Oh Scotland, on #indyref day: you don't need to prove your independence. You were once World Champions of football. In 1876 the Scottish football team beat ALL the other international football teams in the World - an accomplishment not equalled by England in 1966. The fixtures and results:
Sunday 5 March 1876: Scotland 3 - 0 England
Saturday 25 March 1876 Scotland 4 - 0 Wales
Yes, there were only the three international teams in 1876 and so Scotland "only" had to beat their two GB neighbours. But by seven goals to nil. Scotland really were champions of the world (before FIFA arrived and corrupted the beautiful game).
The game against England was the first international to have a 15 minute break in the middle and the chance to swap ends - which created the "game of two halves". Playing with the wind coming from behind you (no stands or stadium to prevent weather arriving on the pitch) was a great advantage: the leather football (often soaking wet) was hard and heavy, extra movement from a gale was a benefit if it was blowing your way. In this game the tape between the two goal posts was replaced by a wooden bar which made it the first all-wood frame with a crossbar in an international football match. The "Scotchmen" as English newspapers would describe them, scored all three goals in the first half.
The game against Wales was the first outing for an international Welsh football team. Originally the invitation for a game had been for a rugby match. Scotland threw a gauntlet into the sports magazine "The Field" asking for a rugby game - and interested Welshmen met in the Wynnstay Arms Hotel in Wrexham and responded with a team to play football.
More info on the two games and all the other news from 1876 in the iPad book "In 1876: Bananas & Custer". A big thank you to Wrexham Heritage Services for the use of their image of the Wales v Scotland programme.
Sunday 5 March 1876: Scotland 3 - 0 England
Saturday 25 March 1876 Scotland 4 - 0 Wales
Yes, there were only the three international teams in 1876 and so Scotland "only" had to beat their two GB neighbours. But by seven goals to nil. Scotland really were champions of the world (before FIFA arrived and corrupted the beautiful game).
The game against England was the first international to have a 15 minute break in the middle and the chance to swap ends - which created the "game of two halves". Playing with the wind coming from behind you (no stands or stadium to prevent weather arriving on the pitch) was a great advantage: the leather football (often soaking wet) was hard and heavy, extra movement from a gale was a benefit if it was blowing your way. In this game the tape between the two goal posts was replaced by a wooden bar which made it the first all-wood frame with a crossbar in an international football match. The "Scotchmen" as English newspapers would describe them, scored all three goals in the first half.
The game against Wales was the first outing for an international Welsh football team. Originally the invitation for a game had been for a rugby match. Scotland threw a gauntlet into the sports magazine "The Field" asking for a rugby game - and interested Welshmen met in the Wynnstay Arms Hotel in Wrexham and responded with a team to play football.
More info on the two games and all the other news from 1876 in the iPad book "In 1876: Bananas & Custer". A big thank you to Wrexham Heritage Services for the use of their image of the Wales v Scotland programme.
If you are not Scottish - or you are Scottish and not resident and therefore not allowed to vote - register your view on this poll for the same referendum question.
