SATURDAY’S FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION RULES. THE LEAGUE - DIVISION 1 Sunderland v. Aston Villa. Nearly 10,000 people gathered at the Sunderland ground to see the champions play Aston Villa. Pleasant weather favoured the game, and the ground was in excellent condition. Hodgetts soon obtained a goal for Aston Villa, and Campbell, for the other side, put the ball between the posts, but the latter point was disallowed for off-side. Exciting play followed, each goal being threatened in turn, but, as nothing else was scored, the game at half-time stood: Aston Villa 1 goal, Sunderland 0. As soon as the game was restarted the home team commenced a warm attack on the Villa goal. For twenty minutes the visitors’ defence proved equal to the demands made upon it, but at last Miller succeeded in heading the ball through for Sunderland, and matters were thus made even. Each side afterwards came very near scoring, but when the end was reached no further points had been added, and the game thus resulted in a draw of 1 goal each. --- *The Birmingham Daily Post* Monday 11 September 1893 NOTES ON SPORT The game at Sunderland between the home team and Aston Villa was very disappointing to the spectators, for in it the League champions of last season showed a sad deterioration from their old form. Though the match was played at Newcastle Road, Sunderland, where the Wearsiders have before proved themselves all but invincible, on the day’s play Aston Villa deserved to win. Their form was far away above that of Sunderland, who, though they pressed most, nevertheless played a loose game, their old machine-like combination being conspicuously absent. They clearly proved to their own supporters that their failure to win at Sheffield on the previous Saturday was no fluke. Walker and Meehan, the two new backs, were closely looked at, but did not show any brilliance.. Porteous and the discarded John Gillespie, with youth on his side, would have made a better pair. The only man in the team who was A 1 was Doig in goal. On the other side the Villans were a well-balanced team, but certainly best at back. Elliott and Baird were a grand pair, and the Sunderland forwards, even when they did get into anything like combination, could seldom pass them, though they a tried for about three quarters of the game. Dunning in goal was like a stone wall. His weight as much as his skill told against his opponents. These three players diverted many a rush of the Sunderland players. At half-back the Villans also shone, their three men there playing much more steadily than the corresponding trio of the opposing team who worked hard but wildly. Among the forwards the best was Athersmith, if he only had been accurate in his shooting. By bad shooting he spoiled many fine efforts by his colleagues.