A look at the first ever international as England prepare for Scotland

England face Scotland in their 150th anniversary match… a look at the first EVER international fixture where there was tape for a crossbar, a pitchside ref, swapping keepers and only a half-time because no goals were scored

• England play Scotland at Hampden Park in their 150th anniversary match  
• Mail Sport takes a look at what has changed since they first played in 1872
•  Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast It’s All Kicking Off!

Among the pages of the Manchester Guardian on December 2, 1872 a 700-word report chronicled the events of the 24th annual Birmingham Cattle Show, a celebration of the finest ‘fat cattle, sheep, pigs, roots, corn and implements’.

On the same spread, another report was given far less prominence. ‘On Saturday afternoon a football match between England and Scotch Elevens was played at Hamilton Crescent, Patrick, Glasgow,’ it began.

It ran to 124 words and that included the teams.

How different the interest in association football is these days as England and Scotland prepare to play their 150th anniversary match at Hampden Park on Tuesday to mark the goalless draw played out on a Glasgow cricket ground that is officially considered the first full international.

Back then, many reports felt it necessary to outline the rules and remind readers that, no, this wasn’t rugby. The first international rugby match, also between Scotland and England, had taken place months earlier.

England play Scotland in their 150th anniversary match on Tuesday (Billy Gilmour seen challenging Raheem Sterling when the two sides last met in a Euro 2020 group game)

A lot has changed from the first ever international fixture which saw the two sides meet to now (England boss Gareth Southgate pictured alongside Scotland manager Steve Clarke)

England’s goalless draw with Scotland from November 30, 1872, illustrated for a publication several weeks later

‘The laws of the Association game are exceedingly simple, numbering only 12, as against some 40 in the Rugby code,’ wrote The Scotsman. ‘One of the principal differences consists in the entire prohibition of the use of the hands, except by the goalkeeper for the protection of his goal, thus making the skilful and always pleasing “dribble” one of the best points of the game. 

A poster for the first ever match played between the two nations

‘A goal is scored when it is kicked under the tape, the ball not being allowed to be carried, thrown, or knocked in. Hacking, tripping, holding or charging an adversary from behind are among things forbidden. Such are some of the differences of the two styles of play, and it will readily be admitted that the Association game is one which will commend itself to players who dread the harder work of the Rugby mode.’

Much is still the same, more than 150 years later. The goals are still the same size. In off the post still counts. You still can’t shove anyone.

Much, though, has changed. And not just because there’s a crossbar these days instead of a bit of tape as well as a net to help fans know, unlike in November 1872 when the crowd began to celebrate Scotland’s Robert Leckie’s late saved effort, that the ball has gone in. ‘Leckie took a shot at goal, which roused the enthusiastic spectators, who thought the ball had gone under,’ reported the Glasgow Herald. ‘Alas, no! It struck the tape, but unfortunately instead of going under it rolled over. A close shave; but shaves don’t count.’

Teams won ‘defensive corners’, a law borrowed from the ‘Sheffield Rules’ version of the game but scrapped a year later. If the ball flew over the goal tape, the defending team earned a goal-kick regardless of who kicked it but if the ball went behind the byline either side of the goal, the corner was taken by the opposition team to the one who kicked it. Throw-ins were taken by whichever team got to the ball first.

There was only a half-time in the game between Scotland and England because no goals were scored. The teams changed goalkeepers that day too. Usually, teams would change ends every time a goal was scored.

Each team had an umpire on the pitch and if they couldn’t agree on a decision they would ‘refer’ it to the pitch-side timekeeper. In other words, the referee. We know this game on November 30, 1872 as the first international but it was actually the sixth. The first five were played in London at The Oval starting two years earlier but were not recognised because only Scots based in the English capital were called into the Scotland team.

The Scottish football team from 1872 who played England in the first ever international game

Secretary for the Football Association and England captain Charles Alcock organised the first five match-es, issuing pleas for Scottish players in the newspapers, but missed the sixth and first official meeting through injury. England missed a few of its stars due to illness. Alcock still travelled to Glasgow and was fit enough to be one of the umpires.

All of the Scotland team were members of Queen’s Park, the most prominent Scottish team of the time, though three players were members of Granville and South Norwood too.

Scotland wore blue, England white. That much, too, hasn’t changed. Historian Andy Mitchell describes in his book First Elevens how the sister of Scotland forward David Wotherspoon stitched a rampant red lion on to the blue Queen’s Park shirts. It’s a badge they still wear today. England, even back then, sported the Three Lions.

The English players warmed up in their coats with pipes in their mouths, pictured in a series of nine stunning drawings by William Ralston in The Graphic. His illustrations are the only images from the game. Scotland captain Robert Gardner in goal, the spectators in top hats huddled behind the ropes.

A photographer attended but packed up his things in a huff when the Scotland players refused to commit to buying his prints. Admission cost a shilling, though women were let in for free. Reports talk of a crowd of 4,000, though historians suggest the figure was closer to 2,500 with gate receipts sixpence short of £103, which would be about 2,000 entries at a shilling apiece.

Queen’s Park paid £20 to West of Scotland CC for the ground and picked up the tab for the post-match dinner at the Carrick’s Royal Hotel that came to £69 11s 6d. Spectators endured a 20-minute delay to the 2pm kick-off but, once under way, were treated to ‘the best game ever seen in Scotland,’ according to the Aberdeen Press and Journal. No one seemed to care about the lack of goals.

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Scotland won the toss and chose to attack the southern goal to take advantage of the slope. The play itself would be unrecognisable today. The forwards, seven on each side, roamed in packs, much like in rugby, until ‘consumed in a scrimmage’ so says a report by the FIFA Museum.

‘The Englishmen had all the advantage of weight, their average being about two stones heavier than the Scotchmen and they had also the advantage in pace,’ observed the Glasgow Herald.

‘Queen’s Park promoted a passing game that was alien to the English, who had been brought up on a diet of individual dribbling and ‘backing up’, which required a strong physical presence.’

It was that passing game that saw Scotland dominate the early contests against England, winning nine of the first 13 official contests. The finest England dribbler was Cuthbert Ottaway, who captained the side in Alcock’s absence and ‘astonished spectators by some pretty dribbling’.

The last meeting between the sides, at Euro 2020, also ended goalless. Let’s hope Hampden Park produces something to cheer about.

If not, the Royal Highland cattle show is next June.

£1m needed to save historic venue 

The West of Scotland Cricket Club has been graced by the greats. This is a patch of land in Partick has hosted WG Grace, Don Bradman, Allan Border and Steve Waugh. And it is the birthplace of international football. The first international match was played on this ground when Scotland drew 0-0 with England on November 30, 1872.

But the venue is facing an uncertain future. There is a £1million question mark hanging over Hamilton Crescent.

In 2021, flooding caused extensive damage. The insurers have settled but a shortfall of around £1m remains. Fundraising is well under way but the future is in doubt.

The club was founded in 1862 after a meeting with the Clutha Cricket Club who used the northern part of the ground. Now, a fundraising dinner is to be held in aid of refurbishment in the Doubletree Hilton, Cambridge Street, Glasgow, on September 17. Hosted by Dougie Donnelly, guest speakers include Alex McLeish, Gordon Sherry, Frank McAvennie and Angus Fraser.

The venue for the first ever international fixture is facing an uncertain future and is need of funding

Four England v Scotland clashes

April 15, 1967 – England 2-3 Scotland at Wembley

Scotland claimed they were world champions after beating the World Cup winners in front of 99,000 supporters. Scotland led 1-0 through Denis Law after 28 minutes before four goals in the last 12 minutes settled the tie

Scotland’s Jim Baxter is hugged by delighted fans who invaded the pitch after beating England

June 4, 1977 – England 1-2 Scotland at Wembley 

The Tartan Army invaded London for the Home Championship decider. After Kenny Dalglish’s winner secured the title, thousands of kilted Scots invaded the pitch, climbing on the crossbar which broke and helping themselves to pieces of turf.

Jubilant Scotland supporters break the crossbar after winning the Home Championship in 1977

June 15, 1996 – England 2-0 Scotland at Wembley 

Paul Gascoigne scored a memorable goal as England sparked into life in their Euro 96 campaign at home. The goal celebration came after criticism of the team’s wild dentist chair party in Hong Kong in their build-up 

Paul Gascoigne scored a memorable goal for England against Scotland back at Euro 1996

November 17, 1999 – England 0-1 Scotland at Wembley 

Don Hutchison scored the only goal in the second leg of the Euro play-off but it was not enough as England qualified 2-1 on aggregate. This was the last match between the two countries played under the Twin Towers at Wembley.

Don Hutchinson scored the only goal in the last match under the Twin Towers at  Wembley

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

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