Southern League (Division One)
Team: Clutterbuck, McConnell, Skinner, Crawford, Tennant, Keech, Smith (T), Haywood, Bedingfield, Turnbull, Cowie
Attendance: 6,300
On 16th September 1899, Rangers took on New Brompton at Kensal Rise. The following match report appeared in the Chatham, Rochester & Brompton Observer a week later:
‘Another reverse was experienced by the New Brompton club on Saturday, when the team journeyed to Kensal Rise in the hope of annexing Southern League points at the expense of one of the new clubs in the competition – Queen’s Park Rangers.
The team was not accompanied on their trip by many supporters, but among the crowd who put in an appearance on the Rangers’ enclosure, there was a sprinkling of people anxious to see the Black and White lads emerge triumphant.
There was no fault to be found with the weather; the wind dropping considerably before the play commenced and the rain, with the exception of one very brief shower, holding off.
The crowd had the pleasure of witnessing a fast, well-contested game, and it was only in the closing stages that the home side, by scoring a couple of goals, made themselves sure of victory.
New Brompton lost the toss, but as the breeze was only light and blew across the ground, little advantage was gained by the Rangers from this.
Sharp to time, Frettingham set the ball in motion, and at once the Rangers got away, Robertson, running out to clear from Bedingfield before Turnbull could reach him.
After the goalkeeper had again been called out from his charge, Brompton got away and a corner was conceded by McConnell. This was taken by Seeley and Swan headed wide.
The visitors now commenced to do the bulk of the pressing, and kept the defence busy, Clutterbuck saved a hot shot from Macdonald, and when Nobbs put in a pretty centre, Tennant cleared before the other forwards could come up.
Another corner was forced, and Innes placed well, and when Crawford went to head the ball away, he nearly put it through his own goal, but Skinner averted the danger.
The home forwards dashed away only to see Robertson save a fast grounder from Haywood and another from Smith, and then Brompton showed aggressive tactics.
Nobbs, whose fine dribbling was a feature of the game, swung in a capital centre, from which Skinner cleared and the custodian saved finely from Swan, whilst Frettingham shot wide.
Robertson punched-away a long drive from Tennant, and a miskick spoiled a good chance which Cowie had.
Still another corner was forced by Brompton, a collision between Frettingham and Clutterbuck being the cause of this, but Hutcheson lifted over the bar, whilst a moment later Skinner got in the way of a hot return by Frettingham.
The visitors were now having all the better of a fast game, but the defence proved superior to all attacks on it.
Once Clutterbuck looked like being beaten by a shot from Nobbs, but he recovered himself and cleared before Frettingham could reach him.
By way of a change the Rangers got down, but Cowie shot over, whilst Robertson had to give a corner to get rid of a shot from Smith.
This was unproductive, as was a similar point conceded by Tennant, in stopping a speedy onslaught from Frettingham.
Up until the interval the visitors continued to have distinctly the better of the exchanges, but though they forced another corner, they could not pierce the defence.
The interval consequently arrived without any scoring having taken place.
The Rangers opened the attack in the second-half, but Robertson saved from Haywood, and then Nobbs and Frettingham were conspicuous in a dangerous onslaught by the Brompton front-line.
The home side returned to the attack, and the ball was rushed in the net by Bedingfield from a centre by Smith, but the last-named was clearly offside, and the whistle had sounded before the centre scored.
Lockie stopped a smart rush by the home forwards, and a fast shot from Smith sailed just over the bar.
A brief visit was paid to the opposite end by Brompton, but without effect, offside stopping Seeley when he had a fine opening from a pass by Macdonald.
The pace continued to be very fast, and when the Rangers closed in, the visitors’ backs had a lively time in clearing from Bedingfield, Turnbull and Smith.
The Rangers continued to work hard, however, and at last found their efforts rewarded, Robertson having no earthly chance of stopping a swift oblique shot from Turnbull, who had received a neat pass from Haywood.
Brompton got away the moment the ball was re-started, but Frettingham, who headed into the hands of Clutterbuck, was offside, and the free kick gave the Rangers an opportunity of again getting within touch of the opposite goal.
Glover made a miskick, and Smith sent a cross to Cowie, who shot wide when he had the goal at his mercy. Robertson was then called upon to save from Bedingfield and Haywood.
There was a brief spell of open play, and then the Rangers, who were evidently keeping fresher than their opponents, again closed in.
Robertson came out and fisted away from Smith. As he turned, he slipped, and before he could recover himself, Cowie had been prompt to take advantage of the opportunity by heading the ball into the net, (n.b. Gordon Macey credits the goal to Frank Bedingfield).
Thus 26 minutes after the second-half had started, the home side were two goals to the good.
Brompton were not yet quite done with, and Nobbs was instrumental in forcing a corner, but Innes placed behind.
The pace now slowed down considerably, and there was little to choose between the sides.
The Rangers took a fruitless corner, and when Brompton got away, McConnell nearly turned a shot from Frettingham into the goal, but Clutterbuck was on the alert and saved.
Another corner to Brompton was not improved upon, and Robertson had just saved finely from Turnbull when the whistle sounded for time.’
Rangers followed this up a week later with a 4-2 win over London Welsh in a preliminary FA Cup tie at Kensal Rise.
Steve Russell
(Thanks to Colin Woodley for sending me the match report)