On 30 November 1872, Scotland played England in the first ever official international football match.

The match was played on St Andrew’s Day at the West of Scotland Cricket Club ground at Hamilton Crescent in Partick, Glasgow, and 5,000 fans watched the game.

Although the game ended 0-0, those of a tartan persuasion will very likely tell you that Scotland should have won by a barrowload and that, indeed, it was grand ‘moral victory’ for Scotland. Hmm, perhaps.

Included below are some newspaper reports of this historic match, as well as a letter to ‘The Glasgow Herald’ about the demand for tickets.

Morning Post – Monday 02 December 1872

Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000174/18721202/005/0002

Glasgow Herald – Saturday 30 November 1872

Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000060/18721130/010/0004

Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Monday 02 December 1872

Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000250/18721202/046/0004

Glasgow Herald – Monday 02 December 1872

Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000060/18721202/015/0005