By Chris Wright
With a succinct nod to tomorrow eve’s friendly between the two nations at Wembley – a game arranged as part of the FA’s 150th anniversary celebrations and a rematch of the first international game ever played – Pies have cobbled together a comprehensive gallery of vintage and archive photos from “England vs Scotland” games past, starting with the first ever fixture in 1870 and ending with Gazza’s mercurial tomfoolery at Euro ’96…
An artist’s impression (dated 1878) of the first ever international game ever played between England and a Scotland representative team played under floodlights at the Kennington Oval in 1870, as organised solely by the English FA. However, it is the return leg at the Hamilton Crescent in 1872 (which finished 0-0) that is officially recognised as the first ever international fixture as the two sides were independently picked by the two corresponding Football Associations of England and Scotland
An artist’s impression of a goalmouth scramble during the international “friendly” between England and Scotland, 1878
The England team, circa 1893. On the far left of the back row is stood William McGregor, the founder of the Football League
The Scotland team, sporting a fine array of gentlemanly facial fashion, circa 1895
The wooden terracing at Ibrox after it collapsed during a Scotland-England game, killing 25 people and injuring around 500 more, 1902 (if you sang that last bit à la The Proclaimers then you’re officially as bad as us)
A linesman in very fancy pantaloons marshals the game as England play Scotland at Bramall Lane, Sheffield in 1903
Scotland goalkeeper Jack Lyall prepares to hoof the ball downfield during a match against England at Crystal Palace, 1905
Up at the other end of the pitch, life for England goalkeeper Harry Linacre is an awful lot less stressful, 1905
Huge crowds swarm into Stamford Bridge for the England-Scotland Home International match which the home side eventually won 1-0, with Harry Hampton the scorer, 1913
England captain David Jack shakes hands with his Scottish counterpart, Davie Meiklejohn, over the centre-spot at Wembley as Irish referee Williams McLean oversees, 1930. Who the bloke in the middle is we have no idea!
The Duke of Gloucester is introduced to the England team by captain Ernie Blenkinsop before the game against Scotland at Wembley, 1932. England won the match 3-0
Far below the camera blimp, England play Scotland at Wembley, 1932
Spectators arrive outside Wembley for the Wartime Friendly between England and Scotland, 1941
Scotland captain Matt Busby shakes hands with grizzled England captain Stan Cullis before the Wartime Friendly between the two countries at Wembley, 1944
England goalkeeper Frank Swift rises to claim the ball confidently in front of the twin towers, 1944
England’s Neil Franklin muscles in to dispossess Jimmy Delaney after the Scotland forward had beaten England goalkeeper Frank Swift (on ground) to a through ball, 1947
Two dustbin lids are used to ramp up the atmosphere at Wembley, 1947
England’s Stanley Matthews jinks past Scotland defender George Young at Hampden Park, 1948
The British Home Championship trophy (also known as the Home International trophy) which was competed for annually by the UK’s four national sides for 100 years from 1883/84 up until 1983/84, as photographed here in 1949
England and Manchester City goalkeeper Frank Swift trains in the mud ahead of the Home International match at Wembley against Scotland, 1949
Scotland centre-back George Young checks the solidity of the Wembley goalposts before a Home International match against England, 1949
The two captains, England’s George Hardwick (left) and Scotland’s Jock Shaw (right), watch the referee’s coin toss intently, 1949
Scotland supporters clamber aboard a London bus and celebrate their team’s 3-1 victory over England, 1949
England’s inside-right Wilf Mannion is stretchered off the Wembley turf after suffering a fractured cheek bone during the game against Scotland, 1951
The very definition of a “despairing dive”, Scotland goalkeeper Tom Cowan is beaten at his near post as England socre their first goal at Wembley, 1951
England players including Nat Lofthouse, Stanley Matthews, Billy Wright and Don Revie train at Roehampton ahead of a Home International game against Scotland, 1955
Crowds spill out of the stadium and filter away down Wembley Way following an international friendly between England and Scotland, 1955
England captain Billy Wright is chaired off by his teammates after his 100th international appearance, a 1-0 victory over Scotland at Wembley, 1959
Bodies are sprawled across the pitch after England’s Bobby Smith and Scotland’s Eric Caldow are involved in a nasty collision, 1963
Billy McNeill and Bobby Moore lead their boys out at Wembley, 1965
Jimmy Greaves and the Charlton brothers line up before England’s game against Scotland at Wembley, 1965. The match finished 2-2; Greaves and Bobby Charlton scoring for England, Denis Law and Ian St John scoring for Scotland
England’s Ray Wilson is stretchered away down the tunnel after picking up an injury against Scotland, 1965
Scotland goalkeeper Bill Brown punches clear as England swing a corner into his area, 1965
Manchester United teammates Denis Law and Bobby Charlton swap shirts after the final whistle, 1965
Jim Baxter is hugged by delighted fans following Scotland’s 3-2 victory over England in the European Championship qualifier at Wembley, 1967
Scotland fans flood onto the Wembley pitch to celebrate the victory, 1967
The Scotland team to play England, all looking a bit chilly, 1968
Joan Tench of England Ladies is sneakily kegged by Jean Ramsey of Scotland during an aerial duel in a women’s international friendly game in London, 1969
In a game scheduled to mark the Scottish FA’s centenary year, Bobby Moore leads his team out before making his 100th international appearance for England against Billy Bremner’s Scotland at Hampden Park, 1973
Big Joe Jordan celebrates after knocking one in against England, scoring the opener in a 2-0 Home International win at Hampden Park, 1974
England manager Don Revie talks tactics with members of his squad at Troon as they prepare for a Home International match with Scotland. With him are, from left, Mick Channon, Stuart Pearson (no. 10), Ray Kennedy (no. 6), Peter Taylor, Gerry Francis and Kevin Keegan, 1976
Rampant Scotland fans demolish the Wembley goalposts after watching their team beat England 2-1 at Wembley in a Home International, 1977
Keggy celebrates scoring against Scotland at Wembley, 1979
Scotland fans make their point with a banner referring to FA secretary Ted Croker, who banned the sale of tickets to Scottish fans ahead of 1981’s Home International fixture after their demolition job at Wembley four years prior. The ticket ban was overturned in court and, hence…
A small group of determined Scotland fans watch the Home International match against England through a gap in the corner of Hampden Park, 1985
Paul Gascoigne leaves a bamboozled Colin Hendry in his wake as he thunders in his fantastic goal against Scotland at Euro ’96…
…and celebrates accordingly!
England-Scotland at Euro ’96 as seen from the skies above Wembley
No caption required
(Photos: PA)