Talk:1892-93 in English football

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[edit] Fred Spiksley Goals

Offical Statistics say that Fred scored 2 against Wales and 2 against Scotland. And therefore I guess that this is how it should be recorded on the website. However, he did in fact score a hat-trick in both matches and there is a huge amount of evidence to prove this. When we come closer to the completion of the book we will be making inquiries on how we can get the official statistics corrected.

In brief, goal scorers were never officially recorded at the time, and therefore statisticians have worked out who scored goals by looking at newspapers. They choose the times or Athletic news as their main source.

The fact that the secretary of the FA at the time wrote a book with almost a whole chapter dedicated to Fred and his Scotland hat-trick, the fact that the referee said that Fred scored a hat-trick, the editor of the Athletic News (who didn't write the report for the match) says he scored a hat-trick, the fact that Fred always maintained he scored the hat-trick and the FA even awarded Fred with a chain with an inscription of for the hat-trick. None of these things count, because the Athletic News got it wrong.

We also have compelling newspaper articles that give a clear statement that the journalists could not even see the game on the day because the crowd was so big it was forced to stand in front of them. Collectively the newspapers credited about 8 different players for the 5 England goals. All the people who claim he scored three goals were in the stand and had a clear view, apart from the Referee who was on the pitch.

Anyway. I'm happy for the site to stay at 2 goals for each match, because I know for a fact that when we ask for the stats to be changed. No-one will care and what's more will probably tell us that we are wrong and they are right. And lets face it, it's one of the biggest things Fred did.