ST ANDREW FLIES THE INTERNATIONAL FLAG

Suitably, the first international ever played was between Scotland and England at Hamilton Park, Partick on November 30th (St Andrew's Day) 1872. The oldest surviving shirt is the one worn by English international Arnold Kirke Smith in this game. The match was drawn 0-0, 4,000 people came to watch (the next time the two teams drew 0-0 was in 1970) . The diversity of players in the English team led them to play very much as individuals, often following different "laws" of the game. The Scots were far more unified.

In 1870 the "father of football" Charles Alcock, then the FA Secretary, placed an advert in the Glasgow Herald, calling for a "trial of skill between the champions of England and Scotland". One member of the Queen's Park team played alongside ten Scottish footballers from English Public Schools. On March 5th 1870 a trial match bewteen the two countries was played and there were four more trial matches before the official competition at the West of Scotland Cricket Club in Partick.

The Queen's Park goalkeeper and captain, Bob Gardner picked Scottish players, all of whom had an affiliation with his club, and the England captain Cuthbert Ottoway from Oxford University selected his team from nine clubs, including, three of his mates from Oxford, and single players from Cambridge University, Crystal Palace, the 1st Surrey Rifles regt, Barnes, Hertfordshire Rangers, The Wanderers, The Sheffield Club (Sheffield Wednesday) and The Notts Club (Notts County).

Alcock "umpired" with HN Smith of Queen's Park and W Keasy of Queen's Park was the referee.
After thematch the teams had dinner in Garrick's Royal Hotel in George Square.

A spectacular overhead by the Scot, William Mackinnon.