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Status: Friendly
Date: 24 March 1925
Venue: Subiaco Oval, Subiaco, Western Australia
Western Australia: Alec Marr, Richard Utting, Syd Hinton, Harold Boys, Jock Warden (c), C.Martin, Eric Wilderspin, Andy Gordon, Jimmy Gordon, E.Gomme, Bart Nesbit
England Cricket XI: William Whysall, Maurice Tate, Patsy Hendren, Herbert Sutcliffe, Johnny Douglas, Roy Kilner, Arthur Gilligan, Jack Hearne, Harry Howell, Tich Freeman, Andy Sandham
Referee: J.Yuille
A bumper crowd of about 7,000 were on hand to witness Western Australia defeat the English Cricket XI 5-3 at Subiaco Oval in 1925. A hat-trick by Jimmy Gordon and a brace from Andy Gordon out the State side in a commanding position before the visitors mounted a late revival by netting three times in the final twenty minutes. This was the first outing by the State team in fifteen years, the lengthy layoff due in the most part to the First World War.
The opening play was sensational, Andy Gordon putting the finishing touch to a nice move down the left to give Western Australia the lead inside 2 minutes. The hosts were then pulled up three times for offside before Jimmy Gordon tested William Whysall between the posts. England’s first meaningful attack ended with Roy Kilner placing wide after which Whysall was again called into action by Jimmy Gordon.
England were by this stage seeing more of the ball but Tich Freeman shot high and Alec Marr took the ball off the feet of Harry Howell. Western Australia returned to the attack where an inspirational solo move by Andy Gordon saw him put away the teams second goal. It took only a few minutes for their third goal to arrive, Jimmy Gordon giving Whysall no chance after Maurice Tate lost his footing when attempting to clear.
Some tactical changes at half-time by the English had Patsy Hendren take on a more attacking role with Kilner dropping into defence. The switch appeared to worked wonders as the second period opened with Howell taking the ball into the final third before being dispossessed by Richard Utting. Play quickly transferred to the other end when Whysall brought off another splendid save to deny Jimmy Gordon in a one-on-one situation.
Two minutes later Jimmy Gordon made amends by netting a lovely return pass from Eric Wilderspin to take the difference to four goals. Jack Hearne looked to have pulled one back but his shot flashed just wide with Marr scrambling across his line. Jimmy Gordon was in an offside position when he received the ball and drove forward and beat Whysall to complete his hat-trick and seemingly put the game out of the visitors reach with twenty minutes remaining.
The English stepped their game up a notch and were rewarded with a goal by Freeman, who tucked in Hearne’s powerful strike that rebounded off the post. The margin was further reduced with Howell netting after good lead-up work by Hendren. Howell put a header narrowly wide and Jimmy Gordon fired past the post as the teams went looking to add to their respective tallies.
As the match came to a close it was the home defence that was feeling the heat, Marr saving a fine shot by Andy Sandham. With only minutes left on the clock Howell took advantage of an offside appeal that was turned down by referee J.Yuille to score his third teams’ goal. The final whistle found the ball in England’s attacking half with the score 5-3 in Western Australia’s favour.
Status: Friendly
Date: 9 May 1925
Venue: Fremantle Oval, Fremantle, Western Australia
Western Australia: H.Boland, Richard Utting (c), T.Boyle, Harold Boys, T.Finlayson, C.Martin, Harry Bubb, Andy Gordon, Jimmy Gordon, Bart Nesbit, Wally Gardner
England FA XI: Henry Hardy, Stan Charlton, Cecil Poyton, Joe Hannah, Charlie Spencer, Len Graham, Charlie Hannaford, Jack Elkes, Ernie Simms, Stan Seymour, Billy Williams
Referee: Mr Pepworth
Western Australia were handed a lesson in the finer points of football when thumped 7-0 by a team representing the England Football Association. Billy Williams led the way with four goals, Ernie Simms helped himself to a double with the remainder coming via Joe Hannah. Western Australia finished with ten men after a second half collision left goalkeeper H.Boland nursing a broken leg. This was the second game of the English FA’s 1925 tour of Australia, the first being an 8-0 defeat of a Metropolitan XI two days prior.
Picture perfect conditions brought a bumper crowd in the vicinity 10,000 to Fremantle Oval. The early signs were not good for the home team with Boland injuring a knee before England got the ball over the line for the first time, however, on this occasion referee Pepworth incorrectly signalled for play to continue. Western Australia worked hard in limiting England to a single first half goal, that scored when 19-year old Williams fired in after pressuring Harold Boys into conceding possession.
Jack Elkes, who seemed to have the ball on a string at times, pulled the defence out of position before threading the ball in for Williams to net an easy opportunity early. Williams had his hat-trick after Boland was unable to keep put the striker’s lovely strike from 18-metres. Boland raced off his line in an attempt to thwart the advancing Hannah, who managed to poke the ball between the ‘keeper’s legs and into the net. However, the two players collided with Boland coming off worse for wear, breaking his left leg and carried from the field.
Another fine left foot finish took Williams’ personal goal tally to four, after which a tricky Charlie Hannaford run was converted by Simms. England’s final goal was surrounded in controversy, Simms guiding a Stan Seymour centre into the net with his hand. Such was the visitors’ dominance that Henry Hardy was called upon just once all afternoon, the goalkeeper plucking a hooked Jimmy Gordon shot out from the top corner. Within hours of the final whistle the England FA squad had boarded a train and were bound for Adelaide.
Status: Friendly
Date: 1 August 1925
Venue: Fremantle Oval, Fremantle, Western Australia
Western Australia: George Kirk, Richard Utting, Syd Hinton, Harold Boys, T.Finlayson, Jock Warden (c), Bert Chadwick, Andy Gordon, Billy Smart, Ben Newall, Wally Gardner
England FA XI: Henry Hardy, Joe Hannah, Stan Charlton, Jimmy Hamilton, Charlie Spencer, Len Graham, Jimmy Walsh, Ernie Simms, Bert Batten, Jack Elkes, Billy Williams
Referee: E.Tonkinson
The England FA defeated Western Australia 5-1 in front of a crowd of 5,000 towards the end of their Australian tour. Two goals from each Bert Batten and Ernie Simms in the first half were added to by Jack Elkes before Wally Gardner pulled one back for the hosts close to the end. It was a threadbare English side that limped back to Perth with Cecil Poyton (back), Billy Sage (knee), Charlie Hannaford (leg), Tom Whittaker (leg) and Stan Seymour feeling the effects of their three months in Australia.
England hit the ground running and Simms lifted high before a minute has passed. That missed was soon enough forgotten as, sixty seconds later, Batten sent the ball past George Kirk to make it one-nil. Simms then doubled the visitors lead following good combination between the English forwards. Western Australia eventually got into rhythm with their first opening coming the way of Ben Newall, who was robbed of a shot by Henry Hardy. In the minutes later followed Bert Chadwick shot wide and Hardy saved from Billy Smart.
The margin became three-goals after a suspiciously offside Batten rose well to head in a superb cross by Jimmy Walsh. England continued to attack and another Walsh centre looked like being sent into the net by Batten until he over-ran the ball. A flying shot by Walsh went over the crossbar and Elkes explosive drive met with the same fate. Walsh was again the provider, this time for Simms whose header slipped from Kirk’s grasp and dropped over the line to make it four-nil at the break.
Chances on goal were scarce as the second half opened tamely. Andy Gordon sprayed wide as Hardy came off his line before Batten found the net but was ruled offside. Billy Williams was the architect of England’s fifth and final goal, the attacker running the ball forward before teeing up Elkes, who shot truly. With ten minutes remaining Gardner, whose on the ball skills caused the visiting backs problems all day, scored the west a consolation when his crisp low strike from 18-metres gave Hardy no chance.
“The local lads were more in the picture than on the last occasion due largely to the fact that after scoring 4-0 in the first half the Englishmen eased up,” (1) reported the ‘West Australian’ newspaper. “The Swan-bearers had the ball well in front of goal but what with the English backs bustling them and an alert goalkeeper running out and baffling them, they shot like toy pistols.” Gardner was the standout for the home side, while the English were best served by Len Graham and Charlie Spencer.
(1) p.9, the ‘West Australian’ newspaper, 3 August 1925
Status: Friendly
Date: 3 August 1925
Venue: Subiaco Oval, Subiaco, Western Australia
Western Australia: George Kirk, Ernie Nicholls, Syd Hinton, Harold Boys, Jock Warden (c), T.Finlayson, Eric Wilderspin, Andy Gordon, Billy Smart, Ben Newall, Wally Gardner
England FA XI: Teddy Davison, Joe Hannah, Stan Charlton, Len Graham, Charlie Spencer, Jimmy Hamilton, Jimmy Walsh, Billy Williams, Bert Batten, Jack Elkes, Stan Seymour
Referee: F.Firmiston
England FA captain Bert Batten scored four times to lead his team to their second 5-1 victory over Western Australia in three days. The 2,000-strong crowd could have not been happier about Andy Gordon’s opportunistic finish which had Western Australia one-nil up at the break. England put their foot down in the second with Batten and Jimmy Walsh netting to ensure the visitors completed their three-month visit to Australia by winning all 25 games.
The coin toss favoured England who quickly took up the attack but rare was it that they found holes in a resilient defence underpinned by backs Ernie Nicholls and Syd Hinton. Chances were even scarcer for Western Australia and it wasn’t until late in the half that they side got within clear sight of goal as Andy Gordon tucked into the net after goalkeeper Teddy Davison blocked his powerful initial effort. The English worked hard to equalise before the break only to be denied by goalkeeper George Kirk.
It took just a few minutes of the second half for Batten to posts England’s opening goal, the team captain converting after receiving a pass from Stan Seymour. A little later Len Graham darted down the left wing and crossed to the far post where Walsh cleverly headed into the net from a narrow angle. Batten scored England’s third then completed his hat-trick after Seymour’s drive came back off the crossbar. Kirk saved splendidly to keep out another shot from Batten, who later beat the ‘keeper with a spectacular finish.
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