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1876 Scotland v Wales football match

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Coordinates: 55°52′21″N 04°18′32″W

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 1876 Scotland v Wales football match
Scotland Wales

4 0
Date 25 March 1876

Venue Hamilton Crescent, Partick

Referee Robert Gardner (Scotland)

Attendance Over 17,000

The 1876 association football match between the national teams

representing Scotland and Wales was the first game played by the Welsh side. It took
place on 25 March 1876 at Hamilton Crescent, Partick, the home ground of the West of
Scotland Cricket Club. The match was also the first time that Scotland had played
against a team other than England.
The fixture was organised by Llewelyn Kenrick, who had founded the Football
Association of Wales (FAW) only a few weeks earlier in response to a letter published
in The Field. Advertisements were placed in several sporting journals asking for Welsh
players, or those with more than three years residence in the country, to come forward
and the Welsh team was selected after trial matches were held at the Racecourse
Ground in Wrexham. The FAW selected the side and Kenrick was appointed captain for
the fixture.
As the more experienced team, Scotland dominated the match and had several
chances to score in the first half. They had a goal disallowed after scoring directly from
a corner kick, before taking the lead after 40 minutes through John Ferguson. In the
early stages of the second half, Wales attempted to play more openly to find a goal, but
the Scottish side took advantage of their opponent's inexperience and scored two
further goals. The first was a rebound off the goalpost which was converted by Billy
MacKinnon; the second was headed in by debutant James Lang. Scotland added a
fourth through Henry McNeil and claimed a victory in front of a crowd of over 17,000
people, a record for an international game at the time.
The two nations have met frequently since this first match, playing against each other
every year in friendly matches until 1884 when the British Home Championship was
introduced. The competition was an annual tournament, and Scotland and Wales
played a fixture against each other every year until 1984, apart from when competitive
football was suspended during the First and Second World Wars. In total, the two sides
have played more than 100 matches against each other since the first meeting.
Background
The first officially recognised international association football match was played
between Scotland and England on 30 November 1872. This had been preceded by a
series of "unofficial" matches between the two sides in the previous two years, played
at The Oval, a cricket ground in South London. As a result, the two sides are recognised
as the joint oldest international football teams in history. After the first game, Scotland
and England met annually in a series of friendly matches.[1] By the time their fixture
against Wales was organised in 1876, Scotland had played England on five occasions
in official matches.[2]
Club football was well established in Scotland with the founding of Queen's Park in
1867,[3] although the earliest Scottish club is believed to be the Foot-Ball Club of
Edinburgh founded in 1827.[4] The Scottish Football Association (SFA) and the Scottish
Cup had been founded in 1873.[5]
In Wales, association football had struggled to gain recognition, rugby union being the
preferred sport, especially in the south.[6] Football clubs were establishing in North
Wales though – Druids and Wrexham were both founded in 1872.[7][8] There was no
recognised league or cup football until 1877 when the Welsh Cup was introduced and
the first league was not founded until the start of the 20th century when the Welsh
Football League was created.[9] The clubs would instead have to arrange friendly
matches between themselves on an ad hoc basis.[10] It would take several decades
before football became established in the south, Cardiff City becoming the first team
from the region to win the Welsh Cup in 1912.[9]
Preparation

The Wynnstay Arms (pictured in

2010) in Wrexham where the Football Association of Wales was formed shortly before
the match.
In January 1876, a London-based Welshman, G. A. Clay-Thomas,[11] placed an
advertisement in The Field magazine, a sports and country publication, proposing that a
team be formed from Welsh men residing in London to play Scotland or Ireland at
rugby.[12][13][14] Llewelyn Kenrick of the Druids club saw the advertisement but decided that
the international match should be association football and the field of players be drawn
from all of Wales.[15][16] Clay-Thomas' proposed rugby match between residents in London
went ahead on 15 March.[17] Kenrick told The Field that the footballers of North Wales
accepted the challenge and he advertised for players:
"Test matches will take place at the ground of the Denbighshire County Cricket Club
at Wrexham for the purpose of choosing the Cambrian Eleven. Gentlemen desirous of
playing are requested to send in their names and addresses."[15]

Modern view of Hamilton Crescent, where the

match took place in 1876. The Partick Burgh Hall, visible in the background, was built in
1872.
The FAW sent out invitations proposing a football match to officials in England, Scotland
and Ireland. England rejected the offer, and Ireland only wished to play under rugby
rules. Scotland accepted the invitation, meaning Wales became the first team they had
faced in an international fixture other than England.[2][18] The Football Association of
Wales (FAW) was formed in February 1876 at the Wynnstay Arms in Wrexham in
preparation for the game and they had hoped for the match to be played in Wales. [11]
[19]
Scotland rejected this due to scheduling issues but did agree to a second fixture to be
played the following year in Wales.[11] Accordingly, the Welsh side travelled to Scotland,
where their opposition had yet to lose a match.[20] The venue chosen for the tie
was Hamilton Crescent in Partick which was owned by the West of Scotland Cricket
Club and had been used for the first official international fixture previously.[1] Concerns
by the FAW over financing the team's trip led to an appeal for public donations to raise
money.[21]
To qualify for selection, the Welsh players were required to have been born in Wales or
taken up residence in the country for at least three years.[22] Although Kenrick
corresponded with several Welsh clubs and the nation's universities to raise a team, he
was criticised for allegedly overlooking players from the South. One of the main
criticisms was the decision to publish most of his notices in English sports journals such
as The Field and Bell's Life, which were not widely circulated in Wales.[11][23] C. C.
Chambers, captain of Swansea Rugby Club, wrote a letter to the Western
Mail newspaper in which he commented "... there must be some sort of error, and that
the team to play Scotland is to be selected from North Wales only. I shall be happy to
produce from these parts a team that shall hold their own against any team from North
Wales".[18] H. W. Davies, the honorary secretary of the South Wales Football Club also
noted that "very few, if any, players (in the south) knew that a match ... had ever been
thought of, much less that a date had been fixed". Although Kenrick refused to be drawn
into a direct riposte to their letters, he did welcome players of sufficient ability to try out
for the team.[11]
Despite the objections, Kenrick and the FAW pushed ahead with their plans. Once
applications had been received, the FAW organised trial matches at the Racecourse
Ground in Wrexham which took place in February 1876.[23] The first match was played
between players from the town's own football club and Druids.[21][24] The second was held
a week later,[25] while a third trial match was organised on 26 February 1876 against a
combined Oswestry team, made up of players from the town's football clubs. The game
was disrupted when six of the eleven players who were scheduled to appear for the
Welsh side failed to turn up. This led to other local players who had travelled to watch
the match taking their places.[23][26] The fourth and final trial match was played in early
March.[27] Further matches were cancelled as the ground was being prepared for the
upcoming cricket season.[11] Scotland also held trial matches for players who had never
previously represented the national side, which were held at Hampden Park in
February.[28]
Team selection
For the final squad, Kenrick appointed himself as captain and selected six players from
his own club, Druids, including Daniel Grey who was born in Scotland but had moved to
Wales after obtaining his medical licence to open a practice in Ruabon.[18][29] Two players
from local rivals, Wrexham, and one from English club Oswestry were also selected.
[18]
Usk-born William Evans, who played for the Oxford University team was the only
player from South Wales selected,[30] with the others all from North Wales other
than John Hawley Edwards. He had been born in Shrewsbury and previously
represented the England national football team in 1874.[18] Edwards was a fellow solicitor
and member of the Shropshire Wanderers.[31] The Thomson brothers,
goalkeeper David and forward George were also born in England but resided in Wales,
the former was a captain in the Royal Denbighshire Militia.[18][32] In Scotland, there was
considerable interest in the team that would be arriving to play in the match,
newspapers reporting that Beaumont Jarrett and Thomas Bridges Hughes may feature
for the Welsh side.[33]
All eleven players selected for Wales were amateurs, comprising "two lawyers, a timber
merchant, a student, a soldier, a stonemason, a physician, a miner, a chimney sweep,
an office worker and an insurance company employee".[34][a]
Like the Welsh, the Scots fielded six players from one club (Queens Park) and three of
their players were making their international debut: James Lang, Robert W.
Neill and Moses McNeil.[36] The latter was the brother of three-time capped Henry
McNeil, who was also named in the team.[2] Lang had lost the sight in one eye while
working at a shipyard.[37] The majority of the squad from their 3–0 victory over England
three weeks earlier was retained.[38] Both teams played a 2–2–6 formation; i.e. two full-
backs, two half-backs and six forwards.[36]
Match
Pre-match
The players from both sides travelled together from their hotels in Glasgow to the match
in a horsebus and were greeted by a large crowd along the nearby highway.[38] As Wales
were an unknown team, the match drew a large crowd with the grandstand at the
stadium being nearly full. Spectators were charged half-a-crown (equivalent to
1⁄8 pound sterling) for entry and the crowd at pitchside was described in the Wrexham
Guardian as "very thick". In an attempt to see over the crowd, spectators climbed onto
the roofs of parked taxis and horse buses and a nearby verge was filled with viewers.
[33]
The official attendance of the match was recorded at 17,000,[39] a new world record for
a full international fixture,[2] but some reports believe the number may have been even
higher as between one and two hundred further spectators managed to gain access to
the ground during the first half after a fence collapsed, allowing more people to enter. [33]
Wales played in a plain white shirt, with the Prince of Wales's feathers embroidered on
the chest, and black shorts. Scotland wore blue shirts and white shorts.[38][40] Each player
wore a different colour of socks so the crowd could recognise each player, and the list
of colours was included in the match programme.[23][40]
Match summary
Scotland captain Charles Campbell won the coin toss and choose to play "downhill" as
the ground featured a slight incline.[20] This was perceived as advantageous to the
attacking side,[33][38] but their choice meant they started the match with the sun in their
faces.[33] The Welsh captain Kenrick kicked off the match at 3:40 p.m.[41] The Scots gained
possession almost immediately and proceeded to attack the Welsh goal as John
Ferguson won the first corner of the game after making a run down the wing, but the
resulting setpiece was cleared without incident.[38] Wales were forced to defend
resolutely; the North Wales Chronicle noted that "the Welsh defended their goal in such
a compact and determined way that the ball could not be passed through
them."[38] William Evans was called on early on to "save the fortress" by intercepting a
pass and sending the ball upfield.[42] The Welsh players were unable to break out of their
own half as the game progressed and their forwards' passing game was described as
"not much understood", while David Thomson in the Welsh goal made his first save
soon after with a comfortable catch.[33][42] The Welsh side's strongest play of the first half
came from a Scottish corner when the ball fell to Kenrick who beat several opposition
players to break into the Scottish half before being chased down by Sandy Kennedy.
Kenrick was able to pass to Edwards but he was quickly dispossessed by the
defenders.[20]
The Scots were eager to take advantage of their early pressure but frequently allowed
the ball to go out of play in their haste.[38] They had a goal disallowed after Joseph
Taylor scored directly from a corner without another player gaining a touch, while Evans
again denied a goalscoring opportunity by blocking a goal-bound shot before David
Thomson gathered the Scots' second attempt.[38] On the 40th minute, Lang's cross was
caught by David Thomson in the Welsh goal, but Ferguson "seeing an advantage,
jumped forward with remarkable suddenness" according to newspaper reports, thus
forcing Thomson to drop the ball which was subsequently kicked into the goal to the
delight of the home crowd.[42] Henry McNeil nearly added a second goal on the stroke of
half-time after making a run at the Welsh goal before shooting over the crossbar just as
the half was brought to a close.[20]
After the half-time interval, the Welsh team looked to utilise the "downhill" advantage
and mounted early forays into the Scottish half of the pitch. The well-practised Scots
took advantage of the openness of the Welsh side and around eight minutes into the
second half, the Scots added a second goal as Campbell played a pass to Henry
McNeil who promptly shot against the post. The Welsh goalkeeper David Thomson,
believing the ball had gone out of play, stopped defending the goal as the ball
rebounded out to Billy MacKinnon, who was able to turn the ball into the unguarded net.
Within five minutes, Scotland extended their lead further as Wales were forced to push
forward in an attempt to get back into the game. Scotland regained possession and,
after playing several passes around the encamped Welsh defence, the ball was crossed
towards Lang who headed in a goal on his debut.[20][38][42] Suffering a three-goal deficit,
Wales were unable to threaten any answer in return,[33] while Campbell forced a save
when he advanced on the Welsh goal almost immediately after the kick-off.[20] The Welsh
goal survived further scares until Henry McNeil completed the scoring after a combined
move upfield by Ferguson and Kennedy won a corner kick. A goalmouth scramble
ensued from the resulting cross before Henry McNeil was able to convert. MacKinnon
made a final attempt on goal near the end of the game, going on a mazy
individual dribble through the Welsh defence before being stopped by Kenrick. The
match ended in a 4–0 win for Scotland.[20]
Details
25 March 1876[2]
Scotland 4–0 Wales
Ferguson 40' Report

Lang 48'
MacKinnon 53'
H. McNeil 70'
Hamilton Crescent, Partick
Attendance: 17,000[2]
Referee: Robert Gardner (Scotland)[43]

Scotland Wales
GK Alex McGeoch GK David Thomson
FB Robert W. Neill FB William Evans
FB Joseph Taylor FB Llewelyn Kenrick (c)
HB Charles Campbell (c) HB Edwin Cross
HB Sandy Kennedy HB William Williams
FW John Ferguson FW Alfred Davies
FW Thomas Highet FW William Davies
FW James Lang FW John Hawley Edwards
FW Billy MacKinnon FW Daniel Grey
FW Moses McNeil FW John Jones
FW Henry McNeil FW George Thomson

Post match
 A newspaper report in The Cardiff
Times of Wales' first match against Scotland in 1876
Among the Welsh side, Kenrick was picked out as one of the best performers in match
reports,[20][42] while the team's forwards were criticised as being the weak point of the side.
In contrast, the Scottish forward line were praised for their performances, along with
Kennedy. After the match, the Welsh visitors were hosted by the SFA with dinner at
McRae's Hotel on Bath Street.[20] The SFA chairman toasted the Welsh side and praised
their "unflinching determination" during the match despite the defeat and Welsh captain
Kenrick also gave a speech.[33]
By playing in the fixture, Wales are recognised as the third oldest international football
team.[44] Their next international match came nearly a year later when they played a
second fixture against Scotland on 5 March 1877 at the Racecourse Ground in
Wrexham,[45][46] which was the first international match to be played in Wales.[47] Six of
Wales' original side kept their places in the team and they gave a much improved
performance as Scotland won the match 2–0.[48][49] For three players, David Thomson,
Edwards and John Jones, the 1876 game proved to be their only international
appearance for Wales.[32][50][51] Scotland had only played one match between the fixtures,
losing 3–1 to England two days before the second match and travelling straight to
Wales afterwards.[2] The two countries continued to meet each other in friendly matches
once each year in February or March until 1884 when the British Home Championship,
which also involved England and Ireland, was inaugurated.[52]
Scotland and Wales then met each year, other than when war intervened, until 1984,
when the British Home Championship was abandoned. The Scots won the first 13
meetings against Wales, the first draw coming in 1889. It was not until 1905 that the
Welsh claimed their first victory, defeating the Scots 3–1 at the Racecourse Ground.
The two countries have also met in World Cup qualifying matches for
the 1978 and 1986 tournaments, and were placed in the same group for the qualifying
tournament for the 2014 World Cup. Since the two World Cup qualifying matches in
1985, the countries have met five times. The most recent was on 12 October 2012,
when Wales won 2–1 in a World Cup qualifier.[46][53]
Notes
1. ^ This quote is partially incorrect as William Williams was a chimney-top maker, rather than
a chimney sweep.[18][35]

References
1. ^ Jump up to:a b Mitchell, Paul. "The first international football match". BBC. Retrieved 23
September 2017.
2. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g Brown, Alan; Tossani, Gabriele (17 March 2016). "Scotland –
International Matches 1872–1880". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 23
September 2017.
3. ^ "A number of Gentlemen met". Queen's Park FC. Archived from the original on 27 June
2012. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
4. ^ Kitchin, Tom (9 April 2008). "World's oldest football club back on pitch". Edinburgh Evening
News. Archived from the original on 24 September 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2010.
5. ^ "About". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
6. ^ Stead 2013, pp. 22–23
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10. ^ Stead 2013, pp. 38–39
11. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f "Wales v Scotland". Wrexham Guardian. 18 March 1876. p. 8.
Retrieved 1 January 2020 – via The National Library of Wales.
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Retrieved 29 December 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
13. ^ Gibbons, Philip (2001). Association Football in Victorian England – A History of the Game
from 1863 to 1900. Peterborough: Upfront Publishing. p. 54. ISBN 978-1-84426-035-5.
14. ^ Davies & Garland 1991, pp. 109–110
15. ^ Jump up to:a b "1876 Kenrick's Challenge". The Story of Welsh Football. Wrexham County
Borough Council. Retrieved 23 March 2010.
16. ^ "Football Notes". Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle. 15 January 1876. p. 5.
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19. ^ "The Football Association of Wales – 140 Years". Football Association of Wales.
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20. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i "International Association Match – Wales V. Scotland". Bell's Life in
London and Sporting Chronicle. 1 April 1876. p. 5. Retrieved 29 December 2020 – via
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21. ^ Jump up to:a b "International Football Match". Wrexham Guardian. 12 February 1876. p. 5.
Retrieved 1 January 2021 – via The National Library of Wales.
22. ^ "The International Football Match". The Cardiff Times. 4 March 1876. Retrieved 1
January 2021 – via The National Library of Wales.
23. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Stead 2013, pp. 11–12
24. ^ "The International Football Match". The Wrexham Advertiser. 19 February 1876. p. 5.
Retrieved 1 January 2021 – via The National Library of Wales.
25. ^ "The International Football Match". Wrexham Advertiser. 26 February 1876. p. 5.
Retrieved 29 January 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
26. ^ "The International Football Match". Wrexham Guardian. 11 March 1876. p. 9. Retrieved 1
January 2021 – via The National Library of Wales.
27. ^ "Wales v Scotland". Wrexham Guardian. 11 March 1876. p. 8.
28. ^ "Football Notes". Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle. 26 February 1876. p. 4.
Retrieved 29 January 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
29. ^ Davies & Garland 1991, p. 72
30. ^ Davies & Garland 1991, p. 62
31. ^ "John Hawley Edwards". England Football Online. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
32. ^ Jump up to:a b Davies & Garland 1991, p. 201
33. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h "The International Match". Wrexham Guardian. 1 April 1876. p. 9.
Retrieved 1 January 2021 – via The National Library of Wales.
34. ^ "Interesting and curious facts about full internationals and national players (1872–
1900)". IFFHS. Archived from the original on 4 December 2010. Retrieved 25 March 2010.
35. ^ Davies & Garland 1991, p. 220
36. ^ Jump up to:a b "1876 Programme". The Story of Welsh Football. Wrexham County Borough
Council. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
37. ^ Stead 2013, p. 13
38. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i "The International Football Match". The North Wales Chronicle. 1
April 1876. p. 7. Retrieved 1 January 2021 – via The National Library of Wales.
39. ^ "Scotland v Wales, 25 March 1876". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 23
September 2017.
40. ^ Jump up to:a b "Wales 1876–1939". www.historicalkits.co.uk. Dave Moor. Retrieved 23
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45. ^ "The International Football Match, Scotland v Wales". The Wrexham Advertiser. 3 March
1877. p. 5. Retrieved 1 January 2021 – via The National Library of Wales.
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Enterprises. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
47. ^ "Guinness cheers Racecourse with official record". Daily Post. 18 June 2008. Archived
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48. ^ "The Story of Welsh Football: 1877–1879". Wrexham County Borough Council.
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49. ^ "Wales 0 Scotland 2 (5 March 1877)". Welsh Football Data Archive. Archived from the
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50. ^ Davies & Garland 1991, p. 53
51. ^ Davies & Garland 1991, p. 108
52. ^ Stead 2013, pp. 32–34
53. ^ Forsyth, Roddy (12 October 2012). "Wales 2 Scotland 1: match report". The Daily
Telegraph. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2012.

Bibliography

 Davies, Gareth; Garland, Ian (1991). Who's Who of Welsh International

Soccer Players. Wrexham: Bridge Books. ISBN 978-1-872424-11-8.
 Stead, Phil (2013). Red Dragons – The Story of Welsh Football. Ceredigion:
Y Llofa. ISBN 978-1-84771-468-8.
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