Game #356
Saturday, 26 November 1898
Attendance: 10,000
Lost
Division One
1st
Sheffield Wednesday
WWWWL
Owlerton Stadium
Steve Smith equalised but the The game was abandoned after 79 minutes. It was deemed that the final period of the game needed to be played and as a result a fixture was rescheduled for March 1899 which occurred with no further change to the score.
Wednesday
3-1
Aston Villa
Assists(s) | Not recorded
KEY MAN
Steve Smith, equaliser, Saturday, 26 November 1898
PREVIOUS MATCH
NEXT MATCH
MATCH TIMELINE
[Exact timings not recorded]
1’ Debut, Frank Bedingfield
21’ Goal, 0-1, (Sheffield Wednesday)
22’ Goal, 1-1, Steve Smith
Goal, 1-2, (Sheffield Wednesday)
HT Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 Aston Villa
Goal, 1-3, (Sheffield Wednesday)
79’ Game Abandoned due to poor light
FT Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 Aston Villa
---
March 1899 reschedule
79’ Billy Garraty replaces Frank Bedingfield
FT Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 Aston Villa
ON THIS DAY
The game was abandoned after 79 minutes. It was deemed that the final period of the game needed to be played and as a result a fixture was rescheduled for March 1899 which occurred with no further change to the score.
Centre forward Frank Bedingfield made his sole appearance for Villa aged 21.
Bedingfield was the only player from this original fixture to not feature in the later game held to complete the final 11 minutes and he never played for Villa again. Bedingfield later moved on to Queens Park Rangers.
Aston Villa
Sheffield Wednesday
FIXTURE HISTORY
Sheffield Wednesday
Previous 5 vs. Wednesday: | 🟩 | 🟩 | 🟩 | 🟩 | 🟥 |
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 1898-99 |
Matchday | #13 |
League Match | #13 |
Manager Game | #330 |
Saturday, 26 November 1898
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager | George Ramsay led Management Committee |
Referee | Aaron Scragg, Crewe |
FT Score | 1-3 |
FT Result | Lost |
Last 5 Games | WWWWL |
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Aaron Scragg
CARDS
TEAM NEWS
Villa make two changes from the side that earned their seventh successive victory last time out as Jack Cowan and Jack Sharp miss out with Frank Bedingfield (debut) and Steve Smith coming in.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 26.31 |
Oldest Player |
F Jack Devey | 31.94 |
Youngest Player |
CF Frank Bedingfield | 21.75 |
MANAGER
MANAGER
George Ramsay led Management Committee
Aston Villa
GK Billy George |
CB Jimmy Cowan |
FB Albert Evans |
FB Charlie Aston |
M Tommy Bowman |
M Jimmy Crabtree |
W Steve Smith |
W Charlie Athersmith |
F Fred Wheldon |
F Jack Devey |
CF Frank Bedingfield |
Sheffield Wednesday
SUBSTITUTES
No Substitutions permitted in period
SUBSTITUTES
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
No Substitutions permitted in period
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
SQUAD STATS
MATCHDAY SQUAD
SQUAD STATS
MATCHDAY SQUAD
UNAVAILABLE
Not recorded
UNAVAILABLE
Not Recorded
Player Abbreviations:
GK : Goalkeeper
LB, RB, FB : Left Back, Right Back, Full Back
CB, D : Centre Back, Defender
M, W : Midfielder. Winger
F, CF : Forward, Centre Forward
🟢 : Debut 🔴 : Final Game
Symbols:
⚽ | Goal
🔥 | Assist
🔁 | Substitution
🟨 | Booking
🟥 | Sending off
🆘 | Poor refereeing performance
DEBUT APPEARANCES
FINAL APPEARANCES
MATCH STATS
Not recorded
TABLE
PROGRAMME

MATCHDAY QUOTES
"Ten minutes still remained for play, but at this juncture the referee called the two linesmen together, and, after short consultation, ordered that further play was impossible, and the game came to an abrupt and unsatisfactory termination with the scores - Sheffield Wednesday, three goals; Aston Villa, one goal."
*The Sporting Life*
Monday, 28 November 1898
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY v. ASTON VILLA.
PLAY STOPPED THROUGH DARKNESS.
The weather at Sheffield during the early hours of Saturday afternoon was of the most unpromising character, a slight drizzle falling, which augured badly for the success of this match at Olive Grove Grounds.
However, the dreary outlook did not have such a deterrent influence on the attendance as had been imagined, as the first visit of the season of the Villans to Sheffield created so much interest that anywhere from 15,000 to 18,000 spectators were present.
The Wednesday team was the strongest the executive could place in the field. Wright, late of the Bolton Wanderers, made his first appearance for Wednesday, he partnering Spikesley at inside left wing forward. Perrier was absent from the Wednesday team, this bringing in Jamieson, who played left half-back, Ruddlesdin crossing over from right to left. Johnson was absent from the Villa eleven, his place at centre forward being filled by Bedingfield, whilst Smith, who has been absent from the team for several weeks, made his reappearance.
A rather stiff breeze blew straight down the grounds, and on Earp winning the toss he elected that Wednesday should kick towards Healey, with the wind.
Owing to the late arrival of the referee, Mr. Scraggs. of Crewe, the start was not until 2.37, seven minutes after the advertised time. 2.30. As Mr. Scraggs was not present then, Mr. Fred Bye, of Sheffield, took the field as referee, a position he held throughout the first half, Mr. Scraggs refereeing the second half so far it was played.
The Villa were the first to show up prominently, Devey and Wheldon both shooting wide, whilst a little later Devey sent in very fast shot, the ball striking the goal post.
At the Aston end Crawshaw shot over, and then Wright passed to Hemingfield, whose final effort was a yard wide of the goal. When Spikesley ran down the left wing he was pulled up by Evans, who kicked out.
Shortly afterwards free kick accrued to Wednesday, and this was taken by Earp, who sent to Crawshaw, who shot in, the ball glancing off one of the Villa players into goal, thus scoring the first point for Wednesday, after about twenty-one minutes play.
Straight from the kick-off the ball was run along the Villa left wing, and with a splendid shot Smith equalised for the Villa. The next ten minutes play was fairly equal, but then another free kick was accorded Wednesday, and Jamieson directed the ball to Dryburgh, who shot it past George, the Villa custodian, thus placing Wednesday with the lead two to one.
George repulsed from Spikesley and Massey beat away from Wheldon, and the interval arrived with the scores Wednesday, two goals; Aston Villa, one goal.
Play was no sooner restarted than Wednesday were hovering about the Villa goal, and two corners accrued in quick succession. The first was resultless, but from the second, directed by Dryburgh. Hemmzfield managed to head the ball past George, this giving Wednesday lead of three goals to one.
A visit of the Villans to the Wednesday end saw both Smith and Athersmith shoot over. For several minutes the Villa goal was hotly besieged, George beating away two good shots, the onslaught finally ending by Crawshaw shooting over.
Dryburgh gave George a red hot one to stop, and then Smith made a fine run, and eluded the Wednesday, had only Massey to beat: he got flurried, and shot wide.
Devey and Bowman each gave Massey shots to stop, and hereabouts the Villa obtained their first and only corner of the match. This proved abortive, and the light; which had been very bad, developed into such semi-darkness that it was almost impossible to follow the course the ball.
Ten minutes still remained for play, but at this juncture the referee called the two linesmen together, and, after short consultation, ordered that further play was impossible, and the game came to an abrupt and unsatisfactory termination with the scores - Sheffield Wednesday, three goals; Aston Villa, one goal.