1949–50 British Home Championship

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1949–50 British Home Championship was one of the most significant competitions of the British Home Championship football tournament. This year saw the competition doubling up as Group 1 in the qualifying rounds for the 1950 FIFA World Cup. It was the first time that either England, Wales, Scotland or Ireland (IFA) had entered a World Cup competition.[1][2][3] It was also a significant moment in the history of Irish football as it was the last time that the (Northern) Irish Football Association entered a team featuring players born in both Northern Ireland and what is now the Republic of Ireland.[4]

Both England and Scotland began well, the Scots beating Ireland 8–2 at Windsor Park while England beat Wales 4–1 in Cardiff. Both teams continued their dominance in the second round of matches, Scotland beating Wales 2–0 whilst Ireland were again heavily defeated, this time losing 9–2 to England. In the final round of games Ireland and Wales gained some consolation points with a goalless draw while − England took first place by beating Scotland 1–0 in a hard fought game in Glasgow.

World Cup qualifying

FIFA offered two places at the 1950 FIFA World Cup to the winners and runners up of the competition. However Scotland insisted they would only enter if they won the championship outright and even though they finished second, the Scottish FA declined the opportunity to enter a team in the World Cup finals for the first time. FIFA subsequently offered their place to both France, the runners-up in Group 3 and Ireland (FAI),[5] the runners-up in Group 5. However both teams also declined the invitation. Despite winning the championship, England failed to impress at the World Cup. After defeating Chile 2–0 they then lost 1–0 to both the United States and Spain and failed to qualify for the second stage.[6]

Last all-Ireland team

Until 1950 there were, in effect, two Ireland teams, chosen by two rival associations. Both associations, the Belfast-based IFA and the Dublin-based FAI claimed jurisdiction over the whole of Ireland and selected players from the whole island. As a result, several notable Irish players from this era played for both teams.

The game between the IFA XI and Wales at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham on 8 March 1950 marked the end of an era in Irish football history. The result was irrelevant, as both teams had lost their previous games and had nothing to play for but pride. However, the 0–0 draw saw the IFA XI field an all-Ireland team for the last time. The team included four players - Tom Aherne, Reg Ryan, Davy Walsh and the captain, Con Martin - who were born in what is now the Republic of Ireland. Since this game was also a qualifier for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, the situation led to controversy. All four players had previously played for the FAI XI in their qualifiers. Both Martin and Walsh had even scored for the FAI XI. As a result, the four players actually played for two different associations in the same FIFA World Cup tournament.

FIFA intervened, after complaints from the FAI, and subsequently restricted players' eligibility based on the political border. In 1953 FIFA ruled neither team could be referred to as Ireland, decreeing that the FAI team be officially designated as the Republic of Ireland, while the IFA team was to become Northern Ireland. The IFA objected and in 1954 were permitted to continue using the name Ireland in the British Home Championship. This practice was discontinued in the late 1970s.[7]

Table

Final table Home Away
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts England Scotland Wales St Patrick's saltire.svg Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pld W D L GF GA Pts
1.  England 3 3 0 0 14 3 +11 6 X − − 9:2 1 1 0 0 9 2 2 2 2 0 0 5 1 4
2.  Scotland 3 2 0 1 10 3 +7 4 0:1 X 2:0 − 2 1 0 1 2 1 2 1 1 0 0 8 2 2
3.  Wales 3 0 1 2 1 6 −5 1 1:4 − X 0:0 2 0 1 1 1 4 1 1 0 0 1 0 2 0
4.  Ireland 3 0 1 2 4 17 −13 1 − 2:8 − X 1 0 0 1 2 8 0 2 0 1 1 2 9 1

The points system worked as follows:

  • 2 points for a win
  • 1 point for a draw

Results

1 October 1949
Ireland  2 – 8  Scotland
Smyth Goal 50', 60' Report Morris Goal 2', 70', 88'
Waddell Goal 5', 31' (pen.)
Steel Goal 23'
Reilly Goal 24'
Mason Goal 80'

15 October 1949
Wales  1 – 4  England
Griffiths Goal 80' Report Mortensen Goal 22'
Milburn Goal 29', 34', 66'

9 November 1949
Scotland  2 – 0  Wales
McPhail Goal 25'
Linwood Goal 78'		 Report

16 November 1949
England  9–2  Ireland
Rowley Goal 5', 47', 55', 58'
Froggatt Goal 28'
Pearson Goal 31', 75'
Mortensen Goal 35', 50'		 Report Smyth Goal 52'
Brennan Goal 85'

8 March 1950
Wales  0 – 0  Ireland

15 April 1950
Scotland  0 – 1  England
Report Bentley Goal 63'

Team squads

 England

Head coach: England Walter Winterbottom

Pos. Player DoB Games
played		 Goals Minutes
played		 Sub off Sub on Wales St Patrick's saltire.svg Scotland Club
DF John Aston 3 September 1921 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 England Manchester United
FW Roy Bentley 17 May 1924 1 1 90 0 0 − − 90 England Chelsea F.C.
MF Jimmy Dickinson 25 April 1925 2 0 180 0 0 90 − 90 England Portsmouth F.C.
FW Tom Finney 5 April 1922 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 England/2[8] Preston North End
DF Neil Franklin 24 January 1922 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 England Stoke City
FW Jack Froggatt 17 November 1922 1 1 90 0 0 − 90 − England Portsmouth F.C.
FW Johnny Hancocks 30 April 1919 1 0 90 0 0 90 − − England Wolverhampton Wanderers
FW Bobby Langton 8 September 1918 1 0 90 0 0 − − 90 England Bolton Wanderers
FW Wilf Mannion 16 May 1918 1 0 90 0 0 − − 90 England Middlesbrough F.C.
FW Jackie Milburn 11 May 1924 1 3 90 0 0 90 − − England Newcastle United
FW Stan Mortensen 26 May 1921 3 3 270 0 0 90 90 90 England Blackpool F.C.
DF Bert Mozley 21 September 1923 2 0 180 0 0 90 90 − England Derby County
FW Stan Pearson 15 January 1919 1 2 90 0 0 − 90 − England Manchester United
DF Alf Ramsey 22 January 1920 1 0 90 0 0 − − 90 England/2[8] Tottenham Hotspur
FW Jack Rowley 7 October 1920 1 4 90 0 0 − 90 − England Manchester United
FW Len Shackleton 3 May 1922 1 0 90 0 0 90 − − England Sunderland A.F.C.
GK Bernard Streten 14 January 1921 1 0 90 0 0 − 90 − England/2[8] Luton Town
MF Willie Watson 7 March 1920 1 0 90 0 0 − 90 − England Sunderland A.F.C.
GK Bert Williams 31 January 1920 2 0 180 0 0 90 − 90 England Wolverhampton Wanderers
MF Billy Wright 6 February 1924 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 England Wolverhampton Wanderers

 Scotland

Head coach: none, SFA Selection Committee

Pos. Player DoB Games
played		 Goals Minutes
played		 Sub off Sub on St Patrick's saltire.svg Wales England Club
MF George Aitken 28 May 1925 2 0 180 0 0 90 90 − Scotland East Fife
FW Willie Bauld 24 January 1928 1 0 90 0 0 − − 90 Scotland Heart of Midlothian
GK Jimmy Cowan 16 June 1926 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 Scotland/2[8] Greenock Morton
DF Sammy Cox 13 April 1924 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 Scotland Rangers
MF Bobby Evans 16 July 1927 2 0 180 0 0 90 90 − Scotland Celtic
MF Alex Forbes 21 January 1925 1 0 90 0 0 − − 90 England Arsenal F.C.
FW Billy Liddell 10 January 1922 2 0 180 0 0 − 90 90 England Liverpool F.C.
FW Alec Linwood 13 March 1920 1 1 90 0 0 − 90 − Scotland Clyde
FW Jimmy Mason 18 June 1919 1 1 90 0 0 90 − − Scotland Third Lanark
MF Ian McColl 7 June 1927 1 0 90 0 0 − − 90 Scotland Rangers
FW John McPhail 27 December 1923 1 1 90 0 0 − 90 − Scotland Celtic
FW Willie Moir 19 April 1922 1 0 90 0 0 − − 90 England Bolton Wanderers
FW Henry Morris 17 December 1919 1 3 90 0 0 90 − − Scotland East Fife
FW Lawrie Reilly 28 October 1928 2 1 180 0 0 90 90 − Scotland Hibernian
FW Billy Steel 1 May 1923 3 1 270 0 0 90 90 90 England Derby County
FW William Waddell 7 March 1921 2 2 180 0 0 90 − 90 Scotland Rangers
MF Willie Woodburn 8 August 1919 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 Scotland Rangers
DF George Young 27 October 1922 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 Scotland Rangers

 Ireland (IFA)

Head coach: none, managed by a committee

Pos. Player DoB Games
played		 Goals Minutes
played		 Sub off Sub on Scotland England Wales Club
DF Tom Aherne 26 January 1919 1 0 90 0 0 − − 90 England/2[8] Luton Town
MF Danny Blanchflower 10 February 1926 2 0 180 0 0 90 − 90 England/2[8] Barnsley
DF/MF Gerry Bowler 8 June 1919 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 England/2[8] Hull City
FW Bobby Brennan 14 March 1925 3 1 270 0 0 90 90 90 England Birmingham City
FW Davy Cochrane 14 August 1920 2 0 180 0 0 90 90 − England/2[8] Leeds United
FW Eddie Crossan 17 November 1925 1 0 90 0 0 90 − − England/2[8] Blackburn Rovers
MF Ray Ferris 22 September 1920 1 0 90 0 0 90 − − England Birmingham City
DF Jim Feeney 23 June 1921 1 0 90 0 0 − 90 − England/2[8] Swansea Town
GK Hugh Kelly 17 August 1919 2 0 180 0 0 − − 90 England Fulham
GK Pat Kelly 9 April 1918 1 0 90 0 0 90 − − England/2[8] Barnsley
FW Jimmy McCabe 17 September 1918 1 0 90 0 0 − 90 − England/2[8] Leeds United
FW Johnny McKenna 6 June 1926 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 England Huddersfield Town
DF Alf McMichael 1 October 1927 2 0 180 0 0 90 90 − England Newcastle United
DF Con Martin 20 March 1923 1 0 90 0 0 − − 90 England Aston Villa
MF Reg Ryan 30 October 1925 1 0 90 0 0 − − 90 England West Bromwich Albion
FW Sammy Smyth 25 February 1925 3 3 270 0 0 90 90 90 England Wolverhampton Wanderers
FW Charlie Tully 11 July 1924 1 0 90 0 0 − 90 − Scotland Celtic
MF Jackie Vernon 26 September 1918 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 England West Bromwich Albion
FW Davy Walsh 28 April 1923 1 0 90 0 0 − − 90 England West Bromwich Albion

See also

References

  1. ↑ www.rsssf.com
  2. ↑ The World Encyclopedia of Football (2004): Tom Macdonald
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ The Boys In Green - The FAI International Story (1997): Sean Ryan
  5. ↑ www.independent.ie
  6. ↑ The World Cup - The Complete History (2002): Terry Crouch
  7. ↑ The Boys In Green - The FAI International Story (1997): Sean Ryan
  8. ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 The number indicates the league the team played in that year.
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