England vs Scotland history: Six memorable matches in a rivalry stretching back to the beginning of football
Eight strikers in one team, pitch invasions, Gazza goals and massive upsets; here are six of the most memorable clashes between the "auld enemies" England and Scotland, ahead of their World Cup qualifier clash at Wembley this Friday.
Scotland 0 – 2 England, November 1999
Event: Euro 2000 qualifying play-off
Where? Hampden Park, Glasgow
Attendance: 50, 132
A 2 – 0 victory away from home in the first leg of this play-off was enough for Kevin Keegan’s England to limp into Euro 2000, even though they lost 0 – 1 four days later at Wembley.
Paul Scholes scored a first half brace in another encounter marred by scuffles after the match which saw 51 people arrested in Glasgow city centre.
Read more: Football Association chief executive Martin Glenn blames Fifa's new leadership for poppy row
Scotland 0 – 2 England, June 1996
Event: Euro 96
Where? Wembley
Attendance: 76,684
This game included perhaps the fixture's most memorable moment for England fans, Paul Gascoigne's wonder goal and subsequent "dentist's chair" celebration that would become one of the defining images of Euro ‘96.
England came into the game in desperate need of a win to galvanise their home tournament after a lacklustre 1-1 draw with Switzerland in the opener. Scotland started had the better of the first half but an Alan Shearer header and Gascoigne’s glorious flick over Colin Hendry’s head and volley into the corner put Terry Venables’ side on their way.
England 1 – 2 Scotland, June 1977
Event: Friendly
Where? Wembley
Attendance: 98,103
This was Scotland’s first victory at Wembley in a decade and a result that put Don Revie’s reign as England manager in serious jeopardy yet it is best remembered for what happened after the game when Tartan hordes staged a pitch invasion in celebration and hauled down the goalpost, bending it in half. Current Scotland manager Gordon Strachan has admitted he took part in the invasion as a fan and even kept a bit of turf as a souvenir.
England 2 – 3 Scotland, April 1967
Event: 1968 European Championship qualifying
Where? Wembley
Attendance: 99,063
Another famous Scottish victory in England’s backyard. World champions England were unbeaten in 19 games yet a Scotland side featuring Dennis Law and Billy Bremner apparently felt so comfortable in their 3-2 victory that left-back Jim Baxter stopped dead in his tracks and juggled the ball on the spot.
Read more: England v Scotland is more of an arm wrestle than a football match
England 1 – 5 Scotland, March 1928
Event: British Home Championship
Where? Wembley
Attendance: 80,868
A result which has earned its place in Scottish football folklore. Scotland’s “Wembley Wizards”, as they have since been known, ran riot on England’s home turf in a fixture in which they had been considered pre-match underdogs.
The Wembley Wizards were never selected in the sam XI again and Scotland have not won by a bigger margin since.
Scotland 0 – 0 England, November 1872
Event: Friendly
Where? Hamilton Crescent, Partick
Attendance: 4,000
The first ever official international football match was something of a damp squib; a no score bore draw played on a waterlogged pitch in front of just 4,000 perhaps curious spectators.
Not even the daring line-ups of six forwards for Scotland and eight forwards for England could break the deadlock. Scotland’s Robert Leckie was denied by the tape — goal construction was still in its infancy — from scoring international football’s first ever goal.