By Jack Stacey of Discount Football Kits
In light of the recent vote on Scottish Independence we’ve decided to preview the upcoming Scotland v England friendly that will be held at Celtic Park – and to take a wistful look back at the oldest football fixture in the world.
Outclassing the lot up or down the road (depending from which side of the Tweed you hail) has been high on the agenda of both nations since it all officially kicked-off on St Andrew’s day 1872 with a 0-0 draw at the Hamilton Crescent cricket ground, Partick.
This bore-draw, as it would be called today, didn’t inhibit the desire to repeat the fixture, which has been played and replayed ever since – not only literally but in the minds of all those fans relishing sweet victories or lamenting harrowing defeats at the hands of domestic rivals like no other.
The Anglo-Scottish football relationship has perhaps cooled somewhat in recent years, especially since there are actually other nations to play now. We hardly get to meet anymore.
Scots and Anglos alike have therefore resorted to evoking memories of games gone-by in order to fill this competitive absence.
Of course the most famous of all Scottish wins came in 1967, less than a year after England had won the World Cup for the first and only time.
The scots were bossing the world champions for the majority of the game, going 1-0 up early-on with a goal from Scots legend, Denis Law, fortified with a second from Bobby Lennox in the 78th minute.
The resolute English demonstrated their strength of personality and fought back to allow an injured Jack Charlton to net one in the 84th minute.
However, Scotland had three lions of their own, the third of which, Jim McCalliog ended the champions’ 19 game unbeaten run with a fine goal coming from the corner of the six-yard box, despite Geoff Hurst’s attempt to channel some of the magic of ’66 with an 88th minute goal. The fans thought it was all over, and it was.
The game ended 3-2 to Scotland.
Scottish fans have never forgotten it. And they’ve never let the ‘Auld Enemy’ forget it either.
Nobby Stiles since said of the fans in his autobiography: “For them, the match was the world championship and they claimed they were the new world champions after beating us.”
Incidentally, four of the on-field Scotland players (Simpson, Lennox, Wallace and Gemmell) continued their lionlike performances, thoroughly earning their famous mantel in Lisbon only a month later.
Okay now for the English side of things – let it not be said that I failed to stay impartial.
Apologies to the Scottish fans for the above video- it was put in over my head.
I suppose you all think you know what’s coming anyway? Well I’m afraid you’ll have to book an appointment before you next encounter a dentist’s chair because the game I wish to focus on is a much more recent memory.
August 2013 was the first time England and Scotland had met in fourteen years.
A prestigious 150 year anniversary for the FA was the official backdrop of the friendly at Wembley, whereas for the fans it was a perfect setting to renew old rivalries.
The game began and straight away England players were on the back foot against a confident Scotland. This continued for 11 minutes at which point James Morrison got the Tartan Terriers off to a dream start by slotting a right-footed shot past a flappy Joe Hart.
Less than ten minutes later; however, England remembered what they were there for when Theo Walcott responded after a strong individual run and a left-foot finish, levelling the score to the welief of Woy and the boys.
However, the resumption of play following half time brought a resumption of Scotland’s form – Kenny Miller made Gary Cahill look a dobber on the edge of the 18-yard-box to grab great goal on the turn past a sprawling Joe Hart. The score: 2-1 to Scotland.
By this time, the anxiety was building as Scotland seemed to gain an increasingly strong upper hand.
But it was Scotland Goalkeeper Allan McGregor alone who needed a strong hand in the 52nd minute after an unfair challenge by Kenny Miller on Cahill gave England a free kick in the middle of Scotland’s half.
The ball was knocked into the box purposefully by Steven Gerrard. It was at this point that Danny Welbeck unleashed his inner Peter Rabbit; sneaking into Mr McGregor’s garden to steal a 24 karat header, which he dropped at the scrambling keeper’s near post, leaving him just unable to push it away.
A 2-2 draw was acceptable to both sets of fans at this point, but never ever desirable.
Roy Hodgson shared this sentiment and decided to shake things up a bit by bringing on Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Rickie Lambert – a decision that changed the game.
Within minutes England were on the attack. Then Leighton Baines won a corner just as Scott Brown decided to leave a bit on Danny Welbeck who responded in kind – the tension was beginning to show.
As Baines whipped in the cross, the melee in the box made it seem impossible that anyone could connect with it.
Then an unfamiliar figure emerged from the jumble of blue and white, rising above everyone near the penalty spot. It was tricky Rickie Lambert making his long-awaited debut – the man who never thought he’d see the Premier League, let alone international football.
With grand self-assurance he delivered a thumping header which took only milliseconds to reach the back of the net, but which was 31 years in the making.
The score ended 3-2 to England, where the bragging rights remain – for now.
However, the overall record between the two nations remains close. England has won 46 to Scotland’s 41 with 24 draws.
So there’s more competition than you might think. Scotland may not have qualified for the World Cup in Brazil, but they’ve been on arresting form: undefeated in over a year until this month when they were unluckily beaten 2-1 by the world champions, Germany no less.
Of course England were abysmal at the World Cup but they’ve since regained some confidence, winning 1-0 against Norway in a friendly, and grabbing two convincing goals and a clean sheet against Switzerland in the Euro qualifier on the 8th September just gone.
At the time of writing, both nations have two more games to play before they meet: Scotland face their Gaelic neighbours, the Republic of Ireland after an encounter with minnows, Georgia. While England will meet a similar overall challenge with San Marino and Slovenia.
The latest instalment of Scotland v England will take place on November 18th, exactly two months after the Independence Referendum. The Anglo-Scottish relationship is still firmly set in the public consciousness, so perhaps there’s more to play for than ever.
And with many new names ready to take their place in the chronicle, there’s a wealth of new stories to be had; so long may this historic, sometimes fraught but mostly affable rivalry continue in respect for auld lang syne if nothing else.
