1883–84 West Bromwich Albion F.C. season

West Bromwich Albion
1883–84 season
Chairman None[1][nb 1]
Manager None[2][nb 2]
Stadium Four Acres
FA Cup First round
Birmingham Senior Cup Semi-final
Staffordshire Senior Cup Runners-up
Birmingham Charity Cup Semi-final
Wednesbury Charity Cup Semi-final
Top goalscorer League: N/A[nb 3]
All: Harry Aston and George Timmins (9)[nb 4]
Highest home attendance 5,129 (vs Wednesbury Town, FA Cup first round, 10 November 1883)[nb 4]
Lowest home attendance 600 (vs Cocknage, Staffordshire Senior Cup first round, 3 December 1883)[nb 4]
Average home league attendance 2,438[nb 4]

The 1883–84 season was the sixth season in the history of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. Albion played their home matches at the Four Acres during the season,[3] and the team wore a chocolate and white coloured kit.[4][5] The club competed in the FA Cup for the first time, losing in the first round. They did reach the final of the Staffordshire Senior Cup, but were defeated by St George's in the final. Albion also participated in the Birmingham Senior Cup, Birmingham Charity Cup and Wednesbury Charity Cup, but were eliminated at the semi-final stage of all three competitions.

FA Cup

Having joined The Football Association in the summer of 1883, West Bromwich Albion became eligible to take part in the FA Cup for the first time.[4] Their first season in the competition was not a successful one however, as the team lost 0–2 to local rivals Wednesbury Town in the first round.[6]

RoundDateOpponentVenueResult[nb 5]GoalscorersAttendance
110 November 1883Wednesbury TownH0–25,129

Source for match details:[6]

Birmingham Senior Cup

Albion took part in the Birmingham Senior Cup for the third time. In the first round, they won 7–0 against Stourbridge Standard, then defeated Walsall Alma Athletic 6–0 in the second round. Albion drew 1–1 with Wednesbury Old Athletic in round three. George Timmins scored a hat-trick in the replay, but the match finished 3–3, meaning that a second replay would be required. Albion won 3–1 at Aston Lower Grounds. After a 1–1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Albion won the fourth round replay 2–1. In the semi-final, Albion lost 0–1 to Walsall Swifts at Aston Lower Grounds.[7]

RoundDateOpponentVenueResult[nb 5]GoalscorersAttendance
127 October 1883Stourbridge StandardH7–0Bisseker 2, Timmins 2, G Bell, Bunn, Aston2,000
28 December 1883Walsall Alma AthleticH6–0Timmins 2, G Bell, Aston, Smith, Loach2,500
35 January 1884Wednesbury Old AthleticH1–1G Bell3,000
3(R)9 February 1884Wednesbury Old AthleticA3–3Timmins 3700
3(2R)18 February 1884Wednesbury Old AthleticN3–1G Bell, Aston, Kent (o.g.)3,000
423 February 1884Wolverhampton WanderersN1–1Bisseker5,000
4(R)3 March 1884Wolverhampton WanderersN2–1Aston, Bisseker3,800
SF10 March 1884Walsall SwiftsN0–12,000

Source for match details:[7]

Staffordshire Senior Cup

Albion entered the 1883–84 Staffordshire Senior Cup as defending champions, having won the trophy at the first attempt during the previous season. The club's second season in the competition saw them defeat Cocknage in the first round, George Bell scoring the only goal of the game. In the second round, Harry Aston scored all four goals in the club's 4–0 victory against Walsall Town. The semi-final took place in Wednesbury, against Stoke; goals from Billy Bisseker and George Timmins put Albion into the final for the second successive season. Their opponents in the final were St George's, who had knocked Albion out of the Wednesbury Charity Cup two weeks earlier. The match took place at Stoke's Victoria Ground in front of 5,500 spectators. Arthur Loach scored for Albion, but the team failed to retain the cup as St George's were 2–1 winners.[8]

RoundDateOpponentVenueResult[nb 5]GoalscorersAttendance
13 December 1883CocknageH1–0G Bell600
222 December 1883Walsall TownH4–0Aston 41,400
SF15 March 1884StokeN2–0Bisseker, Timmins3,000
F12 April 1884St George'sN1–2Loach5,500

Source for match details:[8]

Birmingham Charity Cup

Aston Villa beat Albion 4–1 in the semi-final of the Birmingham Charity Cup. This was the first time that Albion had participated in this competition.[9]

RoundDateOpponentVenueResult[nb 5]GoalscorersAttendance
SF5 April 1884Aston VillaA1–4Riddell (o.g.)6,000

Source for match details:[9]

Wednesbury Charity Cup

Taking part in the Wednesbury Charity Cup for the second time, Albion defeated Aston Unity 3–0 in the first round. The semi-final took place at Aston Lower Grounds and finished in a 1–1 draw between Albion and St George's. In the replay at Wednesbury, St George's won 4–0.[9]

RoundDateOpponentVenueResult[nb 5]GoalscorersAttendance
124 November 1883Aston UnityA3–0G Bell, Timmins, Aston2,500
SF12 January 1884St George'sN1–1Stevenson (o.g.)3,700
SF(R)29 March 1884St George'sN0–43,500

Source for match details:[9]

Friendly matches

As league football had yet to be established, West Bromwich Albion took part in a number of friendly matches throughout the season.

DateOpponentVenueResult[nb 5]
17 September 1883Forwards XIA3–3
1 October 1883Wednesbury Old AthleticH2–5
6 October 1883Preston North EndA1–3[nb 6]
13 October 1883Wolverhampton WanderersH4–2
20 October 1883StokeH1–5
5 November 1883Walsall SwiftsH2–2
12 November 1883StokeA1–1[nb 7]
17 November 1883Blackburn RoversA0–1
19 November 1883Bolton WanderersA1–2[nb 8]
1 December 1883West Bromwich SandwellH5–1
15 December 1883Wellington[nb 9]H5–1
26 December 1883Preston North EndH2–1
27 December 1883Sheffield HeeleyH8–0
29 December 1883Aston UnityH1–0
19 January 1884Aston UnityH5–0
26 January 1884Wednesbury Old AthleticH2–0[nb 7]
2 February 1884Bolton Great LeverH4–1
16 February 1884West Bromwich Albion 2nd XIH0–2
26 February 1884Wednesbury TownH2–0
1 March 1884Wednesbury Old AthleticA2–2
22 March 1884Walsall TownH3–2
24 March 1884West Bromwich SandwellH7–0
19 April 1884Burslem Port ValeA6–0
26 April 1884Wolverhampton WanderersA3–0
5 May 1884Walsall SwiftsA0–1

Source for match details:[10]

See also

Footnotes

  1. Albion did not have a chairman until 1885.
  2. Albion did not have a secretary-manager until 1890 and did not appoint a full-time manager until 1948.
  3. There was no league football in England until 1888–89.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Includes all matches in the FA Cup, Birmingham Senior Cup, Staffordshire Senior Cup, Birmingham Charity Cup and Wednesbury Charity Cup.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Albion's score is listed first, regardless of venue or result.
  6. Some reports give the score as 1–2 as the last Preston goal was disputed.
  7. 1 2 Match was abandoned.
  8. Some reports gave the score as 1–3 after a third Bolton 'goal' was disputed.
  9. Benefit match for West Bromwich Hospital.

References

Citations
  1. Matthews (2005) p. 267.
  2. Matthews (2005) pp. 257–258.
  3. Matthews (2007) p. 64.
  4. 1 2 McOwan p. 13.
  5. "Historical football kits – West Bromwich Albion". www.historicalkits.co.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
  6. 1 2 Matthews (2007) p. 392.
  7. 1 2 Matthews (1987) pp. 202–203.
  8. 1 2 Matthews (1987) pp. 205–206.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Matthews (1987) p. 209.
  10. Matthews (1987) pp. 210 & 214.
Sources
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