John Wylie (footballer)
Encyclopedia
John George Wylie was an English
amateur footballer who played as a forward
. He won the FA Cup
with Wanderers
in 1878
and played once for England
in 1878.
and was educated at Shrewsbury School
between 1869 and 1872. After leaving school he moved to Sheffield
where he trained as a solicitor
. He qualified in 1878 after which he joined a practice in London
. In 1881, he was living in Putney
.
, before moving to Sheffield
where he earned representative honours for the city of Sheffield
. In the 1874 match against London, he was "borrowed" by the opposition who had insufficient players available. In March 1874, he was selected for the England
match against Scotland
, but had to withdraw at a late stage, and was replaced by John Hawley Edwards who thus made his solitary international appearance.
He then joined Wanderers
making his first appearance for them in January 1875. He only made a significant contribution to the Wanderers in 1877-78
, when he made eleven appearances, scoring nine goals, six of which came in FA Cup
matches. Wanderers thus reached their third consecutive cup final, when on 23 March 1878 at the Kennington Oval, they defeated the Royal Engineers
3–1.
Three weeks before the Cup Final, Wylie (together with fellow Wanderers forwards Henry Wace
and Hubert Heron
) was again selected for the annual international fixture against Scotland
. The game did not end happily for England as the Scots ran out 7–2 victors, although Wylie did score one of England's late consolation goals.
Wylie remained with the Wanderers until 1879, making his final appearance on 28 November. He was described by C. W. Alcock
in the 1879 "Football Annual" as "a good centre, with pace and strength (who) should play for his side more".
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
amateur footballer who played as a forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
. He won the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
with Wanderers
Wanderers F.C.
Wanderers Football Club is an English amateur football club, based in London, that plays in the Surrey South Eastern Combination. Founded as Forest Football Club in 1859, the club changed its name to Wanderers in 1864....
in 1878
1878 FA Cup Final
Match rules:90 minutes normal time.30 minutes extra-time if scores are level, at captains' discretion.Replay if scores still level.No substitutes.-Post-match:...
and played once for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in 1878.
Career
Wylie was born in ShrewsburyShrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
and was educated at Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 13 to 18, founded by Royal Charter in 1552. The present campus to which the school moved in 1882 is located on the banks of the River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England...
between 1869 and 1872. After leaving school he moved to Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
where he trained as a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
. He qualified in 1878 after which he joined a practice in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In 1881, he was living in Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
.
Football career
His early football was played with Shropshire WanderersShropshire Wanderers F.C.
Shropshire Wanderers F.C. were an amateur association football club based in Shrewsbury, England. They were active during the 1870s.They entered the FA Cup competition in each of the years from 1873-74 to 1877-78. Their greatest success came in 1874-75, when they reached the Semi-finals where they...
, before moving to Sheffield
Sheffield F.C.
Sheffield Football Club is an English football club from Sheffield, South Yorkshire. The club is most noted for the fact that they are the world's oldest club now playing Association football, founded in 1857...
where he earned representative honours for the city of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
. In the 1874 match against London, he was "borrowed" by the opposition who had insufficient players available. In March 1874, he was selected for the England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
match against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
, but had to withdraw at a late stage, and was replaced by John Hawley Edwards who thus made his solitary international appearance.
He then joined Wanderers
Wanderers F.C.
Wanderers Football Club is an English amateur football club, based in London, that plays in the Surrey South Eastern Combination. Founded as Forest Football Club in 1859, the club changed its name to Wanderers in 1864....
making his first appearance for them in January 1875. He only made a significant contribution to the Wanderers in 1877-78
1877-78 in English football
The 1877–78 season was the seventh season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Wanderers became the first club to win the FA Cup three times in a row after beating Royal Engineers 3–1 in this season's final. It was the fifth time they had won the competition overall...
, when he made eleven appearances, scoring nine goals, six of which came in FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
matches. Wanderers thus reached their third consecutive cup final, when on 23 March 1878 at the Kennington Oval, they defeated the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers A.F.C.
The Royal Engineers Association Football Club is an association football team representing the Corps of Royal Engineers, the "Sappers", of the British Army. In the 1870s it was one of the strongest sides in English football, winning the FA Cup in 1875 and being Cup Finalists in four of the first...
3–1.
Three weeks before the Cup Final, Wylie (together with fellow Wanderers forwards Henry Wace
Henry Wace (footballer)
Henry Wace was an English amateur footballer who made three appearances for England and played for Wanderers, with whom he won the FA Cup in 1877 and 1878. By profession he was a lawyer who specialised in bankruptcy law....
and Hubert Heron
Hubert Heron
George Hubert Hugh Heron was an English footballer who made five appearances as a forward for England in the 1870s and won three FA Cup winners' medals.-Playing career:...
) was again selected for the annual international fixture against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
. The game did not end happily for England as the Scots ran out 7–2 victors, although Wylie did score one of England's late consolation goals.
Wylie remained with the Wanderers until 1879, making his final appearance on 28 November. He was described by C. W. Alcock
C. W. Alcock
Charles William Alcock was an influential English sportsman and administrator. He was a major instigator in the development of both international football and cricket, as well as being the creator of the FA Cup....
in the 1879 "Football Annual" as "a good centre, with pace and strength (who) should play for his side more".