England national amateur football team
Encyclopedia
The England national amateur football team was the amateur
representative team for England
at football
. It was formed in 1906, due to the growth of the professional
game which meant that amateur players could no longer easily find places in the main England national team
.
on 1 November 1906 and resulted in a 15-0 win for England, with Stanley Harris
netting seven goals and Vivian Woodward
four. The team played many internationals against the full representative sides of Europe
, which were usually a mixture of amateur and professional players. The strength of the English amateur team meant they were still able to beat many of these sides, and in fact they were unbeaten in 20 matches from 1906 to 1910. Whilst these England amateur matches are not considered full senior internationals by The Football Association, they are deemed to be by their opponents. As such, the England amateur side delivered both Germany
's and Belgium's biggest defeat in 1909, beating them 9-0 and 11-2 respectively.
at the 1908
and 1912 Olympic football tournaments
. The FA's website considers the gold medals in these tournaments a win for the England amateur side rather than a British team, whilst in Bryon Butler's book it is shown that the winners' certificate names England. Conversely, Mark Chapman's England's Amateurs site states that the 1908 and 1912 teams were Great Britain, and points to the fact that photographic evidence shows the team playing with the Union flag on their shirts. It was the case that for the 1956 Olympic tournament
the team played as Great Britain but the team was organised by the FA and comprised solely of Englishmen as the other home nations withdrew their support.
, now plays in its place.
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
representative team for England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at 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...
. It was formed in 1906, due to the growth of the professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
game which meant that amateur players could no longer easily find places in the main England national team
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...
.
First match and unbeaten run
Their first international match was against FranceFrance national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
on 1 November 1906 and resulted in a 15-0 win for England, with Stanley Harris
Stanley Harris (footballer)
Stanley Shute Harris was an English footballer who represented and captained the England national football team. He also played first-class cricket for various clubs, appearing in a total of 16 first-class matches....
netting seven goals and Vivian Woodward
Vivian Woodward
Vivian John Woodward was an English amateur football player who enjoyed the peak of his career in the late 1900s and early 1910s.-Club career:...
four. The team played many internationals against the full representative sides of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, which were usually a mixture of amateur and professional players. The strength of the English amateur team meant they were still able to beat many of these sides, and in fact they were unbeaten in 20 matches from 1906 to 1910. Whilst these England amateur matches are not considered full senior internationals by The Football Association, they are deemed to be by their opponents. As such, the England amateur side delivered both Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
's and Belgium's biggest defeat in 1909, beating them 9-0 and 11-2 respectively.
England amateurs and Great Britain Olympics team
There is a difference of opinion as to whether the England amateur team was effectively the Great Britain Olympic football teamGreat Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team
The Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team represents Great Britain and Northern Ireland in international football competitions in the Olympic Games. The selection is limited to players under the age of 23, except three overage players...
at the 1908
Football at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Bohemia were forced to withdraw before the tournament started after losing their FIFA membership.-Semi-finals:-Bronze medal match:The French were so shocked by their humiliating 17-1 defeat against Denmark that they declined to play for the bronze medal; therefore, the Netherlands played Sweden for...
and 1912 Olympic football tournaments
Football at the 1912 Summer Olympics
Football at the 1912 Summer Olympics was one of the 102 events at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. It was the fourth time football was on the Olympic schedule. The tournament was contested between 11 nations, all of them from Europe, with Great Britain winning the gold medals...
. The FA's website considers the gold medals in these tournaments a win for the England amateur side rather than a British team, whilst in Bryon Butler's book it is shown that the winners' certificate names England. Conversely, Mark Chapman's England's Amateurs site states that the 1908 and 1912 teams were Great Britain, and points to the fact that photographic evidence shows the team playing with the Union flag on their shirts. It was the case that for the 1956 Olympic tournament
Football at the 1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Olympic Games football tournament with just 11 competing nations suffered from cancellations. It was an undistinguished tournament that featured mis-matches and walkovers.-Background:...
the team played as Great Britain but the team was organised by the FA and comprised solely of Englishmen as the other home nations withdrew their support.
Demise and successors
The England amateur team was disbanded in 1974 when the Football Association abolished the distinction between amateurs and professionals, simply calling them "players". A semi-professional representative team, made up of players from the National League SystemNational League System
The National League System comprises the seven levels of the English football league system immediately below the level of the Premier League and The Football League. It contains 91 league competitions and more than 1,600 clubs. It comes under the jurisdiction of The Football Association...
, now plays in its place.