the way in the Manchester and District League, fractionally ahead of Rochdale and champions Belle Vue. Belle Vue narrowly wont he meeting of those two teams, but miss out on first place having suffered a remarkable 10-0 defeat to Miles Platting. In the Liverpool and District League, champions Linacre are surprisingly struggling after losing their first three before a win over Great Float. Five-time winners Liverpool share first place with Wigan, after both won three out of four in April. St Helens won twice in April and are already just one win away from equalling the total that they managed in their awful season last year. Burnley sit in first place in the Lancashire County League having won three of their four games, but newcomers Barrow are only fractionally behind after winning three out of three including a comprehensive 9-0 victory over Burnley. Nobody else has a winning record at the moment.

Despite losing at champions Leeds and then seeing their next game postponed, three-time winners Bradford narrowly lead the way in the Leeds and Bradford League. Wakefield are effectively tied with them however, having only a narrowly inferior winning percentage, despite losing to both Bradford and Batley in April. Woodhouse have joined them in a tie for second after winning their last three games. In the Sheffield and District League, Worksop and Hallamshire share first place despite having played just three times out of five weekends, but Holmes Tail have joined them in an effective tie as they responded to losing their first two games by winning the next three. Champions Sheffield are just a fraction behind, while all eight clubs are split by just a single game after a rain-interrupted opening to the season. A perfect four wins from four in April sees Beverley leading the Yorkshire County League, fractionally ahead of Scarborough who dropped back when their last game of the month was postponed. Champions Derwent remarkably sit alone in last place, having lost five of their six games so far. Having won their first four, champions Wearmouth have lost two successive games to drop off the top of the Tyne and Wear League. That has allowed Jesmond, who defeated Wearmouth to end the month, to move to the top alongside South Shields, who themselves lost to Wearmouth but won their next two.

THE MIDLANDS
Birmingham and District League champions Dudley are leading the way by a fraction despite falling short in a comeback attempt against Aston, losing 5-4 having earlier trailed 5-0. Aston won every game in April, as did Birmingham Main Line and those two teams share second place. Early pace-setters Bilston have dropped back into the middle of the pack after losing three out of three in the past month. Three wins from four in April have moved Burslem to the top of the new Staffordshire County League, with Burton a fraction behind as they too lost just once, but also had a game postponed. Lichfield and Cannock are both a game off the pace as both were beaten by Burslem during April. In Warwickshire, Warwick remain undefeated at the top of the standings with Coventry the only other team to have a winning record, although they lost ground having fallen 3-2 in the ninth inning when they faced Warwick.

Having won their first three games, Old Basford have lost in extra innings to both newcomers Newark and Rock Valley to fall out of first place in the Derby and Nottingham League. Despite losing 2-1 at Old Basford earlier in April, Sherwood have moved to the top by winning their other three game in the month for the concession of just a single run. Rock Valley’s win over Old Basford moves the Mansfield club into a tie for second, while Midland Loco are in that tie as well having won their last three, the last a 5-0 success over champions and near neighbours Derby Union. In the Leicester and Northampton League, St Margaret’s lost their undefeated record when they fell 2-1 to Northampton in their final game of April. They are joined at the top by Wellingborough, who lost at home to St Margaret’s to begin the month but won their next three. Back-to-back defeats to end the month leave champions Leicester South Fields three games off the pace already.

SCOTLAND
Strong pitching means that Govan remain undefeated at the top of the Glasgow and District League, with champions Tail o’ the Bank falling two games off the pace after they lost a long battle with former winners Burgh of Partick to end the month. They share second place with White Cart, who won all four of their games in April. Under the league’s new format, there is only one week of single games remaining before double match-ups for the next fourteen weeks. Defeats on the final weekend of April saw both Arthur’s Seat and newcomers Vallum Antonini lose their perfect records in the East of Scotland League, with the loss for Arthur’s Seat providing the first victory of the season for the other new team, The King’s Knot. Champions The Grange have won their last three and sit just a fraction behind the co-leaders, alongside Leith and Haymarket who both seem to be finding form. Firth of Tay are well clear in the North Caledonian League, winning all four in April including a month-ending 2-1 extra inning success against city rivals Dundee Law. That loss drops Dundee back to an even record, although they still share second place with Old Aberdeen and champions Arbroath. Moncreiffe Island remain winless but have only played four times in seven weekends, suffering two postponements and two extra inning defeats in April.

UNIVERSITIES
The university leagues have just about reached the halfway point, with Merton College holding a two-game lead in Oxford despite ending the month with a ten inning defeat to in-form Christ Church. That made it six successive wins for Christ Church, who join Magdalen in a tie for third place as the former leaders have now lost their last five. St Edmund Hall are also in that tie, four games behind the leaders, while reigning champions New College are just two behind in second but will need to improve on a record which saw them lose five of twelve in April. In Cambridge, Christ’s College lost two of their last three games but a run of eight successive wins before that keeps them comfortably clear at the top. The two teams who joined the championship last year hold the top two places in their second season as several of their younger players grow in stature, but Sidney Sussex’s hopes of catching up have been damaged by defeats in three of their last four games. King’s College are a game further back in third place, but lost five times in April and don’t look at present to have the consistency they would need to catch up.

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MONTHLY ROUND-UP: MAY 1877

LONDON AND THE SOUTH
Champions Westminster end May with a one-game lead in the Metropolitan League despite having suffered a run of three successive losses during the month, two of them to championship rivals Angel and Clapham. Three victories to end the month put them back on track, but they could have found Clapham even closer had their undefeated month not also contained two postponements. With Clapham in second place, Angel are fractionally further back in third after losing three of their seven games in May, while Putney and Peckham are the only other teams with winning records. In Middlesex, Enfield hold a comfortable lead in the County League despite opening the month with their first loss of the season at Brentford. They won their other three games, but Brentford went through May undefeated and have now won their last six overall to move clear in second position. Champions Edmonton are third, while the Old Harrovians’ good start is becoming a fading memory as they have lost their last three. Tottenham were the last team in England to record a win this year when they won their final game of the month after starting the season with eight successive defeats. Bristol Easton have a one-game lead in the Bristol and District League despite losing to struggling champions Weston super Mare in their first game of May. They won the next three and sit in front of Avon Gorge, who they defeated 3-1 when the teams met earlier in the month. Bath drop to third having ended the month with two successive defeats.

There is effectively a three-way tie at the top of the Kent County League after Gravesend ended the month with two successive defeats, the second against fellow contenders Rochester, to lose sole possession of first place. Those two teams now have identical records, while champions Dartford have a marginally better winning percentage having played two games fewer, despite losing to both their rivals during May. In the East Kent League, The Buffs were the last team in the country to lose a game this year having won their first eight, but they have now dropped two in succession after ending the month with defeat at home to Ramsgate. Folkestone and Dover are leading the chase, but both also lost their final game in May to miss out on a chance to close the gap at the top. Surrey County League champions Kingston lost two of their four games in May and only won the others in extra innings, but hold on to a slender lead by virtue of their victory over second placed Croydon. That was Croydon’s only loss in the month, while Reigate also won three out of four and are just one game off the pace in third. Richmond, who won their first four games, have now dropped the last six. In Essex, champions Romford have overcome a slow start to the year by going undefeated through May to rise up to the top of the standings. They edge ahead of the Three Blackbirds of Leyton having won their meeting 2-0 to end the month, while Forest Gate drop back to an even record having lost three out of four during the past month.



THE NORTH OF ENGLAND
Rochdale head into June with a one-game lead at the top of the Manchester and District League after an undefeated month, but they were only able to play three games due to the poor weather and find Miles Platting close behind them having won five out of five. Three defeats in the month have dropped Bury to fourth place, with three-time winners Salford up to third as they appear to be rediscovering their form. Champions Belle Vue are two games off the pace having lost three of their five games in May. Liverpool St Patrick’s are back in their former position at the top of the Liverpool and District League despite a heavy 7-0 defeat at home to Sankey Brook, sitting a game clear of Great Float and Wigan having defeated both during the month. Defeat to Great Float in their last game in May leaves champions Linacre still with a losing record for the season. In the Lancashire County League, Burnley have a one-game lead after a perfect performance from pitcher Peter White in their last game against newcomers Lancaster, retiring all twenty-seven batters that he faced in a 5-0 victory. That was the first time such a feat has been seen in a club competition, although it has previously been recorded three times at Cambridge University. Burnley are being chased by champions Blackburn, who matched them with three wins from four in May to move into second place. Newcomers Barrow have faltered after a good start, losing their last three to drop back to an even record.

Bradford’s lead at the top of the Leeds and Bradford League is down to a single game after their month-ending defeat against second placed Wakefield. Two defeats and a postponement have seen Woodhouse Lane drop to third, while Huddersfield are two games off the pace having also been beaten by Wakefield during May. Three wins out of three in May have brought champions Sheffield Philadelphia to the top of the Sheffield and District League, while unfancied Holmes Tail are right alongside them after responding to defeat by Sheffield with wins in their next three games. Worksop have led the way for much of the season so far but ended the month with a defeat at the hands of Barnsley to drop fractionally behind the top two. Beverley are in a fine run of form in the Yorkshire County League, winning four games out of four for the second successive month to take their record to nine victories from ten so far this year. They have moved clear of second placed Scarborough, who they defeated to open the month before Scarborough also fell to a heavy loss against York. Champions Derwent are now six games back after losing to both of the leading two during May. In the Tyne and Wear League, a perfect month for Newcastle Westgate has moved them into a first-place tie with South Shields, whose only loss was a narrow 3-2 defeat against Newcastle. Nobody else has a winning record, with champions Wearmouth now having dropped their last six after an awful month.



THE MIDLANDS
Despite a mixed month, champions Dudley end May fractionally ahead at the top of the Birmingham and District League, as Birmingham Main Line also lost twice and ended the month with a 2-1 defeat at Bilston. Main Line share second place with Aston, who were another team to have two wins and two defeats in May, while Edgbaston are only one game back in fourth having won three out of four including victory at Dudley. Lichfield have moved into first place in the new Staffordshire County League after winning all three of their games this month, while three wins from four put Cannock just a fraction back in second place. Former pace-setters Burslem and Burton both lost twice, but still share third, one game behind. In Warwickshire, Warwick St Nicholas already look set to be the inaugural champions of the County League as they recovered from a first loss of the year against the Rugbeian Masters to win their next three. They have now taken nine of ten this year and have a three-game lead over second placed Nuneaton, whose only loss in May came at the hands of Warwick.

Ilkeston went undefeated in May to move to the top of the Derby and Nottingham League standings, the most important victory coming against former leaders Sherwood. Sherwood went on to lose their next game against Rock Valley Mansfield, and now sit one game behind in second place. Rock Valley are just a fraction further back in a third-place tie with Midland Loco, while former winners Old Basford have lost their last six to share last place with newcomers Newark. St Margaret’s and Wellingborough both lost two out of three in May but still share first place, albeit only a fraction ahead of a Loughborough team who defeated both in their final two games of the month. Champions Leicester are a game further back alongside Northampton, while the only team with a losing record are Peterborough, who have won just one of their ten games so far this year.



SCOTLAND
There may be little to stop Govan taking the Glasgow and District League title for the first time, as they are now three games clear of White Cart after a superb month. It was White Cart who inflicted Govan’s first and so far only defeat of the year in the second game of their double meeting, but Govan responded by taking two against both Dundashill and Tollcross. Champions Tail o’ the Bank won their last three of the month to move back into third place, but they remain four games off the pace. Arthur’s Seat won all three of their East of Scotland League games to move a game ahead in first place, but champions The Grange are right behind them. Newcomers Vallum Antonini have fallen two off the pace after ending May with two successive defeats. At the bottom of the standings, Kirkcaldy were the final team in any league to win a game this year but they remain adrift in last place having lost seven of eight so far. In the North Caledonian League, leaders Firth of Tay were beaten three times in four games but retain a slim advantage as city neighbours Dundee ended May by losing at champions Arbroath. Nobody else has a winning record but improving Arbroath are up to an even position, as are Old Aberdeen.

UNIVERSITIES
Merton established a three-game lead in the Oxford University Championship during May, but have seen that cut in half after they lost their last two games. Champions New College, who lost to Merton earlier in the month, have won their last three to move closer in second place. Christ Church had a fine month with ten wins from fourteen but remain three games behind with only ten now remaining. In Cambridge, a run of three losses from four seemed to suggest nerves from leaders Christ’s College, but two shutout wins to end the month keeps them three games clear of second placed St Catharine’s. St Catharine’s have now won their last six, a run which includes a 3-0 victory over Christ’s College, but with ten remaining have little room for error if they are to catch up.

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MONTHLY ROUND-UP: JUNE 1877

LONDON AND THE SOUTH
Champions Westminster lead the Metropolitan League by three games heading into July despite ending the month with a 4-0 defeat at Clapham, who move into second place with the victory. In all the champions won six out of eight in June, most importantly a 3-1 win over challengers Angel. Angel drop to third with four defeats from their eight games, and share that position with Putney who wasted victories over Westminster and Clapham by losing to strugglers Commercial Dock and the City of London Club. Early season pacesetters Enfield had a disastrous month in the Middlesex County League, losing all four of their games to drop from first place to third. It is champions Edmonton who now lead the way having won five out of five, extending their winning run to seven overall. Brentford are second, having recovered from a loss against lowly Tottenham to win their last two games.

Avon Gorge have moved to the top of the Bristol and District League after completing an undefeated month, most crucially holding off a comeback from Bristol Easton to win their meeting 5-3. That helped them to replace Easton at the top but their lead is very slim heading into July. Bath are the other team with a winning record but they were beaten by both of the leaders in June to keep them some distance back. In Surrey, Croydon have moved clear as they too were undefeated in June, while champions Kingston lost three successive games, the last of them against Croydon. Richmond, who won their first four games of the season, reach the halfway point without recording another victory after their losing run reached a remarkable eleven games. Essex County League champions Romford have moved into first position after following their month-opening loss to Forest Gate by winning their next four, allowing only one run in the process. The last of those wins took them further clear of the Three Blackbirds of Leyton, who had led the way for much of June. Nobody else has a winning record, with West Ham sitting last having now lost their last eight games.

In the Kent County League, an astonishing scramble for first place is developing as seven of the ten teams end June separated by just one game. Champions Dartford effectively share first place with in-form Bromley, who have won their last four after a 7-1 loss at Dartford earlier in the month. Having played fewer games, Bromley actually have marginally the better winning percentage at the moment. Former leaders Gravesend are just fractionally behind in a tie with Erith and Sheerness, while two-time winners Rochester are one game back alongside Bexley Heath, despite losing four out of seven in June. Two defeats in their last three have seen The Buffs’ advantage reduced in the East Kent League, although they still look the most likely winners of the inaugural championship. Folkestone sit second having won their last four, while Ramsgate may be the most likely challengers as they have won their last six and have defeated The Buffs in their last two meetings.



THE NORTH OF ENGLAND
Former champions Miles Platting have a narrow lead in the Manchester and District League after winning seven out of their nine games in June, crucially responding to a loss against fellow contenders Rochdale by defeating the same opponents in the return game four days later. Rochdale are now one game off the pace having also lost twice to Salford this month, while Salford’s own hopes were hit by two defeats against Miles Platting. Bury are now leading the chase, having matched Miles Platting in winning seven and losing just two in June. In the Liverpool and District League, there is now a three-way tie at the top of the standings after both Great Float and Liverpool St Patrick’s ended the month with two defeats. Great Float had moved clear by edging out Liverpool in a sixteen inning battle, only to fall back into a tie when they dropped one game of two against Wigan. Two defeats against Sankey the following week, combined with Liverpool’s two losses at Toxteth, allowed Wigan to catch up with two victories over strugglers St Helens. Champions Linacre are now only one game behind the three leaders having won six out of eight in June. In the Lancashire County League, champions Blackburn lead the way after winning four of five in the month, including a 4-0 victory over a Burnley team who have stumbled after their strong start. They lost four of their five games in June, and now fall to a tie for third behind an Accrington team who responded to their defeat at Blackburn by winning their next four. Newcomers Lancaster share third with Burnley having also won four games in June, defeating Blackburn but slipping up in a close game at Accrington.

A three-way fight has emerged in the Leeds and Bradford League, with Woodhouse Lane narrowly leading the way having won five of their last six games. Huddersfield are just a fraction behind after a strong month, while three-time winners Bradford have faltered as they lost twice to Woodhouse and also fell 3-2 at Huddersfield. Bradford now share second place with Huddersfield, with no other team even able to post an even record at this time. Sheffield Philadelphia continued their pursuit of a successful title defence in the Sheffield and District League as they won four games out of five in June, but Worksop are chasing hard as they too lost just once and trail by one game having played two fewer. The two face one another twice to open July, so the picture may soon change dramatically. Chesterfield are third but have lost ground as they ended June with successive defeats against Barnsley and Doncaster.
A perfect month for Scarborough sees them take over the leadership of the Yorkshire County League, most importantly edging out former leaders Beverley 2-1 in their most recent meeting. Beverley also stumbled against York and West of Hull as they endured a poor month and fall one game behind. York have moved up to a winning record in third place, while champions Derwent have now lost eleven of their fourteen games so far after a winless month continued their poor title defence. In the Tyne and Wear League, South Shields have lost ground on Newcastle despite winning their meeting 4-2, as they lost four of their other five games in June. Jesmond have moved to within two games of the leaders after winning four of their last five, including an impressive 9-2 success against near neighbours Newcastle.



THE MIDLANDS
Two-time reigning champions Dudley still lead the way in the Birmingham and District League, helped by a double success against Birmingham Main Line, who have dropped into third place. It was a poor end to the month for both West Bromwich and Edgbaston, while Aston have dropped back to an even record as they lost five of their seven games in June, including a heavy 10-4 loss to Dudley. The struggles of the other contenders have allowed the Old Wulfrunians to move up into second place, having ended the month with four successive victories, including two against Edgbaston. Cannock are the leaders of the new Staffordshire County League after they ended June with a double victory over Lichfield, who had already lost three times earlier in the month. The former leaders now lie third, two games off the pace and one behind Burton, who had been in first position themselves before losing twice at Stafford on the final weekend of the month. In the Warwickshire County League, Warwick still have a comfortable lead at the top but their neighbours Leamington are getting closer, having won their meeting at the start of June 2-0 and proceeded to take their next four as well. Warwick won their other three games however, and still look likely to be the inaugural champions.

In the Derby and Nottingham League, Trent Bridge have emerged as the new leaders after they won all five of their games in June to extend their winning run to six overall. Newcomers Rock Valley had led the way for much of June but lost 1-0 at Trent Bridge on the final day of the month to slip a fraction behind. They now share second place with Sherwood, who also fell 1-0 at Trent Bridge but recovered to win their next three games. Nobody else has a winning record, after former pacesetters Ilkeston lost all four of their games in June. In the Leicester and Northampton League, Wellingborough have opened up a two-game lead having defeated St Margaret’s, Loughborough and Leicester in their last three games. It is St Margaret’s who are leading the chase, two games back, despite ending the month by losing 3-2 at home to Loughborough. Loughborough and Leicester sit a fraction further back, with Northampton dropping back to a losing record having lost their last three games.



SCOTLAND
Govan’s lead in the Glasgow and District League is down to two games after a month in which they split double games on all five Saturdays. In all but one week, it was second choice pitcher Mark Dixon who faltered, although star Gordon Mossman was beaten for the first time this year against Airdrie. White Cart were not able to close the gap as they too won five and lost five, but former champions Burgh of Partick moved into second place by winning eight of their ten games, including two against White Cart. Reigning champions Tail o’ the Bank were another team to split their games five and five, and they remain four games off the pace in fourth position.

In the East of Scotland League, leaders Arthur’s Seat won their first four games in June to extend their record to ten wins from eleven this year, but then stumbled with two defeats in a day at Haymarket to see their lead reduced to a single game. Victory over Leith saw them end the month on a winning note, while at the same time dropping Leith two games back and down to third position as newcomers Vallum Antonini moved ahead by beating Dunfermline twice. By following their two wins over Arthur’s Seat with another double against The Grange, Haymarket now join Leith in third place, two games back. North Caledonian League leaders Firth of Tay opened June with an overwhelming 7-0 victory over neighbours Dundee and also went on to win their next two, but ended the month with successive defeats. Three successive victories had moved champions Arbroath into second place, but they now only share that position with Dundee having lost their meeting 4-3 to end the month.

UNIVERSITIES
The university season is now over for another year and this time around there was not really a close race for the championship in either league. A tight battle had seemed on the cards in Oxford after Merton opened the month with defeat to University College while New College’s win over Worcester moved them within a fraction. However, when the two met three days later Merton recorded a stunning 11-0 victory which seemed to shatter the confidence of New College. They lost their next three games while Merton won theirs, moving Merton to the brink of the title and allowing Christ Church to take over in second place. The decisive moment came with Merton’s 3-2 win at Magdalen, which coupled with defeat for Christ Church against St Edmund Hall made the gap too great to overcome. The final margin was four games, a remarkable achievement for Merton who have finished either last or tied for last in each of the past two seasons.

At Cambridge, Christ’s College also saw their lead reduced at the beginning of June when they stumbled against outgoing champions Clare, while St Catharine’s defeated Sidney Sussex to move within two. Any hopes that they had of catching up vanished five days later however, as they were beaten 5-3 by Christ’s College. The leaders when on to win all of their remaining games, securing the championship with a 1-0 victory over Sidney Sussex. It was an equally remarkable turnaround for Christ’s College, who had finished tied for last place in their debut season in the league a year ago. Their season-ending nine-game winning run saw them end the season five games ahead of St Catharine’s, who themselves won their last five.



Attention now moves to the ninth Varsity Series, with Cambridge defending the title that they won last year as both teams look to take a five to four lead in the overall record. This year, Cambridge host the first game and Oxford the second.

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TOURNAMENT REVIEW: 1877 VARSITY SERIES

The University of Cambridge have retained the Varsity Series championship, and with it taken an overall lead of five series wins to four over Oxford after taking this year’s competition in two games. The first was a remarkable pitching battle, in which Oxford took the lead in the third inning on a home run from Balliol’s Peter Fletcher. With pitcher Henry Smith from Worcester College in fine form, that single run looked for a long time as though it would be enough to take the game but St John’s man George Jackson kept Cambridge in it with good pitching of his own and just in time, they found form with the bat. With one out in the ninth, Frederick Watkins of Emmanuel got himself on base and then advanced to second on a hit from Sidney Sharp of Clare College. Next up was George Slater of St Catharine’s, and he made it three successive hits and brought Watkins home to score and level the game at 1-1. The battle went deep into extra innings, with pitcher Jackson for Cambridge remarkably going through fully fifteen innings and giving up only three hits in total. Oxford rarely looked like scoring, as substitute pitcher Ernest Wilson of St Catharine’s looked just as good. It was Cambridge who were recording the hits without getting a man past second base, but their chance came with a two-base hit from Matthew Gardner of Queens’ in the eighteenth, putting him on second with one out. With two out, it was Sidney Sharp again who found a hit, bringing Gardner round to win the game for Cambridge by a score of 2-1.



Oxford had to make home advantage tell in the second game, but disaster struck in the fourth inning as a fielding error allowed lead-off man George Jarrett of Emmanuel to reach base, before his college teammate Frederick Watkins followed with a base hit. With one out, William Bamber of Queens’ added a two-base hit to score Jarrett and give Cambridge a 1-0 advantage and then with two out, it was John Wilson of Jesus College who added another hit to bring both Watkins and Bamber home. Cambridge led 3-0 and with Oxford struggling to find baserunners, the series looked over. They would have to take any chance that came to get back into the game and the opportunity arose in the seventh, as Arthur Davis of Magdalen began the inning with a hit. An error gave Oxford a second baserunner and although Cambridge then got two outs on the next play, a hit from Balliol’s Peter Fletcher brought Davis in to score and reduce the deficit to 3-1. Magdalen man Christopher Kendrew added another hit and Oxford had two men on with pitcher Henry Smith having the chance to tie the game, but he struck out and Oxford’s chance was gone. They did not get another man past first base as Cambridge pitcher George Jackson completed a 3-1 victory to end the series. Unsurprisingly, Jackson was named Best Pitcher while Frederick Watkins took Best Player for his five hits in the two games.



Following discussions between the players following the second game, many felt that it was a shame that there was to be no third game on the following Saturday and a suggestion was made that the teams should play an exhibition game which would not count in the overall records of the Varsity Series. Opinion was split on that idea but a counter-suggestion came that the champions of each University, Christ’s College and Merton College, should instead play an exhibition. That idea was eventually agreed with Merton winning a coin toss for home advantage. The game will not be an official competition and no decisions have been taken as to whether it may be a regular event, at least when the Varsity Series finishes in two games. However, for this year the game has been played and it was an exciting afternoon which was largely decided in a poor third inning for Merton, who had led 1-0 but gave up five runs to fall into a very difficult position. They fought hard, but went on to lose 7-4 as pre-game predictions that Christ’s College were the stronger team proved to be correct. In other university news, it appears that there may be a new college-based competition in Scotland either next year or the following year. The four universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and St Andrews are discussing the formation of a small league which could provide teams north of the border with another source of players, as we have seen in England.

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MONTHLY ROUND-UP: JULY 1877

LONDON AND THE SOUTH
July comes to an end with Westminster’s lead in the Metropolitan League reduced only fractionally. The champions won five and lost three in the month and looked to be coming under pressure when Clapham moved clear in second place having won their first five in July, but a narrow loss at the Royal Artillery Barracks and a heavy defeat against Angel saw their challenge falter. They are still clear of the rest of the pack however as Angel and Putney both endured poor months, allowing Hackney to overtake them and move into third place by winning their last four, and seven of eight overall in July. They sit four games behind Westminster, with still nineteen games to close the gap. In Middlesex, a successful title defence by Edmonton looks increasingly likely despite losing two of their first three games in July. They ended the month with two victories over Brentford, who lost four out of five to drop well off the pace. Enfield also won just once and seem to be out of contention, while the Old Harrovians are now second but their strong run came to an end as they finished July by losing 3-1 at Ealing.

In Surrey, Croydon lead near neighbours Norwood by two games at the top of the County League having ended the month with a tense 6-5 success over champions Kingston. Norwood’s only loss in July came when they shared two with Croydon, allowing them to move past a Kingston team who lost to both of their championship rivals in successive weeks. Richmond’s incredible losing run has now reached fifteen games, as they have still not won since beginning the season with four successive victories. There is a tie at the top of the Essex County League as former winners Forest Gate stormed through July undefeated, including two wins in a day against champions Romford. Romford’s loss at West Ham to end the month sees Forest Gate draw level, while the Three Blackbirds of Leyton are just a game behind despite a mixed month of two wins and two defeats. In the Bristol and District League, Avon Gorge have moved two games clear although they too lost two of their four games, as former leaders Bristol Easton went winless through July and ended the month with a 4-3 loss against Avon. Bath still have a winning record, but they also struggled with one win from three games and now sit three off the pace.

The Kent County League standings are not quite as congested as they were a month ago but the race is still very close, with champions Dartford fractionally ahead in first place despite losing their last two games to the two teams with the worst records in the league, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells. Gravesend are right behind them having ended the month with a 5-0 win over a Rochester team who have dropped back to an even record, although they are certainly not out of the race themselves. Sheerness and Bromley share third, one game behind the leaders, although the struggle for consistency across the league is illustrated by the fact that both lost three times during July. In the East Kent League, The Buffs have been caught by Folkestone and Sandgate at the top of the standings, having dropped three of their five games in the past month. Folkestone’s only defeat came when they shared two with The Buffs, while Ramsgate also moved to within a single game of first place before two defeats in their last three dropped them back to two behind.



THE NORTH OF ENGLAND
Three teams are separated by the smallest of margins in the Manchester and District League after Miles Platting ended July with a surprise 3-2 defeat at lowly Ashton, their third loss in eight games during the month. Bury, who split their two meetings with the leaders, also lost three out of eight while Rochdale played and lost one fewer, also sharing two with Bury, to leave the three much as they were at the start of July. Salford also lost three games and sit two off the pace, but perhaps significantly have played several games fewer than all three of the teams ahead of them. In the Liverpool and District League, five teams are split by a single game as Wigan again moved clear with a good start to the month before faltering and losing their last three. Both they and champions Linacre are fractionally behind leaders Great Float, who opened the month with two defeats at Sankey before winning their next three, including a narrow 5-4 victory over Wigan. Sankey and Liverpool St Patrick’s are one game off the pace after Sankey won their meeting 5-3 to end July. In the Lancashire County League, Blackburn have a two-game lead as they chase as second successive title despite ending the month with a 2-1 home defeat against newcomers Lancaster, who have moved into second place after both Accrington and Burnley faltered. Chorley join Accrington in a tie for third having won their last three, while Burnley’s strong start is a distant memory as they have now dropped back to an even record.

Woodhouse Lane are beginning to look like the next champions of the Leeds and Bradford League having won all seven games in July and twelve of their last thirteen in total. They have moved three games clear at the top as Bradford crashed to two defeats at home to Batley, while Huddersfield are now five behind having lost their last four, including a 3-0 defeat at Woodhouse. The two teams who have contested the past two titles, Dewsbury and Leeds, are both finding form with four successive wins to move up to an even record but are six back with the season well over half-way through. In the Sheffield and District League, champions Sheffield cling on to a one-game lead despite ending July with a 5-4 loss at Barnsley. Worksop’s defeat by the same score at Chesterfield a week before keeps them a game back, while Chesterfield themselves are fractionally further behind in third having lost in extra innings at Sheffield earlier in the month.

Scarborough will surely be the next champions of the Yorkshire County League after a second successive undefeated month, surging ahead of a Beverley team who lost their first three games in July including a 4-0 loss when they faced Scarborough. The leaders have now won their last eleven in all and are already closing in on the championship. There has been a turnaround in fortunes at the top of the Tyne and Wear League, with Newcastle dropping back having lost four successive games, three of them by a single run margin including the vital 1-0 twelve inning loss to rivals South Shields. Shields won all four of their games in the month and having been two games back early in July end the month with a two-game lead of their own. Jesmond are fractionally further back in third after winning a seventeen-inning battle with Newcastle in their last game.



THE MIDLANDS
Champions Dudley still lead the way in the Birmingham and District League despite ending July with a loss against in-form Walsall, who were undefeated in the month and have moved quickly up the standings into third place. The Old Wulfrunians, who lost ground when they were beaten by Dudley earlier in July, ended with a 3-2 win over West Bromwich in nineteen innings to maintain a hold on second place. Five wins from six in July keeps Cannock on top of the Staffordshire County League, although second placed Burton kept themselves in touch by sharing their two meetings with the leaders. Their challenge was damaged a week later though with two losses at home to Newcastle under Lyme, who have moved ahead of Burslem into third place. In Warwickshire, Warwick moved through July without defeat and have now won their last six overall. Leamington responded to defeat against Warwick by winning their next three and are valiantly giving chase, but Warwick have lost just two of their seventeen games and seem sure to take the championship.

There is another change at the top of the Derby and Nottingham League as an undefeated July has taken Midland Loco into first position. Former leaders Trent Bridge lost three out of four, including one against Midland, to drop a game behind. Newcomers Rock Valley Mansfield missed the chance to end July at the top when they fell 4-3 to champions Derby to leave them a fraction behind in second place, while Sherwood joined them there as they recovered from two losses early in the month to win their next two, including victory over Trent Bridge to end the month. Ilkeston had been edging back into contention but lost their last two, leaving them fifth with an even record but still only two games behind the leaders. In the Leicester and Northampton League, Wellingborough lead by a just a single game after losing their last two, the second a 3-0 defeat against Loughborough who are now leading the chase. Leicester and St Margaret’s are now two games back in a tie for third place, having failed to take full advantage of Wellingborough’s recent stumble.



SCOTLAND
In the Glasgow and District League, Govan have extended their advantage back to three games having won six and lost just two in July. Burgh of Partick had already suffered defeats against Airdrie and Lanark-Renfrew earlier in the month and needed to defeat Govan in both of their month-ending meetings, but could only share the games having dropped the first one heavily 11-2. Champions Tail o’ the Bank are fractionally further back in third after a good month which brought six wins from seven, while White Cart are fading as they lost four out of seven, including two against Partick. In the East of Scotland League, perennial runners-up Arthur’s Seat may be starting to believe that it is going to be their year as they won seven games out of eight, most significantly ending July with two victories over newcomers Vallum Antonini who had begun to emerge as their strongest challengers. Vallum had themselves begun July with five wins from six and could have taken over at the top had they won both games against Arthur’s Seat, but losing both gives them much work to do if they are to catch up. Third placed Haymarket also lost twice to Arthur’s Seat, and may already be too far behind with just eleven games left to play. North Caledonian League leaders Firth of Tay saw their lead reduced to a fraction when they began July with a 2-1 defeat against neighbours Dundee Law, but they responded to win a twenty-inning tussle with Arbroath a week later before also taking their next two. Two defeats to end the month have severely damaged Dundee’s hopes, and it is Old Aberdeen who have emerged in second place. They too ended the month with a loss however, and need to put a consistent run of form together if they are to overhaul Firth of Tay.



In off-field news, both the Leeds and Bradford League and the Liverpool and District League have confirmed that they intend to add two new teams next year, joining the Bristol and District League. There are also unconfirmed rumours that the Surrey County League is looking to expand, while the first league in Wales looks to be a certainty as six clubs in the county of Glamorgan seem to be set to begin competitive play.

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MONTHLY ROUND-UP: AUGUST 1877

LONDON AND THE SOUTH
Westminster are closing in on a successful defence of the Metropolitan League championship despite losing 2-1 at second-placed Clapham in mid-August, as Clapham had already lost their three previous games by that time and lost more ground in the standings. They remain second but are more than three games back, while third placed Hackney are another game further behind having lost a late lead in falling 2-1 when they met Westminster. Clapham’s only faint hope is that they have played three games fewer than Westminster and must still meet the leaders once more, meaning that if they win all their remaining games Westminster would have to win their other ten to stay in front. In Middlesex, it has been a dominant title defence by Edmonton having won all of their games in August and they could be champions on the first day of September, if they win both halves of a double against Ealing and second-placed Brentford lose to Strawberry Hill. Victories over Enfield and the Old Harrovians give Brentford a one-game lead in a close battle for second place.

Surrey County League leaders Croydon sit two games ahead despite a shock defeat at lowly Wimbledon during August, but champions Kingston won all their games and enter September knowing that a win at Croydon in their next game will move them to just one behind. Norwood lost all four in August and seem to be out of the running, while Richmond finally ended their remarkable losing run after seventeen games and have now won their last two. Additionally, the league has now confirmed that it will indeed add two new clubs next season, with a vote due in the autumn. In Essex, Forest Gate look set to regain the title they lost a year ago as they have now won their last ten overall to move clear in the County League. All their wins in August were by single run margins, with the most crucial a 2-1 success against the Three Blackbirds of Leyton who nevertheless still lead the chase in second position. Romford’s loss to Forest Gate was their third in succession and by the time they defeated Barking to end the month, they were already three games off the pace. In the Bristol and District League, a month-ending 1-0 defeat to Bath leaves Avon Gorge ahead of both Bath and Bristol Easton by virtue of having played and won three more games, as all three clubs have eight defeats to their name. Bristol could have moved within a fraction had they won their extra-inning battle with last placed Swindon, but it is Bath who are the form team having won all three of their games in the month without allowing a run.

Kent County League champions Dartford are clear in first place having won their first three in August before ending with a surprisingly heavy 5-1 defeat to the Royal Engineers. Erith missed the chance to close the gap when they too ended August with a defeat, going down 2-0 at Sheerness. That result allowed Bromley to move into a tie for second position by beating Rochester, although they had earlier suffered a damaging 2-1 defeat at Dartford to lose valuable ground. Early pacesetters Gravesend lost four of the five games they played in August and seem to be out of the race. The Buffs and Folkestone & Sandgate enter September tied in pursuit of the inaugural East Kent League title, with both teams having won two and lost two in August. The Buffs had taken the initiative by winning their meeting but then dropped their next two games to allow Folkestone to catch up again, while third-placed Ramsgate are still two games back as they defeated Folkestone but lost to The Buffs during the month.



THE NORTH OF ENGLAND
Five successive wins in August have moved Miles Platting well clear in the Manchester and District League, as they seek a third title in four seasons. The 5-2 victory at Salford that ended the month could have ruled Salford out of the running, although they have played two games fewer than the leaders. Rochdale are in second place but their challenge was damaged by losing to lowly Stockport and Moss Grove this month, while Bury sit third but they also faltered in August, most notably in the 4-0 loss against last-placed Glossop. Champions Linacre have moved clear in the Liverpool and District League for the first time this year having won all four of their game in August. They moved clear by ending the month with 2-1 victory over Wigan, who are now a game back in second having themselves been undefeated in the month up to that point.
Postponements meant that Great Float played only twice in August and they lost one of those games, a 2-0 defeat to a Liverpool team with whom they share third position after Liverpool took three of four in the month. Blackburn have a two game lead in the Lancashire County League after a perfect month, but newcomers Lancaster continue to make a valiant challenge as they took five games out of six in August and are just two back. Burnley rediscovered their form after opening the month by losing 1-0 to Blackburn, but they are four games behind and only have six left to play.

Leeds and Bradford League leaders Woodhouse Lane won their first three games in August to extend their winning run to eleven overall and move closer to claiming their first title. Their winning run ended at neighbours Leeds Central on the final Saturday of the month, going down 4-1, but their lead in the standings has grown to four games, with second placed Bradford having played only twice in the past month and won just one of those games. Huddersfield are back in form having won all of their games in August, including one against Bradford, but they may well be too far back. In the Sheffield and District League, Worksop have emerged as clear favourites to win the title in only their second season as they won their first five in August, stumbling only in the second of two against champions Sheffield Philadelphia at the end of the month. That was Sheffield’s only win in four games as they slipped two games back in third place, leaving Chesterfield, also in only their second season, as the closest chasers. They won three out of four in August and face Sheffield and Worksop in their next two games.

Scarborough’s smooth progress to the Yorkshire County League championship faltered a little in August as they lost to both second placed Beverley and outgoing champions Derwent. The victory for Beverley was their fifth in succession and with Scarborough’s next game postponed, they had a chance to close the gap further in their final game of the month against York. However, they were defeated 3-0 and will need Scarborough to continue to stumble if they are to catch up. In the Tyne and Wear League, everything has changed again as South Shields lost all four of their games during the month to fall from first position to third. The new leaders are Jesmond Vale, who recorded wins in all four of their games, ending the month with a 5-4 victory over South Shields. They are fractionally ahead of neighbours Newcastle Westgate, who they face in the first game of September, with Shields one game further back.



THE MIDLANDS
After losing their first two games in August, Dudley have been caught at the top of the Birmingham and District League by a Walsall team who completed a second successive undefeated month and have now won their last thirteen games in total. The Old Wulfrunians are not out of the race either but their hopes were damaged by giving up a ninth inning run to lose 2-1 when they met Walsall. No other teams have a winning record so the champions are sure to come from those three leading clubs. In the Staffordshire County League, Cannock seem sure to be the first champions as they lead by four games with only seven to play. Three wins from four in August were more than enough to move them closer to the title as second-placed Burton lost three of their four games. Lichfield are a fraction further back in third but will need a dramatic loss of form from Cannock if they are to catch up. In the Warwickshire County League, leaders Warwick lost twice in August, as many as they had lost all season prior to the start of the month, but they still hold a commanding lead. Leamington’s faint hopes of catching up were dealt a blow in a 4-2 defeat at Warwick, while third-placed Nuneaton are the form team having been undefeated in August but are surely too far back.

The Derby and Nottingham League remain very closely fought with Midland Loco fractionally ahead despite ending August with a shock loss to lowly Old Basford. Newcomers Rock Valley remain right behind them despite losing their meeting 4-3 at Midland, while they share second place with Sherwood who also suffered their only loss of the month against the leaders. Trent Bridge are a further game back having won two out of three in August. Wellingborough still lead the Leicester and Northampton League by one game after they and Loughborough both won three out of four in the month. They have still to meet twice, the first of those games coming to open September and giving Loughborough a chance to draw level. Champions Leicester should not be ruled out having won their last three to stay two games back, but St Margaret’s now trail by three after losing to both Leicester and Loughborough in August.



SCOTLAND
Govan stand on the brink of winning the Glasgow and District League for the first time having won all five games that they played in August. They lead former champions Burgh of Partick by five games and could be champions after their next game if they win it and Partick lose their fixture on the same day. Defending champions Tail o’ the Bank are third but having lost four times in the past month, are officially eliminated from contention this time around. In the East of Scotland League, four-time runners-up Arthur’s Seat are feeling the pressure of chasing their first title as they went winless through four games in August. What had been a commanding lead is now less than a game as Haymarket went undefeated through the month and have now taken their last five overall. Vallum Antonini’s hopes of taking the crown in their first season were boosted by two wins at Arthur’s Seat to end the month, leaving them a game behind Haymarket in third place. Firth of Tay seem set to be the new champions of the North Caledonian League, beating chasers Dundee and Old Aberdeen in successive games and establishing a three-game lead with only six remaining. The two chasers ended August with two games against one another and both realistically needed two wins to keep the pressure on Firth of Tay, with the eventual one-each split of little use to either team.

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MONTHLY ROUND-UP: SEPTEMBER 1877

LONDON AND THE SOUTH
Westminster’s journey to another Metropolitan League title has become a little less smooth after a tough month which saw them lose five games out of nine and also lose first choice pitcher Daniel Armstrong to injury, most likely for the rest of the season. Their lead in the standings is now down to two games, although it could have been reduced even further had Angel’s nine game winning run not ended in a 5-0 defeat at the Royal Artillery Barracks in their last game. Also two games back are Clapham, who have played fully six games fewer than Westminster. Fascinatingly, Westminster’s only remaining games are against Clapham and Angel, after which they will have to sit and wait to see how many of their rescheduled games their rivals can win. Should Westminster lose both of their games, there would still be the smallest chance for Hackney or the Royal Artillery Barracks to tie them by winning their remaining fixtures, but the possibility is very remote. The race is long over in Middlesex, as despite losing their first game of September 3-2 at Ealing, Edmonton completed a successful title defence by winning their next two, the 2-0 victory over Brentford mathematically securing the crown. They have since gone on to win two more games, and with two to play now have a six game advantage over both Ealing and Brentford. Undefeated in September and having played two games fewer, Ealing are favourites to finish second but must still play both Brentford and Edmonton in October.

Croydon are the new champions of the Surrey County League having held off the challenge of two-time winners Kingston. Having come into September leading by two games, they defeated Kingston in extra innings to extend the gap to three, only to lose at Richmond a week later. Kingston could not take advantage, losing to Wimbledon on the same day, and their chance had gone as Croydon won their next two games to clinch the crown with three games to spare. In all, Kingston lost three of their four games in the month but should still have enough of a lead to hold on to second place. Having come into September on a ten game winning run in the Essex County League, Forest Gate extended that run to eleven before their charge was halted by two postponements and a 3-2 loss at the Three Blackbirds of Leyton. Second placed Romford were only able to win two of their four games however, while the Blackbirds lost their other three in the month and victory at West Ham took Forest Gate to within one game of regaining the title they lost a year ago. The championship will be theirs if they defeat Pig Alley in their next game, while Romford and the Three Blackbirds will battle for second position, with outgoing champions Romford fractionally ahead heading into October. In the Bristol and District League, Bath Spa’s hopes were hit when they ended September with a 6-5 defeat at the hands of fellow contenders Avon Gorge. Avon have a slender lead heading into October, having won three and lost two in the last month, while Bristol Easton caught up two rescheduled games and recorded five wins from seven ahead of their meeting with Avon in their next game. Bath are one game further back in third, and will surely have to win their last three to have a chance of the title.

Kent County League champions Dartford ended September with defeat against Sheerness and a share of two games against second-placed Bromley, but four successive wins earlier in the month put them in a strong position to defend their title. Bromley had a strong month themselves, sharing two with Bexley Heath before winning their next three, but really needed to take both against Dartford to strengthen their position. Dartford will be champions again if their win their remaining four games, while Bromley can afford no more mistakes if there are to be in position to take advantage of any stumble. Three defeats in the month have surely ruled third placed Erith out of the running. In the East Kent League, The Buffs fell a game behind for the first time all year when they lost their first game of September against Dover, only to draw level again when Folkestone and Sandgate slipped up the following week. When the two met in their next game, The Buffs took a 3-0 victory to move a game clear, but when their next game was postponed Folkestone took the chance to edge a little closer. Both teams won their final game of September, meaning that The Buffs will be champions if they win their last four but Folkestone are in position to take advantage of any defeat.



THE NORTH OF ENGLAND
Despite a 6-5 loss to fellow contenders Rochdale, Miles Platting are in fine position to regain the Manchester and District League title having won their other four games in September. They lead by three games from both Rochdale and Salford with four to play, as Rochdale slipped up when those two met while Salford stumbled against Bury in their final game of the month. That win comes too late to drag Bury back into the race, as they had already lost three of their previous four games including a narrow 2-1 defeat at Miles Platting. In the Liverpool and District League, Liverpool St Patrick’s will make it six titles in seven years if they defeat neighbours Toxteth in their final game, having won all five in September and seven in succession overall. Wigan’s defeat to Liverpool left them needing to take two against Great Float to stay on level terms but they could only share the games, and must now beat lowly St Helens and hope that Liverpool falter to force a tiebreaker. Champions Linacre are two back after a poor month which brought four defeats in six games, but do still have three to play, and if Liverpool do lose their final game they too can force a tie by winning their last three. Blackburn have completed a successful defence of the Lancashire County League, holding off the brave challenge of newcomers Lancaster in part due to a tense 1-0 victory when the two met in mid-September. Victory over Burnley in their next game would have secured the title, but a 2-1 defeat gave Lancaster new hope. That hope was extinguished a week later however, as a 2-1 victory at Ribble gave Blackburn an insurmountable lead in the standings. Lancaster however are guaranteed second place, a fine achievement in their first season.

Leeds and Bradford League leaders Woodhouse Lane lost three of their four games in September, including one to chasers Huddersfield, but remain in position to take the title as they lead by three games. Huddersfield’s hopes faded when they lost their last two in the month against Dewsbury and Halifax, while Bradford did likewise against Bowling and Leeds. The two chasers have two more games to play than Woodhouse, but need the leaders to lose at least two of their final four to have a chance. In the Sheffield and District League, Worksop’s hopes have crumbled after they lost four games out of six in September, including a 2-1 loss against fellow contenders Chesterfield. It is now Chesterfield who are on the brink of taking the title in their second season in the league, having won their last four games after opening the month with defeat against champions Sheffield. If they beat Doncaster in their final game they will be champions, but defeat would allow Worksop to tie with victory over Sanderson’s Weir, or Sheffield to tie by winning their final two game which are both against Hallamshire. One win from their final three games will give Scarborough the Yorkshire County League title, despite three defeats from five in September including a 1-0 loss in ten innings against second placed Beverley. Beverley wasted that victory as they too lost three times during the month, and they are now coming under pressure from York in the battle for second place after York defeated both of the two leaders during the month. A tense finish is in store in the Tyne and Wear League after South Shields edged past Jesmond on the final Saturday of September, while Newcastle Westgate wasted a victory over Shields a week earlier by crashing 6-2 at Sunderland. Newcastle lead by a fraction from Jesmond ahead of their meeting next week, with Shields one game off the pace in third. There is a theoretical chance for fourth-placed Sunderland, who won every game in September, to get into a tiebreaker but they would have to win all their games and hope for the correct combination of results from elsewhere.



THE MIDLANDS
A mixed month for champions Dudley keeps the Birmingham and District race interesting, as they lost their first two before recovering to beat fellow contenders Walsall in extra innings. Walsall’s winning run reached thirteen games after a win at Birmingham Main Line to open September, but they then lost their next three including that damaging defeat against Dudley before ending the month with a win over the Old Wulfrunians, who now look to be out of the race. Walsall have three to play while Dudley have six, and they know that five wins will be enough to secure a third successive title. Cannock Ridings are the first champions of the Staffordshire County League, having won two of their first three in September to move to the brink of success. Facing two games against Stafford, victory in both would have been enough but Cannock were only able to split the games. However, second placed Burton were beaten by Lichfield on the same day and could no longer catch up. With the title secure, Cannock lost to Burton to end the month, leaving Burton and Lichfield tied for second place with two games to play, the last of which is against one another. The inaugural title in the Warwickshire County League has gone to Warwick St Nicholas, who have dominated the league all year and won their first four games of September without allowing a run to make their lead insurmountable. The 9-2 defeat at Nuneaton which ended the month mattered little to them, while it may also be too late to help Nuneaton catch Leamington for second place.

The fascinating race in the Derby and Nottingham League looks to have gone the way of Midland Loco, who will be champions if they win their final game against Sherwood. Victories over neighbours and outgoing champions Derby and newcomers Rock Valley have moved them to the brink of the crown, but both Sherwood and Trent Bridge can still force a tie. Sherwood lost three games out of five in September but if they can defeat Midland, victory in a rescheduled game at Ilkeston would leave them tied at the top. Trent Bridge can also tie if they win their last two and Midland lose to Sherwood, but Rock Valley’s hopes of a championship at the first attempt are over after four defeats from six games in the past month. In the Leicester and Northampton League, Wellingborough’s lead remains at one game after they won two and lost two in September, while postponements meant that second placed Loughborough played only twice, winning one and losing one. Wins in their first three games of the month looked to be dragging St Margaret’s back into the race, but a 2-1 loss at home to Wellingborough at the end of the month leaves them two games back with only three remaining. Loughborough have five to play while Wellingborough have only three, but intriguingly two of those are against Loughborough and those games will surely decide the destiny of this year’s championship.



SCOTLAND
Govan had to wait a week longer than expected to secure the Glasgow and District League crown, having let slip a ninth inning lead in losing to Tollcross in their first game of the month when victory would have decided the race. There was no mistake in their next game, a 1-0 victory over Lanark-Renfrew, and despite another loss later in the month against Airdrie they now have an enormous lead over deposed champions Tail o’ the Bank in the standings. Tail are now favourites to finish second, as Partick’s season is fading away after they lost all five games in September. In the East of Scotland League, Vallum Antonini could take the title at the first attempt having surged through September winning all five games, and taking their winning run to seven in total. Crucial to the race was a 4-3 win in an eighteen inning battle with Haymarket, who then lost again a week later when they met Leith. That gave Vallum a one game lead in the standings and they will be champions if they win their last two, but Haymarket are right behind them in case of a slip. The collapse of long-time leaders Arthur’s Seat has been dramatic, as they lost their first three games in September to take their losing run to seven overall. That run finally ended with victory over The Grange, but they ended the month losing 6-1 to Haymarket and are all-but mathematically out of the race after eight defeats in nine games. Having finished second by a single game in each of the league’s first four seasons, that run is coming to an end but not in the way they would have hoped or the way which looked certain when they recorded eighteen wins from their first twenty-two games this season. The race is over in the North Caledonian League, where Dundee Law looked to be making it a close fight with neighbours Firth of Tay when they won their first four games of September, including a 5-1 win over Firth when the two met. That left them just a single game behind with three to play, but after both won the following week the race came to its conclusion on the final Saturday of the month when the two contenders faced away games in Aberdeen. Firth of Tay recorded a victory over Aberdeen Ferryhill, and as they were setting out for the journey back south news came through to them that Dundee had lost at Old Aberdeen, meaning that the gap grew to two games with only one left to play. Dundee are already assured of second place, but that win for Old Aberdeen improves their chances of taking third.

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MONTHLY ROUND-UP: OCTOBER 1877

LONDON AND THE SOUTH

Westminster’s stumble towards the finishing line in the Metropolitan League saw the reigning champions end by losing their final two games, 1-0 in eleven innings against Clapham and then 4-0 at Angel. That left them waiting on three other teams to see whether anyone could beat their total of thirty-three wins from fifty-two games, with the Royal Artillery Barracks’ fourteen-inning loss to Kensington having already ruled them out. Hackney had to win their final two games to tie Westminster, and duly did so, beating Limehouse and the City of London Club. Wins in their last four would have taken Angel past Westminster, but the chance of that soon ended in a loss at Limehouse and despite a victory over fellow contenders Clapham, defeat to the Artillery left them one game behind. In truth though, it was already too late by that stage as the real unknown factor had been Clapham’s six remaining games after Westminster completed their programme. They needed to win four to claim the championship outright, and wins over Putney and the City of London Club took them halfway there. The defeat to Angel slowed their momentum but a vital 1-0 success at Clapham took them to the brink of a second title, three years on from their first. In another game against the City Club, Clapham led 5-0 early on and held off a fightback to take a 5-3 victory and secure the championship. A closing win over the Commercial Dock Workers gave them a two-game margin in the final standings, with Westminster and Hackney sharing second, a game ahead of Angel and the Artillery. Westminster may rue the injury to pitcher Daniel Armstrong which ruled him out of the final month, but in truth their collapsed owed as much if not more to their failings with the bat, as several games which could have been won slipped away with missed scoring chances.



In the Essex County League, Forest Gate missed the chance to secure the championship when they opened October by losing to Pig Alley, although Romford’s defeat on the same day meant that the Three Blackbirds of Leyton were now the only team who could catch up. A week later Forest Gate lost again, this time at Barking, while the Blackbirds won at Romford to keep the pressure on. Facing another game with Barking a week later, Forest Gate managed to put their nerves aside as they led from the first inning, eventually taking a 4-1 victory to secure their second championship in the league’s three years. With the Blackbirds losing, they would have been champions anyway even had they lost. A final day defeat to Romford and a win for the Blackbirds over Barking saw the margin end up at two games.



The Bristol and District League race saw Avon Gorge fractionally ahead going into October but they strengthened that advantage with a 2-1 win over Bristol Easton in their first game in the month, which meant they would take the title by winning their final game. That was against Arno’s Castle, and a three-run first inning took away any nerves and led to an eventual 5-2 success, taking both Bristol and Bath out of the running despite their wins on the same day. Bristol won the meeting of those two in their final game to end up just one game behind the new champions, with Bath two behind in third place.



Kent County League champions Dartford began October with a vital recovery from a 2-0 deficit to edge out Bexley Heath 3-2, while rivals Bromley were only able to share two games with Sheerness on the same day. That left Dartford two games ahead with only three remaining, but the race took another twist a week later when the champions lost 1-0 at Rochester and Bromley shut out Erith by a score of 4-0. Dartford now led only by one and when they crashed 5-0 against Gravesend in their next game, they must have feared Bromley drawing level. However, the challengers were defeated 3-0 by the Royal Engineers meaning that Bromley had to beat Bexley Heath in their final game to keep the race alive. A win would have forced Dartford to win their own final game, but Bromley slipped up again, going down 2-1 and handing a second successive crown to Dartford. The champions did indeed beat Erith in their final game to end up two games clear, while Bromley held on to second place on their own as Sheerness also lost to Bexley Heath in their final fixture.



In the East Kent League, The Buffs led Folkestone & Sandgate by a fraction heading into October but a big win over Ramsgate, coupled with defeat for Folkestone against in-form Ashford, took the Canterbury-based club to within two wins of the championship. The first came a week later against Ashford, but Folkestone defeated Dover to keep the race alive. In reverse fixtures the following week, The Buffs stumbled against Ashford and another Folkestone win in what was their final game would have forced The Buffs to win their last to take the title. However, Dover took a 7-3 win to remove Folkestone from the race, allowing The Buffs to celebrate with a victory over Margate which gave them the inaugural crown with a two-game margin.



In Middlesex and Surrey, the titles were already decided going into October but Middlesex County League champions Edmonton saw their final margin of victory reduced somewhat, albeit only to a still impressive four games. They lost their final two against Isleworth and Ealing, while two wins for Brentford secured second place, a game ahead of Ealing who could only split their four games in October. Surrey champions Croydon also saw their lead reduced in October having lost to the team they deposed as champions, Kingston. Kingston won their final two to finish three games back.




THE NORTH OF ENGLAND

In the Manchester and District League, Miles Platting entered October knowing that victories in four of their remaining six games would secure a third championship in four years, and that task was soon reduced to just three wins by defeats for both Rochdale and Salford early in the month. Having defeated Bolton and Ashton on the first two Saturdays in October, Miles Platting headed for a rescheduled midweek game at lowly Stockport knowing that victory there would end the race, and after scoring four in the first it was never in doubt. A 7-2 win regained the title that had been lost a year ago, with two more wins following before a loss at Moss Grove in their final game. Salford’s loss to Miles Platting and a final game defeat for Rochdale against Bolton allowed Bury to join those two teams in a three-way tie for second, having won their final five games.



Liverpool St Patrick’s had only to win their final game against neighbours Toxteth to regain the Liverpool and District League title, and having taken the lead in the first inning might have expected an easy day. It was not to be so simple as Toxteth fought hard, but could not score and the 1-0 victory earned a sixth championship in seven attempts. The win was needed as second placed Wigan defeated St Helens 4-0 in their last game, to finish just one behind. Outgoing champions Linacre could have joined them in a tie for second had they won their two remaining rescheduled games, but lost both to end up three games back, level with both Sankey and Great Float. Having won just three games last season, strugglers St Helens at least had the distinction of doubling that total this time around.



The Lancashire County League race was already over before the start of October, but the season ended with champions Blackburn losing 6-3 to Chorley. Runners-up Lancaster also lost their final game, meaning that Blackburn ended with a three-game winning margin as only those two teams finished with winning records.



In the Leeds and Bradford League, Woodhouse Lane brought a three game lead over Huddersfield and Bradford into October, and immediately extended it with a win at Batley while the two chasers were sharing two games with one another. Those results gave Woodhouse the chance to secure the championship by beating Bradford in their next game but a 2-0 loss kept Bradford in the hunt, although Huddersfield were eliminated from the race on the same day by losing to Bowling. A week later, Woodhouse themselves lost to Bowling but this time the defeat did not batter, as Bradford fell 4-2 at home to Hunslet and handed the championship to Woodhouse. The new champions ended with a win over Dewsbury to finish three games clear, while Bradford lost their final two to drop back to third place behind Huddersfield.



On the final scheduled day in the Sheffield and District League, Chesterfield had the chance to become champions in just their second season if they could win a home game against Doncaster, but they faltered at the crucial moment and a 1-0 loss handed a chance to both Worksop and reigning champions Sheffield Philadelphia. The champions were not able to take the opportunity as they were beaten 3-0 by lowly Hallamshire, but the other second-year team Worksop defeated Sanderson’s Weir to draw level with Chesterfield and force a tiebreaking game. With home advantage, Chesterfield still had an excellent opportunity to take the crown but fell 1-0 behind in the first inning, with Worksop holding that lead until the fifth. There, Chesterfield rediscovered their form and scored three vital runs, which would eventually prove enough to complete the victory and mean that it was Chesterfield, and not Worksop, who became champions in their second season.



The Yorkshire County League championship would go the way of Scarborough if they were able to beat York in their first game of October and heading into the ninth inning, they were on the brink of success with a 1-0 lead. Somehow, that advantage slipped away and having lost the lead, they trailed 2-1 in the tenth only to rally and score two runs to claim the crown in dramatic fashion. With second placed Beverley losing both of their games in October, Scarborough’s final margin was a dominant five games, with York one further back in third position and last year’s winners Derwent a disappointing last after a very poor title defence.



A close finish was certain in the Tyne and Wear League as three teams headed into October split by a single game, with Newcastle Westgate taking the initiative by defeating neighbours Jesmond 2-0 to begin the month. That meant that on the final day, they would be champions with a win at Wearmouth, but knew that if they lost South Shields could force a tie by beating Gateshead. Even Jesmond still had a chance to tie if Newcastle lost and they were able to win two against Sunderland. Newcastle froze when faced with the opportunity to win the championship, being shutout 3-0 by outgoing champions Wearmouth, and so were left anxiously waiting on news of the other games. South Shields led 1-0 early on at Gateshead but could not hold the advantage and went down 3-2, leaving it down to Jesmond to win both halves of their double against Sunderland. They took a dramatic first game 7-6 and after six innings of the second game were level at 1-1, but in the seventh Sunderland found three runs to destroy Jesmond’s championship hopes. They could get just one back, losing 4-2 to end the year tied with South Shields for second place, one game behind Newcastle.



THE MIDLANDS

At the beginning of October, reigning champions Dudley led Walsall by a fraction in the Birmingham and District League with the Old Wulfrunians holding a slim hope of the title as they were two games back. On the first Saturday of the month however, Dudley and Walsall were both defeated and the Wulfrunians grabbed a 2-1 win over Birmingham Main Line in fifteen innings to make it a really close three-way fight. All three contenders won their next game, before Dudley lost a rescheduled midweek fixture against Aston to leave them effectively tied with Walsall. Sadly for Walsall, they froze under the pressure and crashed 7-2 to West Bromwich in their final game, eliminating them from the race as their two rivals still had to meet, meaning that one would pass Walsall’s win total. Dudley faced one more midweek game against Small Heath, knowing that a win would guarantee them at least a tiebreaker, while a defeat would leave them tied with the Wulfrunians ahead of their meeting, making that game a title decider. The latter scenario seemed inevitable when Small Heath led 4-2 in the tenth, but Dudley tied the game and took the win 5-4 in twelve innings, putting them one game clear of the Old Wulfrunians. Three days later, Dudley hosted the Wulfrunians knowing that a win would give them a third successive crown, while a defeat would mean another meeting in a tiebreaker. Dudley pitcher Frederick Saunders was superb, allowing only two hits all afternoon and leading his team to a 3-0 victory which extended their reign as champions for another year.



Elsewhere in the West Midlands, Cannock and Warwick had already secured championships in the new Staffordshire and Warwickshire County Leagues, with Cannock ending the year two games clear of Burton after both defeated third-placed Lichfield in October. Warwick’s final margin was also two games, the smallest lead they had held since the early weeks of the campaign, after they lost two of their three games in October, including one to second-placed Leamington. That meant that Leamington ended the year with five successive victories, putting them well clear of third-placed Nuneaton.




There was a dramatic twist at the end of the title race in the Derby and Nottingham League, where Midland Loco had entered October needing only to win their final game against Sherwood to take the championship. That game was postponed on the first Saturday of the month, but Trent Bridge did play and lose at home to Rock Valley, eliminating them from contention. Midland had to wait two more weeks to take on Sherwood as their opponents already had a game the following week, where they had to win at Ilkeston to stay in contention. Despite losing a 1-0 lead in the ninth, they did eventually take the game 3-1 meaning that victory over Midland would be enough to force a tiebreaker. That game was a tight battle between two strong pitchers, but in the tenth it was Midland’s Adam Knight who faltered, giving up the only run of the game as Sherwood claimed a 1-0 victory. With the better of the head-to-head, Sherwood would host the tiebreaker where it was Midland who struck first, taking a 2-0 lead in the sixth. Sherwood got one run back immediately and then turned the game in the seventh, scoring two to move 3-2 ahead. Two more in the eighth put it beyond Midland, who lost 5-2 and were left rueing their wait to play the previous game.



In the Leicester and Northampton League, two games between leaders Wellingborough and second-placed Loughborough seemed set to decide the race and it was Wellingborough who won the first, taking it 2-0 to move two games clear. Another defeat for Loughborough against St Margaret’s meant that if Wellingborough could take the second game against Loughborough as well, they would be champions. With Loughborough struggling for runs, one was enough to take it for Wellingborough as they secured the crown with a 1-0 victory. In the end, Loughborough also lost their final two rescheduled games to drop all the way to fourth place, with Leicester and St Margaret’s both passing them as they scored just one run in five games in October.



SCOTLAND

In Scotland, two of the three leagues were already decided with Govan’s 3-0 win over Dundashill giving the new champions a dominant eight-game winning margin in the Glasgow and District League. Deposed champions Tail o’ the Bank also beat Dundashill to secure second place, one game clear of a Burgh of Partick team who lost their final six games overall. In the North Caledonian League, Firth of Tay ended up three games clear of neighbours Dundee Law, having defeated Moncreiffe Island in their final game as Dundee lost to Aberdeen.




The drama in Scotland came, as it has many times in the league’s five-year existence, in the East of Scotland League. Newcomers Vallum Antonini would take the championship at the first attempt if they could win their last two games, and duly took the first against Dunfermline, although second placed Haymarket defeated The Grange on the same day to keep the pressure on. Haymarket also won at Leith in their final game, but Vallum’s final fixture against The Grange was postponed on the same day to keep the championship in the balance. Remarkably, the game was again postponed the following Saturday giving Vallum a long time to consider the prospect of taking the title, and when it was finally played they were faced with Grange pitcher Abraham Margetson in fine form. He kept Vallum from scoring all afternoon as they crashed 2-0, meaning that for the fourth time in five season the league would need a tiebreaker to decide the champions. The clubs requested that the game be played on the first Saturday in November, but the national teams of England and Scotland refused to delay the International Series, meaning that the clubs could have been without some players. They eventually agreed to play on Wednesday, with Haymarket having home advantage, and again Vallum faced a pitcher at the top of his game. William McKee was even better than Margetson had been days earlier, as Vallum recorded only one hit in the game. Haymarket took the lead with two runs in the third and did not look back, winning the game 4-0 to take the title for the first time. Leith ended the season in third place, with long-time leaders Arthur’s Seat in fourth after their collapse saw them lose two more before winning their last game. Having won eighteen of their first twenty-two, they took just two of the last twelve to end up three games behind the tie.

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TOURNAMENT REVIEW: 1877 INTERNATIONAL SERIES

With all the leagues decided, attention turned to the fourth International Series, with Scotland’s hopes of winning the title for the first time raised by the form of Govan pitcher Gordon Mossman, who would be their chosen starter. England had Westminster’s Daniel Armstrong returned to fitness and selected him for their roster, but did not choose him as the starter due to lack of match practice. The choice was Sheffield’s Alexander Barter, not a regular starter himself but the man who had led England to success in the series two years ago.

England hosted the first game in London, where the Scots’ hopes that Mossman would make the difference for them seemed to be in tatters after just one inning. Having got the first out, he gave up back-to-back hits before Clapham’s Edmund Hodgson drove in both baserunners to give England a 2-0 lead. He was followed by Mark Laidler of Belle Vue, who made it four successive hits and brought Hodgson home to extend the lead to 3-0. After Scotland had missed a scoring chance in the third, England struck again as Thomas Sadler of Sanderson’s Weir got himself on base, before Hodgson again produced the vital hit with two out to bring Sadler home. England now led 4-0, but in the fifth Mossman sparked a Scottish fightback with the bat as he led off with a hit. Malcolm McAllister of Leith added another hit and after an errant pitch from Alexander Barter, a ground ball for the first out allowed Mossman to come home. Frank Sinclair of Tail o’ the Bank then added another hit to bring in McAllister and Scotland had cut the deficit to 4-2. With one out in the sixth, Old Aberdeen’s Allan Gilbert found a three-base hit to give Scotland another scoring chance, and Sinclair again was the man to drive in the run. Now struggling for hits against Mossman and with their lead reduced to a single run, England brought in substitute pitcher Nicholas Ford of Angel to complete the seventh. After England wasted a rare scoring chance in their half of the seventh, Ford eased through the last two innings, allowing only one hit. Scotland’s fightback fell just short, and if they were to win the series for the first time it would have to be by winning both the second and third games.



Game two in Glasgow began perfectly for Scotland, with Allan Gilbert’s one-out hit in the first followed by another from Frank Sinclair, which should have been comfortably fielded by centre fielder Fred Glover of Rock Valley, but his throwing error allowed Gilbert to come all the way around from first base and score. Sinclair was left stranded at third however, and in the third inning, England responded. With one out, Belle Vue’s Alfred Lynch got himself on with a two base hit and pitcher Alexander Barter added another hit to move Lynch to third. With two out, Thomas Sadler brought him in to level the score at 1-1. With pitchers dominating, there were no more hits until the sixth inning when England left a runner at second base, and then in the seventh Scotland created a scoring chance. Govan’s John Dunne opened the inning with a two-base hit and England then chose to allow White Cart’s Josiah Lever to take first base and pitch to Fraser Cash of Haymarket. His sacrifice moved the runners over to second and third, before another Govan man, Charles Robertson found the hit to bring Dunne home to score. Scotland led 2-1 and Mossman was in no mood to surrender the lead. Opposing pitcher Barter did find another hit in the eighth but England could do nothing with it, and Mossman eased through the ninth to complete the 2-1 win and level the series at one win each.



As reigning champions, England had the honour of calling the coin toss for home advantage in the deciding game and called correctly, so the deciding game would be played in London. England left runners at second base in both the second and third innings, while Scotland stranded a man at third base in their half of the third. In the fourth, Gilbert and Sinclair both recorded hits to start the inning for Scotland give them a real chance of taking the lead. John Dunne and Josiah Lever then both hit the ball deep into the outfield, allowing Gilbert to advance a base each time and come home to score with two out. With Mossman pitching well, England had to wait until the sixth for their next baserunner but with two men on base and two out, Mark Laidler was unable to produce the hit which could have tied the game. England left runners at second in both the seventh and eighth innings but could not score, and Scotland found themselves just one inning away from winning the series for the first time. In the ninth, Gilbert and Sinclair again started the inning with successive hits and Scotland had a chance to give themselves a little more room for error. John Dunne made it three successive hits and Gilbert came home to make the score 2-0, before pitcher Barter rallied to retire the next three batters. England needed two in the ninth to save their undefeated record in the series, and made a strong start with a two-base hit from Mark Laidler. Two ground balls allowed Laidler to come home and put England on the scoreboard, but England had just one more out and nobody on base. Frank Ford of Chesterfield came in as a substitute hitter, but on the first pitch he faced hit a fly ball to right field, which was caught to end the game. For the first time Scotland were the winners of the International Series, with Mossman unsurprisingly named as the Best Pitcher. Best Player was given to Frank Sinclair, who recorded six hits in just eleven attempts across the three games.

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ROLL OF HONOUR: 1877 SEASON

Metropolitan League: Clapham Common (2nd title)
Manchester and District League: Miles Platting Works (3rd title)
Leeds and Bradford League: Woodhouse Lane (1st title)
Liverpool and District League: Liverpool St Patrick’s (6th title)
Glasgow and District League: Govan Cross (1st title)
Middlesex County League: Edmonton Green (3rd title)
Sheffield and District League: Chesterfield Crooked Spire (1st title)
Birmingham and District League: Dudley Castle (3rd title)
East of Scotland League: Haymarket Caledonian (1st title)
Kent County League: Dartford Brent (2nd title)
Derby and Nottingham League: Sherwood Rise (1st title)
Lancashire County League: Blackburn Alexandra (2nd title)
Surrey County League: Croydon Old Palace (1st title)
Bristol and District League: Avon Gorge (1st title)
Essex County League: Forest Gate (2nd title)
Leicester and Northampton League: Wellingborough Swan’s Pool (1st title)
North Caledonian League: Firth of Tay (1st title)
Tyne and Wear League: Newcastle Westgate (1st title)
Yorkshire County League: Scarborough Trafalgar (1st title)
Oxford University Championship: Merton College (1st title)
Cambridge University Championship: Christ’s College (1st title)
International Series: Scotland (1st title)
County Championship: Lancashire (1st title)
Scottish Counties Championship: Lanarkshire (3rd title)
Varsity Series: University of Cambridge (5th title)

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LEAGUE ELECTION VOTES

With four leagues having announced that they will add new members ahead of the 1878 season, all four have now held the votes to determine the identities of those clubs.

BRISTOL AND DISTRICT LEAGUE
Six clubs applied for membership of the Bristol and District League, including a bid from Newport in Monmouthshire, which was soon caught up in the historic argument about whether that county was part of England or Wales. In truth it appeared that the club did not want to join the Bristol and District League, but rather join the clubs from the neighbouring county of Glamorgan in the first Welsh competition next year. Those clubs seemed interested only in a county competition, but the prospect of Newport joining an English competition raised concerns that players from Monmouthshire might be considered English rather than being available for a future Welsh national team. With a second team from Monmouthshire believed to be on board, the Glamorgan clubs agreed to admit both and make an eight-team league to cover both counties. As a result, Newport withdrew their application to the Bristol and District League shortly before the vote was taken. The remaining five bids all achieved at least one vote in their favour, but it was the club from Cheltenham who led the way with the support of four of the six current members. With the Bristol clubs seemingly keen to ensure that the league took in the whole of Gloucestershire to the north, all three also supported the bid from Gloucester and the Somerset clubs found themselves outvoted. Gloucester’s three votes beat the two achieved by both Taunton and Bridgwater, and they will join the league alongside Cheltenham next year. It is expected that the season will reduce to twenty-eight games, with each club playing the others on four occasions.

SURREY COUNTY LEAGUE
There were also six applications to the Surrey County League and again one bid stood out ahead of the others, that of the Old Carthusians, the club for former pupils of Charterhouse School which moved its site from London to the town of Godalming some five years ago. The second place was very tightly contested, with a club from Guildford and another from South Croydon facing stronger than expected competition from two small towns closer to London, namely Staines and Surbiton. All four bids attracted two votes each, meaning that a second ballot was needed with the four teams who supported the Old Carthusians invited to recast one of their votes. In the end, two of those votes went to the Guildford club and one each to Surbiton and South Croydon, meaning that the geographical spread of the league will grow considerably with the towns of Guildford and Godalming, some distance from London, both represented. As in Bristol, the league is expected to reduce its schedule from thirty games to twenty-eight to accommodate the new clubs.

LEEDS AND BRADFORD LEAGUE
The Leeds and Bradford League grows to twelve clubs next year and many of the teams who bid unsuccessfully four years ago tried again, with the vote believed to have been split largely on geographic grounds. In discussions before the vote, the teams in the west of the region, namely the two Bradford clubs, Halifax and Huddersfield all supported the bid from the town of Keighley. To the east, all the Leeds clubs and Wakefield supported another Leeds team, from the Sheepscar area of the city. Batley and Dewsbury, in the middle of the region, supported neither. When the votes were counted, Keighley and Sheepscar each had four and the second preferences of the teams were split around the other bids, leaving Pudsey, Morley and Manningham each with three votes and falling just short. Keighley and Sheepscar were therefore elected, and the league seems set to follow the format being used by the Manchester and District League of playing midweek games in the summer months, allowing for a forty-four game schedule.

LIVERPOOL AND DISTRICT LEAGUE
Perhaps the most surprising turn of events came in the ballot for the Liverpool and District League, which will grow to ten teams. Favourites to win the two places were clubs from Widnes and Runcorn, two towns which face one another across the river Mersey just to the east of Liverpool. When the results were announced, those two bids were indeed successful, with Widnes taking five votes and Runcorn four, leaving the growing seaside town of Southport just outside with three. However, at the same time as the bids were being made there had been discussions about the creation of a county league in Cheshire, as the county feared being left behind in the order of priority among those seeking admission to the County Championship. With the Mersey forming the boundary between Lancashire and Cheshire, Runcorn to the south of the river lies in Cheshire and the committee of the club began to direct their attention to the proposed new competition, believing that their future may be better served by starting out in an amateur competition rather than trying to compete with the professional clubs in the Liverpool and District League. Once the Cheshire County League was confirmed and Runcorn believed that their place in it was assured, they resigned their newly granted membership of the Liverpool and District League just days after winning it.
Some of the unsuccessful applicants, most notably the West Derby club from the suburbs of Liverpool, requested a new vote. The current members clubs, including newly elected Widnes, held a ballot on whether to schedule a new vote or offer the place to the Southport clubs, who had finished third in the original voting. By a narrow five to four margin, the decision was to offer the place to Southport, who duly accepted. The new format of the league is still to be confirmed, but with a desire to lengthen the schedule it has been suggested that the current format of additional games based on geographical grouping may be continued. This could mean four games against every opponent, and then two more against four of the other clubs – making the season the same length as that in Manchester at forty-four games.

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1878 SEASON

The 1878 baseball season is almost upon us and as ever there are plenty of changes to get used to this year. Four leagues add new teams and two new club leagues are getting underway, along with a new university competition in Scotland. Among the leagues not changing their structure, the Metropolitan League clubs have voted to play six practice games before the season, following the end of the County Championship, as many did not like the long wait between that tournament and the start of the league campaign. The fourteen teams will be split on the basis of whether they are located north or south of the River Thames, and play the other six in their group across seven game days, with one day off.

Elsewhere, the Birmingham and District League becomes the sixth league to allow professional play, with the move leading the Old Wulfrunians to change their name to reflect their new status and move away from being a school old boys club. They will now be known as Wolverhampton Wulfruna, with a new jersey design featuring two letter ‘W’s placed one above the other, in a similar design to that used by Wigan in the Liverpool and District League. The Birmingham and District League will not change its format for the first professional campaign, as it is believed to be planning to grow from ten clubs to twelve for the 1879 season and so the format will inevitably have to change then.

NEW TEAMS

LIVERPOOL AND DISTRICT LEAGUE
The Liverpool and District League expands for the second time and now contains ten teams. From the growing seaside town of Southport come Sea View Southport, whose name is a clear reference to their location near the seafront. Their colours are gold and blue. Widnes Alkali are the former works team of one of the chemical factories in that town, now turned professional as they join the league. They play in deep indigo blue jerseys, with thin stripes in a paler shade of blue. The format sees midweek games played across fourteen weeks in the middle of the season, although each team plays on only twelve of those weeks, having two Wednesdays with no scheduled game. The ten teams are split into two geographical groups of five, and play four games against every opponent and two more against the four other clubs in their group for a total of forty-four games.

L-R: Sea View Southport, Widnes Alkali


LEEDS AND BRADFORD LEAGUE
The Leeds and Bradford League grows to twelve clubs, and will also have a forty-four game schedule, although a simpler four meetings with every other club, the same format as used by the Manchester and District League. Keighley Turnpike take their name from their location alongside the old ‘turnpike’ toll road which links the town with Kendal, some 55 miles to the north-west. They play in blue jerseys with a monogram of the letters ‘KKT’, referencing the Keighley to Kendal Turnpike. Although the trust which runs the turnpike is in the process of being dissolved, the club are set to maintain their name in recognition of the history of the road. It should be noted that the name of the town should somewhat unusually be pronounced ‘Keith-lee’. The other newcomers are Sheepscar Tannery, another former works team from a northern suburb of the city of Leeds. They play in jerseys in a shade of tan to reflect the leather industry, with an image of a sheep embroidered on the chest to reflect the name of their home district. Their home field is less than one mile from that of reigning Leeds and Bradford League champions Woodhouse Lane.

L-R: Keighley Turnpike, Sheepscar Tannery


SURREY COUNTY LEAGUE
The Surrey County League expands for the first time, growing to eight teams and seeing the schedule reduced from thirty games to twenty-eight. From the small town of Godalming come the Old Carthusians, the old boys’ club for former pupils of Charterhouse School. Formerly based in London, the school relocated to Godalming just a few years ago and will now take part in organised baseball having apparently sought and received a guarantee that the league will not turn professional within the next decade. The club play on the school grounds and wear maroon jerseys with stripes in two shades of blue. The other newcomers are Pilgrim’s Way, from the nearby town of Guildford. Their name comes from the location of their home field, which is passed by the supposed route taken by pilgrims from Winchester in Hampshire to Canterbury Cathedral in Kent. They wear blue jerseys with the club name embroidered in black.

L-R: Old Carthusians, Pilgrim's Way


BRISTOL AND DISTRICT
The Bristol and District League expands northwards into Gloucestershire with the admission of clubs from Cheltenham and Gloucester. All Saints Cheltenham were formed by parishioners at All Saints church to the east of the town, and play on a field nearby. They wear lilac coloured jerseys with a white panel on the chest, featuring an embroidered initial letter ‘C’ topped with a halo in reference to their name. Gloucester Chequers take their name from the Chequers Bridge which carries the Great Western Railway over the road which passes close by their home field. In reference to their name, they wear chequered jerseys in a similar style to the Surrey county team, albeit with a smaller pattern. Their colours are red and gold which feature on the traditional city arms, with those arms being embroidered on their jerseys. The schedule remains at thirty games, with four meetings with every opponent and two extra games against a geographically paired rival, largely at the request of the two newcomers to enable them to play more games against one another.

L-R: All Saints Cheltenham, Gloucester Chequers


NEW LEAGUES

CHESHIRE COUNTY LEAGUE
The Cheshire County League has been formed in an attempt to accelerate the possible admission of Cheshire to the County Championship, and it begins with six teams playing a thirty-game schedule. Chester Roodee play their home games inside the city’s racecourse, and take their name from it. They wear the city’s ancient arms on their jerseys, which are coloured blue with red and yellow stripes. Formed by parishioners from St Stephen’s church, Congleton St Stephen’s play on a field immediately alongside the churchyard. They wear pale blue jerseys with the club initials embroidered in gold. The name of Coppenhall and Crewe is taken from both the ancient parish in which the club is located and the new town of Crewe which has grown up around the railway industry in the area. They play in dark green, with trimmings in two shades of grey.

Formed by workers at the town’s Albert silk mill, Macclesfield Albert play on a field a short distance from the mill and wear yellow jerseys with thin green stripes. The name of Northwich Salt is derived from the importance of the salt mining industry to the town of Northwich, with many of the club’s players employed in the industry. They have recently been forced to move their home field away from areas where the mining has caused problems of subsidence, and now play alongside the River Weaver near the centre of the town. Their jerseys are black with stripes in white and brick red. Having turned down a place in the Liverpool and District League to play in Cheshire instead, Runcorn Delph are the final team in the new league. Named after a bridge near their home field where players used to meet on the way to practice, they wear red jerseys with a large initial ‘R’ embroidered on the chest.

Top Row L-R: Chester Roodee, Congleton St Stephen's, Coppenhall and Crewe
Bottom Row L-R: Macclesfield Albert, Northwich Salt, Runcorn Delph


SOUTH WALES LEAGUE
The first league in Wales gets underway with eight teams, playing a twenty-eight-game schedule. Several proposals were made for a thirty-game schedule but the teams could not agree on the make-up of the additional games, so a simple format of four games against each opponent will be used. Six of the clubs come from the county of Glamorgan and the other two from Monmouthshire, after the initial plan to form a Glamorgan County League was extended.

Three of the Glamorgan clubs come from the large settlements along the coast. Cardiff Arms Park take their name from their home field, which in turn took its name from the Cardiff Arms Hotel which stood alongside. They play in red jerseys, with thin stripes in a darker shade of red. A couple of miles to the north of Cardiff, and in many ways considered to be a second Cardiff club, are Llandaff Cathedral, formed by worshippers at that cathedral and playing in a field alongside it. Their jerseys are black with yellow and red stripes. Swansea Bay, as their name suggests, play in a coastal setting with their home field just outside the town to the south-west. The venue has also played host to rugby and cricket and is known as a fine setting for sports. The team play in dark blue, with their initials embroidered in silver.

The other three Glamorgan clubs come from the valleys. Rhondda Valley are situated amongst the many fast growing mining communities in the valley of the Rhondda river, and their home field lies in a still relatively undeveloped area in the middle of the valley, a location chosen to allow players and spectators from communities at either end of the valley to travel there more quickly. Their jerseys are an orange colour, featuring a large black ‘V’-shaped chevron with the initial letter ‘R’ sitting inside it. From the town of Aberdare come Cynon Plain, whose name derives from their location on the flood plain of the River Cynon. Their field is, understandably, renowned for becoming easily waterlogged and they will be hoping not to suffer too many postponed games. They play in blue jerseys with green sleeves, and a green panel featuring the club’s initials as well as a letter ‘A’ for Aberdare. St Tydfil’s Well come from the town of Merthyr Tydfil and take their name from that of the saint whose name the town carries and the holy well associated with her. Their home field lies near to the reputed site of the well in the grounds of the large Pen-y-Darren House, which are commonly used for sport and recreation. The club play in amber coloured jerseys with maroon trimmings.

The final two teams come from the county of Monmouthshire. Newport Marshes play on the northern edge of the town on a field alongside the River Usk and are another team whose venue has been liable to flooding in the past. Just as their field suffers similar problems to that of Cynon Plain, their jerseys are similar in design if not in colour. The play in yellow with red sleeves and feature a white panel on the chest, on which the club’s initials are embroidered. Finally, Ebbw Vale Steel formed as the works team for the town’s steelworks, although their home field is at the opposite end of the town as there is no suitable flat land closer to the works. Situated almost 1000 feet above sea level, the field is believed to be the highest in use in any league across Great Britain. The team play in striped jerseys in two shades of grey.

Top Row L-R: Cardiff Arms Park, Cynon Plain, Ebbw Vale Steel, Llandaff Cathedral
Bottom Row L-R: Newport Marshes, Rhondda Valley, St Tydfil's Well, Swansea Bay


SCOTTISH UNIVERSITIES CHAMPIONSHIP
The four Scottish universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews have agreed a format to play the first student competition in Scotland, after much argument about the most practical arrangement of games given the distances between the teams and the time taken for the train journeys. The final decision was to schedule double games every Saturday for twelve weeks, allowing each team to play the others eight times for a total of twenty-four games. The arrangement allows for teams to travel the day before the game and be hosted by the home university for a night, with games beginning at 1pm and the second meeting starting as soon as the first ends. The four teams have agreed to review this format at the end of the inaugural season.

Top Row L-R: University of Aberdeen, University of Edinburgh
Bottom Row L-R: University of Glasgow, University of St Andrews