Game of three halves

The "Game of three halves" was a football match played between Sunderland and Derby County on the opening day of the 1894–95 English football season.

Game of three halves

The game took place at Sunderland's Newcastle Road ground, depicted in this painting from 1895.
Event	1894–95 Football League
Sunderland Derby County (3+)8 0
Date	1 September 1894 (1894-09-01)
Referee	John Conqueror, Tom Kirkham
Attendance	9,000

Derby had travelled to Sunderland on 1 September for their first round fixture in the new First Division season, but as the nominated referee, Tom Kirkham, was running late, the game started with a replacement referee, John Conqueror, in charge.

After 45 minutes play, with Sunderland leading 3–0, Kirkham arrived and, "to the surprise of everyone", ordered that the game be restarted from scratch.^[1][2]

Two more halves followed, thus allowing three halves to be played, but the decision to start the match again did not help Derby. They conceded three further goals in the "second half" and five goals in the "third half" to officially lose the match 8–0.^[3]

Details

1st half

September 1, 1894

Sunderland	3–0	Derby County
Millar Campbell 15' Hannah ?' Hyslop 40'	Report

Newcastle Road, Sunderland

Attendance: 9,000

Referee: John Conqueror (England)

2nd half and 3rd half

September 1, 1894

Sunderland	8–0	Derby County
Hannah 4' Millar Campbell ?', 30', ?', ?' Hyslop ?', ?' Gillespie ?'	Report

Newcastle Road, Sunderland

Attendance: 9,000

Referee: Tom Kirkham (England)