Pages

Sunday, July 28, 2019

The Soccernostalgia Interview-Part Seven


For this interview I had the chance to ask fellow blogger and contemporary (both born in 1973) Paul Whittle about his historical and informative Football (Soccer) blog: ‘The 1888 Letter-Football Then and Now’ https://the1888letter.com/
In this blog the author discusses the different aspects of the professional game in England and the rest of the world from a historical perspective.
Mr. Whittle started his blog only over a year and half ago, but has already uploaded a multitude of posts all dealing with the History of the game.

Soccernostalgia Question: Please tell me about yourself and your background?

Response:  I was born in Leeds, England, in 1973, and still live in the county of West Yorkshire. My dad had watched and played football since the 1950s, and I inherited that love of the game. As for my career, when it became obvious I wasn’t going to become a professional footballer, I’ve never had a clear idea. After trying various things, I am now a Civil Servant.




Soccernostalgia Question: At what age did you become a Football fan and what are your earliest memories of the game (on Telelvision or otherwise)? Was there an event/Tournament perhaps that was a catalyst?

Response:  I was kicking a ball around as long as I can remember, on the street, in the park or the playground. There was of course much less football on television when I was growing up, but I would watch Match of the Day on BBC or ITV’s Big Match if I could. For specific games, I can vaguely remember Nottingham Forest winning the European Cup (it must have been the second time), bits of the 1980 FA Cup Final, England matches sometimes and definitely the 1981 FA Cup Final with Ricky Villa’s winning goal. I was taken to a couple of games around then but I can’t actually remember too much about them.

Soccernostalgia Question: What made you decide to start your blog?

Response:  I had a long-term ambition to write about football, but either never found the time, or didn’t have the confidence to do it. It was also difficult, before the Internet, to find an outlet for football writing without being an established journalist. Maybe ten years ago, I started to write about different interests (literature, music, science fiction) on blogs or just for my own interest, and also did some freelance editing and proof-reading. That made me think a football project was a realistic goal, as my first love and something I’m fairly knowledgeable about. I had an idea for a book, based on the recent past of English football, which took me several years to write. I would like to say more about it if (let’s say when) it is published. Anyway, I began to look at different blogs, making a note of which ones I liked and found interesting, and thought eventually it might be a good complement to the book. I had lots of ideas, some just bits and pieces, over the years, and decided in the middle of 2018 to start my own blog. I realised it would need regular content to be worthwhile, and so far I’ve managed to put a new post up roughly every two weeks.




Soccernostalgia Question: On your blog page, you give an explanation about the name of your blog “the 1888 letter” For the benefit of new readers can you explain why you decided on this name?

Response:  It wasn’t actually my first choice! I looked at a few names which were more directly football-related, but they were either already in use, or too close to something else. I’d been researching the early history of English football and read about the letter which the founder of the Football League, a Scot called William McGregor, sent to a number of clubs in 1888. That letter invited them to form what became the world’s first professional football league. The only other results which came up for ‘the 1888 letter’ were about the serial killer Jack the Ripper, so I didn’t think anyone would be confused if I used the name. I wasn’t sure at first, but now I think it’s a bit different and I’m happy with it.

Soccernostalgia Question: In your own words, can you describe the content of your blog to new readers?

Response:  I try to cover all aspects of football ‘then and now’, with the main focus on English league football from the 60s to the 80s, which is what I grew up with, or was in the recent past. I wanted to write about players, competitions, teams and games which I thought were historically important, or just interesting. Beyond that, I have expanded into international football, again mainly from the era I know best, and a mini-series about the British influence on the game around the world. Some of the topics I never planned to write about, for example a friend going to the ConIFA World Cup last year inspired a couple of posts. I don’t concentrate on any one specific interest, am non-partisan and always learning more, so hopefully there’s something for everyone.

Soccernostalgia Question: In little over a year, you have uploaded a multitude of posts. How much time per day or week do you spend on your writing?

Luckily I had a lot of material to start with, and I am always adding ideas, which might or might not become full posts. I don’t work on Mondays, which I try to devote as far as possible to writing, and probably manage to get something down most days. I enjoy both the writing and the research, which might just involve watching some old footage on YouTube. I also like the blog format, it allows me to cover a range of subjects at whatever length seems suitable.
  
Soccernostalgia Question: What is your process on writing a typical blog post? What is the duration in terms of research?

Response:  I normally have the basis of a post in mind for a while before I start, so I usually just sit and write as much as I can, the outline of what I want to cover, without checking any of the details straight away. If it’s a particular game, I’ll watch it on YouTube (however much is available) and put down ideas as I go along. If I’m familiar with the subject, sometimes it’s just checking the facts are right and reading it through, adding links and photos. Others, such as the recent one about the British influence in South America, I might have to research on and off for weeks or months as most of the information is new to me. I try to have a draft ready a few weeks before I post, and I have a rough plan for the blog into next year. I’m trying to link more posts to specific dates and anniversaries, and then fit the general topics around them.

Soccernostalgia Question: What research material do you use most, newspapers? Football Magazines? Books? All of the above?

Response:  That’s a good question, as the Internet would be the easy and obvious answer! Yes, it’s great for watching old matches, but of course it’s not always 100% factually reliable, so I do have reference books (some of them from childhood), a few Rothmans yearbooks and different annuals which are very useful for information from the time. Sometimes the match programmes are also helpful sources, and I will get books from the library, especially to learn about a new topic. In the last year, the books I’ve read on the origins of South American football, and the NASL, by Andreas Campomar and Ian Plenderleith respectively, have really inspired me to investigate further (I will credit these as I post them).




Soccernostalgia Question: Your blog posts sometimes cover particular matches. In some cases, they are well known matches in the history of the game, in other cases they are not as known. How is the process in your deciding of matches in question (example Hull vs. Scunthorpe, 1983)?

Response:  I wanted to have a ‘Match of the Month’ as a regular feature, to give the blog some continuity and also because I thought these might be a bit quicker and easier to put together compared to more in-depth posts. Originally I thought I might cover all 92 clubs of the old Football League, but I’m not sure I can do justice to all of them (and it will take a very long time). I wanted to balance the big, well-known games with more obscure ones and, while for example Brazil-Italy 1982 was always going to be the first one I wrote about (see above), some I’ve found more or less accidentally. I like to link in a few facts about the clubs, players and managers where I can. The game you mention, Hull v Scunthorpe, was interesting to me for a few reasons – an example of how Match of the Day used to regularly feature football below the top division, one of the ‘lost grounds’ (which I once went to) and some famous names at different stages of their careers in Allan Clarke, Steve McLaren and Brian Marwood.

Soccernostalgia Question: Though most of your blog entries cover the Football of bygone era, you nevertheless have entries for the recent past. What is your favorite era of Football and favorite players?

Response:  Most people remember their earlier experiences and childhood memories very fondly – I’m no exception. It certainly wasn’t perfect, English football could be violent on and off the pitch, but I grew up with football in the 80s and tend to go back to that period. The 60s and 70s were also still relatively fresh then, and looking back I would say those three decades before the Premier League in England are my favourites, and also cover what I consider the best World Cups in memory. As for players, I liked Glenn Hoddle from seeing him in the 1981 FA Cup Final, he wasn’t a typical English player of the time, but his shooting, touch and especially passing, on terrible pitches and with brutal tackling, were incredible. I never understood – and still don’t – why he wasn’t appreciated more in England. If people haven’t seen him play, his YouTube highlights are definitely worth watching. I also love to see old footage of Maradona as apart from the World Cups, we didn’t see enough of him in England during his prime. Of course there was the Hand of God, but how can you not enjoy his skill?

Soccernostalgia Question: Did you read and collect books and especially soccer magazines as a young fan? If so, which magazines did you read on a regular basis?

Response:  I liked to read as much as I could, whether that was weekly magazines like Match and Shoot!, annuals or books (sometimes from the library). I was interested in football encyclopaedias and reference books from an early age, and gathered a lot of information from them. My main collecting was Panini stickers – I had all the albums through the 80s, though I didn’t fill them, including the 1982 and 1986 World Cups. I played Subbuteo as well (did it travel worldwide?). A bit later I also started getting match programmes, when you could buy bundles of random teams very cheaply.







Soccernostalgia Question: Did you follow foreign Leagues as a young fan?

Response:  It was much more difficult to do that, although as well as the first foreign players coming to the First Division (Ardiles & Villa, Muhren & Thijssen), there were English players like Kevin Keegan and Laurie Cunningham going abroad, so there was a little bit of coverage. It helped that English teams were doing really well in Europe, as that would be the only time to see clubs from other countries, because there was no regular footage from other leagues until much later. Occasionally I would get to look at copies of World Soccer, which was fascinating because it gave me a glimpse into a whole football world I knew nothing about…

Soccernostalgia Question: As a new Football fan, I remember the level of anticipation I had every week, for the new Soccer Magazine at the newsstands, did you experience that as well? Can you describe your experiences with that?

Response:  Yes, I used to get Shoot! or sometimes Match (or even both) from the local shop, I think on a Wednesday, and they were pretty good for kids. I have kept a few copies, but the whole collection went from my mum’s attic a few years ago. One highlight was getting the yearly League Ladders, which allowed you to keep track of every team’s position during the season. I’ve seen a couple of nostalgic blog posts about these (were they only in Britain?) and have them on my list of future topics.



Soccernostalgia Question: Do you follow the modern game and what are your general thoughts on it?

Response:  This could be a whole essay, but I find the modern game difficult in many ways, and I don’t think it’s just me ‘living in the past’. I keep an eye on results and can see the improvements in facilities, pitches, protection of skilful players and so on, but the money that has arrived has taken football in a new direction, and brought with it a lot of greed and corruption. I find it’s not easy to relate to multi-millionaires and the amount of cheating (diving or ‘simulation’, trying to con referees and get players sent off) on the pitch makes it hard to watch. Coming from England, I always enjoyed a good sliding tackle – fair physical contact (not fouling) should be part of the game but I see so many challenges, even ones which win the ball, punished with yellow and red cards. There’s a balance which I think at the moment is in danger of going from one extreme of dangerous tackling to another of virtual non-contact.

Off the pitch, many of the moves to new stadiums are just driven by money, and a lot of history has been lost (like Wembley without the twin towers). There is less connection between players and fans, in the English lower leagues players now rarely stay longer than a couple of seasons at a club, less of them are local etc – and, in every country, the richest teams always tend to win! In the 80s alone there were smaller clubs challenging in England (if not winning the league), in Italy Verona won a title, Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao in Spain – it’s hard to see those kind of teams ever competing with Juventus, Barcelona & Co again, which I personally think is a shame. I just wish there was a better way of balancing progress with preserving what was great about the game.
  
Soccernostalgia Question: Did you (and do you) attend Football matches regularly in England? What are your earliest memories regarding that?

Response:  I mentioned earlier being taken to games, those were at Elland Road, Leeds, and the first one was in February 1980 – I only worked this out as there was a reference to it in a school diary I had kept. It was a 1-1 draw between Leeds and Brighton, but I don’t remember anything! Later there were another couple of games, one I saw again on YouTube against West Brom, but Leeds were in decline then, the crowds were getting lower and the atmosphere could be hostile (and my dad wasn’t a Leeds fan!). I saw Nottingham Forest a few times with a friend and his dad, Tottenham to watch Hoddle and Ardiles, and then in the early 80s my dad started taking me to see his home-town team, Oldham, which continued for many years, including in the top division. It dropped off in my 20s, when I played football every Saturday afternoon, and now it’s perhaps a game or two a season; the very last game I went to was earlier this year, Rotherham v Nottingham Forest in the Championship. It was strange because I didn’t have any connection beyond my dad, but I loved going to any match, the atmosphere and the perspective on the game close-up makes it an experience that just can’t be reproduced on television. I was lucky to see games in quite a few grounds, big and small, some of which are now gone. I also once saw Major Indoor Soccer in Los Angeles (1983, on a family holiday) which is another future blog post, but apart from a Red Star match in Paris a few years ago, I haven’t been to games in other countries – something I’d like to do.

Soccernostalgia Question: What was the first World Cup that you followed as a knowledgeable fan?

Response:  1982, and it’s still my favourite one. I was 8 and already a fan, but to see it all beamed in from another country, the colours, crowds and kits, everything about it was exciting at that age. Bryan Robson’s goal at the start against France, Gerry Armstrong’s winner for Northern Ireland against Spain, these were great moments, but the teams I’d never seen before seemed so exotic. The huge difference to now was that there was no real worldwide coverage, the non-British players were totally unknown to me, and almost every game I discovered some wonderful players. Which brings me to the Brazil team, who I fell in love with from the first game against the USSR. I’d never seen a team play like that, before or since, with such flair and style: Zico, Socrates, Falcao, Junior, Eder, names that will never be forgotten. I don’t mind saying that I cried when they lost to Italy, it seemed so unfair! Then after many years I was able to see their games and goals again on YouTube, and my childhood memories hadn’t fooled me, they were still amazing to watch.

Soccernostalgia Question: Do you interact with other bloggers and how has that experience been?

Response:  That’s something I’m only starting to do now, as I feel more confident in what I’m doing myself, and able to approach people on a more even footing. I’ve had a couple of corrections (which is fine) and a few positive comments, and really hope to build on those interactions as it can otherwise feel like you’re just working in a vacuum.

Soccernostalgia Question: Explain how Social media outlets have helped you with your blog as well as your interaction with others?

Response:  I wasn’t sure about twitter, as I’d never used it before and it doesn’t always seem a friendly place, but decided it would help the blog and, I hope eventually, the book. I joined at the very end of 2018 and once I started tweeting, found I actually enjoyed it and it was manageable to get something out more or less daily. I started with a list of football birthdays (copied from the 1984 Guinness Who’s Who of Soccer) and just kept adding anniversaries etc – I’ve just been posting #OnThisDay so far, unless it’s to link to a new blog post, but might change it a bit at some point. It’s really useful to put out snippets of information, of course it’s nice to get followers, likes and comments, and hopefully it will direct more people to the blog where my more in-depth content is. I haven’t tried Facebook yet, I’m not sure I could manage another platform just at the moment.


Soccernostalgia Question: Listening to podcasts along with facebook and twitter, I have gotten the impression that british fans seem to be interested in the English league, similarly the Italians seem to be only interested in the Serie A. Do you feel that to be the case, were foreign leagues covered around the time you became a fan? I remember growing up as remote from Europe as we were, all the major western leagues were covered in print and television and I was able to be knowledgeable on all these leagues. Can you describe how the coverage was for you on print and TV growing up?

Response:  This is a really interesting question, and though I’ve touched on it above, I think this would also be good to look at in-depth in the future. The world has changed so much since we were growing up, it’s impossible for later generations to imagine not having Internet or mobile phones, no 24-hour global TV coverage… that must have been great for you, being able to access all the leagues without any national bias. I loved the English league but I also knew, especially after 1982, that there was so much more, but no way of reaching it – Maradona, Platini, Zico, etc – until the next World Cup. I do believe it made the World Cups more exciting as well, when players seemed to arrive out of nowhere. I think globalisation has also affected styles of play, every nationality is represented in each other’s leagues, both coaching and playing, so it’s harder to say there is a distinctive ‘style’ to each country now.

On the specific question, overseas TV coverage was really limited to the major tournaments, and luckily England qualified for all of them in the 80s apart from Euro 84, so we got to see them, whereas I think the failure to qualify for the 74 or 78 World Cup meant less attention on international football. As I mentioned, the success of British clubs in Europe also helped, as most of those games were covered. For South America though, it was virtually non-existent. All I remember, very distantly, is maybe Flamengo beating Liverpool in the World Club Cup. For print reference, the most you might see were the major league tables or news of a big transfer, like Maradona to Barcelona, but apart from World Soccer, not very much – not enough for my liking.

Soccernostalgia Question: How do you envision the future of your blog? What would you like to do or cover that you have not done so far?

Response:  I’d like to expand the content as much as I can, certainly with interviews (which I’m starting to make contacts for), book reviews, and series where I can go into a bit more detail on a given topic. There are competitions and countries I’d like to cover, and also maybe profiles of particular players, but there are so many good blogs out there, I don’t want to repeat their content if I can help it. The idea of working with other bloggers, especially ones who are genuine, independent fans and not representing organisations, is really appealing and I’d like to move toward that kind of collaborative project. Having different perspectives from fans worldwide, and producing something original, would be ideal. Whatever happens with the book, I definitely plan to continue the blog.

Soccernostalgia: Once again thank you for taking the time for this interview.
On twitter: @1888Letter



Saturday, July 27, 2019

The British Home Championship-Part Ten (1975)

The 1975 British Home Championship



The 1975 edition of the British Home Championship took place in May 1975 in the space of just one week.
The Nations were in the middle of the 1976 Euro qualifiers and each had matches (friendlies or qualifiers) just before or following these matches.
In April, England had demolished Cyprus with Malcolm MacDonald’s historic five goal haul and less than a week before (May 11th) defeated the same opponents (1-0) in the away fixture.
In April, Northern Ireland had defeated Yugoslavia (1-0) in their Euro qualifier.
Just weeks before, Wales had defeated Luxembourg in a Euro qualifier, while just days before the start of the Home Championship, on May 13th, Scotland had defeated Portugal (1-0) in a friendly. The Scots were scheduled to face Romania in a Euro qualifier in June just weeks after these matches and this appeared as their main priority.
Don Revie was in his first full season in charge of England, with the highlight being the victory over West Germany (2-0) in March.
These matches would offer Revie the chance to experiment by including a few new caps. In the ongoing battle between Clemence and Shilton, he opted for the former for this Championship to start between the sticks.
Leeds United players were missing as they were preparing for the Champions Cup Final vs. Bayern Munich at the end of the month.
Paul Madeley and Allan Clarke (for England), Billy Bremner, Peter Lorimer and Joe Jordan (for Scotland) would be absent, while Welsh Captain Terry Yorath would only be available for the first match.

The Home Championship kicked off on May 17th with Northern Ireland hosting England at Belfast and Wales hosting Scotland at Cardiff.
This was England’s first visit at Belfast in almost five years due to political unrest.
Revie handed a debut to Colin Viljoen of Ipswich Town. It would turn out to be a poor defensive match.
England were unable to make the difference in the final third and just resorted to passing squarely. Northern Ireland pressed more after the break but they also could not penetrate the opposition defense. The Irish had to substitute Bryan Hamilton as early as the 36th minute due to injury. Hamilton was out for the rest of the Championship.
The match predictably ended as a scoreless draw.


Photo From: Official match programme, Northern Ireland v Sweden, 1975
(May 17, 1975, Home Championship, Northern Ireland 0-England 0)


Photo From: Official match programme, Northern Ireland v Sweden, 1975
(May 17, 1975, Home Championship, Northern Ireland 0-England 0)


Photo From: Official match programme, Northern Ireland v Sweden, 1975
(May 17, 1975, Home Championship, Northern Ireland 0-England 0)


Photo From: World Soccer, June July 1975
(May 17, 1975, Home Championship, Northern Ireland 0-England 0)


In the other match, Wales raced to a (2-0) halftime lead with John Toshack taking advantage of a scramble in the box and minutes later, setting up Brian Flynn with a one-two.
The second half belonged to Scotland, who made up the deficit.
In the 52nd minute, Colin Jackson headed in the first goal from Parlane’s cross and less than ten minutes later, Bruce Rioch tied up the match with a powerful shot from the edge of the box.

Photo From: Source Unknown
(May 17, 1975, Home Championship, Wales 2-Scotland 2)


Three days later (May 20th), Scotland hosted Northern Ireland at Glasgow.
For the Scottish Francis Munro and Robert Robinson replaced Colin Jackson and Lou Macari in the side.
For the Irish, Finney deputized for the injured Hamilton.
It was an easy victory for the Scots who raced to a two-goal lead in the first 20 minutes (Edward MacDougall 15, Kenny Dalglish 21) and killed off the match with ten minutes remaining through Derek Parlane.

On the next day (May 21st), England hosted the Welsh at Wembley in an entertaining match that included Prime Minister Harold Wilson in the crowd. Revie made a number of changes from the first match. Hughes, Bell, MacDonald, Keegan and Tueart were replaced with Gillard, Gerry Francis, Channon, Thomas and the debutant David Johnson.
For the Welsh, Yorath and Reece were out to be replaced with Arfon Griffiths and Smallman, with Toshack captaining in Yorath’s absence.
David Johnson made a scoring debut for England by heading in a rebound in the box in the 10th minute. England was in control for the rest of the half and at this point looked likely winners.
After the break, Wales came to life and scored two quick goals within the first eleven minutes of the half.
Toshack and Arfon Griffiths gave Wales the lead, as both players took advantage of failed clearances and intelligent flicks in the box.
In the 70th minute, Revie decided to inject fresh legs and sent on another debutant, Brian Little, to replace Channon.
A minute after coming on, Little crossed from the right to set up fellow debutant Johnson with his second debut match goal from another header to tie the match.


Photo From: Official match programme, England v Wales , 1975
(Match Programme cover, May 21, 1975, Home Championship, England 2-Wales 2)


Photo From: Source Unknown
(Match ticket front, May 17, 1975, Home Championship, Wales 2-Scotland 2)

Photo From: Source Unknown
(Match ticket back, May 17, 1975, Home Championship, Wales 2-Scotland 2)

Photo From: England, The Complete Post-War Record, Author Mike Payne
(May 21, 1975, Home Championship, England 2-Wales 2)


On May 23rd, Northern Ireland hosted Wales at Belfast for their respective last matches.
The Irish made two changes from the previous match. O’Kane and Martin O’Neill were repalced with Peter Scott and Ronnie Blair.
The Welsh made a number of changes as well, Toshack was out injured amd along with John Roberts and David Smallman were replaced by David Roberts, Reece and Showers.
It was a match that was won by the home side with smallest of margins with a goal by Thomas Finney in the 23rd minute.

On May 24th, the main encounter took place with England hosting Scotland at Wembley.
This match would be remembered for Scotland goalkeeper Stewart Kennedy’s nightmarish performance, who reinforced the negative stereotype of Scottish goalkeepers.
Once again Revie made changes to his side by replacing Gillard, Viljoen and David Thomas with Beattie, Bell and Keegan.
Scotland only made one change with Alfie Conn replacing Robert Robinson.
England raced to a two goal lead within the first seven minutes through Gerry Francis and Kevin Beaatie. Francis scored with a long range shot that many believed Kennedy should have saved, while for the second goal, Kennedy was blamed for being out of position when Beattie headed in Keegan’s cross.
In the 40th minute, England scored the third through a long range effort from Colin Bell. Once again many felt Kennedy should have done better with the effort.
However, just a minute later, Scotland got a lifeline when Colin Todd handled in the box. Bruce Rioch scored from the spot to give Scotland some hope for the second half.
However, the second half was just as poor for Scotland and Kennedy. In the 71st minute, he was beaten by a deflection with Gerry Francis’ indirect free kick.
Two minutes later, David Johnson compounded Kennedy’s misery, pouncing on after Kennedy could only parry Kegan’s header that struck the bar and fell perfectly for Johnson.
Needless to say this turned out to be Kennedy’s last match for Scotland.
It was a matter of speculation whether the Leeds absentees would have made any difference to either side, but it was clear that Scotland needed a new goalkeeper.
England were the victors of the Home Championship to end a relatively satisfactory debut season for Don Revie.

Photo From: Official match programme, England v Scotland , 1975
(Match Programme cover, May 24, 1975, Home Championship, England 5-Scotland 1)


Photo From: England, The Complete Post-War Record, Author Mike Payne
(May 24, 1975, Home Championship, England 5-Scotland 1)


Photo From: Official Match Programme,  England v Northern Ireland, 1976
(May 24, 1975, Home Championship, England 5-Scotland 1)

Photo From: Official Match Programme,  Scotland v England, 1984
(May 24, 1975, Home Championship, England 5-Scotland 1)


Photo From: Official Match Programme,  Scotland v England, 1984
(May 24, 1975, Home Championship, England 5-Scotland 1)



1975 Home Championship Squads:

Note:
I was unable to find an official list of all the squads, these are the players that all took part in the matches and their names appeared on the match programmes or other online sources.
It is possible that players may have been selected but did not play in any of the matches.
In the absence of an Official list, this is the known squad.

England:
Goalkeepers:
Raymond Neal Clemence (Liverpool Football Club) (August 5, 1948 (age 26 years at the time),  Skegness, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom)
Peter Leslie Shilton (Stoke City Football Club) (September 18, 1949 (age 25 years at the time), Leicester, United Kingdom) (He did not play in any of the matches but was included in the match programme vs. Scotland and Wales)

Defenders:
Stephen Whitworth (Leicester City Football Club) (March 20, 1952 (age 23 years at the time), Coalville, United Kingdom)
Emlyn Walter Hughes  (Liverpool Football Club)
(August 28, 1947 (age 27 years at the time), Barrow-In-Furness, United Kingdom-November 9, 2004, Sheffield, United Kingdom)
David Vernon Watson (Sunderland Association Football Club) (October 5, 1946, (age 28 years at the time), Stapleford, United Kingdom)
Colin Todd (Derby County Football Club) (December 12, 1948 (age 26 years at the time), Bilsdale, United Kingdom)
Ian Terry Gillard (Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club-London) (October 9, 1950 (age 24 years at the time))
Thomas ‘Kevin’ Beattie (Ipswich Town Football Club) (December 18, 1953 (age 21 years at the time), Carlisle, United Kingdom-September 16, 2018, Ipswich, United Kingdom)
John Gidman (Aston Villa Football Club-Birmingham) (January 10, 1954, (age 21 years at the time)) (He did not play in any of the matches but was included in the match programme vs. Scotland and Wales)
Roger Kenyon (Everton Football Club-Liverpool) (January 4, 1949, (age 26 years at the time), Blackpool, United Kingdom) (He did not play in any of the matches but was included in the match programme vs. Scotland and Wales)

Midfielders:
Colin Bell (Manchester City Football Club) (February 26, 1946 (age 29 years at the time), Hesleden, United Kingdom)
Alan James Ball
(Arsenal Football Club-London) (May 12, 1945 (age 30 years at the time), Farnworth, Lancashire, United Kingdom-April 25, 2007, Warsash, Hampshire, United Kingdom)
Colin Viljoen (Ipswich Town Football Club) (June 20, 1948 (age 26 years at the time), Johannesburg, South Africa)
Gerald Charles James ‘Gerry’ Francis (Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club-London) (December6, 1951 (age 23 years at the time), Chiswick, London, United Kingdom)
Mark Anthonny Towers (Sunderland Association Football Club) (April 13, 1952 (age 23 years at the time), Manchester, United Kingdom) (He did not play in any of the matches but was included in the match programme vs. Scotland and Wales)

Strikers:
Michael Roger Channon (Southampton Football Club) (November 28, 1948 (age 26 years at the time), Orcheston, Wiltshire, United Kingdom)  
Kevin Joseph Keegan (Liverpool Football Club)
(February 14, 1951 (age 24 years at the time), Armthorpe, Doncaster, United Kingdom)
Dennis Tueart
(Manchester City Football Club) (November 27, 1949 (age 25 years at the time), Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom)   
Brian Little (Aston Villa Football Club-Birmingham) (November 25, 1953 (age 21 years at the time), Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom)   
David Edward Johnson
(Ipswich Town Football Club) (October 23, 1951 (age 23 years at the time), Liverpool, United Kingdom)   
David Thomas (Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club-London) (October 5, 1950 (age 24 years at the time), Kirkby-in-Ashfield, United Kingdom)   
Malcolm Ian MacDonald (Newcastle United Football Club) (January 7, 1950 (age 25 years at the time), Fulham, London, United Kingdom)   
Trevor John Francis (Birmingham City Football Club) (April 19, 1954 (age 21 years at the time), Plymouth, United Kingdom) (He did not play in any of the matches but was included in the match programme vs. Scotland and Wales)

Coach: Donald George Revie (July 10, 1927 (age 47 years at the time), Middlesbrough, United Kingdom-May 26, 1989, Spire Murrayfield Hospital, Edinburgh, England, United Kingdom)
Team Captain: Alan James Ball
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Admiral



England players’ Photo Credits:
All FKS 75-76, except:
Channon (Panini England 1977-78)
Clemence, Gerry Francis, Keegan, Todd (Soccer Stars 75-76)
Towers (Soccer Stars 76-77)
Watson (Official match programme, England v Scotland , 1975


Photos From: Goal, Issue 14, November 1996
(Don Revie)



Scotland:
Goalkeepers:
Stewart J.Kennedy (Rangers Football Club -Glasgow) (August 31, 1949 (age 25 years at the time), Stirling, Scotland)
James Grady Brown (Sheffield United Football Club / England) (May 11, 1952 (age 23 years at the time), Coatbridge, Scotland) (He did not play in any of the matches but was included in the match programme vs. England)

Defenders:
William Pullar ‘Sandy’ Jardine (captain) (Rangers Football Club -Glasgow) (December 31, 1948 (age 26 years at the time), Edinburgh, Scotland-April 24, 2014, Edinburgh, Scotland)
Daniel Fergus McGrain (The Celtic Football Club -Glasgow) (May 1, 1950 (age 25 years at the time), Finnieston, Glasgow, Scotland)
Colin MacDonald Jackson (Rangers Football Club -Glasgow) (October 8, 1946 (age 28 years at the time), London, England -June 6, 2015, Glasgow, Scotland)
Francis Michael Munro (Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club / England) (October 25, 1947 (age 27 years at the time), Broughty Ferry, Dundee, Scotland-August 16, 2011, Wolverhampton, England)
Gordon McQueen (Leeds United Association Football Club / England) (June 26, 1952 (age 22 years at the time), Kilbirnie, North Ayrshire, Scotland)
Alexander Forsyth (Manchester United Football Club / England) (February 5, 1952 (age 23 years at the time), Swinton, Lanarkshire, Scotland)
Martin McLean Buchan (Manchester United Football Club / England (March 6, 1949 (age 26 years at the time), Aberdeen, Scotland) (He did not play in any of the matches but was included in the match programme vs. England)
Thomas Brooks Craig (Newcastle United Football Club / England) (November 21, 1950 (age 24 years at the time), Glasgow, Scotland) (He did not play in any of the matches but was included in the match programme vs. England)

Midfielders:
Bruce David Rioch (Derby County Football Club / England) (September 6, 1947 (age 27 years at the time), Aldershot, England)
Luigi ‘Lou’ Macari (Manchester United Football Club / England) (June 7, 1949 (age 25 years at the time), Edinburgh, Scotland)
Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish (The Celtic Football Club -Glasgow) (March 4, 1951 (age 24 years at the time), Glasgow, Scotland)
Robert Sharp Robinson (Dundee Football Club) (November 10, 1950 (age 24 years at the time), Edinburgh, Scotland-December 24, 1996)    
Alfred James Conn (Tottenham Hotspur Football Club-London / England) (April 5, 1952 (age 23 years at the time), Kirkcaldy, Scotland)
Thomas Hutchison (Coventry City Football Club / England)  (September 22, 1947 (age 27 years at the time), Cardenden, Scotland)
Charles Cooke (Chelsea Football Club-London / England) (October 14, 1942 (age 32 years at the time), St Monans, Fife, Scotland) (He did not play in any of the matches but was included in the match programme vs. England)

Strikers:
Derek James Parlane (Rangers Football Club -Glasgow) (May 5, 1953 (age 22 years at the time), Helensburgh, Scotland)
Edward John MacDougall (Norwich City Football Club / England) (January 8, 1947 (age 28 years at the time), Inverness, Scotland)
Arthur Duncan (Hibernian Football Club – Edinburgh) (December 5, 1947 (age 27 years at the time), Falkirk, Scotland)

Coach: William Esplin Ormond (February 23, 1927 (age 48 years at the time), Falkirk, Scotland-May 4, 1984, Musselburgh, Scotland)
Team Captain: William Pullar ‘Sandy’ Jardine
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Umbro




Scotland players’ Photo Credits:
All FKS 75-76, except:
Duncan, Jackson (Topps 76)
Jardine, Stewart Kennedy (match programme Aberdeen vs Rangers - League Cup Semi Final - 1976)
Rioch (Soccer Stars 75-76)
Dalglish, Hutchison, Parlane (Official match programme, England v Scotland , 1975)
Robinson (unknown source)



Photos From: Official match programme, England v Scotland , 1975
(Willie Ormond)




Northern Ireland:
Goalkeepers:
Patrick Anthony Jennings (Tottenham Hotspur Football Club –London / England) (June 12, 1945 (age 29 years at the time), Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland)
William Stewart McFaul (Newcastle United Football Club / England) (October 1, 1943 (age 31 years at the time), Coleraine, Northern Ireland) (did not play in any of the matches)

Defenders:
Patrick James Rice (Arsenal Football Club –London / England) (March 17, 1949 (age 26 years at the time), Belfast, Northern Ireland)
William James O'Kane (Nottingham Forest Football Club / England) (June 17, 1948 (age 26 years at the time), Londonderry, England)
Christopher John Nicholl (Aston Villa Football Club–Birmingham/ England) (October 12, 1946 (age 28 years at the time), Wilmslow, England)
David Clements (Everton Football Club–Liverpool / England) (September 15, 1945 (age 29 years at the time), Larne, Northern Ireland)
Peter William Scott (Everton Football Club–Liverpool / England) (September 19, 1952 (age 22 years at the time), Liverpool, England)

Midfielders:
Ronald Victor Blair (Oldham Athletic Football Club / England)  (September 26, 1949 (age 25 years at the time), Coleraine, Northern Ireland)
Alan Hunter (Ipswich Town Football Club / England) (June 30, 1946 (age 28 years at the time), Sion Mills, Northern Ireland)
Bryan Hamilton (Ipswich Town Football Club / England) (December 31, 1946 (age 28 years at the time), Belfast, Northern Ireland)
Thomas Finney (Sunderland Association Football Club / England) (November 6, 1952 (age 22 years at the time), Belfast, Northern Ireland)
Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill (Nottingham Forest Football Club / England) (March 1, 1952 (age 23 years at the time), Kilrea, Northern Ireland)
Trevor Anderson (Swindon Town Football Club / England)  (March 3, 1951 (age 24 years at the time), Belfast, Northern Ireland)

Strikers:
Derek William Spence (Bury Football Club / England) (January 18, 1952 (age 23 years at the time), Belfast, Northern Ireland)
Samuel Baxter McIlroy (Manchester United Football Club / England) (August 2, 1954 (age 20 years at the time), Belfast, Northern Ireland)
Thomas A. Jackson (Nottingham Forest Football Club / England) (November 3, 1946 (age 28 years at the time), Belfast, Northern Ireland)
Christopher Roland McGrath (Tottenham Hotspur Football Club –London / England) (November 29, 1954 (age 20 years at the time), Belfast, Northern Ireland) (did not play in any of the matches)

Player-Coach: David Clements
Team Captain: David Clements
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Umbro





Northern Ireland players’ Photo Credits:
All Soccer Stars 75-76, except:
Anderson, Blair, O’Kane, Scott (nifootball.blogspot)
Finney, Spence (Official Match Programme,  Northern Ireland v England-wales , 1981)
Jackson (FKS 70-71)
O’Neill (FKS 77-78)
McFaul, McGrath (FKS 75-76)



Wales:
Goalkeepers:
William David Davies (Everton Football Club-Liverpool / England) (April 1, 1948 (age 27 years at the time), Glanaman, Wales)
Gareth Sprake (Birmingham City Football Club / England) (April 3, 1945 (age 30 years at the time), Swansea, Wales -October 18, 2016-Solihull, England) (He did not play in any of the matches but was included in the match programme vs. England and Wales)

Defenders:
Roderick John Thomas (Derby County Football Club / England) (January 11, 1947 (age 28 years at the time), Glynncorwg, Neath, Wales)
Malcolm Edward Page (Birmingham City Football Club / England) (February 5, 1947 (age 28 years at the time), Knucklas, Wales)
John Griffith Roberts (Birmingham City Football Club / England) (September 11, 1946 (age 28 years at the time), Abercynon, Wales-January 4, 2016)
David Frazer Roberts (Hull City Football Club / England) (November 26, 1949 (age 25 years at the time), Southampton, England)
Joseph Patrick Jones (Wrexham Football Club / Wales, registered in English League) (March 4, 1955 (age 20 years at the time), Llandudno, Wales) (He did not play in any of the matches but was included in the match programme vs. England and Wales)

Midfielders:
Leighton Phillips (Aston Villa Football Club-Birmingham / England) (September 26, 1949 (age 25 years at the time), Neath, Wales)
Terence Charles Yorath (Leeds United Association Football Club / England) (March 27, 1950 (age 25 years at the time), Grangetown, Cardiff, Wales)
John Francis Mahoney (Stoke City Football Club / England) (September 20, 1946 (age 28 years at the time), Cardiff, Wales)
Brian Flynn (Burnley Football Club / England) (October 12, 1955 (age 19 years at the time), Port Talbot, Glamorgan, Wales)
Derek Showers (Cardiff City  Football Club / Wales, registered in  English League) (January 28, 1953 (age 22 years at the time), Merthyr Tydfil, Wales)  

Strikers:
Arfon Trevor Griffiths (Wrexham Football Club / Wales, registered in English League)  (August 23, 1941 (age 33 years at the time), Wrexham, Wales)
Gilbert Ivor Reece (Cardiff City Football Club / Wales, registered in English League)  (July 2, 1942 (age 32 years at the time), Cardiff, Wales-December 20, 2003, Cardiff, Wales)
David Paul Smallman (Everton Football Club-Liverpool / England) (March 22, 1953 (age 22 years at the time), Connah’s Quay, Wales)
John Benjamin Toshack (Liverpool Football Club / England) (March 22, 1949 (age 26 years at the time), Cardiff, Wales)
Leighton James (Burnley Football Club / England) (February 16, 1953 (age 22 years at the time), Loughor, Wales)

Coach: John Michael ‘Mike’ Smith (November 30, 1937 (age 37 years at the time), Hendon, United Kingdom)
Team Captain: Terence Charles Yorath
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Bukta



Wales players’ Photo Credits:
All Soccer Stars 75-76, except:
Griffiths (Wales, The Complete Who's Who of footballers since 1946, Author Dean P. Hayes)
Jones (Panini England 1984-85)
Leighton James, Leighton Phillips (Soccer Stars 76-77)
Reece, David Roberts, Showers, Smallman(Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players, Authors Gareth M davies and Ian Garland)
Sprake (FKS 74-75)


Photos From: Official match programme, England v Wales , 1975
(Mike Smith)


Referees:
Thomas Henry Charles Reynolds (Wales)



John Wright Peterson (Scotland)
Rudolf Glockner (East Germany) (March 20, 1929 (age 46 years at the time), Markranstadt-January 25, 1999, Markranstadt)
Referee: Patrick Partridge (England) (June 30, 1933 (age 41 years at the time), Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees, England-October 31, 2014, Cockfield, County Durham, England)
Referee: John Keith ‘Jack’ Taylor (England) (April 21, 1930, Wolverhmapton, Staffordshire, England-July 27, 2012-Shropshire, England)


1975 Home Championship Matches:

Saturday, May 17, 1975:

Northern Ireland 0-England 0 (-)
Wales 2-Scotland 2 (John Toshack 28, Brian Flynn 35 / Colin Jackson 52, Bruce Rioch 61)

Tuesday, May 20, 1975:

Scotland 3-Northern Ireland 0 (Edward MacDougall 15, Kenny Dalglish 21, Derek Parlane 80)

Wednesday, May 21, 1975:

England 2-Wales 2 (David Johnson 10, 71 / John Toshack 55, Arfon Griffiths 56)

Friday, May 23, 1975:

Northern Ireland 1-Wales 0 (Thomas Finney 23)

Saturday, May 24, 1975:

England 5-Scotland 1 (Gerry Francis 4, 63, Kevin Beattie 7, Colin Bell 40, David Johnson 73 / Bruce Rioch 41 pen)


Date: May 17, 1975
Competition: 1975 British Home Championship
Result: Northern Ireland 0-England 0
Venue: Belfast -Windsor Park
Attendance: 36,500
Referee: Thomas Henry Charles Reynolds (Wales)
Linesmen: R. Jones (Wales), R. Bridges (Wales)
Kick-off time: 15:00
Goalscorers:
(Northern Ireland): None
(England): None
Summary of goals:
-
Lineups:
Northern Ireland:
1-Patrick Anthony Jennings (Tottenham Hotspur Football Club –London / England)
2-Patrick James Rice (Arsenal Football Club –London / England)
3-William James O'Kane (Nottingham Forest Football Club / England)
5-Alan Hunter (Ipswich Town Football Club / England)
4-Christopher John Nicholl (Aston Villa Football Club–Birmingham/ England)
6-David Clements (Everton Football Club–Liverpool / England)
7-Bryan Hamilton (Ipswich Town Football Club / England) (16-Thomas Finney (Sunderland Association Football Club / England) 36th)
8-Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill (Nottingham Forest Football Club / England)
9-Derek William Spence (Bury Football Club / England)
10-Samuel Baxter McIlroy (Manchester United Football Club / England)
11-Thomas A. Jackson (Nottingham Forest Football Club / England)

Player-Coach: David Clements
Other Substitutes:
12-William Stewart McFaul (Newcastle United Football Club / England)
14- Peter William Scott (Everton Football Club–Liverpool / England)
15- Ronald Victor Blair (Oldham Athletic Football Club / England) 
17-Christopher Roland McGrath (Tottenham Hotspur Football Club –London / England)

Team Captain: David Clements
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Umbro
Uniform Colors: Green Shirts, White Shorts, Green Socks

England:
1-Raymond Neal Clemence (Liverpool Football Club)
2-Stephen Whitworth
(Leicester City Football Club)
3-Emlyn Walter Hughes  (Liverpool Football Club)
4-Colin Bell (Manchester City Football Club)
5-David Vernon Watson (Sunderland Association Football Club)
6-Colin Todd (Derby County Football Club)
7-Alan James Ball
(Arsenal Football Club-London)
8-Colin Viljoen (Ipswich Town Football Club)
9-Malcolm Ian MacDonald (Newcastle United Football Club) (15-Michael Roger Channon (Southampton Football Club) 70th)
10-Kevin Joseph Keegan (Liverpool Football Club)
11-Dennis Tueart
(Manchester City Football Club)  

Coach: Donald George Revie
Other Substitutes:
12- Ian Terry Gillard (Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club-London)
13- Peter Leslie Shilton (Stoke City Football Club)
14- Gerald Charles James ‘Gerry’
Francis (Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club-London)
16- David Thomas (Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club-London)

Team Captain: Alan James Ball
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Admiral
Uniform Colors: White Shirts, Blue Shorts, White Socks




Date: May 17, 1975
Competition: 1975 British Home Championship
Result: Wales 2-Scotland 2
Venue: Cardiff -Ninian Park
Attendance: 23,509
Referee: Malcolm Wright (Northern Ireland)
Kick-off time: -
Goalscorers:
(Wales): John Toshack 28, Brian Flynn 35
(Scotland): Colin Jackson 52, Bruce Rioch 61
Summary of goals:
1:0 (28th minute, Wales):  Long cross from Roderick John Thomas on the right side led to a melee in the box, finally John Toshack shot in.
2:0 (35th minute, Wales):  Brian Flynn scored after a one –two with Toshack.
1:2 (52nd minute, Scotland):  After an indirect free kick is blocked, Parlane got ball on the right side touchline and crossed for Jackson to head in.
2:2 (61st minute, Scotland):  On the left side, Duncan passed to MacDougall in the center, he lets it run for Rioch who blasted from edge of box.
Lineups:
Wales:
1-William David Davies (Everton Football Club-Liverpool / England)
2-Roderick John Thomas (Derby County Football Club / England)
3-Malcolm Edward Page (Birmingham City Football Club / England)
4-Terence Charles Yorath (Leeds United Association Football Club / England)
5-John Griffith Roberts (Birmingham City Football Club / England)
6-Leighton Phillips (Aston Villa Football Club-Birmingham / England)
7-John Francis Mahoney (Stoke City Football Club / England)
8-Brian Flynn (Burnley Football Club / England)
9-Gilbert Ivor Reece (Cardiff City Football Club / Wales, registered in English League) 
10-John Benjamin Toshack (Liverpool Football Club / England)
11-Leighton James (Burnley Football Club / England)

Coach: John Michael ‘Mike’ Smith
Other Substitutes:
12- Gareth Sprake (Birmingham City Football Club / England)
13- David Frazer Roberts (Hull City Football Club / England)
14- Joseph Patrick Jones (Wrexham Football Club / Wales, registered in English League)
15- Arfon Trevor Griffiths (Wrexham Football Club / Wales, registered in English League) 
16- David Paul Smallman (Everton Football Club-Liverpool / England)

Team Captain: Terence Charles Yorath
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Bukta
Uniform Colors: Red Shirts, White Shorts, White Socks


Scotland:
1-Stewart J. Kennedy (Rangers Football Club -Glasgow)
2-William Pullar ‘Sandy’ Jardine  (Rangers Football Club -Glasgow)
3-Daniel Fergus McGrain (The Celtic Football Club -Glasgow)
4-Colin MacDonald Jackson (Rangers Football Club -Glasgow) (7-Francis Michael Munro (Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club / England) 77th)  
5-Gordon McQueen (Leeds United Association Football Club / England)
6-Bruce David Rioch (Derby County Football Club / England)
15-Luigi ‘Lou’ Macari (Manchester United Football Club / England)
8-Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish (The Celtic Football Club -Glasgow)
9-Derek James Parlane (Rangers Football Club -Glasgow)
10-Edward John MacDougall (Norwich City Football Club / England)
16-Arthur Duncan (Hibernian Football Club – Edinburgh)

Coach: William Esplin Ormond
Other Substitutes:
11- Thomas Hutchison (Coventry City Football Club / England) 
12- Alexander Forsyth (Manchester United Football Club / England)
13- James Grady Brown (Sheffield United Football Club / England)
14- Thomas Brooks Craig (Newcastle United Football Club / England)

Team Captain: William Pullar ‘Sandy’ Jardine
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Umbro

Uniform Colors: Navy Blue Shirts, White Shorts, Red Socks



Date: May 20, 1975
Competition: 1975 British Home Championship
Result: Scotland 3-Northern Ireland 0
Venue: Glasgow -Hampden Park
Attendance: 64,696
Referee: Patrick Partridge (England)
Kick-off time: -
Goalscorers:
(Scotland): Edward MacDougall 15, Kenny Dalglish 21, Derek Parlane 80
(Northern Ireland): None
Summary of goals:
1:0 (15th minute, Scotland):  -
2:0 (21st minute, Scotland):  -
 3:0 (80th minute, Scotland): -
Lineups:
Scotland:
Stewart J.Kennedy (Rangers Football Club -Glasgow)
William Pullar ‘Sandy’ Jardine (Rangers Football Club -Glasgow) (Alexander Forsyth (Manchester United Football Club / England) 89th)
Daniel Fergus McGrain (The Celtic Football Club -Glasgow)
Francis Michael Munro (Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club / England)
Gordon McQueen (Leeds United Association Football Club / England)
Bruce David Rioch (Derby County Football Club / England)
Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish (The Celtic Football Club -Glasgow)
Robert Sharp Robinson (Dundee Football Club) (Alfred James Conn (Tottenham Hotspur Football Club-London / England) 76th)
Derek James Parlane (Rangers Football Club -Glasgow)
Edward John MacDougall          (Norwich City Football Club / England)
Arthur Duncan (Hibernian Football Club – Edinburgh)

Coach: William Esplin Ormond

Team Captain: William Pullar ‘Sandy’ Jardine
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Umbro
Uniform Colors: ?? Shirts, ?? Shorts, ?? Socks

Northern Ireland:
Patrick Anthony Jennings (Tottenham Hotspur Football Club –London / England)
Patrick James Rice (Arsenal Football Club –London / England)
William James O'Kane (Nottingham Forest Football Club / England)
Christopher John Nicholl (Aston Villa Football Club–Birmingham/ England
Alan Hunter (Ipswich Town Football Club / England) (Ronald Victor Blair (Oldham Athletic Football Club / England) 83rd)
David Clements (Everton Football Club–Liverpool / England)
Thomas Finney (Sunderland Association Football Club / England)
Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill (Nottingham Forest Football Club / England) (Trevor Anderson (Swindon Town Football Club / England) 87th)
Derek William Spence (Bury Football Club / England)
Samuel Baxter McIlroy (Manchester United Football Club / England)
Thomas A. Jackson (Nottingham Forest Football Club / England)

Player-Coach: David Clements
Team Captain: David Clements
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Umbro
Uniform Colors: ?? Shirts, ?? Shorts, ?? Socks




Date: May 21, 1975
Competition: 1975 British Home Championship
Result: England 2-Wales 2
Venue: London - Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 53,000
Referee: John Wright Peterson (Scotland)
Linesmen: G.Summers (Kilmarnock), J.C.B. McRoberts (Wishaw)
Reserve Linsesman: D.W. Civil (Birmingham)
Kick-off time: -
Goalscorers:
(England): David Johnson 10, 71     
(Wales): John Toshack 55, Arfon Griffiths 56
Summary of goals:
1:0 (10th minute, England):  Francis fed Viljoen on left side, his cross was deflected by Phillips, and Johnson headed in the rebound.
1:1 (55th minute, Wales):  Leighton James’ corner from the righ side was flicked on by Smallman, Griffiths’ header was parried and Toshack scored from the rebound.
1:2 (56th minute, Wales):  Roderick Thomas’ throw-in from the right side was flicked on by Toshack. The English defense failed to clear and the ball bounced off Gillard’s thigh and fell for Griffiths who scored from close range.
2:2 (71st minute, England):  Brian Little’s cross from the right side was headed in by Johnson.
Lineups:
England:
1-Raymond Neal Clemence (Liverpool Football Club)
2-Stephen Whitworth
(Leicester City Football Club)
3-Ian Terry Gillard
(Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club-London)
4-Gerald Charles James ‘Gerry’ Francis (Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club-London)
5-David Vernon Watson (Sunderland Association Football Club)
6-Colin Todd (Derby County Football Club)
7-Alan James Ball
(Arsenal Football Club-London)
8-Michael Roger Channon (Southampton Football Club)  (15-Brian Little (Aston Villa
Football Club-Birmingham) 70th)
9-David Edward Johnson (Ipswich Town Football Club)
10-Colin Viljoen
(Ipswich Town Football Club)
11-David Thomas (Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club-London)

Coach: Donald George Revie
Other Substitutes: (per Match Programme)
Peter Leslie Shilton (Stoke City Football Club)
Thomas ‘Kevin’ Beattie (Ipswich Town Football Club)
John Gidman (Aston Villa Football Club-Birmingham)
Emlyn Walter Hughes  (Liverpool Football Club)
Roger Kenyon (Everton Football Club-Liverpool)
Colin Bell (Manchester City Football Club)
Mark Anthonny Towers (Sunderland Association Football Club)
Trevor John Francis (Birmingham City Football Club)
Kevin Joseph Keegan (Liverpool Football Club)
Malcolm Ian MacDonald (Newcastle United Football Club)
Dennis Tueart (Manchester City Football Club)

Team Captain: Alan James Ball
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Admiral
Uniform Colors: White Shirts, Blue Shorts, White Socks


Wales:
1-William David Davies (Everton Football Club-Liverpool / England)
2-Roderick John Thomas (Derby County
Football Club / England)
3-Malcolm Edward Page (Birmingham City
Football Club / England)
4-John Francis Mahoney (Stoke City
Football Club / England)
5-John Griffith Roberts (Birmingham City
Football Club / England)
6-Leighton Phillips
(Aston Villa Football Club-Birmingham / England)
7-Arfon Trevor Griffiths (Wrexham Football Club / Wales, registered in  English League) 
8-Brian Flynn (Burnley
Football Club / England)
9-David Paul Smallman (Everton
Football Club-Liverpool / England) (Derek Showers (Cardiff City  Football Club / Wales, registered in  English League)    46th)
10-John Benjamin Toshack (Liverpool
Football Club / England)
11-Leighton James (Burnley Football Club / England)

Coach: John Michael ‘Mike’ Smith

Other Substitutes: (per match Programme)
Gareth Sprake (Birmingham City Football Club / England)
Joseph Patrick Jones (Wrexham Football Club / Wales, registered in English League)
David Frazer Roberts (Hull City
Football Club / England)
Gilbert Ivor Reece (Cardiff City Football Club / Wales, registered in English League) 
John Benjamin Toshack (Liverpool Football Club / England)

Team Captain: John Benjamin Toshack
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Bukta

Uniform Colors: Red Shirts, White Shorts, Red Socks



Date: May 23, 1975
Competition: 1975 British Home Championship
Result: Northern Ireland 1-Wales 0
Venue: Belfast - Windsor Park
Attendance: 17,000
Referee: John Keith ‘Jack’ Taylor (England)
Linesmen: K.W. Baker (England), A.D. Cox (England)
Kick-off time: 19:00
Goalscorers:
(Northern Ireland): Thomas Finney 23
(Wales): None
Summary of goals:
1:0 (23rd minute, Northern Ireland):  -
Lineups:
Northern Ireland:
Patrick Anthony Jennings (Tottenham Hotspur Football Club –London / England)
Patrick James Rice (Arsenal Football Club –London / England)
Peter William Scott (Everton Football Club–Liverpool / England)
Alan Hunter (Ipswich Town Football Club / England)
Christopher John Nicholl (Aston Villa Football Club–Birmingham/ England
David Clements (Everton Football Club–Liverpool / England)
Ronald Victor Blair (Oldham Athletic Football Club / England)
Thomas A. Jackson (Nottingham Forest Football Club / England)
Derek William Spence (Bury Football Club / England)
Samuel Baxter McIlroy (Manchester United Football Club / England)
Thomas Finney (Sunderland Association Football Club / England)

Other Substitutes: (Per Match programme)
William Stewart McFaul (Newcastle United Football Club / England)
Christopher Roland McGrath (Tottenham Hotspur Football Club –London / England)
William James O'Kane (Nottingham Forest Football Club / England)
Bryan Hamilton (Ipswich Town Football Club / England)
Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill (Nottingham Forest Football Club / England) 
Trevor Anderson (Swindon Town Football Club / England)

Player-Coach: David Clements
Team Captain: David Clements
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Umbro
Uniform Colors: ?? Shirts, ?? Shorts, ?? Socks



Wales:
William David Davies (Everton Football Club-Liverpool / England)
Roderick John Thomas (Derby County
Football Club / England)
Malcolm Edward Page (Birmingham City
Football Club / England)
John Francis Mahoney (Stoke City
Football Club / England)
David Frazer Roberts (Hull City Football Club / England)
Leighton Phillips (Aston Villa
Football Club-Birmingham / England)
Arfon Trevor Griffiths (Wrexham Football Club / Wales, registered in  English League) 
Brian Flynn (Burnley Football Club / England)
Gilbert Ivor Reece (Cardiff City Football Club / Wales, registered in  English League)  (David Paul Smallman (Everton Football Club-Liverpool / England)  )
Derek Showers (Cardiff City Football Club / Wales, registered in  English League) 
Leighton James (Burnley
Football Club / England)

Other Substitutes: (Per Match programme)
Gareth Sprake (Birmingham City Football Club / England)
Joseph Patrick Jones (Wrexham Football Club / Wales, registered in English League
John Benjamin Toshack (Liverpool Football Club / England) 
John Griffith Roberts (Birmingham City Football Club / England)
Terence Charles Yorath (Leeds United Association Football Club / England)

Team Captain: John Griffith Roberts
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Bukta
Uniform Colors: ?? Shirts, ?? Shorts, ?? Socks



Date: May 24, 1975
Competition: 1975 British Home Championship
Result: England 5-Scotland 1
Venue: London - Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 98,241
Referee: Rudolf Glockner (East Germany)
Linesmen: G.Maennig and W. Riedel (East Germnay)
Reserve Linemsan: R.S. Lewis (Surrey)
Kick-off time: -
Goalscorers:
(England): Gerry Francis 4, 63, Kevin Beattie 7, Colin Bell 40, David Johnson 73
(Scotland): Bruce Rioch 41 pen
Summary of goals:
1:0 (4th minute, England):  In the middle, Channon passed to Francis who scored with a long range shot.
2:0 (7th minute, England):  Alan Ball fed Keegan on the right side. His cross was headed in by Beattie.
3:0 (40th minute, England):  Keegan does a one-two with Francis and then passed to Bell in middle. Bell scored with a long range shot.
3:1 (41st minute, Wales):  Scotland were awarded a penalty kick after Colin Todd handled in the box. Bruce Rioch scored from the ensuing penalty kick.
4:1 (63rd minute, England):  Francis shot an indirect free kick that took a deflection on the way in.
5:1 (73rd minute, England): Alan Ball’s free kick from the right side was headed by Keegan, Kennedy parried the header, the ball hit the post and came down for Johnson to score.
Lineups:
England:
1-Raymond Neal Clemence (Liverpool Football Club)
2-Stephen Whitworth (Leicester City Football Club)
3-Thomas ‘Kevin’ Beattie (Ipswich Town Football Club)
4-Colin Bell (Manchester City Football Club)
5-David Vernon Watson (Sunderland Association Football Club)
6-Colin Todd (Derby County Football Club)
7-Alan James Ball (Arsenal Football Club-London)
8-Michael Roger Channon (Southampton Football Club) 
9-David Edward Johnson (Ipswich Town Football Club)
10-Gerald Charles James ‘Gerry’ Francis (Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club-London)
11-Kevin Joseph Keegan (Liverpool Football Club) (16-David Thomas (Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club-London) 85th)

Coach: Donald George Revie
Other Substitutes: (per Match Programme)
Peter Leslie Shilton (Stoke City Football Club)
John Gidman (Aston Villa Football Club-Birmingham)
Ian Terry Gillard (Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club-London)
Emlyn Walter Hughes  (Liverpool Football Club)
Roger Kenyon (Everton Football Club-Liverpool)
Mark Anthonny Towers (Sunderland Association Football Club)
Colin Viljoen (Ipswich Town Football Club)
Trevor John Francis (Birmingham City Football Club)
Brian Little (Aston Villa Football Club-Birmingham)
Malcolm Ian MacDonald (Newcastle United Football Club)
Dennis Tueart (Manchester City Football Club)

Team Captain: Alan James Ball
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Admiral
Uniform Colors: White Shirts, Blue Shorts, White Socks


Scotland:
1-Stewart J. Kennedy (Rangers Football Club -Glasgow)
2-William Pullar ‘Sandy’ Jardine (Rangers Football Club -Glasgow)
3-Daniel Fergus McGrain (The Celtic Football Club -Glasgow)
4-Francis Michael Munro (Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club / England)
5-Gordon McQueen (Leeds United Association Football Club / England)
6-Bruce David Rioch (Derby County Football Club / England)
7-Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish (The Celtic Football Club -Glasgow)
8-Alfred James Conn (Tottenham Hotspur Football Club –London / England)
9-Derek James Parlane (Rangers Football Club -Glasgow)
10-Edward John MacDougall (Norwich City Football Club / England) (16-Luigi ‘Lou’ Macari (Manchester United Football Club / England) 71st)
11-Arthur Duncan (Hibernian Football Club – Edinburgh)  (15-Thomas Hutchison (Coventry City Football Club / England) 61st)

Coach: William Esplin Ormond

Other Substitutes: (per match Programme)
James Grady Brown (Sheffield United Football Club / England)
Martin McLean Buchan (Manchester United Football Club / England)
Thomas Brooks Craig (Newcastle United Football Club / England)
Alexander Forsyth (Manchester United Football Club / England)
Colin MacDonald Jackson (Rangers Football Club -Glasgow)
Charles Cooke (Chelsea Football Club-London / England)
Robert Sharp Robinson (Dundee Football Club) 

Team Captain: William Pullar ‘Sandy’ Jardine
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Umbro
Uniform Colors: Navy Blue Shirts, White Shorts, Red Socks





P-Played, W-Win, D-Draw, L-Loss, GF-Goals For, GA-Goals Against, GD-Goal Difference, Pts-Points

References:
England v Scotland, The Auld Enemy by Dean Hayes
England, The Complete Post-War Record, Author Mike Payne
World Soccer, June July 1975
Official match programme, England v Scotland , 1975

Official match programme, England v Wales , 1975