|
The 1898–99 Football League season was Small Heath's seventh in the Football League and their fifth in the Second Division. With four games of the seasons remaining, they were in fourth place, two points below the promotion positions, but a draw and three defeats in those last four games left them with an eight-place finish in the 18-team league. They also took part in the 1898–99 FA Cup, entering at the third qualifying round and progressing to the second round proper (round of 16), at which stage they were eliminated by Stoke after a replay. In local cup competitions, Small Heath reached the second round of the Birmingham Cup and Staffordshire Cup, and lost to West Bromwich Albion in the first round of the Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup. Twenty-three players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were thirteen different goalscorers. Walter Abbott scored 42 goals, of which 34 were scored in the league, a season's best for the Second Division. Both totals remain club records. Abbott, half back Alex Leake and forward Sid Wharton each played in all 40 league and FA Cup matches over the season, and three other players missed only one such game. ==Background== In the 1897–98 season, Small Heath sixth in the 16-team Second Division, nine points behind the promotion test match positions.〔(Birmingham City 1897–1898 : English Division Two (old) Table ). Statto Organisation. Retrieved 19 February 2012.〕 After the test match series left two teams needing to play out a goalless draw in their final match for both to be promoted, which unsurprisingly is what happened, the Football League's Annual General Meeting agreed that the First Division be extended from 16 to 18 clubs and that the top two teams in the Second Division at the end of each season should automatically replace the bottom two teams in the First. A vote was taken on the teams to take the two additional places in the First Division; Small Heath came fourth in the vote, so remained in the Second Division for the 1898–99 season.〔(Division 2 1897/98 ). Footballsite.co.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2012. "The Football League". ''The Standard'' (London): p.2. 21 May 1898.〕 They were again awarded exemption only for the first two rounds of the qualifying competition for the FA Cup.〔"English Cup. Exempted Clubs". ''Leicester Chronicle'': p.6. 6 August 1898.〕 A Football League committee ruled on irregularities in the transfer of Jimmy Inglis to Southern League club Swindon Town. The transfer took place on a Sunday, contrary to league rules, and the forms were falsified. The player was suspended for the first month of the coming season, two Swindon Town directors were suspended for three months, each club was fined £10, and each secretary was warned as to his future conduct.〔"Football". ''The Dundee Courier & Argus'': p.6. 13 July 1898.〕 Apart from Jack Kirton, who also joined Swindon,〔"Athletics". ''The Bristol Mercury and Daily Post'': p.3. 29 August 1898.〕 and Charlie Hare, who left the club for Watford of the Southern League, having "secured a business engagement" in that town,〔'Spider' (26 August 1898). "Football Arrows". ''The Birmingham Pictorial and Dart'': p.11.〕 the remaining players signed on again for the new season. Great things were expected of Bob McRoberts, the pacy and skilful Gainsborough Trinity centre forward for whom Small Heath paid a £150 transfer fee.〔"Prospects of the Football Season". ''The Birmingham Pictorial and Dart'': p.5. 19 August 1898. Matthews (1995), ''Complete Record'', p.109.〕 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 25 April 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「1898–99 Small Heath F.C. season」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|