When England fielded Eleven Corinthians

Corinthian Football Club have achieved many rare feats in their history, some of which are likely never to be repeated. On 12 March 1894, all 11 players starting for England played for one club, Corinthian, although many were dual registered with other amateur clubs, including Casuals.

They would face neighbours Wales at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham. The Welsh team that stepped onto the pitch that day was a mix of amateurs and professionals, but they were no match for the Corinthians who, despite conceding the first goal, won 5-1. J.G. Veitch scored a hat-trick and R.C. Gosling also scored, with the other an own goal. No other club has ever been able to claim a full starting XI for England, but Corinthian did it twice.

James Shaw takes a look back at that historic XI.

L.H. Gay
From Brighton in Sussex, Gay was the goalkeeper. He was also an accomplished cricketer representing England in one first-class test against Australia, as well as Somerset and Hampshire. Gay earned three caps for England in goal and would play 32 times for Corinthians. He also earned blues for Cambridge in cricket and football. Later, he signed up as a reserve for Southampton but never played a first-team match.

L.V. Lodge
Lodge played as a full-back, and represented England five times, having previously played for Cambridge University where he gained three blues against Oxford. He would play 47 times for Corinthians, never scoring, and also signed a contract with Small Heath (later renamed Birmingham City), playing one game while maintaining his amateur status. Tragically, he was found drowned in a pond at the age of 43, believed to have taken his own life amid mental health difficulties.

F.R. Pelly
Pelly was an East London boy who ended up playing for both Corinthians and Casuals, but little else is known of him. However, he did represent England three times on top of his 47 appearances for Corinthian and was a prominent player for the Casuals in the 1890s, captaining them at one point.

A.H. Hossack
Hossack played for Cambridge University earning a blue in 1890 before representing Corinthian 31 times. He scored once for Corinth in a 5-2 win over West Bromwich Albion in 1894. He represented England twice in the 1890s and also played for Casuals while registered with Corinthian in 1891. He was an assistant at Corinthians in 1890/91, helping N.L. Jackson run the club.

C. Wreford-Brown
The most famous Corinthian in the line-up, he played 161 times for the club in two decades. He captained the side and went on tour to South Africa (twice), Hungary, Austria, Czechia, Germany, Sweden and Denmark. He started his amateur career at Oxford University representing them in football and cricket before joining Old Carthusians. Both his brother and his son would play for Corinthian, and he is believed to have coined the word ‘soccer’.

A.G. Topham
Another Oxford University alumnus who earned a blue in football in 1890, Topham and his brother played for both Corinthian and Casuals. This match against Wales was his only appearance in an England shirt, but he made 29 appearances for Corinthian, scoring twice and appeared regularly (minimum 58 times) for Casuals even playing in the FA Amateur Cup final in a 2-1 loss to Old Carthusians in 1894.

R. Topham
A.G.’s elder brother, making the Tophams one of seven pairs of brothers to represent the Three Lions in the same game. Robert is also the only player registered at a professional Football League club during this time. He was on the books at Wolverhampton Wanderers despite maintaining his amateur status, winning the 1893 FA Cup final. He would play 45 times for Corinthian and score 23 goals, whilst also representing Casuals regularly (minimum 46 times). He was part of the Corinthian side that shared the 1898 Sheriff of London Charity Shield with English champions Sheffield United.

R.C. Gosling
One of the wealthier gentlemen on this team and heir to the Goslings Bank, he was an Eton and Cambridge alumnus (although he didn’t earn a blue). He was described by fellow Corinthian G.O. Smith as one of the best forwards of the time and scored 14 times in 49 appearances in Corinthian white alongside his two goals in five appearances for England. He scored in this game against Wales.

G.O. Smith
A legend of his time and considered one of the greatest players of his generation, Smith made 20 international appearances and scored 10 times. He was simply known as G.O. Yet another who won his blues playing for Oxford and represented Old Carthusians. His reputation as one of the best on the pitch was matched by that of his reputation off it as a true gentleman. So prolific was Smith that he scored a whopping 132 times in 137 matches for Corinth.

J.G. Veitch
The hero of the day with a hat-trick against Wales, Veitch only ever made this one appearance for England. Veitch was born in Kingston Hill and would play 69 times for Corinthian, scoring 49 times. He also represented Cambridge in four Varsity matches. Veitch’s first appearance for Corinthian came against the great ‘Invincible’ Preston North End side of 1888/89, in a 1-0 defeat.

R.R. Sandilands
Working as a clerk for the Bank of England, Sandilands is one of the few on this team not to have gone to Cambridge or Oxford University. Another prolific goalscorer, he played 46 times and scored 32 goals for Corinthian and kept it up on international duty, with three goals in six England caps. He played for Casuals in 1892 and also played cricket for Upper Tooting, whose ground is a former home of the Casuals, and hockey for Wimbledon.