Scottish football's 150-year celebrations: Scotland to face England at Hampden

To celebrate 150 years of Scottish football, Scotland will host England at Hampden Park Stadium in Glasgow, as announced on Wednesday.

The Scottish Football Association declared the match to be held on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, as part of the year-long calendar event.

The heritage football match would mark the first meeting between Scotland and England back in 1872. The first match was held at Hamilton Crescent in Glasgow in November 1872. As the world governing body, Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) acknowledged the match as the inaugural international match.


Whereas Scotland failed to qualify for the Football World Cup 2022 in Qatar, Steve Clarke, the manager of the Scottish team, is appreciating the scheduled rematch on home soil.

In a statement, he said that the fixture is treasured in world football history as the first-ever international match. He feels proud to lead their team at Hampden to participate in the 150th-anniversary celebration of their national sport.

Gareth Southgate, the manager of the England football team, who is currently busy with final preparations for the upcoming World Cup, said that any match with Scotland would be special.


He added that since England and Scotland are the oldest rivals, passion will be high at Hampden. However, the match to mark the historic milestone is more significant than the passions of these two nations.

FAQs:

1. How many matches were played between Scotland and England?
   Till date, the teams played 115 matches.
2. When was the last time Scotland played against England in football?
   The teams met on June 2021 during the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Euro 2020 finals at Wembley.