Tuesday 18 November 2014

OLDEST INTERNATIONAL MAY CAUSE A RIOT

Today is huge day for both English and Scottish footballers. To fill in the international “break” week, the FAs of both countries have decided to re-establish the contest between the two nations which was first played in March 1870 at the Kennington Oval and watched by a few hundred people. This was the first of five “unofficial” internationals that got the ball rolling, so to speak. The original game was set for February but a severe frost, that froze the Thames, caused the match to be postponed. Players who were “duly qualified and desirous of assisting either party” were encouraged to contact representatives from each side, such was the selection process. The score was 1-1 and in the team, players who happened to be in the vicinity and friends of friends, were thrown into kit and there began the tale. In November, a second unofficial match was held again at the Oval and England won by a solitary goal. Two more unofficial games were set in February and November 1871, both won by England. There was a fifth unofficial match won again by England on 30th November 1872, Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow hosted the first official international which resulted in no score. In total the teams have played 111 times, England has won 46, Scotland 41. The last time the two played each other was in 2013 in a friendly at Wembley which England won 3-2. Prior to that the two nations met as long ago as November 1999 in a two legged UEFA qualifying tie, which clearly had to be played. The irregularity of the fixture may be the result of unpleasant crowd scenes in both countries, which both FAs decided were too highly charged to allow the touch paper to be lit-UNTIL TODAY.


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