Hants and Dorset Football Association
Hants and Dorset Football Association is a football result published in The Evening News (Portsmouth) on 7 december 1885.
Arthur Conan Doyle's team (Portsmouth Football Club) lost 1-2 vs Wimborne.
Arthur Conan Doyle played under the pseudonym "A. C. Smith".
Article
The Portsmouth F.C. played off their tie on Saturday with Wimborne in the competition for the Senior Challenge Cup of the Hants and Dorset Football Association. The match took place on the Garrison Recreation Ground in wretched weather, and was keenly contested, being one of the best Assocaition games ever contested in the district. The home Club, though unavoidably deprived of the services of their two best forward players, put a representative team in the field, and Wimborne brought a strong eleven, the two sides being pretty evenly matched. Wimborne won the toss, and selected the railway end of the ground, but half-time was reached without either side scoring, though several good shots for goal were made by both sides. Before ends were changed, however, H. Brooks, who was playing for Portsmouth in the left wing, had the misfortune to strain a tendon in his right leg, which incapacitated him from running, but, instead of retiring, he pluckily went into goal. This accident proved advantageous to Wimborne, as Brooks, who, by his lameness, could not get the ball away when it was shot at goal, was charged through the posts by two of his opponents, the visitors thus securing the first goal. Portsmouth afterwards made a series of determined rushes, and by some rapid passes, in which T. Huddy and Lieutenant Nelson figured conspicuously, the local captain kicked a fine goal. This equalised matters, and nothing further was done by either side up to the call of time, though just before the whistle sounded A. H. Godfrey had an easy chance of winning the match for Portsmouth, having got the bail past the Wimborne backs, and within a few yards of their goal, when he failed to make the kick by over-rescuing himself. As Saturday was the last day allowed by the Association for paying off the first round of cup ties, the game was resumed for an extra half-hour, and from a splendid corner kick, the ball dropping against the post, Wimborne succeeded in registering a second goal, though the question was raised whether the ball was not behind the tape when the leather was "headed." Portsmouth rallied up, but their plucky efforts to score proved unavailing, and Wimborne accordingly won by a goal. The home Club has only been established as many months as the visiting Club has years, but is to be congratulated upon the gallant struggle its representatives made. Their play did credit to the town, even if they did not happen to be victorious on this their first entry in the cup competition, and the match is calculated to further popularise the Association game in our midst. For Portsmouth R. E. Davies made some brilliant rushes, and T Huddy and Lieutenant Nelson showed dashing form, whilst the half-backs stuck well to their work, and the Rev. Norman Pares distinguished himself at full-back. For Wimborne A. J. Fort rendered valuable service, and D C. Stewart and J. A. Nicholson played exceedingly well together, while the full-backing of H. J. Seymour deserves special mention, and Wallingford in goal relieved his side several times with no little adroitness. Teams:— Portsmouth: Centre forward, A. H. Godfrey ; right wing, R. E. Davies (captain) and Haddy ; left wing, Lieut. T. M. Nelson and H. Brooks; half-backs, C. E. Pinfold, J. Poole, and W. C. Adams ; full backs, Rev. Norman Pares and A. C. Smith ; goal, J. H. Smith. Wimborne: Goal, S. E. Wallingford ; full backs, H. J. Seymour and Macnaughton ; half-backs, J. Stewart, E. G. Farquharson (captain), and Miller ; left wing, D. C. Stewart and J. A. Nicholson ; right wing, Marsh and Budden ; centre forward, A. J. Fort. Capital arrangements were made on the ground for the convenience of the players by Mr Richards, and the visitors were afterwards entertained at a meat tea by the Borough Club at their head-quarters, Blue Anchor Hotel Kingston Cross, when the catering of Host J. E. Buckle gave great satisfaction. General Harward, one of the Vice-Presidents, made a genial Chairman, and there was a friendly interchange of congratulations between the Clubs before the departure of the visitors for Wimborne.
