The Thistle Archive

In the "brave days of old,'' when Henry Hotspur and the Douglas fought at Otterburn, it was usual for the Scots at favourable seasons to raid across the border as far south as Northallerton, in Yorkshire. With the lapse of time has come a change in customs, and the annual incursion into the Northern Counties is now of a much more peaceful character than it used to be. Of the Scottish football clubs which have ventured far south, few have escaped defeat. In Northumberland and Durham, however, it has been far otherwise. On Saturday Cambuslang beat Newcastle West End by four goals to nil, and on Monday the same team administered to Sunderland the severest castigation the local club has ever sustained. Yesterday, we were favoured with the visit of another Scotch club—Partick Thistle—which at the commencement of the season defeated Cambuslang to the tune of three goals to one. Another “extinguisher” for Sunderland was therefore anticipated. On Monday, Partick Thistle II scored 3 against East End, and their first team beat Darlington almost as decisively. It was the first team which visited Sunderland yesterday, and played the home eleven on the Newcastle Road ground, in presence of a crowd of spectators. The field was again in a wretched state for football. though not quite so bad in that respect as was the case on Monday. Whilst the visitors were a strong and compact team, Sunderland, by stress of circumstances, had become disorganised, and the team which they put into the field must not be accounted as at all representative of their full strength. The changes were Jopling in the place of Davison, who is unwell, and Allan as a substitute for Monaghan, the latter having been lamed in the contest yesterday. It is so long since Allan wet engaged in active football that his “debut” raised the greatest curiosity. The visitors at once impressed the spectators by their fine athletic appearance. THE GAME. The spin of the coin resulted in favour of the Scotchmen, and they selected the higher end of the ground from which to play. Halliday, amid cries of “play up Sunderland," started the ball, and passed to Gloag. The latter was dispossessed, and after Dale had kicked away, the ball was rushed into the home half, where it went out. Dale either fell or was knocked down, and '' foul " was called, but the game went on. After some sharp exchanges, the visitors put the ball in well. Kirtley caught it, and threw away. Owing to the slippery state of the ground the players experienced much difficulty in maintaining their equilibrium. Allen was applauded for some clever dodging, and Oliver twice raised cheers by the manner in which he repulsed attempts by the visitors to score. Halliday now got the ball at his feet and transferred to Jopling, who ran right into his opponents ground, where the leather once more went beyond the lines. “Hands” was soon after given to Sunderland, but they failed to improve upon it. A throw-in for Partick Thistle followed, and the home fortress was beseiged till the backs relieved. The ball went to midfield. Here Allan passed to Gloag, who had not gone far when he lost his charge. Dale somewhat retrieved the misfortune, and play reigned for a few moments in the visitors’ half. The Scotchmen were soon after busy again. Sunderland retaliated, and the ball was alternately rushed to either end of the arena. Richardson was notable for a good piece of play, but the visitors were determined to score, and from a free kick close to Kirtley they put the ball through. As, however, it touched no one, a major point was not allowed. On the kick out, Oliver and Ford were placed on the defensive, and a corner kick followed for the Scotchmen. Jopling secured the globe and raced with it to mid-field, where it was taken from him and returned into the Sunderland half. A serviceable kick by Hastings relieved the pressure. The visitors’ backs forced the ball back, but Ford, after two attempts, got it away, and Allan, obtaining possession, transferred to the right wing. The visitors’ halves fed their forwards judiciously, and they would have got away had not Halliday arrested them. In the melee, Gloag rushed the leather in, and Burns saved, at the cost of a corner. Allan was entrusted with the kick, but his performance was not in the style to which he had accustomed us. The visitors broke away with the ball, and rushed it to thus Iower half, where it went out thus spared Kirtley further trouble. After some give-and-take play Allan put in a beautiful shot. Halliday, however, missed, and the leather travelled to the centre of the field, where Allan failed to get in a screw-kick. He redeemed his fault, however, by several tricky runs, and caused homeric laughter by the case with which he dodged an opponent who attempted to knock him into touch. Sunderland were again becoming dangerous when a “foul” to the manifest displeasure of the spectators, was given against them. Oliver returned the ball, and Allan finished a grand move by a pass to Halliday, who headed over the bar. The visitors then had a corner, and Allan ran off with the ball, but coming into contact with a bulky Scotchman fell. Halliday took up and sent in a “stinger,” which Burns just fisted out. He had to repeat the process the next moment from a well calculated punt by Oliver. A corner for Sunderland ensued. The visitors kicked out, and another corner followed for the home eleven, which Allan sent behind the uprights. So far Sunderland had had the better of the play and the worse of the luck. Dale put in two or three good kicks, but Halliday sent the leather over the line. The home right wing gained the advantage of several exchanges, and a furious fight ensued close to the Scotch goal, where the backs came to the rescue and averted the imminent downfall of their fortress. Dale, however, secured, and passed to Allan, whose gallant efforts score were recompensed with loud applause. The visitors’ backs compelled Sunderland to retire without their anticipated laurels, and, after Oliver had put in some capital foot and head work, a corner fell to Partick Thistle. They made a poor attempt to score, and Gloag, sprinting the length of the field, sent in a shot which missed its billet, as by a hairbreadth. Sunderland still had the whip hand of their adversaries, and pressed them severely, although they could not score. Oliver caused amusement by the manner in which dealt with one of the visitors, who tried rough play, and Dale, who exhibited improved form, helped the ball forward to Gloag, whose try at goal was averted at the expense of a corner which Partick Thistle disposed of. Another “foul” was given Sunderland. Dale took the kick, but Gloag, to whom he transferred, was too slow, and lost the ball. The Scotch right wing then made a dashing incursion into the Sunderland half; and finished with a shot which Ford headed away without mischief. Half time was called without a major point recorded in favour of either side. With the resumption of the game Sunderland played front the upper end of the ground, where it notable that they are most dangerous. The old ball having become too slippery to kick, Paul re-started for Partick Thistle with a new one. The Scotchmen at once ran into the home half. Oliver put in a powerful kick, which sent the ball out of danger, and Halliday twice attempted to lower the visitors’ fortress with swift low shots that Burns disposed of with difficulty. Again the Scotchmen broke away. They, however, met with a stout resistence, and Allen finished up a sharp burst with a pass to Jopling, the second team man, who scored the first goal for Sunderland. The visitors were not long in having revenge, for Kirtley from some cause never atttempted to stop a shot, which made the game equal. Fresh vigour was infused into the fight, the Scotchmen making desperate efforts to score again. Ford, however, returned, and the home left wing rushed into the opposite half. They were, however, outpaced by their speedier antagonists, one of whom shot for home, the ball, however, just going outside the uprights. Even play ensued, now one side, now the other having the advantage. An endeavour was made to push Kirtley between the “sticks” but he was more than equal to the occasion, and threw away. The home half in their turn compelled Bums to handle the leather. The Scotchmen returned to the charge, and again Kirtley had to throw out. Gloag rushed off, but had not proceeded far when he lost the leather, which was sent to the upper end of the field, where the Scotchmen claimed, and were conceded, a corner. The Sunderland right wing resumed the offensive, and alter a bustling rally in the “Thistle” quarters, Jopling had a venture at the visitors’ goal, which the latter nullified for a corner. Richardson took the kick, but it resulted in no further damage to the Scotchmen. The home eleven maintained the pressure, but they met solid resistance front the backs, who time after time rendered their efforts fruitless. Partick Thistle, at length forced their way through, but a good attempt to score went wide. There was more leather-hunting in the Sunderland half, which was terminated by the visitors registering their second goal. Some of the spectators waxed exceedingly wroth with Kirtley, when, a moment after, he let the leather pass him, and the Scotchmen were credited with their third major point. About here the Scotchmen had all the better of the exchanges. The ball was planted in the mouth of the home goal, and a simultaneous rush was made for Kirtley, who, had he held the ball, must have been pushed through. As it happened the shot went too wide, and a strong sense of relief was felt when it was seen that no further mischief had been done. Twice Jopling visited this Scotch quarters, but the backs eventually got the leather away, and placed the home team on the strict defensive. Once the ball struck the cross-piece, and appeared at first to rebound into play, but the next moment was seen to have gone through. The visitors now had four goals in their favour. Gloag nearly lowered the Scotch colours, but the custodian got the ball out of danger, there being apparently no one to charge him through. The visitors rushed to the upper end, but had to beat a speedy retreat, Jopling, who showed good form throughout, sending in one or two shots which might have been deadlier than they were had he met with more support. A “throw in” for Sunderland was the next item. The ball, however, soon went into home quarters again, and was returned by a neat double between Jopling and Smith. The remainder of the game was a repetition of the first half, whose principal features we have already recorded. The Scotchmen still pressed the home eleven. Once they headed over the bar, and the next moment Kirtley just caught the ball as it rolled towards the uprights, and this averted further disaster. It was now the lot of the Scotchmen to “eat humble pie,” as, after a quick rally on the part of Sunderland, they managed to evade the Scotch half. The ball struck the post and rebounded, but Gloag, catching it with his toe, sent it right through, and totalled the second goal for his side. After Kirtley had again repulsed, siege was laid to the Scotch goal in the most determined fashion, and it seemed impossible that the home team should not score. Burns, however, fisted out vigorously, and had the stout support of his backs. The visitors rushed up the field, and their centre forward avoiding Kirtley, who had rushed out, put the leather between the uprights. As, however, he was offside, no point was allowed, and the whistle blew soon after with the score—Partick Thistle, 4 goals; Sunderland, 2 goals.” $$

Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette, Tuesday, 3rd January, 1888

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