1965–66 British Home Championship
The 1965-6 6 British Home Championship was a cause of great excitement as it supplied spectators and commentators a view of England prior to their contesting the football 1966 FIFA World Cup on home soil at which they were one of the favorites. None of the other Home Nations had qualified for the World Cup and so were determined to spoil England's preparation, leading to some very dramatic and heavily contested matches, particularly England's final game in Glasgow.
The England team began with a subdued goalless draw with the Welsh side whilst Northern Ireland national football team beat Scotland 3–2 in a close fought game at home. Both England and Scotland improved in their second games, England beating a tough Irish side at home 2–1, whilst the Scots put four goals past the struggling Welsh. Wales suffered further in their final match of the series, losing 1–4 at home to the Irish, who claimed a surprise second place in the tournament. England and Scotland then played a thrilling game in Glasgow, which England finally won 4–3 to take the title of British Champions, a title they would add to at the World Cup three months later.
Table
Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
England | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | +2 |
Northern Ireland | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 5 | +3 |
Scotland | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 8 | +1 |
Wales | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | −6 |
The points system worked as follows:
- 2 points for a win
- 1 point for a draw
Results
2 October 1965 |
Northern Ireland | 3 – 2 | Scotland |
---|---|---|
Derek Dougan, Johnny Crossan, William Irvine | Alan Gilzean 2 |
30 March 1966 |
Wales | 1 – 4 | Northern Ireland |
---|---|---|
Wyn Davies | William Irvine, Martin Harvey, Sammy Wilson, Eric Welsh |
2 April 1966 |
Scotland | 3 – 4 | England |
---|---|---|
Jimmy Johnstone 2, Denis Law | Roger Hunt 2, Geoff Hurst, Bobby Charlton |
References
- Guy Oliver (1992). The Guinness Record of World Soccer. Guinness. ISBN 0-85112-954-4.