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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