SCOTLAND v ENGLAND ANNIVERSARY

March 5th is the anniversary of the first international football match (1870); this one between England and Scotland, was deemed "unofficial" but they all count.
Below is a blog from last year.
https://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-first-international.html

The England team was made up from two Old Harrovians (old boys of Harrow School), one from Harrow School, one each from The Wanderers, Barnes, Harrow Club, Civil Service, Old Etonians, Clapham Rovers, Crusaders, and Westminster. Note no goalkeeper announced. Actually most of these also played for The Wanderers but named their other club (or school) to add some variety. Vidal of Westminster was 16 years old. Thomas Hooman from Charterhouse dropped out at the last minute.

Scotland team was made from : Two from Civil Service, one Old Etonians, one from Crusaders, one from Harrow School (see below), the goalie from Crystal Palace, one from Old Wykehamists (old boys of Winchester College), one from No Names, one London Scottish Rifles (military obviously), one from Old Harrovians and one from the Old Carthusians (old boys of Charterhouse School).

Playing for Scotland was 17 year old, REW Copland-Crawford of Harrow School, born in Jersey, raised in Edinburgh, was a decorated Afghan war hero, who ended his life in disgrace, convicted of a brutal murder of a prisoner under his care in Sierra Leone. He was the scorer of the first football international goal when the England goalie was instructed by his captain to move up field. Crawford shot into an empty net! He also played cricket for the MCC, OHs, I Zingari and The Army.
AJ Baker of No Names scored a late equaliser in the 90th minute but later, lost his life running for a train at Willesden Station!

This first international football match attracted a few hundred spectators and the five Scottish born members of the 12 committee members of the FA must be held responsible for this piece of history. There had been international clashes before but not under FA laws and of course there had been cricket and shooting!

The first warning that there was to be an international was announced in "The Field" magazine, on January 22nd 1870. It asked for any keen individuals to contact Charles Alcock or Robert Graham for England and James Kirkpatrick or Arthur Kinnaird for Scotland. These two had been born in Canada and London respectively but claimed Scottish ancestry. The Scots based their selection on countrymen living in the London area and seemingly associated with parliamentary defence......MOPs, you should know who Gladstone was!(yes son of...) + Lord Kinnaird and the list goes on!

Frost got the first game, The Thames was full of "floating blocks" and the playing surface at The Oval was solid. It took until March to rally the troops. Hooman an Old Carthusian could not make the new date, so Butler took his place.