1949–50 British Home Championship Explained

Tourney Name:	British Home Championship
Year:	1949–50
Country:	United Kingdom
Dates:	1 October 1949 – 15 April 1950
Num Teams:	4
Champion:	ENG
Count:	29
Second:	SCO
Matches:	6
Goals:	29
Top Scorer:	Jack Rowley (4)
Prevseason:	1948–49
Nextseason:	1950–51

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.^[5] ^[6]

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),^[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

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

Results

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

Team squads

Head coach: Walter Winterbottom

width=7%	Pos.	width=20%	Player	width=12%	DoB	width=6%	Games played	width=6%	Goals	width=4%	Minutes played	width=4%	Sub off	width=4%	Sub on	width=3%	width=3% bgcolor=yellow	width=3%	width=27%	Club
		3 September 1921	3	0	270	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	Manchester United
		17 May 1924	1	1	90	0	0	–	–	bgcolor=red	90	Chelsea F.C.
		25 April 1925	2	0	180	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	–	bgcolor=red	90	Portsmouth F.C.
		5 April 1922	3	0	270	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	/2^[10] Preston North End
		24 January 1922	3	0	270	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	Stoke City
		17 November 1922	1	1	90	0	0	–	bgcolor=red	90	–	Portsmouth F.C.
		30 April 1919	1	0	90	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	–	–	Wolverhampton Wanderers
		8 September 1918	1	0	90	0	0	–	–	bgcolor=red	90	Bolton Wanderers
		16 May 1918	1	0	90	0	0	–	–	bgcolor=red	90	Middlesbrough F.C.
		11 May 1924	1	3	90	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	–	–	Newcastle United
		26 May 1921	3	3	270	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	Blackpool F.C.
		21 September 1923	2	0	180	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	–	Derby County
		15 January 1919	1	2	90	0	0	–	bgcolor=red	90	–	Manchester United
		22 January 1920	1	0	90	0	0	–	–	bgcolor=red	90	/2 Tottenham Hotspur
		7 October 1920	1	4	90	0	0	–	bgcolor=red	90	–	Manchester United
		3 May 1922	1	0	90	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	–	–	Sunderland A.F.C.
		14 January 1921	1	0	90	0	0	–	bgcolor=red	90	–	/2 Luton Town
		7 March 1920	1	0	90	0	0	–	bgcolor=red	90	–	Sunderland A.F.C.
		31 January 1920	2	0	180	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	–	bgcolor=red	90	Wolverhampton Wanderers
		6 February 1924	3	0	270	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	Wolverhampton Wanderers

Head coach: none, SFA Selection Committee

width=7%	Pos.	width=20%	Player	width=12%	DoB	width=6%	Games played	width=6%	Goals	width=4%	Minutes played	width=4%	Sub off	width=4%	Sub on	width=3%	width=3% bgcolor=yellow	width=3% bgcolor=yellow	width=27%	Club
		28 May 1925	2	0	180	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	–	East Fife
		24 January 1928	1	0	90	0	0	–	–	bgcolor=red	90	Heart of Midlothian
		16 June 1926	3	0	270	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	/2 Greenock Morton
		13 April 1924	3	0	270	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	Rangers
		16 July 1927	2	0	180	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	–	Celtic
		21 January 1925	1	0	90	0	0	–	–	bgcolor=red	90	Arsenal F.C.
		10 January 1922	2	0	180	0	0	–	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	Liverpool F.C.
		13 March 1920	1	1	90	0	0	–	bgcolor=red	90	–	Clyde
		18 June 1919	1	1	90	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	–	–	Third Lanark
		7 June 1927	1	0	90	0	0	–	–	bgcolor=red	90	Rangers
		27 December 1923	1	1	90	0	0	–	bgcolor=red	90	–	Celtic
		19 April 1922	1	0	90	0	0	–	–	bgcolor=red	90	Bolton Wanderers
		17 December 1919	1	3	90	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	–	–	East Fife
		28 October 1928	2	1	180	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	–	Hibernian
		1 May 1923	3	1	270	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	Derby County
		7 March 1921	2	2	180	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	–	bgcolor=red	90	Rangers
		8 August 1919	3	0	270	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	Rangers
		27 October 1922	3	0	270	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	Rangers

Head coach: none, managed by a committee

width=7%	Pos.	width=20%	Player	width=12%	DoB	width=6%	Games played	width=6%	Goals	width=4%	Minutes played	width=4%	Sub off	width=4%	Sub on	width=3% bgcolor=yellow	width=3%	width=3%	width=27%	Club
		26 January 1919	1	0	90	0	0	–	–	bgcolor=red	90	/2 Luton Town
		10 February 1926	2	0	180	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	–	bgcolor=red	90	/2 Barnsley
		8 June 1919	3	0	270	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	/2 Hull City
		14 March 1925	3	1	270	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	Birmingham City
		14 August 1920	2	0	180	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	–	/2 Leeds United
		17 November 1925	1	0	90	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	–	–	/2 Blackburn Rovers
		22 September 1920	1	0	90	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	–	–	Birmingham City
		23 June 1921	1	0	90	0	0	–	bgcolor=red	90	–	/2 Swansea Town
		17 August 1919	2	0	180	0	0	–	–	bgcolor=red	90	Fulham
		9 April 1918	1	0	90	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	–	–	/2 Barnsley
		17 September 1918	1	0	90	0	0	–	bgcolor=red	90	–	/2 Leeds United
		6 June 1926	3	0	270	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	Huddersfield Town
		1 October 1927	2	0	180	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	–	Newcastle United
		20 March 1923	1	0	90	0	0	–	–	bgcolor=red	90	Aston Villa
		30 October 1925	1	0	90	0	0	–	–	bgcolor=red	90	West Bromwich Albion
		25 February 1925	3	3	270	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	Wolverhampton Wanderers
		11 July 1924	1	0	90	0	0	–	bgcolor=red	90	–	Celtic
		26 September 1918	3	0	270	0	0	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	bgcolor=red	90	West Bromwich Albion
		28 April 1923	1	0	90	0	0	–	–	bgcolor=red	90	West Bromwich Albion

Notes and References

https://www.rsssf.org/tables/50q.html rsssf.org
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/075481453X The World Encyclopedia of Football (2004): Tom Macdonald
Book: Guy Oliver . The Guinness Record of World Soccer . 1992 . Guinness . 0-85112-954-4 .
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1851589392 The Boys In Green - The FAI International Story (1997): Sean Ryan
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sVtAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sIwMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2821%2C7156667 Official Blundering Leads To Scottish Defeat
https://www.londonhearts.com/scores/images/1950/1950041503.htm Scots May Yet Take Part In World Cup Series Strong Pressure On Selectors To Change Decision
http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/invitation-to-world-cup-turned-down-477575.html www.independent.ie
The World Cup - The Complete History (2002): Terry Crouch
The Boys in Green - The FAI International Story (1997): Sean Ryan
The number indicates the league the team played in that year.