1968 British Home Championship
Encyclopedia
The 1968 British Home Championship
football
was the final stage of the 1968 UEFA European Football Championship
qualifying for the Home Nations
, and provided revenge for an England team smarting from a defeat on their home ground to the Scots
just months after winning the 1966 FIFA World Cup
which cost them the 1967 British Home Championship
. The English
victories against Wales
and Ireland
in the first two games meant that going into the final match they only required a draw, which they eventually achieved in a hard fought match, winning the tournament and the place in the European Championship. The Scots started badly against the unfancied Irish, losing in Belfast, and never recovered, scraping a win against Wales and needing a win against a dominant England team. The Irish were unable to capitalise on an excellent start, losing to England and Wales and coming fourth, whilst the Welsh managed a win against Ireland in their final game to scrape into joint third place after a terrible start.
The points system worked as follows:
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British Home Championship
The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
was the final stage of the 1968 UEFA European Football Championship
1968 UEFA European Football Championship
-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Replay:-Top scorers:There were 7 goals scored in 4 matches, for an average of 1.75 goals per game.2 goals Dragan Džajić...
qualifying for the Home Nations
Home Nations
Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on the context. Politically, it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom...
, and provided revenge for an England team smarting from a defeat on their home ground to the Scots
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
just months after winning the 1966 FIFA World Cup
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
which cost them the 1967 British Home Championship
1967 British Home Championship
The 1967 British Home Championship has remained famous in the memories of British Home Nations football fans ever since the dramatic climatic match at Wembley Stadium, where an unfancied Scottish team beat England on the same turf they had won the 1966 FIFA World Cup a year before...
. The English
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
victories against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
and Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
in the first two games meant that going into the final match they only required a draw, which they eventually achieved in a hard fought match, winning the tournament and the place in the European Championship. The Scots started badly against the unfancied Irish, losing in Belfast, and never recovered, scraping a win against Wales and needing a win against a dominant England team. The Irish were unable to capitalise on an excellent start, losing to England and Wales and coming fourth, whilst the Welsh managed a win against Ireland in their final game to scrape into joint third place after a terrible start.
Table
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | ||
| 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | ||
| 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | |
| 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 |
The points system worked as follows:
- 2 points for a win
- 1 point for a draw
Results
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