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]

1949–50 British Home Championship
Tournament details
Host countryUnited Kingdom
Dates1 October 1949 – 15 April 1950
Teams4
Final positions
Champions England (29th title)
Runners-up Scotland
Tournament statistics
Matches played6
Goals scored29 (4.83 per match)
Top scorer(s)England Jack Rowley (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.[5][6]

World Cup qualifying

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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),[7] 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.[8]

Last all-Ireland team

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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.[9]

Table

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  England (C) 3 3 0 0 14 3 +11 6
  Scotland 3 2 0 1 10 3 +7 4
  Wales 3 0 1 2 1 6 −5 1
  Ireland 3 0 1 2 4 17 −13 1
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: 1) points. The points system worked as follows: 2 points for a win and 1 point for a draw.
(C) Champions

Results

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Ireland  2–8  Scotland
Smyth   50', 60' Report   2', 70', 88' Morris
  5', 31' (pen.) Waddell
  23' Steel
  24' Reilly
  80' Mason
Attendance: 50,000
Referee: Reginald E. Mortimer (England)

Wales  1–4  England
Griffiths   80' Report   22' Mortensen
  29', 34', 66' Milburn
Attendance: 60,000

Scotland  2–0  Wales
McPhail   25'
Linwood   78'
Report
Attendance: 73,782
Referee: Samuel Edgar Law (England)

England  9–2  Ireland
Rowley   5', 47', 55', 58'
Froggatt   28'
Pearson   31', 75'
Mortensen   35', 50'
Report   52' Smyth
  85' Brennan
Attendance: 57,000
Referee: B M Griffiths (Wales)

Wales  0–0  Ireland
Report
Attendance: 60,000
Referee: A Ellis (England)

Scotland  0–1  England
Report   63' Bentley
Attendance: 138,000
Referee: Reginald J. Leafe (England)

Team squads

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Head coach:   Walter Winterbottom

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

Head coach: none, SFA Selection Committee

Pos. Player DoB Games
played
Goals Minutes
played
Sub off Sub on       Club
MF George Aitken 28 May 1925 2 0 180 0 0 90 90   East Fife
FW Willie Bauld 24 January 1928 1 0 90 0 0 90   Heart of Midlothian
GK Jimmy Cowan 16 June 1926 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90  /2[11] Greenock Morton
DF Sammy Cox 13 April 1924 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90   Rangers
MF Bobby Evans 16 July 1927 2 0 180 0 0 90 90   Celtic
MF Alex Forbes 21 January 1925 1 0 90 0 0 90   Arsenal F.C.
FW Billy Liddell 10 January 1922 2 0 180 0 0 90 90   Liverpool F.C.
FW Alec Linwood 13 March 1920 1 1 90 0 0 90   Clyde
FW Jimmy Mason 18 June 1919 1 1 90 0 0 90   Third Lanark
MF Ian McColl 7 June 1927 1 0 90 0 0 90   Rangers
FW John McPhail 27 December 1923 1 1 90 0 0 90   Celtic
FW Willie Moir 19 April 1922 1 0 90 0 0 90   Bolton Wanderers
FW Henry Morris 17 December 1919 1 3 90 0 0 90   East Fife
FW Lawrie Reilly 28 October 1928 2 1 180 0 0 90 90   Hibernian
FW Billy Steel 1 May 1923 3 1 270 0 0 90 90 90   Derby County
FW William Waddell 7 March 1921 2 2 180 0 0 90 90   Rangers
MF Willie Woodburn 8 August 1919 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90   Rangers
DF George Young 27 October 1922 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90   Rangers

Head coach: none, managed by a committee

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

See also

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References

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  1. ^ rsssf.org
  2. ^ The World Encyclopedia of Football (2004): Tom Macdonald
  3. ^ Guy Oliver (1992). The Guinness Record of World Soccer. Guinness. ISBN 0-85112-954-4.
  4. ^ The Boys In Green - The FAI International Story (1997): Sean Ryan
  5. ^ Official Blundering Leads To Scottish Defeat, The Glasgow Herald, 17 April 1950
  6. ^ Scots May Yet Take Part In World Cup Series | Strong Pressure On Selectors To Change Decision, The Scotsman, 17 April 1950, via London Hearts Supports Club
  7. ^ www.independent.ie
  8. ^ The World Cup - The Complete History (2002): Terry Crouch
  9. ^ The Boys in Green - The FAI International Story (1997): Sean Ryan
  10. ^ Matches refereed by John Mowatt
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l The number indicates the league the team played in that year.