Archie Goodall
Encyclopedia
Archibald Lee Goodall commonly referred to as Archie Goodall, is a former Irish
footballer
who played for, among others, Derby County
and Ireland. Goodall made 423 appearances and scored 52 goals for County. He also served as club captain and established a club record for consecutive league appearances. He was employed regularly as a centre-half and made great use of the shoulder charge. His stamina and shear physical presence also made him a very effective midfielder.
During his career Goodall also set three age records. He was the oldest player to score an international goal during the 19th century, the oldest player to score for Ireland and is the oldest player ever to play for Wolves
. Goodall also proved to be a controversial character. In 1894 he refused to play an extra half-hour of the United Counties League Cup final against WBA
because he said his contract ended after 90 minutes and in 1898 he tried to off-load his extra FA Cup final tickets to a ticket tout.
Goodall’s older brother, John Goodall
, was also a notable footballer and played for Preston NE
, Derby County
and England
. Despite having Scottish
parents and being raised in Kilmarnock
, the Goodall brothers were ineligible to play for Scotland
because of their birthplaces. As a result they played for the countries of their births and thus became the first brothers in football
history to play for different national teams.
and was stationed in London
where John Goodall
was born in 1863. Within the following year he was posted to Belfast
where Archie was born in 1864. The family eventually settled in Kilmarnock
, where the brothers spent the majority of their childhoods. As a youth, Archie played for several clubs in the Merseyside
area, including Everton
. In 1887 he joined his brother at Preston NE
, and in the inaugural English League
season 1888-89 they played a couple of games together in the forward line. Archie then joined Aston Villa
for £100 in October 1888. During his brief spell at Villa he proved an effective inside-right, scoring 7 goals in 14 league appearances.
where he was reunited with his brother John
. Together with Steve Bloomer
, the Goodall brothers formed the backbone of a County side that regularly challenged for top honours over the following decade. Primarily used as a centre-half at County, Goodall made 380 English League
appearances for the club, scored 48 league goals and helped them finish runners-up in 1896. Between October 1892 and October 1897 he also made a club record 151 consecutive league appearances.
Goodall also played a further 42 games and scored 4 goals in the FA Cup
, helping County reach three FA Cup finals
in 1898, 1899 and 1903. In 1898 before the final against Nottingham Forest
he was caught trying to off-load his Cup final tickets to a ticket tout. Despite being strong favourites County eventually lost 3-1. He missed the 1899 final due to injury and in 1903 they lost 6-0 to Bury
.
to change its rules governing the selection of non-resident players before he made his international debut for Ireland on 4 March 1899 as they beat Wales
1-0 in Belfast
. He thus became one of the first four Irish players based in England to be selected to represent Ireland. Three weeks later, on 25 March, aged 34 years and 279 days, Goodall became the oldest player to score in international football during the 19th century when he scored Ireland’s goal in a 9-1 defeat to Scotland
in Glasgow
.
Goodall remained a regular at centre-half for Ireland until he was almost 40. On 28 March 1903 he scored the opening goal in a 2-0 win against Wales
, helping Ireland clinch a share in the 1903 British Home Championship
. The goal also saw Goodall, aged of 38 years and 283 days, become the oldest goalscorer in Ireland’s history. He made his final appearance for Ireland as a centre-forward in a 1-0 win against Wales on 21 March 1904. His team mates while playing for Ireland included Jack Kirwan, Billy Scott, Billy McCracken
and Robert Milne
,
in May 1903 Goodall briefly joined Plymouth Argyle
before becoming player-manager at Glossop NE
in January 1904. Among his team mates at Glossop was the former England
international Fred Spiksley
. Goodall made his last two appearances for Ireland
while at Glossop NE. In October 1905 he joined Wolves
. He was 41 years and 153 days old when he made his final league appearance for Wolves on 2 December 1905 against Everton
, making him the oldest player ever to play for that club. After retiring as a player, Goodall travelled Europe
and the United States
as part of a strongman act before settling in London
, where he lived out his remaining years.
Ireland
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who played for, among others, Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
and Ireland. Goodall made 423 appearances and scored 52 goals for County. He also served as club captain and established a club record for consecutive league appearances. He was employed regularly as a centre-half and made great use of the shoulder charge. His stamina and shear physical presence also made him a very effective midfielder.
During his career Goodall also set three age records. He was the oldest player to score an international goal during the 19th century, the oldest player to score for Ireland and is the oldest player ever to play for Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
. Goodall also proved to be a controversial character. In 1894 he refused to play an extra half-hour of the United Counties League Cup final against WBA
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
because he said his contract ended after 90 minutes and in 1898 he tried to off-load his extra FA Cup final tickets to a ticket tout.
Goodall’s older brother, John Goodall
John Goodall
John Goodall was a footballer who rose to fame as a centre-forward for England and for Preston North End at the time of the development of the Football League, and also became Watford's first manager in 1903...
, was also a notable footballer and played for Preston NE
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
, Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
and England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
. Despite having Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
parents and being raised in Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of 44,734. It is the second largest town in Ayrshire. The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'...
, the Goodall brothers were ineligible to play for Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
because of their birthplaces. As a result they played for the countries of their births and thus became the first brothers in football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
history to play for different national teams.
Early years
Goodall’s father was a soldier in the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and was stationed in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where John Goodall
John Goodall
John Goodall was a footballer who rose to fame as a centre-forward for England and for Preston North End at the time of the development of the Football League, and also became Watford's first manager in 1903...
was born in 1863. Within the following year he was posted to Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
where Archie was born in 1864. The family eventually settled in Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of 44,734. It is the second largest town in Ayrshire. The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'...
, where the brothers spent the majority of their childhoods. As a youth, Archie played for several clubs in the Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
area, including Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
. In 1887 he joined his brother at Preston NE
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
, and in the inaugural English League
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
season 1888-89 they played a couple of games together in the forward line. Archie then joined Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
for £100 in October 1888. During his brief spell at Villa he proved an effective inside-right, scoring 7 goals in 14 league appearances.
Derby County
In May 1889 Goodall joined Derby CountyDerby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
where he was reunited with his brother John
John Goodall
John Goodall was a footballer who rose to fame as a centre-forward for England and for Preston North End at the time of the development of the Football League, and also became Watford's first manager in 1903...
. Together with Steve Bloomer
Steve Bloomer
Steve Bloomer was an English footballer and manager who played for Derby County, Middlesbrough and England during the 1890s and 1900s. Bloomer remains a legend at Derby County and the club anthem, Steve Bloomer's Watchin', is played before every home game...
, the Goodall brothers formed the backbone of a County side that regularly challenged for top honours over the following decade. Primarily used as a centre-half at County, Goodall made 380 English League
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
appearances for the club, scored 48 league goals and helped them finish runners-up in 1896. Between October 1892 and October 1897 he also made a club record 151 consecutive league appearances.
Goodall also played a further 42 games and scored 4 goals in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
, helping County reach three FA Cup finals
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
in 1898, 1899 and 1903. In 1898 before the final against Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
he was caught trying to off-load his Cup final tickets to a ticket tout. Despite being strong favourites County eventually lost 3-1. He missed the 1899 final due to injury and in 1903 they lost 6-0 to Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
.
Irish International
Goodall had to wait for the Irish FAIrish Football Association
The Irish Football Association is the organising body for association football in Northern Ireland, and was historically the governing body for Ireland...
to change its rules governing the selection of non-resident players before he made his international debut for Ireland on 4 March 1899 as they beat Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
1-0 in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. He thus became one of the first four Irish players based in England to be selected to represent Ireland. Three weeks later, on 25 March, aged 34 years and 279 days, Goodall became the oldest player to score in international football during the 19th century when he scored Ireland’s goal in a 9-1 defeat to Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
.
Goodall remained a regular at centre-half for Ireland until he was almost 40. On 28 March 1903 he scored the opening goal in a 2-0 win against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
, helping Ireland clinch a share in the 1903 British Home Championship
1903 British Home Championship
The 1903 British Home Championship was an international football tournament between the British Home Nations.Unusually, the trophy was shared by three of the Home Nations all of whom scored four points. At the time, goal difference was not used to differentiate teams...
. The goal also saw Goodall, aged of 38 years and 283 days, become the oldest goalscorer in Ireland’s history. He made his final appearance for Ireland as a centre-forward in a 1-0 win against Wales on 21 March 1904. His team mates while playing for Ireland included Jack Kirwan, Billy Scott, Billy McCracken
Billy McCracken
Billy McCracken was a Northern Irish association football player. His position was defender....
and Robert Milne
Robert Milne (footballer)
Robert George Milne is a former footballer who played for the Gordon Highlanders, Linfield and Ireland during the 1890s and early 1900s. Born in Scotland, Milne was stationed in Ireland with the Gordon Highlanders and played 7 games for the regimental football team as they won the Irish Cup in 1890...
,
Later years
After leaving Derby CountyDerby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
in May 1903 Goodall briefly joined Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
before becoming player-manager at Glossop NE
Glossop North End A.F.C.
Glossop North End A.F.C. are an English football club based in Glossop, Derbyshire. Former members of the Football League, they are currently in the North West Counties League and are members of the Derbyshire County Football Association. They play their home matches at Surrey Street, which has a...
in January 1904. Among his team mates at Glossop was the former England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
international Fred Spiksley
Fred Spiksley
Fred Spiksley was an English footballer and coach, who played as a forward for Sheffield Wednesday F.C. and England. He also played for Gainsborough Trinity, Glossop North End, Leeds City, Watford and in 1907 became the only professional footballer to play for the Corinthians...
. Goodall made his last two appearances for Ireland
Ireland national football team (IFA)
The Ireland national football team represented Ireland at association football, it was organised by the Irish FA , and is the fourth oldest international team in the world. It mainly played in the British Home Championship against England, Scotland and Wales...
while at Glossop NE. In October 1905 he joined Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
. He was 41 years and 153 days old when he made his final league appearance for Wolves on 2 December 1905 against Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, making him the oldest player ever to play for that club. After retiring as a player, Goodall travelled Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as part of a strongman act before settling in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he lived out his remaining years.
Honours
Derby County- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
:- Runner Up 1898, 1903
- English LeagueFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
- Runner Up 1895-96
Ireland
- British Home ChampionshipBritish Home ChampionshipThe British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
:- Shared title 19031903 British Home ChampionshipThe 1903 British Home Championship was an international football tournament between the British Home Nations.Unusually, the trophy was shared by three of the Home Nations all of whom scored four points. At the time, goal difference was not used to differentiate teams...
- Shared title 1903
Sources
- Who’s Who Of Aston Villa (2004): Tony Matthews http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1840188219