THE IRISH F.A.: ONE HUNDRED AND TWO YEARS

On 18 February 1882, Ireland set a record in their first international. Unfortunately, it was a record loss, as they fell to England 13-0. England's goals came from Vaughton who scored 5 on his debut (the first person to do this), also a debut for A. Brown who scored 4, and  Jimmy Brown 2 (Blackburn Rovers), with whom he played in three successful FA Cup Finals 1884-6) and who at 18 years and 210 days old, making him the 10th youngest player for England of all time. He is the only teenager to have scored two goals in an England match; his second cap. 

H.A.Cursham (an Old Reptonian) and EC Bambridge (an Old Malvernian). Below is Brown holding the cup with Blackburn Rovers in 1884.

The Irish FA had been founded two years earlier, making them the world's fourth oldest football association after England, Scotland, and Wales. For their inaugural match against England in Belfast, they pulled a team together primarily from two teams, Knock FC, who not only hosted the game watched by 2,500 spectators, but who also provided five players. Cliftonville, provided four players. Their other two players came from Avoniel FC and Distillery, whose Samuel Johnston was only 15 years and 154 days old at the time, becoming the youngest footballer to represent Ireland - a record which stands to this day. A blacksmith by trade, Johnston's well-built appearance meant that when he stepped into the field for his international debut, his age was not even commented on as seemingly nobody realized he was so young. It has only been confirmed in recent years that he was younger than Norman Whiteside, the long-thought youngest (Northern) Ireland international, by a margin of almost two years. 

Seven days later, on 25 February, Johnston made his second Irish appearance, scoring Ireland's first-ever international goal, an equalizer against Wales in an eventual 7–1 loss, thus becoming the youngest goalscorer in international European history, a record which also stands to this day.

Johnston earned three more caps for Ireland, one in the inaugural 1883-4 inaugural and the other two in the 1885-6 Home International Championship, scoring once in a 2–7 loss to Scotland on 20 March 1886, aged 19.

England's team was more diverse, including players from seven different teams. But one team, Aston Villa, delivered nine of their thirteen goals, with five from Howard Vaughton (pictured) and four from Arthur Brown, both making their England debut. The other goals came from Charles Bambridge (Swifts FC), Henry Cursham (Notts County and Old Corinthians-Between 1877 and 1887, Henry "Harry" Cursham of Notts County scored 48 FA Cup goals, including 7 hat tricks, a record that stands today.), and a couple from James Brown (Blackburn Rovers).

The match remains England's record victory and Ireland's (now Northern Ireland). their record defeat.