|
The 1897–98 Football League season was the 17th season of competitive association football and 6th season in the Football League played by Small Heath Football Club, an English football club based in Birmingham. They finished in sixth place in the 16-team division. Having failed to gain exemption from the qualifying rounds of the 1897–98 FA Cup, they entered the competition in the third qualifying round and lost that opening match to Burslem Port Vale. In local cup competitions, they lost to Walsall in the second round of the Birmingham Cup, were eliminated by West Bromwich Albion in the first round of the Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup, and reached the semi-final of the Staffordshire Senior Cup where they again lost to West Bromwich Albion. Nineteen different players represented the club in nationally organised competitive matches during the season and there were thirteen different goalscorers. Walter Abbott was the top scorer with 19 goals, and he and wing half Thomas Dunlop played in every match. The match against Burnley attracted a crowd of 12,000, an improvement on the highest attendance in the previous two seasons. ==Background== Looking back at the 1896–97 season, the ''Sports Argus editorial expressed disappointment with the team's performance and dissatisfaction with the running of the club. At the start of the season, they had "confidently looked forward" to Small Heath reaching the test match positions, even if they proved unsuccessful therein. But the team's fine finish to the season on top of such a poor start made it "terribly aggravating to think that the least bit of extra effort earlier on in the season would in all probability have seen them a good second to () County." The club's failure to gain exemption from the qualifying competition of the FA Cup strengthened the writer's belief that "the club wants a thorough wakening-up".〔'Argus Junior' (24 April 1897). "Gossip". ''The Sports Argus'' (Birmingham): p.1.〕 The club made a loss of £369 on the year, which the ''Dart'' suggested was due less to the effects of bad weather, as claimed in the annual report, than to a "penny wise and pound foolish" approach to the signing of players which they hoped would not be repeated in the season to come.〔"No title". ''The Birmingham Pictorial and Dart'': p.9. 23 June 1897.〕 Few players left during the close season. The ambitious and well-funded Bristol City, newly elected to the Southern League, signed both Tom Farnall and the promising Jack Jones on attractive terms, reported as £5 to sign, then 50s. during the playing season and 30s. in the summer. Had swift action not been taken by club officials, Walter Abbott would have made the same move.〔'Argus Junior' (28 August 1897). "Football Notes". ''The Sports Argus'' (Birmingham): p.1.〕 Charlie Izon left for Walsall, and Denny Hodgetts, who had been reinstated as an amateur, offered his services, but "as he could not promise to play for them regularly", his offer was declined.〔'Retlaw' (3 September 1897). "Football Arrows". ''The Birmingham Pictorial and Dart'': p.6.〕 The ''Darts initial opinion was that the standard of replacement for Hodgetts, Jones and Farnall – "two or three players who have done well with local clubs have been signed up, and a smart left-wing forward in Kirton, of Lincoln City, has also been secured" – but as the directors preferred to spend their money on ground improvements, in the shape of the purchase of Aston Villa's old stands from the Perry Barr ground, rather than on "stars", these would be inadequate to return the club to the First Division.〔"Sports Gossip". ''The Birmingham Pictorial and Dart'': p.6. 6 August 1897.〕 Having seen the new additions, they changed their mind. Although Hodgetts would be missed, Jack Kirton "appears to be a smart player, while the other new men secured are far from being 'duffers'", Billy Walton had recovered from the broken shoulderblade sustained the previous March, and apart from Jones and Farnall, "the whole of the other first team players from last season have signed again, and there is no reason why the Heathens should not render a good account of themselves" this season.〔"Sports Gossip". ''The Birmingham Pictorial and Dart'': p.6. 20 August 1897.〕 Furthermore, "the Small Heath ground presents quite an imposing appearance now that it is adorned with the old Perry Barr grand stand, and as there is now plenty of covered accommodation for spectators the 'gates' should materially increase",〔 and, as was pointed out later in the season, facilities for representatives of the press had also been improved.〔"What we Hear". ''The Birmingham Pictorial and Dart'': p.12. 14 January 1898.〕 There were no changes to the team's kit of light blue shirts with navy collar trim, cuffs and pocket, white knickerbockers and navy socks.〔(Birmingham City ). Historical Football Kits. Retrieved 12 February 2012〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「1897–98 Small Heath F.C. season」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|