Thomas Brindle
Encyclopedia
Thomas Brindle was an English
footballer who played his club football at left-back
for Darwen
and Blackburn Olympic
. He made two appearances for England
in 1880, scoring once.
and played junior football in the local area before signing with his local club, who were then one of the major forces in the game. He helped them to win the Lancashire Cup
in its inaugural season of 1879-80
defeating Blackburn Rovers
3–0 in the final.
In March 1880 he became the first Darwen F.C.
player to represent England
. Having successfully negotiated his way through a North v South trial match at the Oval
on 6 March, he made his debut in a friendly game against Scotland
, played at Hampden Park
, Glasgow
on 13 March 1880. The match ended in a 5–4 victory for the Scots (the most goals England have ever scored in a game and lost). Two of England's goals came from Charlie Bambridge, whereas Scotland's scorers included a hat-trick
from George Ker
.
Two days later, he played his second (and last) England match, when they met Wales
at the Racecourse Ground
, Wrexham
. Six players made their England debut in this match which England won 3–2 with two goals scored by Francis Sparks
of Clapham Rovers
. Brindle scored the opening goal in the 50th minute, but had to leave the game 15 minutes later due to injury, and England played on with ten men. He was the first full-back to score a goal for England from open play, which caused a small sensation at the time, as defenders rarely ventured into the opponents' half of the field. Doubt has been cast on the attribution of the goal to Brindle; a Welsh newspaper report of the time claims that this was an own goal by goalkeeper, Harry Hibbott.
In 1881
, he was a member of the Darwen team which reached the FA Cup semi-finals
, when they were beaten 4–1 by the eventual winners the Old Carthusians
. In the book "An English football Internationals Who's Who" written by Douglas Lamming, he describes the Darwen left full-back as: "a powerful strong kicking back and a real workhorse".
During the mid 1880s, he left Darwen and moved to Blackburn Olympic
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer who played his club football at left-back
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
for Darwen
Darwen F.C.
A.F.C. Darwen is a football club from Darwen in Lancashire, North West England. The team, formed in 1870 as Darwen F.C., currently play in the Division One of the North West Counties League. They play their home games at the Anchor Ground.-History:...
and Blackburn Olympic
Blackburn Olympic F.C.
Blackburn Olympic F.C. was an English association football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire in the late 19th century. Although the club was only in existence for just over a decade, it is significant in the history of football in England as the first club from the north of the country and the...
. He made two appearances for 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...
in 1880, scoring once.
Career
Brindle was born in DarwenDarwen
Darwen is a market town and civil parish located within Lancashire, England. Along with its northerly neighbour, Blackburn, it forms the Borough of Blackburn with Darwen — a unitary authority area...
and played junior football in the local area before signing with his local club, who were then one of the major forces in the game. He helped them to win the Lancashire Cup
Lancashire Senior Cup
The Lancashire County Football Association Cup , is a football knockout tournament involving teams from Lancashire, England and surrounding areas. It is a County Cup competition of the Lancashire County Football Association and involves Premier League clubs and Football League clubs...
in its inaugural season of 1879-80
1879-80 in English football
The 1879–1880 season was the ninth season of competitive football in England.-National team:* England score given firstKey* A = Away match* F = FriendlyNote – TheFa.com give different times for the England goals in the match against Wales....
defeating Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
3–0 in the final.
In March 1880 he became the first Darwen F.C.
Darwen F.C.
A.F.C. Darwen is a football club from Darwen in Lancashire, North West England. The team, formed in 1870 as Darwen F.C., currently play in the Division One of the North West Counties League. They play their home games at the Anchor Ground.-History:...
player to represent 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...
. Having successfully negotiated his way through a North v South trial match at the Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
on 6 March, he made his debut in a friendly game against 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...
, played at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, 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...
on 13 March 1880. The match ended in a 5–4 victory for the Scots (the most goals England have ever scored in a game and lost). Two of England's goals came from Charlie Bambridge, whereas Scotland's scorers included a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
from George Ker
George Ker
George "Geordie" Ker was a Scottish footballer of the 1870s and 1880s.Kerr played for Queen's Park juniors, Kerland FC, and Alexandra Athletic before joining Queen's Park in 1877. Until 1878, Ker had played as a defender but converted to a striker in 1878...
.
Two days later, he played his second (and last) England match, when they met 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...
at the Racecourse Ground
Racecourse Ground
The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League...
, Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
. Six players made their England debut in this match which England won 3–2 with two goals scored by Francis Sparks
Francis Sparks
Francis John Sparks was an English amateur footballer, who played as a forward. He won the FA Cup in 1880 with Clapham Rovers and made three appearances for England, scoring three goals and being appointed captain.-Career:...
of Clapham Rovers
Clapham Rovers F.C.
Clapham Rovers was from its foundation in 1869 a leading English sports organisation in the two dominant codes of football, association football and rugby union. It was a prominent club in the late 19th century but is now defunct...
. Brindle scored the opening goal in the 50th minute, but had to leave the game 15 minutes later due to injury, and England played on with ten men. He was the first full-back to score a goal for England from open play, which caused a small sensation at the time, as defenders rarely ventured into the opponents' half of the field. Doubt has been cast on the attribution of the goal to Brindle; a Welsh newspaper report of the time claims that this was an own goal by goalkeeper, Harry Hibbott.
In 1881
1880-81 in English football
The 1880–1881 season was the tenth season of competitive football in England.-National team:England played their first home match outside London when they hosted Wales at Alexandra Meadows in Blackburn.* England score given firstKey...
, he was a member of the Darwen team which reached the FA Cup semi-finals
FA Cup Semi-finals
The FA Cup Semi-finals are played to determine which teams will contest the FA Cup Final. They are the penultimate phase of the FA Cup, the oldest football tournament in the world.- Location :...
, when they were beaten 4–1 by the eventual winners the Old Carthusians
Old Carthusians F.C.
Old Carthusians Football Club is an association football club whose players are former pupils of Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey, England...
. In the book "An English football Internationals Who's Who" written by Douglas Lamming, he describes the Darwen left full-back as: "a powerful strong kicking back and a real workhorse".
During the mid 1880s, he left Darwen and moved to Blackburn Olympic
Blackburn Olympic F.C.
Blackburn Olympic F.C. was an English association football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire in the late 19th century. Although the club was only in existence for just over a decade, it is significant in the history of football in England as the first club from the north of the country and the...
.