1882–83 West Bromwich Albion F.C. season

The 1882–83 season was the fifth season in the history of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. This was the club's first season at their fourth ground, the Four Acres. The ground had been home to the West Bromwich Dartmouth Cricket Club since 1834, but the cricket club allowed Albion to play football matches there on Saturdays and Mondays.[3] The club wore two different kits during 1882–83: as well as the chocolate and blue halves from the previous season, the club also sported narrow red and white hoops.[4][5]

West Bromwich Albion
1882–83 season
ChairmanNone[1][nb 1]
ManagerNone[2][nb 2]
StadiumThe Four Acres
Birmingham Senior CupFourth round
Staffordshire Senior CupWinners
Wednesbury Charity CupRunners-up
Top goalscorerLeague: N/A[nb 3]
All: Harry Aston (17)[nb 4]
Highest home attendance10,500 (vs Aston Villa, 23 December 1882)[nb 4]
Lowest home attendance1,200 (vs Bloxwich Strollers, 18 November 1882)[nb 4]
Average home league attendance3,383[nb 4]

Albion won their first ever trophy when they defeated Stoke 3–2 in the final of the Staffordshire Senior Cup, winning the competition at the first attempt. They also reached the final of the Wednesbury Charity Cup, but lost 5–3 to Notts Rangers. In the Birmingham Senior Cup, Albion reached the fourth round, having registered their record competitive victory—a 26–0 win against Coseley—in round one.

It was the first season in which Albion fielded a reserve side in addition to their first team; the club's second team played 24 matches and went through the season undefeated.[6]

Birmingham Senior Cup

In the first round of their second Birmingham Senior Cup campaign, Albion beat Coseley by a 26–0 scoreline, having led 17–0 at half-time.[7] Every Albion outfield player scored at least once; goalkeeper Bob Roberts was the only one of the team not to appear on the scoresheet.[8] Harry Aston led the scoring, netting five times, while Billy Bisseker, George Timmins and George Bell also scored hat-tricks in what remains the club's record competitive victory.[9] After receiving a bye in round two, Albion defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers 4–2; this was the first ever meeting between the two local rivals and therefore the first Black Country derby match.[10] Wednesbury Old Athletic were the opposition in the fourth round match. Aston scored for Albion but the team lost 2–1 as Old Athletic eliminated Albion from the competition for the second successive season.[7]

RoundDateOpponentVenueResult[nb 5]GoalscorersAttendance
111 November 1882CoseleyH26–0Aston 5, Bisseker 4, Timmins 4, G. Bell 3, Bunn 2,
E Horton 2, Whitehouse 2, While 2,[nb 6] H Bell, Stanton.[nb 7]		2,500
2Albion received a bye to round three
320 January 1883Wolverhampton WanderersA4–2G. Bell, Bisseker, Biddulph, Aston3,000
413 March 1883Wednesbury Old AthleticA1–2Aston2,500

Source for match details:[7]

Staffordshire Senior Cup
The winning Albion team display the Staffordshire Cup.

Albion, taking part in the Staffordshire Senior Cup for the first time, defeated Bloxwich Strollers 4–0 in the first round replay, following a 3–3 draw. In round two, Albion met local rivals Aston Villa for the first time, and after another 3–3 draw, won the replay with a goal from George Timmins. The team drew 2–2 in the third round, but their opponents St George's were then disqualified from the competition for fielding two ineligible players in the match, so Albion progressed by default. In the semi-final against Leek White Star, Harry Aston scored a hat-trick as Albion won 8–0 to reach a cup final for the first time.[11]

In the final, Albion faced Stoke at the latter's Victoria Ground. More than 1,500 West Bromwich Albion supporters took advantage of a special rail excursion to attend the game. Johnson opened the scoring for Stoke after 15 minutes, but Albion replied through Timmins and Fred Bunn. Stoke equalised before half-time when Johnson claimed his second goal of the match. George Bell scored the winning goal in the second half when he headed a cross past Stoke's goalkeeper Wildin. Albion's 3–2 victory meant that they had won their first ever trophy.[12]

RoundDateOpponentVenueResult[nb 5]GoalscorersAttendance
14 November 1882Bloxwich StrollersA3–3G. Bell, Aston, Timmins650
1(R)18 November 1882Bloxwich StrollersH4–0Biddulph 2, G. Bell, Aston1,200
29 December 1882Aston VillaA3–3G. Bell 2, Aston13,900
2(R)23 December 1882Aston VillaH1–0Timmins10,500
33 February 1883St George'sH2–2[nb 8]Timmins, Bisseker2,000
SF10 March 1883Leek White StarH8–0G. Bell, Aston 3, Biddulph 2, Bisseker 22,000
F21 April 1883StokeA3–2Timmins, Bunn, G. Bell6,150

Source for match details:[11]

Wednesbury Charity Cup

Albion participated in the Wednesbury Charity Cup for the first time and drew 3–3 with Wednesbury Strollers in the first round. In the replay, Albion progressed by a 7–1 scoreline. Harry Aston scored the only goal of the semi-final against Aston Unity at Wellington Road. The final took place at the same venue, against Notts Rangers; two goals from Harry Aston and one from Bisseker were not enough as Albion were defeated 5–3.[13]

RoundDateOpponentVenueResult[nb 5]GoalscorersAttendance
125 November 1882Wednesbury StrollersA3–3G. Bell, Bisseker, Whitehouse2,000
1(R)30 December 1882Wednesbury StrollersH7–1Bisseker 2, Aston, G. Bell 2, Whitehouse 22,100
SF24 February 1883Aston UnityN1–0Aston4,000
F19 May 1883Notts RangersN3–5Aston 2, Bisseker4,000

Source for match details:[13]

Friendly matches

As league football had yet to be established, West Bromwich Albion took part in a number of friendly matches throughout the season. Among these games was a 10–0 win against Stourbridge Standard in which Billy Bisseker scored six goals. This was the first match held at the Four Acres.[14] Later in the season, Harry Aston scored six times as Albion were 10–1 winners against Birmingham Junior Association. The record of the club's matches during their early years is not complete, thus several of the scorelines are missing.

DateOpponentVenueResult[nb 5]
23 September 1882St George'sA1–7
30 September 1882OldburyA—[nb 9]
7 October 1882Stourbridge StandardH10–0
14 October 1882Aston UnityH1–0
17 October 1882The GroveA—[nb 9]
21 October 1882ExcelsiorA2–2
2 December 1882ExcelsiorH3–2
16 December 1882LeekH2–0
26 December 1882WrexhamA5–2
27 December 1882Notts RangersA2–3
6 January 1883WellingtonH—[nb 9]
13 January 1883Walsall Alma AthleticH4–0
22 January 1883St John's UnitedH11–0
27 January 1883St George'sH3–0
10 February 1883Notts RangersH1–1[nb 10]
17 February 1883Birmingham HeathH3–0
19 February 1883Birmingham Junior AssociationH10–1
17 March 1883LeekA6–3
19 March 1883The GroveA2–1
26 March 1883Wellington[nb 11]H4–0
31 March 1883WrexhamH3–1
7 April 1883Calthorpe[nb 12]H6–1
25 April 1883All SaintsH—[nb 9]
28 April 1883Walsall SwiftsA1–2
5 May 1883Small Heath AllianceA5–1
12 May 1883NechellsH—[nb 9]
16 June 1883Wednesbury Old Athletic[nb 13]A2–3

Source for match details:[14]

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. Includes all matches in the Birmingham Senior Cup, Staffordshire Senior Cup and Wednesbury Charity Cup.
  5. Albion's score is listed first, regardless of venue or result.
  6. Matthews (1987) lists the scorer as "White", but this appears to be a typographical error.
  7. Bowler (2017) contends that no reliable list of scorers from the game exists.
  8. St George's were disqualified from the competition for fielding two ineligible players in the match.
  9. Score not recorded.
  10. Match abandoned.
  11. Benefit match for West Bromwich Hospital.
  12. Benefit match for West Bromwich Dartmouth Cricket Club.
  13. Benefit match for J Roberts.

References
Citations
  1. Matthews (2005) p. 267.
  2. Matthews (2005) pp. 257–258.
  3. Matthews (2007) p. 64.
  4. "Historical football kits - West Bromwich Albion". www.historicalkits.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 November 2007. Retrieved 11 November 2007.
  5. McOwan p. 13.
  6. Matthews (1987) p. 220.
  7. Matthews (1987) pp. 202–203.
  8. Matthews (1987) p. 11.
  9. Matthews (2007) p. 11.
  10. Matthews (1987) pp. 202–210.
  11. Matthews (1987) pp. 205–206.
  12. Matthews (1987) p. 10.
  13. Matthews (1987) p. 209.
  14. Matthews (1987) pp. 210 & 214.
Sources
  • Bowler, Dave (2017). Years of the Throstle. Download Albion.
  • 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.
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