Now You Know Soccer. Doug Lennox
Barnes
• Blackheath
• Forest of Leytonstone
• Perceval House
• Kensington School
• The War Office
• Crystal Palace
• Epping Forest
• Crusaders
• Surbiton
• No Names of Kilburn
• Blackheath Proprietary School
In 1871, Charles W. Alcock, then FA secretary, announced the introduction of the Football Association Challenge Cup. It was the first knockout competition of its type in the world. Only 15 clubs took part in the first staging of the tournament. It included two clubs based in Scotland: Donington School and Queen’s Park. In the 1872 final, the Wanderers beat the Royal Engineers 1–0 at the Kennington Oval. The FA Cup is the oldest association football competition in the world.
Who was the first professional soccer player on the international stage?
James Henry Forrest was an English soccer player whose career spanned the transition from amateur to professional in the 1880s and 1890s. He played most of his career for Blackburn Rovers, who were paying him £1 per week in 1885 when he was chosen to play for England in the Home Championship against Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Despite complaints from Scottish officials that Forrest was a professional, he was allowed to play but he had to wear a different jersey from the rest of the team. Blackburn Rovers also had to agree not to pay him his wages in the week that he played for England.
Chronology of the Formation of the United Kingdom's Football Associations
• England: The Football
Association (FA) — 1863
• Scotland: The Scottish Football
Association (SFA) — 1873
• Wales: The Football Association
of Wales (FAW) —1876
• Northern Ireland: Irish Football
Association (IFA) — 1880
What England player was first to score against Scotland?
William Stanley-Kenyon of the Wanderers became England’s first-ever goal scorer during their 4–2 win over Scotland on March 8, 1873. He scored two goals, and is therefore also the first player to score twice for England.
What was the Football Act of 1424?
Quickies
Did you know …
• England’s longest unbeaten run stands at 20 matches played between a 3–2 loss to Scotland on April 13, 1889, and a 2–1 home defeat against Scotland on April 4, 1896? England’s record during this seven-year period was 16 wins and 4 draws.
The Football Act of 1424 was passed by the Parliament of Scotland during the reign of James I. It became law on May 26, 1424. The Act stated that “the king forbiddis that na man play at the fut ball under the payne of iiij d,” which meant that playing football was made illegal, and punishable by a fine of four pence. The Act remained in force for several centuries, and was not repealed until the passing of the Statute Law Revision (Scotland) Act 1906. Obviously, it was one statute that did not take root.
Quickies
Did you know …
• the earliest historical reference to “fute-ball” in Scotland was in 1424 when King James I outlawed the playing of the game in the Football Act 1424?
When was the Scottish Football Association founded?
On March 13, 1873, representatives of seven Scottish soccer teams gathered at a meeting in Glasgow in response to an advertisement in the newspaper. The purpose of the gathering was to form the Scottish Football Association. At the meeting it was resolved that, “The clubs here represented form themselves into an association for the promotion of football according to the rules of The Football Association and that the clubs connected with this association subscribe for a challenge cup to be played for annually, the committee to propose the laws of the competition.” An eighth club, Kilmarnock, did not attend the meeting, but expressed its wish to join by letter.
Founding clubs of the Scottish FA
• Queen’s Park
• Clydesdale
• Vale of Leven
• Dumbreck
• Third Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers
• Eastern
• Granville
• Kilmarnock
When was the Scottish Cup first played?
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup, usually known as the Scottish Cup, started in the 1873–74 season, when it was contested by 16 teams. The trophy is the oldest national trophy in the world. The Scottish Cup was first awarded to Queen’s Park when they beat Clydesdale 2–0 in the final in front of a crowd of 3,000 people.
Quickies
Did you know …
• in September 1884 the Glasgow Evening News produced the first-ever football edition of a newspaper giving match scores from earlier that afternoon?
What is the Old Firm?
The Scottish soccer teams Celtic FC, founded in 1888, and Rangers FC, founded in 1873, both based in Glasgow, are collectively referred to as the Old Firm. It is not clear how this term came about. Some say it is because of camaraderie shown between the two clubs in their early days, while others surmise it is an ironic take on the arch rivalry that eventually developed between them. Whichever it is, the two clubs are indisputably the most successful in Scotland, having won between them 66 Scottish Cups and 93 Scottish Premier League championships as of 2008.
Quickies
Did you know …
• the Scottish club Queen’s Park FC, established in 1867, is the world’s oldest soccer club outside of England?
Who was the Welsh Wizard?
Player Billy Meredith was born in Black Park, Wales, on July 28, 1874. He worked as a coal miner and played local soccer for Chirk, but at the age of 18 he signed as an amateur with Northwich Victoria, becoming the first Welshman to play for an English club. Two years later he joined Manchester City, but returned to Wales the following year to help his national team win their first international competition. He continued to work as a miner until 1896, when his club finally insisted he give up his colliery job. The fans loved Meredith’s skills and dubbed him the “Welsh Wizard.”
Teams in the Inaugural Scottish FA Cup Competition
• Queen’s Park
• Clydesdale
• Alexandra Athletic
• Callander
• Granville
• Dumbarton
• Vale of Leven
• Eastern
• Rovers
• Dumbreck
• Renton
• Kilmarnock
• Third