Strange but True
Unfinished Business: Newcastle v Walsall Town Swifts - 29th December 1894
Newcastle were in their second season in Division 2; Walsall Town Swifts (one of the inaugral members) were in their third campaign. Just seven days earlier United had beaten the Swifts 7-2 at St James' Park after establishing a five goal interval lead, but The Magpies had failed to record a victory on their travels so far.
There were nine places between the clubs with Newcastle in 5th and Walsall 14th in the 16 team League. The Black Country club had struggled throughout their League career and with the number attending matches in the hundreds rather than the thousands the club was struggling to stay afloat. As a result they were finding it difficult to play the players' wages.
The match was played at The West Bromwich Road ground in atrocious conditions.
| 1894/95 | 29th Dec | Div 2 | Walsall TS [A] | Won | 3-2 [3-0] | 200 |
- Hynd
- Jeffrey
- McDermidd
- Crielly
- Graham
- Rendell
- Smith
- Willis [3]
- Thompson
- McNee
- Wallace
A perfect hurricane of a wind was blowing across the field making for an unpleasant experience for spectators and players alike. Not that the Swifts would know as they were still in their "dressing room". They were refusing to change into their kit unless their wages were guaranteed. An agreement of some sort was reached and the match eventually kicked off 20 minutes late.
United won the toss and elected to play down the slope. The visitors made a splendid start and were soon ahead through Willis. Within minutes Smith had to leave the field of play after being badly winded. But despite numerical inferiority it was The Novocastrians who maintained the initiative and Willis shot through twice more to give United a three goal advantage at the break.
In the second forty-five The Swifts began to gain the upper hand with United beginning to tire; the visitors glad of a few minutes rest when the ball ran down an embankment. Lofthouse and Copeland both scored for Walsall to set up an exciting finale.
With the homesters straining every nerve to pull level the weather took a turn for the worse as a sharp hailstorm came on; then play was temporarily suspended after "some unpleasantness between two players"
The storm increased in fury and the referee decided to call a halt to proceedings with 12 minutes still left to play.
Despite the fact that the game was abandoned it was decreed that the result should stand.
But the end of the season brought much worse news for the Midlanders when they failed to get re-elected and dropped out of the Football League.