A Rare and Early England Football Shirt, Goalkeeper Rupert D. Anderson, circa 1879,

A Rare and Early England Football Shirt, Goalkeeper Rupert D. Anderson, circa 1879, the woollen shirt with collar and long sleeves, patterned cuffs and hem, the right breast embroidered with the England crest comprising three lions and Victorian crown, 38in chest, 31 1/2in (80cm) collar to hem 19in (48.5cm) shoulder to shoulder Footnotes: Provenance: Rupert Darnley Anderson (1859-1944), thence by descent to the present owner. Rupert Anderson played his first and only match for the England national team on 18th January 1879, in a 2-1 victory over Wales at The Oval, London. Anderson represented England as goalkeeper, despite playing for Old Etonians FC as a striker. His appearance made him the ninth person ever to play for England in goal. The match itself was an historic occasion, marking the first international friendly between England and Wales according to Football Association (FA) rules. It also saw the first goal scored by the Wales national team, thanks to a solo effort by William Davies in the 55th minute. However, first-half goals by Herbert Whitfield and Heathcote Sorby were enough to secure victory for England. The match finished after only 60 minutes due to heavy snowfall, with two halves of 30 minutes played. The Sheffield Daily Telegraph match report noted that several inches of snow meant the ball lost 'its original shape and became almost too heavy to lift'. The present shirt is one of the earliest England football shirts ever to appear at auction. Literature: Sheffield Daily Telegraph , 20 January 1879, p.3. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com