British Home Championship

The British Home Championship (also known as the Home International Championship) was an annual football competition contested between the UK's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (Ireland before 1921-1922), from the 1883-1884 season until the 1983-1984 season.

Famous moments

1902: tragedy at Ibrox

The Scotland v England match of April 5th 1902 will always be remembered for the Ibrox Disaster of 1902. The match took place at Ibrox Park (now Ibrox Stadium) in Glasgow. During the first half, a section of the terracing in the overcrowded West Stand collapsed, killing twenty-six and injuring over 500. Play was stopped, but, incredibly, was restarted after twenty minutes, with most of the crowd not knowing what had happened. The match was later declared void and replayed at Villa Park, Birmingham.

Related Topics:
April 5 - 1902 - Ibrox Disaster of 1902 - Ibrox Stadium - Glasgow - Villa Park - Birmingham

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1967: Scotland become 'World Champions'

The 1966-1967 British Home Championship was the first since England's victory at the World Cup 1966. Naturally, England were favourites for the Championship title. In the end, the outcome of the entire Championship rested on the final game: England v Scotland at Wembley Stadium in London on April 15th. If England won or drew, they would win the Championship; if Scotland won, they would triumph. Scotland beat the World Cup winners 3-2. The match was followed by a large, but relatively harmless, pitch invasion by the jubliant Scottish fans, who were quick to jokingly declare Scotland the 'World Champions'.

Related Topics:
1966 - 1967 - World Cup 1966 - Wembley Stadium - London - April 15th - Pitch invasion

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1977: Wembley pitch invasion

Once again, the 1976-1977 Championship came down to the final game between England and Scotland at Wembley on June 4th. Scotland won the game 2-1, making them Champions. Like 1967, a pitch invasion by the overjoyed Scottish fans followed, but it was now the height of hooliganism and things turned nasty: the pitch was ripped up and one of the crossbars was broken. This match, along with the Heysel Stadium disaster, is often cited as the apogee of British football hooliganism.

Related Topics:
1976 - 1977 - June 4th - Heysel Stadium disaster

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1981: the unfinished Championship

The Troubles in Northern Ireland had affected the British Home Championship before, with things turning so hostile that Northern Ireland often had to play their 'home' games on the UK mainland in Liverpool or Glasgow. The entire 1980-1981 Championship was held in May 1981, which coincided with a large amount of civil unrest in Northern Ireland surrounding the Maze Prison hunger strikes. Northern Ireland's two home matches, against England and Wales, were not moved, so both teams refused to travel to Belfast to play. As not all the matches were completed, that year's competition was declared void with no winner. It was the only time in the Championship's history, apart from during World War I and World War II, that it was not awarded.

Related Topics:
Liverpool - Glasgow - 1980 - 1981 - Maze Prison - Belfast - World War I - World War II

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