View source for 1888 Great Britain Tour

{{Short description|none}}
The '''1888 Great Britain Tour''' was a series of [[association football]] matches played between a touring team from [[Canada]] organized by the [[Western Football Association]], and several clubs from across the [[British Isles]]. The Canadian team finished their tour with 9 wins, 5 draws, and 9 losses in 60 days.<ref name=Colin>{{cite web|url=http://www.canadiansoccerhistory.com/Canadiantoursabroad/Gt%20Britain%201888.html|author=Jose, Colin|title=Overseas Tours by Canadian Teams: Great Britain Tour, 1888|publisher=Canadian Soccer History|access-date=11 May 2023}}</ref> In 2003, the team was inducted into the [[Canada Soccer Hall of Fame]] for their accomplishments.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.canadasoccer.com/teams-organisations-of-distinction/|title=Teams & Organisations of Distinction|publisher=[[Canada Soccer]]|access-date=5 June 2023}}</ref>

== WFA roster ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Name
!Nation
|-
| Harry Bewell || {{flag|CAN|1868}}
|-
| Harry P. Bingham || {{flag|CAN|1868}}
|-
|  [[Walter Bowman (soccer)|Walter W. Bowman]] || {{flag|CAN|1868}}
|-
|  Solomon Brubacher || {{flag|CAN|1868}}
|-
|  Dr. William Burnet || {{flag|CAN|1868}}
|-
|  Alexander Noble Garrett || {{flag|CAN|1868}}
|-
|  Alex Gibson || {{flag|CAN|1868}}
|-
|  Tom Gibson || {{flag|CAN|1868}}
|-
|  Dr. Edward Payson Gordon || {{flag|CAN|1868}}
|-
|  Fred Killer || {{flag|CAN|1868}}
|-
|  Charles (Carl) Kranz || {{flag|CAN|1868}}
|-
|  Tom W. Murray || {{flag|CAN|1868}}
|-
|  Dr Wilfred Pirt Mustard || {{flag|CAN|1868}}
|-
|  Dr. Henry Hempton “Harry” Pirie || {{flag|CAN|1868}}
|-
|  Dr. Walter Proudfoot Thomson ([[Captain (association football)|c]]) || {{flag|CAN|1868}}
|-
|  E.W. Webster || {{flag|CAN|1868}}
|-
|  [[David Forsyth (soccer)|David Forsyth]] || {{flag|CAN|1868}} / {{flag|SCO}}
|}

== Results ==
===Statistics===
{{Fb overview|c=4 |u=30 October 1888
|c1 = Irish opponents
|fm1= 1 September |lm1=5 September
|w1=3 |d1=1 |l1=0 |f1=13|a1=7
|c2 = Scottish opponents
|fm2= 8 September |lm2=18 September
|w2=1 |d2=1 |l2=3 |f2=5 |a2=12
|c3 = English opponents
|fm3= 22 September |lm3=30 October
|w3=5 |d3=3 |l3=6 |f3=21|a3=22
|s=[[#Matches|Matches]]
}}
===Matches===
All match records were retrieved from research done by Colin Jose.<ref name=Colin/>
{{football box collapsible
|round = 1
|date  = 1 September
|score = 2–6
|team1 = County Antrim {{fbaicon|Ireland|1783}}
|goals1 = 
*Peden {{goal}}
*Gibb {{goal}}
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
*Charles Krantz {{goal}}{{goal}}
*Walter Thomson {{goal}}{{goal}}
*Alex Gibson {{goal}}
|location = [[Belfast|Belfast, Northern Ireland]]
|stadium = 
|result = W
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 2
|date  = 3 September
|score = 3–2
|team1 = [[Lisburn Distillery F.C.|Distillery F.C.]] {{fbaicon|Ireland|1783}}
|goals1 =
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
|location = [[Belfast|Belfast, Northern Ireland]]
|stadium = 
|result = W
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 3
|date  = 4 September
|score = 3–2
|team1 = Clarence Athletic Association {{fbaicon|Ireland|1783}}
|goals1 =
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
|location = [[Belfast|Belfast, Northern Ireland]]
|stadium = 
|result = W
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 4
|date  = 5 September
|score = 1–1
|team1 = Y.M.C.A. {{fbaicon|Ireland|1783}}
|goals1 =
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
|location = [[Belfast|Belfast, Northern Ireland]]
|stadium = 
|result = D
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 5
|date  = 8 September
|score = 1–1
|team1 = [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] {{fbaicon|SCO}}
|goals1 =
*R. Hotson {{goal}}
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
*Walter Tomson {{goal}}
|location = [[Govan|Govan, Scotland]]
|stadium = [[Ibrox Park (1887–1899)|Ibrox Park]]
|result = D
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 6
|date  = 11 September
|score = 3–1
|team1 = [[Queen's Park F.C.|Queen's Park]] {{fbaicon|SCO}}
|goals1 =
*? {{goal}}
*Andrew {{goal}}
*Berry {{goal}}
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
*Alex Gibson {{goal}}
|location = [[Crosshill, Glasgow|Crosshill, Scotland]]
|stadium = [[Cathkin Park|Hampden Park]]
|result = L
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 7
|date  = 13 September
|score = 4–0
|team1 = Ayr {{fbaicon|SCO}}
|goals1 = 
*Ross {{goal}}
*Alex Campbell {{goal}}
*Cunningham {{goal}}
*? {{goal}}
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
|location = [[Ayr, Scotland]]
|stadium = 
|result = L
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 8
|date  = 15 September
|score = 0–3
|team1 = [[Heart of Midlothian F.C.|Hearts]] {{fbaicon|SCO}}
|goals1 =
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
*Walter Thomson {{goal}} 
*Alex Gibson {{goal}}
*Tom Gibson {{goal}}
|location = [[Edinburgh|Edinburgh, Scotland]]
|stadium = [[Tynecastle Park]]
|result = W
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 9
|date  = 18 September
|score = 4–0
|team1 = Scotland XI {{fbaicon|SCO}}
|goals1 =
*McCall {{goal}}{{goal}}
*? {{goal}}
*? {{goal}}
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
|location =
|stadium = 
|result = L
|note = The Scotland XI were not the [[Scotland men's national football team|national team]]. They were a team made up of Scottish league players from Cowlairs, Queens Park, Rangers, Renton, and Vale of Leven football clubs.
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 10
|date  = 22 September
|score = 0–3
|team1 = [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]] {{fbaicon|ENG}}
|goals1 =
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
*Tom Gibson {{goal}}
*Thomson {{goal}}{{goal}}
|location =
|stadium = 
|result = W
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 11
|date  = 26 September
|score = 2–3
|team1 = [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]] {{fbaicon|ENG}}
|goals1 =
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
*Tom Gibson {{goal}}
*Thomson {{goal}}{{goal}}
|location =
|stadium = 
|result = W
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 12
|date  = 29 September
|score = 1–3
|team1 = [[Lincoln City F.C.|Lincoln City]] {{fbaicon|ENG}}
|goals1 =
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
*[[Walter Bowman (soccer)|Walter Bowman]] {{goal}}
*Thomson {{goal}}{{goal}}
|location =
|stadium = 
|result = W
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 13
|date  = 1 October
|score = 1–1
|team1 = Sheffield {{fbaicon|ENG}}
|goals1 =
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
|location =
|stadium = 
|result = D
|note = It is unclear which particular Sheffield team played in this match (e.g. [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]], [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield Wednesday]], etc.).
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 14
|date  = 4 October
|score = 2–0
|team1 = [[Notts County]] {{fbaicon|ENG}}
|goals1 =
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
|location = [[Nottingham, England]]
|stadium = [[Trent Bridge|Trent Bridge Ground]]
|result = L
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 15
|date  = 6 October
|score = 0–2
|team1 = [[Manchester United F.C.|Newton Heath]] {{fbaicon|ENG}}
|goals1 =
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
*[[Walter Bowman (soccer)|Walter Bowman]] {{goal}}
*E.W. Webster {{goal}}
|location =
|stadium = 
|result = W
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 16
|date  = 8 October
|score = 4–1
|team1 = [[Blackburn Rovers]] {{fbaicon|ENG}}
|goals1 =
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
*Tom Gibson {{goal}}
|location =
|stadium = 
|result = L
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 17
|date  = 13 October
|score = 2–2
|team1 = [[Swifts F.C.|Swifts]] {{fbaicon|ENG}}
|goals1 =
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
*E.W. Webster {{goal}}
*[[Walter Bowman (soccer)|Walter Bowman]] {{goal}}
|location =
|stadium = 
|result = D
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 18
|date  = 15 October
|score = 2–3
|team1 = Northampton County {{fbaicon|ENG}}
|goals1 =
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
*E.W. Webster {{goal}}
[[David Forsyth (soccer)|David Forsyth]] {{goal}}
*Harry Bingham {{goal}}
|location = [[Wellingborough|Wellingboro, England]]
|stadium = 
|result = W
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 19
|date  = 17 October
|score = 1–1
|team1 = [[Oxford University]] {{fbaicon|ENG}}
|goals1 =
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
*Charles Kranz {{goal}}
|location =
|stadium = 
|result = D
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 20
|date  = 20 October
|score = 1–0
|team1 = [[Old Carthusians F.C.|Old Carthusians]] {{fbaicon|ENG}}
|goals1 = 
*Surgess-Jones {{goal}}
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
|location =
|stadium = 
|result = L
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 21
|date  = 22 October
|score = 4–2
|team1 = [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] {{fbaicon|ENG}}
|goals1 =
*? {{goal}}
*? {{goal}}
*? {{goal}}
*? {{goal}}
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
*Henry Pirie {{goal}}
*Walter Thomson {{goal}}
|location =
|stadium = 
|result = L
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 22
|date  = 27 October
|score = 1–0
|team1 = [[West Bromwich Albion]] {{fbaicon|ENG}}
|goals1 = ? {{goal}}
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
|location =
|stadium = 
|result = L
}}
{{football box collapsible
|round = 23
|date  = 31 October
|score = 1–0
|team1 = [[Swifts F.C.|Swifts]] {{fbaicon|ENG}}
|goals1 =
|team2 = {{flagdeco|CAN|1868}} WFA team
|goals2 = 
|location = [[London, England]]
|stadium = [[Kennington Oval]]
|result = L
}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{1888–89 in English football}}
{{1888–89 in Scottish football}}
{{Canada men's national soccer team}}
{{Canada Soccer Hall of Fame}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Great Britain Tour, 1888}}
[[Category:1888 in Canadian soccer]]
[[Category:1888–89 in English football]]
[[Category:1888–89 in Scottish football]]
[[Category:History of the Canada men's national soccer team]]