England v Scotland representative matches (1870–1872)
Encyclopedia
Between 1870 and 1872, the Football Association organised five representative association football matches between teams from England
and Scotland
, all held in London
. The first of these matches was held at The Oval
on 5 March 1870, and the fifth was on 21 February 1872. The matches, which were organised by C. W. Alcock
, are the precursors to modern international football
and referred to as internationals at the time, but are not considered full internationals by FIFA
as the players competing in the Scotland team were London-based Scottish players. They resulted in the 1872 match in Glasgow
between Scotland
and England
which is recognised as the first international match.
who placed advertisements in Scottish newspapers, including the following letter in the Glasgow Herald on 3 November 1870 regarding the second of the five fixtures:
"FOOTBALL. ENGLAND V SCOTLAND. Sir, will you allow me a few lines in your newspaper to notify to Scotch players that a match under the above title will take place in London on Sat 10th inst., according to the rules of the Football Association. It is the object of the committee to select the best elevens at their disposal in the two countries, and I cannot but think that the appearance of some of the more prominent celebrities of football on the northern side of the Tweed
would do much to disseminate a healthy feeling of good fellowship among the contestants and tend to promote a still greater extent the extension of the game..."
The first match, then, was organised by the FA and resulted in a 1–1 draw. The match was delayed two weeks from its advertised date due to excessive frost which had made the ground "dangerously unfit for play". Alcock captained the England team whilst Scotland were led by James Kirkpatrick
. The match was 0–0 when the teams changed end at half-time
- a rule that The Sporting Gazette of Saturday 12 March 1870 described as new - but Scotland took a lead through a goal by Robert Crawford
after England had moved their goalkeeper upfield. England fought back to score through Baker
to salvage a draw before the end of the game.
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
SCOTLAND:
James Kirkpatrick
(c)
Robert Crawford
William H. Gladstone
MP
George C. Gordon
Charles R. Baillie-Hamilton
William A. Baillie-Hamilton
Arthur F. Kinnaird
William Lindsay
John Wingfield Malcolm MP
Alexander Morten
Kenneth A. Muir Mackenzie
Team Selection:
Arthur Kinnaird
data does not exist from three of the matches, but it is known that in the third and fifth matches both teams lined up with a '1–1–8' formation.
Many of the players in Scotland did not play to the FA's rules at the time, inhibiting the possibility of a truly representative match between the two countries. Eventually, the FA decided in its minutes of 3 October 1872 note that:
The challenge was eventually taken up by Queen's Park
and this match, in 1872
is currently the earliest international football match recognised by FIFA as official international, though at the time it was considered as a continuation of the previous internationals.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, all held in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The first of these matches was held at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
on 5 March 1870, and the fifth was on 21 February 1872. The matches, which were organised by C. W. Alcock
C. W. Alcock
Charles William Alcock was an influential English sportsman and administrator. He was a major instigator in the development of both international football and cricket, as well as being the creator of the FA Cup....
, are the precursors to modern international football
International football
International football generally refers to association football matches between representative national teams carried out under the regulation of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association...
and referred to as internationals at the time, but are not considered full internationals by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
as the players competing in the Scotland team were London-based Scottish players. They resulted in the 1872 match in Glasgow
Scotland v England (1872)
Scotland v England was the first ever official international football match to be played. It was contested by the national teams of Scotland and England. The match took place on 30 November 1872 at West of Scotland Cricket Club's ground at Hamilton Crescent in Partick, Scotland...
between Scotland
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...
and England
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...
which is recognised as the first international match.
The first match
The 1870 match was initiated by C. W. AlcockC. W. Alcock
Charles William Alcock was an influential English sportsman and administrator. He was a major instigator in the development of both international football and cricket, as well as being the creator of the FA Cup....
who placed advertisements in Scottish newspapers, including the following letter in the Glasgow Herald on 3 November 1870 regarding the second of the five fixtures:
"FOOTBALL. ENGLAND V SCOTLAND. Sir, will you allow me a few lines in your newspaper to notify to Scotch players that a match under the above title will take place in London on Sat 10th inst., according to the rules of the Football Association. It is the object of the committee to select the best elevens at their disposal in the two countries, and I cannot but think that the appearance of some of the more prominent celebrities of football on the northern side of the Tweed
River Tweed
The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...
would do much to disseminate a healthy feeling of good fellowship among the contestants and tend to promote a still greater extent the extension of the game..."
The first match, then, was organised by the FA and resulted in a 1–1 draw. The match was delayed two weeks from its advertised date due to excessive frost which had made the ground "dangerously unfit for play". Alcock captained the England team whilst Scotland were led by James Kirkpatrick
James Kirkpatrick, 8th Baronet
Sir James Kirkpatrick was the 8th Kirkpatrick Baronet of Closeburn, Dumfriesshire. In his youth he was a keen sportsman, and helped organise the Scottish football team in the representative matches between March 1870 and February 1872...
. The match was 0–0 when the teams changed end at half-time
Half-time
In some team sports such as association football and rugby, matches are played in two halves. Half-time is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match...
- a rule that The Sporting Gazette of Saturday 12 March 1870 described as new - but Scotland took a lead through a goal by Robert Crawford
Robert Copland-Crawford
Robert Erskine Wade Copland-Crawford was a Scottish soldier and amateur sportsman.He served in the Afghan War from 1878 to 1880, and was mentioned in dispatches...
after England had moved their goalkeeper upfield. England fought back to score through Baker
Alfred Joseph Baker
Alfred Joseph Baker was an English amateur sportsman who scored England's goal in the first representative match against a Scottish XI in March 1870. By profession, he was an auctioneer.-Family:...
to salvage a draw before the end of the game.
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> |  ENGLAND: |
| Alfred H. Thornton Alfred Thornton Alfred Horace Thornton was an English amateur footballer who played for England in the first representative international match against Scotland in 1870. By profession, he was a banker.-Family and education:... |
|
| Charles Alcock C. W. Alcock Charles William Alcock was an influential English sportsman and administrator. He was a major instigator in the development of both international football and cricket, as well as being the creator of the FA Cup.... (c) |
|
| Edward E. Bowen | |
| Alfred J. Baker Alfred Joseph Baker Alfred Joseph Baker was an English amateur sportsman who scored England's goal in the first representative match against a Scottish XI in March 1870. By profession, he was an auctioneer.-Family:... |
|
| William C. Butler William C. Butler Captain William Charles Butler played football for England against a Scottish XI in two unofficial internationals in 1870 and 1871. He subsequently became a J.P. and Registrar in Cumberland.-Family:... |
|
| William P. Crake William Crake William Parry Crake , sometimes known as William Parry, was an English amateur footballer who won the inaugural F.A. Cup with the Wanderers in 1872 and played for the English XI against Scotland in the representative matches between 1870 and 1872... |
|
| Evelyn Freeth Evelyn Freeth Sir Evelyn Freeth was an English civil servant who became an expert on death duties. In his youth he was a keen sportsman who played football against Scotland in the first representative match in March 1870.... |
|
| Edgar Lubbock Edgar Lubbock Edgar Lubbock LLB was an English amateur footballer who twice won the FA Cup, and later became a partner in the Whitbread Brewery, a Director of the Bank of England and the Master of the Blankney Foxhounds.... |
|
| Alexander Nash Alexander Nash (footballer) Alexander Nash was an English amateur footballer who played for England in the first representative match against Scotland in March 1870. Little is known about his full identity.... |
|
| J.C. Smith | |
| Robert W. Vidal Robert Vidal Robert Walpole Sealy Vidal was a prominent 19th century footballer who featured in the first three FA Cup Finals for two different clubs. In March 1870 he played in the first ever international football match, which took place at The Oval, London. He represented England again in 1871-Football... |
|
| Team Selection: | |
 C.W. Alcock |
|
SCOTLAND:
James Kirkpatrick, 8th Baronet
Sir James Kirkpatrick was the 8th Kirkpatrick Baronet of Closeburn, Dumfriesshire. In his youth he was a keen sportsman, and helped organise the Scottish football team in the representative matches between March 1870 and February 1872...
(c)
Robert Copland-Crawford
Robert Erskine Wade Copland-Crawford was a Scottish soldier and amateur sportsman.He served in the Afghan War from 1878 to 1880, and was mentioned in dispatches...
William Henry Gladstone
William Henry Gladstone was a British Liberal Party Member of Parliament, and the eldest son of Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone and his wife Catherine née Glynne....
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Charles R. Baillie-Hamilton
Charles Robert Baillie-Hamilton was a Scottish civil servant, who became clerk to the Treasury. In his youth, he was a keen sportsman who played for the Scottish side in the first football match against England in March 1870....
William A. Baillie-Hamilton
Sir William Alexander Baillie-Hamilton C.B., K.C.M.G. was a Scottish civil servant, who became Private Secretary to the Chief Secretary for Ireland and to the Secretary of State for the Colonies between 1886 and 1892...
Arthur Kinnaird, 11th Lord Kinnaird
Arthur Fitzgerald Kinnaird, 11th Lord Kinnaird KT was a principal of The Football Association and a leading footballer....
William Lindsay (footballer)
William Lindsay was an English amateur footballer who, generally playing as a full back, helped the Wanderers win the FA Cup in 1876, 1877 and 1878 and made one appearance for England in 1877...
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Alexander Morten
Alexander Morten was an English footballer who captained the England team in its second official international, played against Scotland on 8 March 1873....
Arthur KinnairdSubsequent matches
The following four matches were held on: 19 November 1870, 25 February 1871, 17 November 1871 and 24 February 1872. All matches were advertised in Scottish newspapers, but the players were drawn from those who played by Football Association rules - still limited at the time and largely consisting of only London-based Scottish players. England were victorious 1–0 in the November 1870 match, 2–1 in the November 1871 match and 1–0 in the February 1872 match; the February 1871 match was drawn 1–1. The only recorded attendance figure known is 650, from the second match. FormationFormation (association football)
In association football, the formation describes how the players in a team are positioned on the pitch. Different formations can be used depending on whether a team wishes to play more attacking or defensive football....
data does not exist from three of the matches, but it is known that in the third and fifth matches both teams lined up with a '1–1–8' formation.
Results
Player appearances
The following players appeared in the five matches:| Player | Club | Appearances | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| |
Wanderers Wanderers F.C. Wanderers Football Club is an English amateur football club, based in London, that plays in the Surrey South Eastern Combination. Founded as Forest Football Club in 1859, the club changed its name to Wanderers in 1864.... and Harrow Pilgrims |
5 | |
| |
N.N. Club and Wanderers | 3 | 1 |
| |
Clapham Rovers Clapham Rovers F.C. Clapham Rovers was from its foundation in 1869 a leading English sports organisation in the two dominant codes of football, association football and rugby union. It was a prominent club in the late 19th century but is now defunct... |
1 | |
| |
Wanderers | 1 | |
| |
Barnes Club and Civil Service Civil Service F.C. Civil Service F.C. is an English football club based in the city of London. The club originally played both association football and rugby football and the Civil Service, along with Blackheath F.C., is one of the two clubs that can claim to be a founder member of both the Football Association and... |
2 | |
| |
Harrow School Harrow School Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was... , Barnes Club, Harrow Chequers Harrow Chequers F.C. Harrow Chequers Football Club was an association football club from London, United Kingdom. They were formed in 1865 and played their home matches at Kennington Oval, London. The club played an important part in English football in the 19th century and played in various FA Cups... and Wanderers |
4 | |
| |
Civil Service and Wanderers | 1 | |
| |
Old Etonians Old Etonians F.C. The Old Etonians Football Club is an English football club whose players are taken from previous attendees of Eton College, in Eton, Berkshire.-History:... , West Kent and Wanderers |
5 | |
| |
Clapham Rovers and Wanderers | 1 | |
| |
Crusaders Crusaders F.C. (London) Crusaders Football Club was an English association football club based in London. The club was founded in 1863 and was a founder member of the Football Association. They entered the FA Cup during the 1880s and 1890s, but never progressed beyond the fourth round.... and Wanderers |
1 | |
| |
Old Harrovians and Wanderers | 1 | |
| |
Westminster School Westminster School The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain... , Wanderers and Old Westminsters Old Westminsters F.C. Old Westminsters F.C. is an association football club composed of former pupils of Westminster School, London, England.-History:The club was founded in 1885 and in its early years was very successful winning the London Senior Cup in 1887 , 1888, 1890, 1892 and 1893.Westminster has an historic joint... |
5 | |
| |
Eton College Eton College Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor".... |
1 | |
| |
Brixton Club | 2 | |
| |
Wanderers | 3 | |
| |
Harrow School | 1 | |
| |
Eton College | 1 | |
| |
Clapham Rovers and Wanderers | 3 | 4 |
| |
West Kent, Harrow Chequers and Wanderers | 2 | |
| |
Westminster School and Wanderers | 3 | |
| |
Eton College and Wanderers | 2 | |
| |
Clapham Rovers | 1 | |
| |
Barnes Club | 2 | |
| |
Wanderers | 1 | |
| |
Crystal Palace and Wanderers | 1 | |
| |
Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday F.C. Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the... |
1 | 1 |
| |
Oxford University and Wanderers | 1 | |
| |
Harrow School, Harrow Chequers and Wanderers | 4 | 1 |
| |
Old Etonians Old Etonians F.C. The Old Etonians Football Club is an English football club whose players are taken from previous attendees of Eton College, in Eton, Berkshire.-History:... and Wanderers |
2 | |
| |
Nomads | 1 | |
| |
Civil Service | 1 | |
| |
Old Harrovians | 1 | |
| |
Crusaders and Wanderers | 3 | |
| |
Civil Service and Wanderers | 4 | |
| |
Old Wykehamists, Rochester Club and Civil Service | 5 | |
| |
London Scottish Rifles | 1 | |
| |
Crystal Palace and Wanderers | 1 | |
| |
Old Carthusians Old Carthusians F.C. Old Carthusians Football Club is an association football club whose players are former pupils of Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey, England... |
1 | |
| |
Old Carthusians | 1 | |
| |
Old Rugbeians | 1 | |
| |
Wanderers | 2 | |
| |
Wanderers | 1 | |
| |
Oxford University and Wanderers | 4 | 1 |
| |
Civil Service | 1 | |
| |
Civil Service | 1 | |
| |
Civil Service | 1 | |
| |
Queen's Park Queen's Park F.C. Queen's Park Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland. The club are currently the only amateur club in the Scottish League; their amateur status is reflected by their motto, Ludere Causa Ludendi – to play for the sake of playing.Queen's Park are the oldest... |
3 | |
| |
Charterhouse School Charterhouse School Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian... and Wanderers |
1 | |
| |
Rochester Club and Oxford University | 1 | |
| |
Civil Service and Oxford University | 2 | |
| |
Harrow Chequers and Wanderers | 2 | |
| |
Harrow Chequers and Wanderers | 2 | |
| |
Royal Artillery | 2 | |
| |
Royal Engineers | 2 | |
| |
Royal Engineers | 1 | 1 |
| |
Charterhouse School | 1 | |
| |
Wanderers | 1 | |
| |
Cambridge University and Wanderers | 1 | |
Reaction and the creation of international football
Following the games, there was resentment in Scotland that their team did not contain more home grown players. Alcock himself was categorical about where he felt responsibility for this fact lay, writing in the Scotsman newspaper:"I must join issue with your correspondent in some instances. First, I assert that of whatever the Scotch eleven may have been composed the right to play was open to every Scotchman [Alcock's italics] whether his lines were cast North or South of the Tweed and that if in the face of the invitations publicly given through the columns of leading journals of Scotland the representative eleven consisted chiefly of Anglo-Scotians ... the fault lies on the heads of the players of the north, not on the management who sought the services of all alike impartially. To call the team London Scotchmen contributes nothing. The match was, as announced, to all intents and purposes between England and Scotland".
Many of the players in Scotland did not play to the FA's rules at the time, inhibiting the possibility of a truly representative match between the two countries. Eventually, the FA decided in its minutes of 3 October 1872 note that:
The challenge was eventually taken up by Queen's Park
Queen's Park F.C.
Queen's Park Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland. The club are currently the only amateur club in the Scottish League; their amateur status is reflected by their motto, Ludere Causa Ludendi – to play for the sake of playing.Queen's Park are the oldest...
and this match, in 1872
Scotland v England (1872)
Scotland v England was the first ever official international football match to be played. It was contested by the national teams of Scotland and England. The match took place on 30 November 1872 at West of Scotland Cricket Club's ground at Hamilton Crescent in Partick, Scotland...
is currently the earliest international football match recognised by FIFA as official international, though at the time it was considered as a continuation of the previous internationals.