Sport
Four classic England vs. Scotland matches
England and Scotland will renew hostilities at Wembley on Friday. We decided to relive four of the classic clashes between the auld enemies at Wembley Stadium.
Four classic England vs. Scotland matches
England 2-3 Scotland (1967)
France might have won the 2018 World Cup but the unofficial world champions are Italy. That was the crown Scotland claimed in 1967, when they became the first team to beat England since they hoisted the Jules Rimet trophy the previous year.
In fact, Alf Ramsey’s side were on a 19-match unbeaten run going into the meeting with Scotland. More than 99,000 people packed inside Wembley to witness the conclusion of the 1966/67 British Home Championship (which doubled up as a Euro 1968 qualifier), and they were rewarded with a five-goal thriller.
England, only needing a draw to win the 72nd edition of the tournament, were edged out by a Scotland team containing Denis Law and Billy Bremner. It was Law who gave the visitors the lead, and it remained 1-0 to Scotland until an exciting final 12 minutes.
Bobby Lennox doubled Scotland’s advantage, before a wonderful team move was finished off by Jack Charlton. Jim McCalliog promptly restored the Scots’ two-goal cushion, but Geoff Hurst set up a nervy finish. In the end his header was in vain, as the Tartan Army celebrated British Home Championship success.
England 1-2 Scotland (1977)
This meeting between the rivals took place amid a very different atmosphere to the one which surrounded the game a decade earlier. Hooliganism and nationalism were on the rise, and Scotland fans celebrated this win by invading the field of play. The football authorities sensed things were moving in the wrong direction, and the Home Championship was discontinued seven years late.
Once again, the victors in this encounter would win the tournament. Gordon McQueen opened the scoring with a firm header from a free-kick, and Kenny Dalglish made it 2-0 after England failed to clear their lines.
Mick Channon converted a penalty in the 87th minute, but England were unable to force an equaliser. The Home Championship belonged to the Scots, whose supporters flooded onto the field after the final whistle. One of the crossbars was broken by fans clambering on top of it, and there were riots in London later that night.
This victory only boosted the confidence of Scotland manager Ally MacLeod, who would later declare that his side could win the 1978 World Cup. Scotland were eliminated in the group phase.
England 2-0 Scotland (1996)
England’s run to the semi-finals of Euro 96 on home soil are still celebrated to this day, but the Three Lions actually got off to a disappointing start. A 1-1 draw with Switzerland in their first game meant the pressure was on Terry Venables’ charges to do the business against Scotland, who knew that a win would give them a fine chance of advancing to the quarter-finals having held the Netherlands in their opening encounter.
Venables switched to a three-man defence for this game, but the knives were being sharpened after a first half in which Scotland were the better team. England improved after the interval, though – thanks in part to Jamie Redknapp’s introduction from the bench – and Alan Shearer broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute.
Gary McAllister had a golden chance to equalise, but his penalty was stopped by David Seaman after the ball moved on the spot just before he struck it. That was the turning point. Paul Gascoigne scored a superb goal (cue the famous dentist chair celebration) just minutes later, and England were up and running at Euro 96.
England 0-1 Scotland (1999)
This defeat for Kevin Keegan’s England was actually a victory: a 2-0 win at Hampden Park meant the Three Lions qualified for Euro 2000 with a 2-1 aggregate triumph in the play-offs. Still, this performance at Wembley was a forerunner for a disappointing campaign in Belgium and the Netherlands, when England were dumped out in the group phase.
Scotland knew they needed to go for broke, and it produced a fine first-half display. A Don Hutchinson goal meant they went in at half-time with a 1-0 lead on the night, but it really should have been more on the balance of play.
A second Scotland strike would have forced extra time, but a combination of profligacy and goalkeeping excellence from David Seaman denied them. England, who did not manage a single shot on target all night, were through, but no one was in the mood for celebration.
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