QPR v Blackburn Rovers – The 1912 Kinnaird Shield Match in Aid of the Titanic Disaster Fund

Team: Shaw, MacDonald, Pullen, Whyman, Mitchell, Wake, Smith (A.R.), Revill, McKie, Thornton, Barnes

As Southern League champions again in 1912, Rangers were invited to play in another Charity Shield match. This time they met the Football League champions Blackburn Rovers at White Hart Lane on 4th May, 1912. The match was played in continuous rain and only 7,111 attended the game due mainly to the poor weather conditions. Blackburn won 2-1 and the Rangers goal was scored by Teddy Revill. The proceeds were sent to the Titanic Disaster Fund. The following match report appeared in the Willesden Chronicle:

‘The Queen’s Park Rangers played Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, for the Football Association Shield. The whole of the proceeds had been set aside for the “Titanic” Disaster Fund, and as the match was played on the Tottenham Hotspur ground, it was hoped that there would be a large attendance. There was a steady downpour of rain, however, and the attendance barely reached 10,000 (?).

The Rangers soon had their turn, and a movement in which the whole forward line participated, ended with A.R. Smith sending a dropping shot just wide of the mark. A spell of midfield play was followed by a sustained attack on the part of the Rangers. Barnes and Thornton were playing delightful football, and Crompton, the international full back, had rather more than he could manage.

Shaw did very well at the other end to stop a surprise shot from Simpson. A few minutes later Shaw again saved well from the Rovers’ centre half. The Rangers returned to the attack and Revill was conspicuous for some clever work. He scored the Rangers’ only goal with a splendid shot, which very much surprised the Rovers defence. Ten minutes later Revill again very neatly netted from one of Smith’s centres, and the referee was for allowing the goal till a linesman intervened, and the goal was disallowed for offside. Just on half-time Shaw was beaten and the scores were level.

The Rovers had a good deal the better of the argument in the second half. Aitkenhead scored the winning goal half way through this half, but the chief credit for the goal should be given to Latheron, who made the opening. The Rovers won a not very exciting game by the odd goal in three. The proceeds were returned as ¬£282 6s, and a collection on the ground made ¬£4 odd. ‘

Immediately after the game, Rangers travelled overnight to Paris to play Fulham the next day in an exhibition match. Details of their departure were later included in a Club Handbook article:

‘T was a merry party of officials and players that left Charing Cross on Saturday evening, May 4th, for Paris. The journey to Calais seemed very short, but the long train ride from there to Paris proved very tiring. The Hotel St. Petersburg was reached at 7am, and after a hurried breakfast (?) of rolls and coffee all turned into bed till 12 o’clock. Lunch over a motor ‘bus quickly took the team to a pleasantly-situated ground outside Paris to meet Fulham. After the hard game with Blackburn Rovers at Tottenham on the Saturday and an all-night journey our men were not in the best of trim to play Fulham.’ The team also went on to play matches in Germany.

Edward J. Revill was born in Bolsover in Nottinghamshire and after his retirement from football he returned there to become a licensee at the Cross Keys Hotel. He made 67 1st team appearances for the R’s and scored 23 goals.

My thanks go to to Steve and Peter for making the programme and Handbook available. Also to Martin Percival for obtaining a copy of the match report from the archive and to Gordon Macey of course.

My latest Indy R’s badge was based on the programme cover and is now available.

Steve Russell