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UPDATE: 14 OCTOBER 1871
The Old Westminsters are closing in on the Metropolitan League title after Peckham could only share two games with the City of London Club today. Peckham are one behind with just one to play, but that game is against the Westminsters in two weeks time. League officials could move the Westminsters’ final game against Hackney should the title race still be alive at the end of the month, as they are keen for the season not to stretch too far into November. Already it has been decided that with The Regent’s Park out of the race, Hackney are going to play at the Regents and Kensington on the same day, making the short journey of just over two miles by horse and carriage immediately after the conclusion of the first game. No teams have any desire to be playing in late November, so every club involved was happy with the arrangement, Hackney in particular keen to get their difficult first season in the league completed. The Westminsters’ game with Hackney is due to be a week after that, but could be brought ahead of those two games.
Elsewhere in England, there will be a tiebreaker in the Liverpool and District League and there could also be one in the Manchester and District League. In Liverpool, St Helens collapsed to five successive defeats to end the scheduled fixtures but having won their penultimate game to draw level, Liverpool St Patrick’s could not take advantage in the final round of fixtures, losing to Great Float when a win would have brought the title. With four wins in the six meetings, St Patrick’s will host the extra game. In Manchester, victory over Irwell in their final game would have seen Rochdale crowned champions but despite leading 2-1 after seven innings, they allowed runs in the eighth and ninth to lose 3-2. Should Irwell win their rescheduled game with Moss Grove next week, an extra game will be needed, for which Irwell would have home advantage having won three of four against Rochdale.
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