25 notable matches in the England-Scotland football rivalry

From 1870 March to 1872 February, England and Scotland would play what should be considered the first five fixtures between the two nations — all friendlies. In the case of these matches, they were recognized by The Football Association (FA), but not FIFA, which considers none of them as an international matchup. However, on 5 March 1870, the first football match between England and Scotland commenced, held at The Oval in London (where the other four would also be housed). The sides played to a 1-1 draw, but it wasn't until two years later that the rivalry "officially" began.

Held at the Patrick sector of Glasgow, when England and Scotland tangled on the football pitch in late 1872 it was also considered to be — at least in the eyes of FIFA — the initial international contest within the sport. Though, as we noted, players representing each side squared off against each other in previous years. As legend has it, approximately 4,000 spectators witnessed the match, whose pace and flow were hindered by a soggy playing surface due to prior days of rain. The match ended in a scoreless finish.

From 1872 to 1883, the on-pitch matchups between England and Scotland were of the friendly variety. However, during the 1883-84 campaign, the British Home Championship, an annual competition between the United Kingdom's four nations, was born. The first such match between England and Scotland was held on 15 March 1884, at Cathkin Park, in the Crosshill section of Glasgow. Scotland prevailed, and the national tournament would run for more than 100 years before being held for the final time during the 1983-84 season.

Perhaps the most tragic moment in the history of the England-Scotland football rivalry came during this Home Championship match that would become known as the "Ibrox Disaster of 1902." Hosted at what is now Glasgow's Ibrox Stadium, the contest was marred when a portion of the West End seating terracing collapsed, and reportedly killed 25, with more than 500 injured. Despite a stoppage in play, the match continued, but was later voided and replayed the next month at Villa Park in Birmingham.

Speaking of that rematch, emotions and tensions were high, and rightfully so following the tragedy at Ibrox. With England now the host in front of roughly 15,000 spectators, it was Scotland who struck first in the third minute via Bobby Templeton. The Scots went up 2-0 on Ronald Orr's goal just before the half-hour mark. However, the England fans were revived as the hosts got goals two minutes apart from Jimmy Settle and Albert Wilkes after the hour mark to ultimately salvage the draw. However, Scotland ended up winning that season's Home Championship in bittersweet fashion.

Scotland had produced a host of lopsided victories leading up to this 1928 meeting, but it remains one of the sweetest in the history of that nation's triumphs within the series. The Scottish squad would be come known as the "Wembley Wizards" for this decisive result at London's famed ground. After failing to beat Ireland and Wales in the first two matches of the season's Home Championship, Scotland nearly went down in the opening moments but for Billy Smith hitting woodwork for England. Shortly after, however, the dominance by the Scots began with the first of three goals by Alex Jackson. Alex James also recorded a brace for The Tartan Army for one of the country's most satisfying all-time moments in the rivalry.

Three second-half goals, including a brace via Bob McPhail, pushed Scotland to this 3-1 victory in a match that essentially meant nothing for the overall outcome of the Home Championship, since Wales already won that's season's competition. However, the true story of the match was the massive 149,415 announced record crowd that watched the action at Glasgow's Hampden Park.

The 1949-50 version of the Home Championship was also used as qualifying for the 1950 World Cup. Up to this point, either nation had ever qualified for the prestigious international tournament. However, entering this fixture, both teams were actually to be part of the World Cup field, but the Scottish Football Association proclaimed that their side would not compete unless it won the British Home Championship — a rather bold, and somewhat arrogant, move. The decision came back to bite the Scots, as England's Roy Bentley scored the match's lone goal.  England won the Home title and went to the World Cup for the first time without their U.K. rivals.

The result Scotland was looking for a year prior would have earned them not only the Home Championship, but also a spot in their first World Cup. Of course, the latter was at their own undoing. However, when the sides met in April 1951, Scotland proved that, at least for one season, they could brag on the Three Lions. Trailing 1-0 past the half-hour mark, Scotland leveled via Bobby Johnstone. They went ahead shortly out of half-time through Lawrie Riley, then added on with Billy Liddell's goal, which proved to be the decisive tally at Wembley. For Scotland, however, this would be their last series victory for more than decade.

The 1953-54 version of the Home Championship was also used as group play for the 1954 World Cup qualifying. And though England ran the table during the U.K. competition, culminating with an impressive victory over Scotland at Hampden Park in this particular match, both nations actually qualified for the World Cup. In the case of Scotland, it would be the first time they were part of the World Cup field.

No time during the storied history of this football rivalry have England scored more goals in a match. In fact, leaving it up to lore, this was one comical affair — though the Scots hardly found their performance funny at all, notably that of embattled keeper Frank Haffey. England football legend Jimmy Greaves recorded a hat trick in this lopsided final capitulation, while fellow Three Lions stalwarts Johnny Haynes and Bobby Smith each posted a brace. 

From 1952-61, Scotland went 0-3-7 against England — their longest stretch in the rivalry without a victory. Now, that dry spell finally ended on this April day in 1962. The Tartan Army capped a perfect 3-0 Home Championship run with a 2-0 victory over the Three Lions at Glasgow's Hampden Park, thanks to goals by David Wilson and Eric Caldow. That would begin a string of three consecutive victories for Scotland over England. 

As we fast forward to the end of second half of the 1960s, England's dominance in the rivalry was taking shape. Beginning in April 1965, the English won nine of 10 matches versus Scotland. However, their only loss during that span remains one of the greatest football moments in Scotland's sporting history. Less than a year after England won their only World Cup, the heavily favored side were stunned by the Scots in the Home Championship match of 1967 at Wembley, site of the Three Lions' ultimate international triumph. Scottish legend Denis Law opened the scoring in the 27th minute, and then a goal by Bobby Lennox made it 2-0 before England finally broke through. But Scotland added another, and held on for the 3-2 triumph, which its supporters dubbed their team as "World Champions." 

Determined to return to the World Cup finals after missing out in 1974, England had their collective hands full trying to get back to that competition for the '78 installment. In the end, it would not happen, as the Three Lions' hopes were dashed, notably, amid a 2-1 loss to Scotland at Wembley. Strikes from Gordon McQueen and Kenny Dalglish helped Scotland also win the prestigious Home International Championship with the triumph — settled between the U.K.'s four countries — and led to their fans joyously storming the famed London pitch.

In time, all good things must come to an end. That was the case for the British Home Championship. With the four nations expanding their fixture schedule and hooliganism plaguing the match scenery more often than not within the Championship, the 1983-84 campaign proved to be the final run for the U.K. competition. Northern Ireland won the final title, while England and Scotland played to a 1-1 draw in the competition's less-than-intriguing and captivating final-ever contest, with both goals coming within the first 36 minutes of the match.

Since 1978, Scotland's football victories over England have been few and far between. In fact since 1977 July, the Tartan Army have won just three times in the last 21 matches with England. The most recent victory for Scotland over England at home on the hallowed ground of Hampden Park came during this 1-0 result amid the Rous Cup competition. With the Home Championship having gone by the wayside, England, Scotland and a different side from South America competed in the short-lived Rous Cup, honouring prominent English football administrator Sir Stanley Rous.

In later days of Spring 1989, the last-ever match between England and Scotland in the Rous Cup competition came on this day at the hallowed ground of Hampden Park. But, the home supporters were left disheartened as the Three Lions gained the 2-0 victory at Glasgow. However, most notably for the history of England-Scotland rivalry, this particular fixture was the final time the nations went head-to-head on an annual basis. They would not meet again until ...  

... this particular matchup, which also happened to come in Group play of the 1996 European Championships, marking the first time this storied football rivalry was played on such a grand stage. However, the magnitude and importance of the event didn't prove too daunting for England, who rode second-half goals from a pair of national team legends — Alan Shearer and Paul Gascoigne — to a 2-nil triumph at Wembley. While Scotland never made it out of the group stage, England reached the semi-finals, where they fell in heartbreaking fashion to Germany on penalties. 

One must go back to late 1999 for the last time Scotland bested the lads from England. And, once again, there was plenty at stake with the two drawn into the same qualifying play-off for the 2000 Euros. On 13 November 1999, the first leg of the tie was played at Hampden Park with Paul Scholes scoring twice for England in the 2-0 win. Four days later, however, it was a different story with Scotland the victor by a 1-0 scoreline, courtesy of Don Hutchison's first-half goal. In the end, though, the Three Lions would move on into the Championships via a 2-1 aggregate. 

When the aforementioned 1999 fixture concluded, it might have seemed hard to imagine that England and Scotland would not again meet on the pitch until nearly 14 years later. Well, that proved to be case, but on this summer August day, the rivalry was renewed. In a spirited contest at Wembley — of the friendly variety — the two sides played one of their most competitive and entertaining matches of all time. Twice Scotland held a one-goal lead, but Danny Welbeck delivered the final equaliser for England in the 53rd minute. Rickie Lambert's 70th-minute header — via his first international touch — gave Three Lions' their first lead, which would never be relinquished. 

Proving that more than a decade between rivalry matches was unacceptably too long, England and Scotland played a return tie from the aforementioned 2013 affair. This time, Glasgow's Celtic Park would provide the stage. And, yet again, England proved the victors. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain opened the scoring just past the half-hour mark. A Wayne Rooney brace, sandwiched between Andrew Robertson's score on 83 minutes, ultimately decided the match for England, whose century of football dominance over Scotland continued. 

The first of a two-league qualifying tie for the 2018 World Cup between the two rivals. Hosted at Wembley, the match was all in favor of the hosts. It took England less than a half-hour to opening the scoring account through Daniel Sturridge. Adam Lallana and Gary Cahill added to the fun with goals for England, who set themselves up for a sweet spot in the group, and eventual path to the World Cup — all at the expense of their rivals.

Scotland's World Cup qualifying misery might have hit an all-time high while trying to find their way into the ultimate event. And for the 2018 installment, England had a hand in keeping the Scots home. Following that Three Lions capitulation in London in 2016 November, it was the second leg that remains one of the most, if not the most, entertaining fixture in the history of the rivalry. Of course, the offense didn't get going until sub Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain opened the scoring on 70 minutes for England. However, Leigh Griffiths sent the Hampden Park faithful into a frenzy with two splendid free-kick goals in the 87th and 90th minutes to put Scotland ahead. As time wound down, and Scotland tasting victory, newly crowned England captain Harry Kane delivered a far-post finish of Raheem Sterling's cross with three minutes left in stoppage time to salvage the draw. It sent England to the World Cup, while Scotland watched from home.

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed back the 2020 Euro a year into 2021. So, in June of the latter, England and Scotland met for the first time in four years amid group play for the European Championship. Wembley was again the site for this England-Scotland tilt. Defense ruled the day, as for just the fourth time in their history the sides shared the spoils of a goalless finish. Though this was the only group match England failed to win, they moved on and reached the final only to lose in heartbreak fashion to Italy on penalties. Scotland, meanwhile, went winless in the group stage.

To date, this is the most recent fixture between the two nations. It was also played to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first official international contest held between the sides (though originally intended to be played in 2022 November). Housed at Hampden Park, the pomp and circumstance of the lead-up to the fixture ended up surpassing the actual play on the pitch. Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham scored three minutes apart in the first half for England to lead 2-0. Harry Maguire pulled one back for Scotland just past the hour mark to make things interesting, but Harry Kane's strike in the 81st did in The Tartan Army.