1903 British Home Championship
Encyclopedia
The 1903 British Home Championship
was an international football
tournament between the British Home Nations
.
Unusually, the trophy was shared by three of the Home Nations all of whom scored four points. At the time, goal difference
was not used to differentiate teams. In addition to the usual favourites of England
and Scotland
, Ireland also took their first ever share of the championship, after scoring their first ever victory over the Scots with a 2–0 win in Glasgow
and subsequently beating Wales
. The tournament was played under the shadow of the previous years finale, when a wooden stand at Ibrox Stadium
had given way
under the mass of supporters and 26 people had fallen to their deaths.
Ireland and England began the competition with the English scoring four without reply to take an early lead. England extended their advantage in the second match with a 2–1 victory over Wales and seemed to be on course for the championship. Scotland began their challenge against Wales in a match they narrowly won before stumbling against Ireland in a match the Irish dominated in front of the Scottish home support. Just two years previously at the same stadium, Scotland had beaten Ireland 11–0 in what is still their record win. On the back of this result, Ireland beat Wales 2–0 ending a miserable tournament for the Welsh who had scored only one goal and failed to gain a single point. In the final match between England and Scotland, Scotland needed a win to draw level with Ireland and England whilst England needed only a draw to take to competition undisputed. In a tough match in Sheffield
both sides played well, but Scotland eventually won 2–1 taking their share of the trophy.
The points system worked as follows:
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British Home Championship
The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
was an international football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
tournament between the British Home Nations
Home Nations
Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on the context. Politically, it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom...
.
Unusually, the trophy was shared by three of the Home Nations all of whom scored four points. At the time, goal difference
Goal difference
In sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points....
was not used to differentiate teams. In addition to the usual favourites of England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
, Ireland also took their first ever share of the championship, after scoring their first ever victory over the Scots with a 2–0 win in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and subsequently beating Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
. The tournament was played under the shadow of the previous years finale, when a wooden stand at Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
had given way
Ibrox disaster
The Ibrox disaster refers to two accidents, in 1902 and 1971, which led to major loss of life at the Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland.-First Ibrox disaster:...
under the mass of supporters and 26 people had fallen to their deaths.
Ireland and England began the competition with the English scoring four without reply to take an early lead. England extended their advantage in the second match with a 2–1 victory over Wales and seemed to be on course for the championship. Scotland began their challenge against Wales in a match they narrowly won before stumbling against Ireland in a match the Irish dominated in front of the Scottish home support. Just two years previously at the same stadium, Scotland had beaten Ireland 11–0 in what is still their record win. On the back of this result, Ireland beat Wales 2–0 ending a miserable tournament for the Welsh who had scored only one goal and failed to gain a single point. In the final match between England and Scotland, Scotland needed a win to draw level with Ireland and England whilst England needed only a draw to take to competition undisputed. In a tough match in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
both sides played well, but Scotland eventually won 2–1 taking their share of the trophy.
Table
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | ||
| 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | |
| 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | |
| 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | −4 |
The points system worked as follows:
- 2 points for a win
- 1 point for a draw
Results
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