West Bromwich Albion
1884–85 season
ChairmanHenry Jackson[1][nb 1]
ManagerNone[nb 2]
StadiumFour Acres
FA CupSixth round
Birmingham Senior CupThird round
Staffordshire Senior CupSemi-final
Birmingham Charity CupSemi-final
Top goalscorerLeague: N/A[nb 3]
All: Jem Bayliss (16)[nb 4]
Highest home attendance16,393 (vs Blackburn Rovers
Lowest home attendance1,200 (vs Darlaston All Saints, Birmingham Senior Cup first round, 18 October 1884)[nb 4]
Average home league attendance4,915[nb 4]

The 1884–1885 season was 7th season of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. It was their third and final season at the Four Acres and their last season as an amateur club. Continuing the trial of various coloured kits during the club's early years, the players wore cardinal red and blue halved shirts.[2][3] The club reached the FA Cup quarter-final for the first time, played in the semi-finals of the Staffordshire Senior Cup and Birmingham Charity Cup and were eliminated from the Birmingham Senior Cup at the third round stage.

FA Cup

Albion's second season in the FA Cup began with a first round match away at Junction Street School, Derby. The 7–1 victory was Albion's first ever win in the competition, with Jem Bayliss scoring the club's first FA Cup goal.[4] In round two, Wednesbury Old Athletic were defeated by a 4–2 scoreline. Aston Villa provided the opposition in the third round; after a goalless draw in the initial match, Albion won the replay 3–0 in "drenching rain".[5]

In the fourth round, Albion faced Welsh side, Druids, who did not take to the field by the time the match was due to start. Peter Morris records that the Welshmen refused to start the match until one of their late-arriving players turned up, while according to G. A. Willmore, the entire Druids team was late to arrive. Either way, Albion scored unopposed straight from the kick-off, after which the Druids players did take to the field. Albion scored again, through Arthur Loach, but the earlier goal was not counted and the score was recorded as 1–0.[5][6]

Albion were then given a bye to the sixth round, the first time that they had reached this stage of the competition. They lost 0–2 to eventual FA Cup winners Blackburn Rovers in front of 16,393 spectators, the highest ever attendance at the Four Acres.[7]

RoundDateOpponentVenueResult[nb 5]GoalscorersAttendance
125 October 1884Junction Street School, DerbyA7–1Bayliss 2, G Bell 2, Aston 2, Loach4,000
26 December 1884Wednesbury Old AthleticH4–2Aston 2, Woodhall, Taylor (o.g.)4,497
33 January 1885Aston VillaA0–0—22,088
3(R)10 January 1885Aston VillaH3–0Loach 2, Bayliss10,021
424 January 1885DruidsH1–0Loach5,537
5Albion received a bye to the sixth round
621 February 1885Blackburn RoversH0–2—16,393

Source for match details:[8]

Birmingham Senior Cup

Participating in their fourth Birmingham Senior Cup campaign, Albion faced Darlaston All Saints in the first round. Harry Aston scored a hat-trick in an 8–0 victory. In the second round, Jem Bayliss scored six goals in the team's 15–0 win against Bloxwich Strollers. Albion were eliminated in round three, losing 2–3 to St George's.[9]

RoundDateOpponentVenueResult[nb 5]GoalscorersAttendance
118 October 1884Darlaston All SaintsH8–0Aston 3, Bayliss 2, Loach 2, Jacobs (o.g.)1,200
222 November 1884Bloxwich StrollersH15–0Bayliss 6, other scorers not recorded1,500
320 December 1885St George'sH2–3Loach, G Bell4,000

Source for match details:[9]

Staffordshire Senior Cup

Albion, taking part in the Staffordshire Senior Cup for the third time, beat Burton Swifts 7–1 in the first round. In round two, a hat-trick from Arthur Loach contributed to an 8–0 win against Leek. Another hat-trick in the third round, this time from Jem Bayliss, saw Albion beat Stoke 6–2. Despite having scored 21 goals in the first three rounds, Albion failed to find the net in the semi-final, losing 0–2 to Walsall Town at Stoke's Victoria Ground.[10]

RoundDateOpponentVenueResult[nb 5]GoalscorersAttendance
18 November 1884Burton SwiftsH7–1G Bell, Loach 2, Aston 2, Bayliss 22,000
213 December 1884LeekH8–0Aston, Bayliss 2, Loach 3, Woodhall, G Bell2,000
331 January 1885StokeH6–2Bayliss 3, Bettany (o.g.), Aston, G Bell2,000
SF28 February 1885Walsall TownN0–2—6,000

Source for match details:[10]

Birmingham Charity Cup

In the Birmingham Charity Cup semi-final, Albion were defeated 1–4 by Aston Villa. This was the second season in succession that Villa had beaten Albion in the competition, and by the same scoreline.[11]

RoundDateOpponentVenueResult[nb 5]GoalscorersAttendance
SF18 April 1885Aston VillaN1–4Bayliss5,000

Source for match details:[11]

Friendlies and benefit matches

As league football had yet to be established, West Bromwich Albion played in a number of friendly matches throughout the season. On 6 April 1885, Albion played their last game at the Four Acres, ahead of their move to Stoney Lane the following season. They beat Wednesbury Old Athletic 3–2, in front of 3,500 spectators.[12]

DateOpponentVenueResult[nb 5]
28 July 1884Wednesbury Old AthleticA1–0
23 August 1884Small Heath AllianceA2–0
25 August 1884Aston Villa[nb 6]A2–3
22 September 1884Walsall SwiftsA1–4
4 October 1884Burslem Port ValeH3–0
11 October 1884Aston UnityH3–0
1 November 1884StokeA4–0
3 November 1884Stafford RangersH5–0
15 November 1884Wednesbury TownH7–1
29 November 1884Aston VillaH2–4
23 November 1884BurnleyH0–3
28 November 1884Aston VillaA5–4
26 December 1884Preston North EndA1–1
27 December 1884Bolton Great LeverA3–0
17 January 1885Walsall SwiftsH0–0
7 February 1885Burslem Port ValeA3–2
14 February 1885Aston UnityA2–0
7 March 1885St. Luke'sH3–2
14 March 1885Aston VillaA2–1
16 March 1885West Bromwich SandwellH6–2
21 March 1885ChurchH1–1
28 March 1885ChurchA0–2
4 April 1885Third Lanark Rifle VolunteersA2–2
6 April 1885Wednesbury Old AthleticH3–2
11 April 1885StokeA1–1
20 April 1885Burslem Port ValeA1–1
25 April 1885Bolton WanderersA0–1[nb 7]
16 May 1885District XI[nb 8]A1–2
25 May 1885Wolverhampton WanderersA0–2

Source for match details:[12]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Jackson became Albion's first chairman in 1885, but the source does not specify the date on which he took over. He may therefore not have become chairman until the following season, 1885–86.
  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 Includes the FA Cup, Birmingham Senior Cup, Staffordshire Senior Cup and Birmingham Charity Cup. Nine goalscorers from the 15–0 win against Bloxwich Strollers were not recorded.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 West Bromwich Albion's score is listed first, regardless of venue or result.
  6. ↑ Testimonial match for A. Hunter
  7. ↑ Match abandoned
  8. ↑ Testimonial match for Jimmy Stanton

References

Citations
  1. ↑ Matthews (2005) p. 267.
  2. ↑ McOwan p. 13.
  3. ↑ "Historical football kits – West Bromwich Albion". www.historicalkits.co.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
  4. ↑ Matthews (1987) p. 171.
  5. 1 2 Morris p. 11.
  6. ↑ Willmore p. 18.
  7. ↑ Matthews (2007) p. 65.
  8. ↑ Matthews (1987) p. 157.
  9. 1 2 Matthews (1987) pp. 202–203.
  10. 1 2 Matthews (1987) pp. 205–206.
  11. 1 2 Matthews (1987) p. 207.
  12. 1 2 Matthews (1987) pp. 210 & 214.
Sources
  • Morris, Peter (1965). West Bromwich Albion: Soccer in the Black Country. Heinemann.
  • McOwan, Gavin (2002). The Essential History of West Bromwich Albion. Headline. ISBN 0-7553-1146-9.
  • Matthews, Tony; Mackenzie, Colin (1987). Albion! A Complete Record of West Bromwich Albion 1879–1987. Breedon Books. ISBN 0-907969-23-2.
  • Matthews, Tony (2005). The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion. Breedon Books. ISBN 1-85983-474-4.
  • Matthews, Tony (2007). West Bromwich Albion: The Complete Record. Breedon Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-565-4.
  • Willmore, G.A. (1980). West Bromwich Albion: The First Hundred Years. Readers Union.
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