Roger Walters:-
Always exciting to see a new Argyle F.C. team photograph and this is the oldest of those we have. I recognised some of the players and officials so by a process of elimination I have worked out the two probable matches it was taken at. The players are photographed in their playing positions, just as the one we already have, taken at Marsh Mills on 17th March 1900 for the Devon Senior Cup 2nd Round. This photograph came with all the names so I know the match is correct.
Unfortunately the photograph attached has no list of names but there are enough clues to work out the detail. This one is photographed in the same spot at Marsh Mills; though from a slightly different angle, in both this and the 1900 picture you can see the same fence behind, in front of the bushes/trees. From the players I recognised, this could be taken on Saturday 18th March 1899 and is, again, the Devon Senior Cup 2nd Round versus Tavistock, which Argyle went on to win 3-0. Argyle are in are green and black halve shirts and black shorts.
The line up is as follows with those I recognised in black and those I have never seen in a photograph before in green.
(Standing, Back row, left to right) Francis Crouch (Patron), William Rowse (Hon. Treasurer) this one is a guess, Stanley Vosper (right-back), Percy Buchan (goalkeeper), Archie P. Fisher (left-back), Clarence Newby Spooner (President), Tom Floyd (Hon. Secretary).
(Seated, Middle row) Charles H. Shute (right half), Clifton Pethick (centre-half), Frank Derry (left-half).
(Seated, Front row) Martin R. Tozer (outside right), J. McRennie (inside right), Hugh E. Rose (centre forward), Reg Dann (inside left), Bruce Spooner (outside left).
For some reason Bruce Spooner, the younger brother of Clarence (I think you can see a family resemblance in this photograph) is not in his kit. He did play on the 18th March, according to match reports. It was not unknown for a player to participate dressed in their trousers and white shirt working clothes. Maybe he turned up late? Whilst a pupil at Plymouth College he was known as a "Slacker".
Nearly two weeks later, on the 31st March 1899, he scored a hat-trick for Devon in the 4-2 defeat of well-known amateur side Surrey Wanderers but snapped a ligament near the end of the match. Due to the injury he did not play again for 7 months, and then, after 2 more matches, his footballing days ended.
There is one other match at Marsh Mills it could be with the same line-up, except the injured Bruce Spooner who does look downcast, but could he sit there with a snapped ligament? The other match was with Albert Ledington playing outside left (he is not in the photograph). This was the next round of the Devon Senior Cup (semi-final) on the Royal Artillery ground at Marsh Mills on Saturday 8th April 1899, played versus Plymstock based club, Lifton. Argyle won 1-0 to get to the final.
There you go, it is one of two matches, but which one? Bearing in mind the above circumstances and noting the demeanour of Bruce Spooner in the photograph, I would say it is probably the semi-final versus Lifton on the 8th April 1899, though it is a little unusual that a player with a snapped ligament is photographed in the outside left position and not Albert Ledington who took Spooner's place?
