On This Day – September 12th

On 12th September 1885, Arbroath were drawn against Bon Accord in the first round of the Scottish Cup. Although Arbroath were only founded seven years earlier in 1878 they were already vastly more experienced than Bon Accord who were only a year old. Some sources state that Bon Accord were really Orion Cricket Club, who had received the entry confirmation in error from the Scottish FA instead of Orion FC.

Bon Accord are said to have arrived for the match without any form of standard football kit, a portent of what was to follow...

With the teams being so mismatched, it was likely that Arbroath would win easily, but even in those days when high scoring games were common the result was unprecedented.

Arbroath were 15-0 up by half time, and scored another 21 goals in the second half. The Scottish Athletic Journal at the time wrote The leather was landed between the posts 41 times, but five of the times were disallowed. Here and there, enthusiasts would be seen scoring sheet and pencil in hand, taking note of the goals as one would score runs at a cricket match."

Referee Dave Stormont later claimed that had he taken a harder line with the Aberdeen team, Arbroath could have won 43-0. Stormont said: My only regret was that I chalked off seven goals, for while they may have looked doubtful from an offside point of view, so quickly did the Maroons carry the ball from midfield, and so close and rapid was their passing, that it was very doubtful whether they could be offside.

It was claimed that Arbroath goalkeeper Jim Milne Sr did not touch the ball in the entire game and spent some of the match sheltering from the rain under a spectator's umbrella.

This record making scoreline was the largest margin of victory in professional football until the 31st October 2002, when AS Adema played l'Emyrne as part of a four-team round robin playoff to determine the Madagascan national championship.

SO l'Emyrne intentionally lost the game in protest over refereeing decisions that had gone against them during a four-team playoff tournament.

What was the final score in that 2002 match?

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