Football is comfortably United Kingdom's most popular sport. It was developed in the UK and still retains an important place in the lives of many British people. A player (wearing the red kit) has penetrated the defence (in the white kit) and is taking a shot at goal. ...

Organisation of the game in the UK

Like many sports in the UK, football is rarely managed on a UK-wide basis, but instead on a separate basis for each of the Home Nations (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). Each has its own national team and its own league system. However, there are times when a UK-wide approach to the sport is taken (see below). Home Nations (often written as the common noun home nations) is a term used to refer to the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — collectively but as separate entities, distinct from the United Kingdom as a state. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article is about the country. ... This article is about the country. ... Northern Ireland (Irish: , Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a constituent country of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... A league system is a hierarchy of leagues in a sport that teams (usually) can be promoted or relegated between, depending on finishing positions or playoffs. ...

Football associations

With football being organised separately for the four Home Nations, there are also four national football associations: The Football Association (England and crown dependencies), the Scottish Football Association, the Football Association of Wales and the Irish Football Association (which covers Northern Ireland and should not be confused with the Football Association of Ireland, which covers the Republic of Ireland). The associations are responsible for the overall management of football within their respective nation. The Football Association (The FA) is the governing body of football in England and the Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. ... The Scottish Football Association (SFA) is the governing body for the sport of football in Scotland. ... The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of football in Wales, being a member of both FIFA and UEFA. Established in 1876, it is the third-oldest association in the world, and is one of the four associations (with the English Football Association, the Scottish Football Association, the... The Irish Football Association (IFA) is the organising body for football in Northern Ireland. ... The Football Association of Ireland (FAI; Irish: Cumann Peile na h-Éireann) is the organising body for the sport of association football (soccer) in the Republic of Ireland. ...

The Football Association (FA) was founded first in 1863. Its original geographical remit was not clear and there was no specification of whether it covered just England, the entire UK or even the entire world. That question was answered for it as other national football associations were formed (starting with the Scottish Football Association (SFA) in 1873) followed by an international association, FIFA, which the FA eventually joined. Year 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... 1873 (MDCCCLXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... This article is about an international football organization. ...

The four British associations play an important part in football worldwide, as they take up four of the seats on the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which determines the laws of football (the other four seats are occupied by FIFA). The International Football Association Board (IFAB) (also known as or simply The International Board) is the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football (soccer). ... The Laws of the Game (LOTG for short, also known as the Laws of Football) are the rules governing the play of Association football (soccer). ...

National teams

There is no United Kingdom national football team. Instead, there are separate ones for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which play completely independently of each other. There are sometimes issues about which team players are eligible for (as all the players will have simply British passports), but a player is generally eligible for whichever nation he, his parents or grandparents were born in (in the case of these being different nations, then he can choose). Players from crown dependencies (like the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands), which are technically not in the UK are eligible for all four teams (e.g. Matt Le Tissier and Graeme Le Saux). First international UK 12 - 1 Sweden (London, UK; 20 October 1908) Biggest win UK 12 - 1 Sweden (London, UK; 20 October 1908) Biggest defeat Bulgaria 6 - 1 UK (Melbourne, Australia; 30 November 1956) Olympic Games Appearances 8 (First in 1908) Best result Gold, 1908 and 1912 The United Kingdom national... First international  Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Biggest win  Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) Biggest defeat  Hungary 7 - 1 England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954) World Cup Appearances 12 (First in 1950) Best result Winners, 1966 European Championship Appearances 7 (First in... First international Scotland 0–0 England  (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Biggest win Scotland 11–0 Ireland  (Glasgow, Scotland; 23 February 1901) Biggest defeat  Uruguay 7–0 Scotland (Basel, Switzerland; 19 June 1954) World Cup Appearances 8 (First in 1954) Best result Round 1, all European Championship Appearances 2 (First... First international  Scotland 4 - 0 Wales (Glasgow, Scotland; 26 March 1876) Biggest win Wales 11 - 0 Ireland  (Wrexham, Wales; 3 March 1888) Biggest defeat  Scotland 9 - 0 Wales (Glasgow, Scotland; 23 March 1878) World Cup Appearances 1 (First in 1958) Best result Quarter-finals, 1958 The Wales national football team... For the Irish FAs all-Ireland international team, see Ireland national football team (IFA). ... The Isle of Man is situated in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland, and the bailiwicks of Jersey and Guersey are situated in the English Channel to the west of the Cotentin Crown dependencies are possessions of The Crown in Right of the United Kingdom, as opposed to... This article is about the British dependencies. ... Matthew (Matt) Le Tissier (born October 14, 1968) was an Guernsey footballer who played for England. ... Graeme Pierre Le Saux (born October 17, 1968 in Jersey) is a retired English footballer who played as a left back, though he was also skillful and pacy enough to move into midfield or even the left wing. ...

There have, however, been times when the entire UK has competed as one team. The most noticeable example is the Summer Olympic Games (where the UK competes as one country under the name Great Britain). In the early years, the Olympic football competition was contested between amateur sides and the UK Olympic Committee agreed to let the amateur England team represent the entire UK. Thus the team was not really representative of the entire UK, but nonetheless played under that banner. More recently the Olympic competition has been played by under-23s teams and the UK has not sent any representative. This is mostly due to FIFA pressure (their argument being that the UK should either compete as four separate teams or one combined one and not both). However, since London won the 2012 Summer Olympics, there have been increasing calls for a British team to compete. Sepp Blatter has even stated publicly that a British Olympic football team would not affect the independence of the four home nations - England, Wales and Northern Ireland have tentatively said they are willing to move the idea forward, but Scotland appear firmly against it. Poster for the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp. ... Football (soccer) has been included in every Summer Olympic Games except 1896 and 1932 as a mens competition sport. ... Look up amateur in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The England national amateur football team was the amateur representative team for England at football. ... “London 2012” redirects here. ... Joseph Blatter (center), Luís Inácio Lula da Silva (right) and Ricardo Teixeira (seated) in Brasília, September 28, 2006. ...

Some arguments have been put forward for the UK having just one team to represent it. The outspoken politician Tony Banks was one such advocate. Nearly all such arguments come from within England, and are spurned by members of the other nations, who consider it an impingement on their sovereignty. As yet, no such idea has got off the drawing board and all four football associations are very much against it. Anthony Louis Banks, Baron Stratford (8 April 1943 – 8 January 2006), usually known as Tony Banks, was a British politician and Labour Party MP and member of the House of Lords. ...

The Republic of Ireland, although not part of the UK, is often regarded a home team due to wide interested in the UK and Ireland of their repective football teams.

Matches between the UK teams

The UK teams have played each other more times than any other footballing nations in the world. The world's first international football match was played between Scotland and England in Glasgow in 1872 (a 0-0 draw). From then on, all four teams started playing regular friendlies against each other. For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ... Year 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

In 1883 a formal competition between the UK's teams, the British Home Championship, was introduced, guaranteeing that each team would play the other three at least once a season. The Championship was discontinued in 1984, partly due to crowd trouble. Since then the teams have played each other mainly when drawn together in international competitions such as the European Championship or the World Cup. A list is given below. Year 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The British Home Championship (also known as the Home International Championship) was an annual football competition contested between the UKs four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and originally Ireland and, later, its successor Northern Ireland, from the 1883-1884 season until the 1983-1984 season. ... This article is about the year. ... The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the mens national football teams governed by the UEFA. Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the European Nations Cup, changing to the name European Football... For the club competition, see FIFA Club World Cup. ...

Matches between the UK teams since 1984

Since 1984, when the British Home Championship ended, there have been a number of games played between the four Home Nations. The British Home Championship (also known as the Home International Championship) was an annual football competition contested between the UKs four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and originally Ireland and, later, its successor Northern Ireland, from the 1883-1884 season until the 1983-1984 season. ...

• England v Scotland
  • 23/04/86 (Wembley Stadium) Rous Cup - England 2-1 Scotland
  • 21/05/88 (Wembley Stadium) Rous Cup - England 1-0 Scotland
  • 15/09/96 (Wembley Stadium) European Championship Finals - England 2-0 Scotland
  • 17/11/99 (Wembley Stadium) European Championship Qualifier - England 0-1 Scotland
• England v Wales
  • 9/10/04 (Old Trafford) World Cup Qualifier - England 2-0 Wales
• England v Northern Ireland
  • 13/11/85 (Wembley Stadium) World Cup Qualifier - England 0-0 Northern Ireland
  • 15/10/86 (Wembley Stadium) European Championship Qualifier - England 3-0 Northern Ireland
  • 26/03/05 (Old Trafford) World Cup Qualifier - England 4-0 Northern Ireland
• Scotland v England
  • 25/05/85 (Hampden Park) Rous Cup - Scotland 1-0 England
  • 23/05/87 (Hampden Park) Rous Cup - Scotland 0-0 England
  • 27/05/89 (Hampden Park) Rous Cup - Scotland 0-2 England
  • 13/11/99 (Hampden Park) European Championship Qualifier - Scotland 0-2 England
• Scotland v Wales
  • 27/03/85 (Hampden Park) World Cup Qualifier - Scotland 0-1 Wales
  • 27/05/97 (Rugby Park) Friendly - Scotland 0-1 Wales
• Scotland v Northern Ireland
  • 19/02/92 (Hampden Park) Friendly - Scotland 1-0 Northern Ireland
• Wales v England
  • 03/09/05 (Millennium Stadium) World Cup Qualifier - Wales 0-1 England
• Wales v Scotland
  • 10/09/85 (Ninian Park) World Cup Qualifier - Wales 1-1 Scotland
  • 18/02/04 (Millennium Stadium) Friendly - Wales 4-0 Scotland
• Wales v Northern Ireland
  • 08/09/04 (Millennium Stadium) World Cup Qualifier - Wales 2-2 Northern Ireland
• Northern Ireland v England
  • 27/02/85 (Windsor Park) World Cup Qualifier - Northern Ireland 0-1 England
  • 01/04/87 (Windsor Park) European Championship Qualifier - Northern Ireland 0-2 England
  • 07/09/05 (Windsor Park) World Cup Qualifier - Northern Ireland 1-0 England
• Northern Ireland v Wales
  • 08/10/05 (Windsor Park) World Cup Qualifier - Northern Ireland 2-3 Wales
  • 06/02/07 (Windsor Park) Friendly - Northern Ireland 0-0 Wales

For the new stadium, see Wembley Stadium. ... The Rous Cup was a short-lived football competition in the late-1980s, contested between England, Scotland and, in later years, a guest team from South America. ... For the new stadium, see Wembley Stadium. ... The Rous Cup was a short-lived football competition in the late-1980s, contested between England, Scotland and, in later years, a guest team from South America. ... For the new stadium, see Wembley Stadium. ... The 1996 European Football Championship (or simply Euro 96) was hosted by England. ... For the new stadium, see Wembley Stadium. ... The 2000 UEFA European Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th edition of the UEFA European Championship, a competition between the national football teams of Europe held every four years and organised by UEFA, footballs governing body in Europe. ... Old Trafford (given the nickname The Theatre of Dreams by Sir Bobby Charlton) is a football stadium in the Greater Manchester borough of Trafford, and is the home of Manchester United F.C.. The ground has been Uniteds permanent home since 1910, bar an eight year absence from 1941... The 2006 FIFA World Cup (officially titled 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany, sometimes referred to as the Football World Cup) finals are scheduled to take place in Germany between 9 June and 9 July 2006. ... For the new stadium, see Wembley Stadium. ... The 1986 Football World Cup was held in Mexico from May 31 to June 29. ... For the new stadium, see Wembley Stadium. ... Ruud Gullit lifts the trophy after winning the cup with the Netherlands The 1988 European Football Championship (Euro 88) final tournament was held in West Germany. ... Old Trafford (given the nickname The Theatre of Dreams by Sir Bobby Charlton) is a football stadium in the Greater Manchester borough of Trafford, and is the home of Manchester United F.C.. The ground has been Uniteds permanent home since 1910, bar an eight year absence from 1941... The 2006 FIFA World Cup (officially titled 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany, sometimes referred to as the Football World Cup) finals are scheduled to take place in Germany between 9 June and 9 July 2006. ... For other uses, see Hampden Park (disambiguation). ... The Rous Cup was a short-lived football competition in the late-1980s, contested between England, Scotland and, in later years, a guest team from South America. ... For other uses, see Hampden Park (disambiguation). ... The Rous Cup was a short-lived football competition in the late-1980s, contested between England, Scotland and, in later years, a guest team from South America. ... For other uses, see Hampden Park (disambiguation). ... The Rous Cup was a short-lived football competition in the late-1980s, contested between England, Scotland and, in later years, a guest team from South America. ... For other uses, see Hampden Park (disambiguation). ... The 2000 UEFA European Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th edition of the UEFA European Championship, a competition between the national football teams of Europe held every four years and organised by UEFA, footballs governing body in Europe. ... For other uses, see Hampden Park (disambiguation). ... The 1986 Football World Cup was held in Mexico from May 31 to June 29. ... Rugby Park is a football stadium situated in the Scottish town of Kilmarnock. ... For other uses, see Hampden Park (disambiguation). ... The Millennium Stadium (Welsh: Stadiwm y Mileniwm), is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff, and is used primarily for rugby union and football home internationals. ... The 2006 FIFA World Cup (officially titled 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany, sometimes referred to as the Football World Cup) finals are scheduled to take place in Germany between 9 June and 9 July 2006. ... Ninian Park is a football stadium in Cardiff, Wales. ... The 1986 Football World Cup was held in Mexico from May 31 to June 29. ... The Millennium Stadium (Welsh: Stadiwm y Mileniwm), is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff, and is used primarily for rugby union and football home internationals. ... The Millennium Stadium (Welsh: Stadiwm y Mileniwm), is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff, and is used primarily for rugby union and football home internationals. ... The 2006 FIFA World Cup (officially titled 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany, sometimes referred to as the Football World Cup) finals are scheduled to take place in Germany between 9 June and 9 July 2006. ... Windsor Park - a view from the Kop Stand, showing the two-tiered North Stand and the low Railway stand behind the opposite goal Windsor Park is the home ground of the Northern Irish football club, Linfield FC, in Belfast. ... The 1986 Football World Cup was held in Mexico from May 31 to June 29. ... Windsor Park - a view from the Kop Stand, showing the two-tiered North Stand and the low Railway stand behind the opposite goal Windsor Park is the home ground of the Northern Irish football club, Linfield FC, in Belfast. ... Ruud Gullit lifts the trophy after winning the cup with the Netherlands The 1988 European Football Championship (Euro 88) final tournament was held in West Germany. ... Windsor Park - a view from the Kop Stand, showing the two-tiered North Stand and the low Railway stand behind the opposite goal Windsor Park is the home ground of the Northern Irish football club, Linfield FC, in Belfast. ... The 2006 FIFA World Cup (officially titled 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany, sometimes referred to as the Football World Cup) finals are scheduled to take place in Germany between 9 June and 9 July 2006. ... Windsor Park - a view from the Kop Stand, showing the two-tiered North Stand and the low Railway stand behind the opposite goal Windsor Park is the home ground of the Northern Irish football club, Linfield FC, in Belfast. ... The 2006 FIFA World Cup (officially titled 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany, sometimes referred to as the Football World Cup) finals are scheduled to take place in Germany between 9 June and 9 July 2006. ... Windsor Park - a view from the Kop Stand, showing the two-tiered North Stand and the low Railway stand behind the opposite goal Windsor Park is the home ground of the Northern Irish football club, Linfield FC, in Belfast. ...

Resurrection of the Home Championship

Since the end of the British Home Championship, there have been many calls for it to be restored to the schedule. One argument is that it would replace so-called "meaningless friendlies" with a proper tournament that would raise the interest of both the players and fans. However, there has been a lack of enthusiasm for such a proposal, particularly from England; as time has passed, the Football Association has grown in commercial power beyond that of the other three home associations, so that it could be claimed that friendlies against major footballing nations from Europe and South America are worth more than playing the home nations. In December 2006, Lawrie Sanchez suggested that a Celtic tournament be organised, featuring the three home Celtic nations plus the Republic of Ireland[1]. This was further elaborated in February 2007 when Alex McLeish, the newly appointed manager of Scotland, expressed interest in playing against the home nations and the Republic of Ireland. Accepting that England would likely not be interested in a new Home Championship, he said "If the English FA are thinking about opposition for the new Wembley, I hope we're in their thoughts". Lawrie Sanchez at the same time stated that the IFA hierarchy were supportive of a new Home Championship, while the SFA expressed guarded interest. Both England and Wales were less enthusiastic, stating that with the number of friendlies played each year it would "be difficult to see how the Home Nations would fit in"[2]. The Football Association (The FA) is the governing body of football in England and the Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. ... The Union Européenne de Football Association or Union of European Football Associations in English, almost always referred to by the acronym UEFA (pronounced (you-AY-fuh) or (oo-Ay-fuh) or ), is the administrative and controlling body for European football. ... CONMEBOL or CSF (CONfederación SudaMEricana de FútBOL, South American Football Confederation) is the governing body of football in most of South America. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lawrence Philip Sanchez (born October 22, 1959 in London, England) is a Northern Irish football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Fulham. ... The Six Nations considered the heartland of the modern Celts Celtic nations are areas of Europe inhabited by members of Celtic cultures, specifically speakers of Celtic languages. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Alexander Alec McLeish (born January 21, 1959, Barrhead, Renfrewshire, Scotland) nicknamed Big Eck,[1] is a former professional footballer and is currently manager of the Scotland national team. ...

Football in the crown dependencies and the overseas territories

Although technically not part of the UK, football in the crown dependencies is governed by The Football Association. Nevertheless players from the crown dependencies can play in any of the four British teams, while at the same time the crown dependencies also have their own teams: The Football Association (The FA) is the governing body of football in England and the Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. ...

• Alderney national football team
• Guernsey national football team
• Herm national football team
• Isle of Man national football team
• Jersey national football team
• Sark national football team

Overseas territories are not technically part of the UK either, and they have their own teams. Some of the overseas territories have full or associate membership in the corresponding regional federations: First international Guernsey 6 - 0 Alderney (17 April 1905) Largest win Alderney 1 - 0 Guernsey (29 April 1920) Alderney 1 - 0 Saaremaa (4 July 2003) Worst defeat Jersey 18 - 0 Alderney (19 March 1994) The Alderney national football team is the official football team for the Alderney, United Kingdom. ... I just wonder why there is not an effort for the creation of a national football team to represent all the Channel Islands. ... The Isle of Man national football team is the national football (soccer) team of the Isle of Man and is controlled by the Isle of Man Football Association. ... First international Jersey 0 - 1 Guernsey (27 April 1905) Biggest win Jersey 18 - 0 Alderney (19 March 1994) Biggest defeat Jersey 1 - 7 Guernsey (18 April 1929) The Jersey national football team is the official football team for the Jersey, United Kingdom. ... First international Sark 0 - 19 Gibraltar (Guernsey; 29 June 2003) Largest win None Worst defeat Sark 0 - 20 Isle of Wight (Guernsey; 30 June 2003) Appearances - (First in -) Best result - The Sark national football team represents the Channel Island of Sark. ...

• Ascension Island national football team
• Anguilla national football team
• Bermuda national football team
• British Virgin Islands national football team
• Cayman Islands national football team
• Falkland Islands national football team
• Gibraltar national football team
• Montserrat national football team
• Pitcairn Islands national football team
• Saint Helena national football team
• Turks and Caicos Islands national football team

First international Anguilla 1 - 1 Montserrat (Saint Lucia; May 14, 1991) Biggest win Anguilla 4 - 1 Montserrat (Saint Martin; February 8, 2001) Anguilla 4 - 1 Saint Kitts and Nevis (Anguilla; June 29, 2003) Biggest defeat Guyana 14 - 0 Anguilla (St. ... First international Iceland 4 - 3 Bermuda (Reykjavík, Iceland; August 10, 1964) Biggest win Bermuda 13 - 0 Montserrat (Hamilton, Bermuda; February 29, 2004) Biggest defeat Denmark 6 - 0 Bermuda (Aalborg, Denmark; July 1, 1969) The Bermuda national football team is the national team of Bermuda and is controlled by the... First International Cayman Islands 2 - 1 BVI (Basseterre, SK&N; May 10, 1991) Largest win BVI 5 - 0 Puerto Rico (Port-au-Prince, Haiti; March 19, 1999) BVI 5 - 0 Anguilla (Road Town, BVI; February 27, 2000) BVI 5 - 0 USVI (Road Town, BVI; January 30, 2004) Worst defeat Jamaica... First international Cayman Islands 2 - 1 BVI (Basseterre, SK&N; May 10, 1991) Biggest win Cayman Islands 5 - 0 BVI (Grand Cayman, Cayman Isls. ... First international Isle of Man 9 - 0 Falkland Islands (8 July 2001) Biggest win Falkland Islands 4 - 1 Orkney (13 July 2001) Biggest defeat Isle of Man 9 - 0 Falkland Islands (8 July 2001) Isle of Man 9 - 0 Falkland Islands (13 July 2005) The Falkland Islands national football team... First international Sevilla FC 2 - 0 Gibraltar (Spain; 15 April 1923) not FIFA regulated Biggest win Gibraltar 19 - 0 Sark (Guernsey, Channel Islands; 29 June 2003) not FIFA regulated Biggest defeat Sevilla FC 5 - 0 Gibraltar (Spain; 18 April 1923) not FIFA regulated Greenland 5 - 0 Gibraltar (Isle of Wight... First international Saint Lucia 3 - 0 Montserrat (Saint Lucia; May 10, 1991) Largest win Montserrat 3 - 2 Anguilla (Montserrat; March 26, 1995) Anguilla 0 - 1 Montserrat (Anguilla; April 2, 1995) Worst defeat Bermuda 13 - 0 Montserrat (Hamilton, Bermuda; February 29, 2004) The Montserrat national football team represents the small Caribbean... First international Bahamas 3 - 0 Turks and Caicos Islands (Nassau, Bahamas; February 24, 1999) Biggest win Cayman Islands 0 - 2 Turks and Caicos Islands (Havana, Cuba; September 4, 2006) Biggest defeat SK&N 8 - 0 Turks and Caicos Islands (Basseterre, SK&N; March 18, 2000) The Turks and Caicos Islands...

League systems

There are separate club football league systems for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. However, there is a lot of overlapping between the systems, with clubs often playing outside of their country's respective system. This is partially due to logisitical geography, but mainly because the first league, The Football League, was originally intended to be UK-wide. However, Scotland and Ireland (all of which was part of the UK then) developed their own systems soon after. Wales did not get a national league until 1992 (though regional leagues existed prior to that), which explains why so many Welsh clubs play in what is now regarded as the English system. There are proposals for a UK-wide British Football League, but this currently seems a relatively distant possibility. The Football League is a league competition featuring professional football clubs from England and Wales, and is the oldest such competition in world football. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... The British Football League is a proposed association football league in the United Kingdom that would incorporate clubs from across the Home Nations. ...

The English football league system includes hundreds of interlinked leagues, consisting of thousands of divisions. The FA Premier League is at the top, followed by The Football League and then the Football Conference, where the structure starts to become regional and includes the Northern Premier League, the Southern League, the Isthmian League and many more besides. The Welsh clubs of Cardiff City, Colwyn Bay, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport County, Swansea City and Wrexham play in the English system. The English football league system, otherwise known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in England (although for historical reasons a small number of Welsh clubs also compete). ... For the Scottish equivalent see Scottish Premier League The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays Premiership in England and the Barclays English Premier League or just simply The EPL internationally) is a league competition for football clubs located at the top of the English football league system... The Football Conference is a football league at the top of the National League System of non-League football in England. ... The Northern Premier League logo. ... For other uses, see Southern Football League (disambiguation). ... The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England. ... Cardiff City Association Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) are a football team based in Cardiff, and are one of the three Welsh clubs competing in the Football League, currently playing in the Football League Championship. ... Club logo Colwyn Bay F.C. are a Welsh football club who currently play in the Northern Premier League First Division. ... Merthyr Tydfil F.C. is a Welsh football team from Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan. ... Newport County are a football team based in the city of Newport. ... Swansea City AFC (Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Abertawe) is a Welsh football team currently playing in the Football League League One. ... Wrexham Football Club (nicknamed The Red Dragons, or more traditionally, The Robins) are a football team based in Wrexham in north-east Wales. ...

The Scottish football league system is much smaller, with just two national leagues: the Scottish Premier League (SPL) and Scottish Football League. There are, however, other regional leagues that are not connected to the national system, most notably the Highland Football League. One English club, Berwick Rangers, plays in the Scottish system. Gretna, based in Scotland, moved from the English to the Scottish league system in 2002. The Scottish football league system (or pyramid) is a series of partially interconnected leagues for Scottish Association football clubs. ... The Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League commonly known as the Scottish Premier League, Premier League or SPL is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top level of the Scottish football league system - above the Scottish Football League. ... The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland. ... The Highland Football League (HFL) is a league of football (soccer) clubs operating not in just the Scottish highlands as the name may suggest, but across all of the North of Scotland. ... Berwick Rangers Football Club are a football team based in the English Border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, currently playing in the Scottish Football League. ... Gretna Football Club is a Scottish football club from Gretna, near Annan, Dumfries and Galloway and promoted to the Scottish Premier League in the 06/07 season. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

The Welsh football league system includes the League of Wales and a number of regional leagues. The Welsh football league system (or pyramid) is a series of football leagues with regular promotion and relegation between them. ... The Welsh Premiership is the national football league for Wales and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. ...

The Northern Irish football league system includes the Irish Football League. One Northern Irish club, Derry City, plays their football outside of the UK in the Republic of Ireland football league system. The Northern Irish football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for club football (soccer) in Northern Ireland. ... Official logo of the Carnegie Premier League. ... Derry City Football Club (Irish: , IPA: ) is an Irish football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland. ... The Football League of Ireland, usually known simply as the League of Ireland or later the eircom League (from the leagues sponsorship by Irish telecommunications company eircom), was the old league of football clubs in Ireland that existed from 1921 until 2006. ...

High finishers in the top league of each system may qualify for a Europe-wide UEFA competition, such as the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup or UEFA Intertoto Cup. The Union Européenne de Football Association or Union of European Football Associations in English, almost always referred to by the acronym UEFA (pronounced (you-AY-fuh) or (oo-Ay-fuh) or ), is the administrative and controlling body for European football. ... European Cup redirects here. ... The UEFA Cup (also known as European Cup 3, CE3 or C3) is a football competition for European club teams, organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). ... The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup is a summer football competition for European clubs that have not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. ...

Cup competitions

There are a multitude of knockout club cup competitions. Again, these are organised on an English, Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish basis. Many carry qualification for the UEFA Cup for the winners. The UEFA Cup (also known as European Cup 3, CE3 or C3) is a football competition for European club teams, organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). ...

Each football association runs its own national cup. So there is the FA Cup (England), the Scottish FA Cup, the Welsh Cup and the Irish Cup. Traditionally, these cups have been the most liberal about who they accept, with many teams from outside that nation (and/or league system) entering. More recently rules have been tightened, with the competitions only open to teams who play in that nation's football league system. This article is about the English FA Cup. ... The Scottish FA Cup, also known as The Scottish Cup, is the national cup knockout competition in Scottish football. ... The Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales. ... The Irish Cup is the national cup knock-out competition in Northern Irish football. ...

There are also a number of other cups that have more stringent requirements but carry less prestige, including the Football League Cup (England), Scottish League Cup, FAW Premier Cup (Wales), Irish League Cup and County Antrim Shield (Northern Ireland). Some past cups have even crossed UK boundaries, such as the Anglo-Scottish Cup and the Setanta Cup which four teams from Northern Ireland play four teams from the Republic of Ireland. The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition. ... The Scottish Football League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. ... The FAW Premier Cup (formerly the FAW Invitation Cup) is a Welsh football cup competition, organised annually by the Football Association of Wales since 1997. ... The Irish League Cup is the third-highest rated competition in domestic Northern Irish football competition after the Irish Premier League and Irish Cup. ... The County Antrim Shield is a Northern Irish football competition. ... The Anglo-Scottish Cup was a tournament arranged for eight of the best teams in English and Scottish football leagues during the summer for several years during the 1970s. ... The Setanta Cup is a football competition featuring clubs from both political entities on the island of Ireland. ...

"Battle of Britain"

There have been several occasions when clubs from the four home nations have played each other in European competition. The matches were either played over two legs or in groups where teams play each other twice, the aggregate scores counting both matches in each pairing are listed below.

England v Scotland

• European Cup
  • 1969-70: Leeds United 1-3 Celtic
  • 1980-81: Aberdeen 0-5 Liverpool
  • 1992-93: Rangers 4-2 Leeds United
  • 2003-04: Manchester United 4-0 Rangers
  • 2006-07: Manchester United 3-3 Celtic
• European Cup Winners Cup
  • 1960-61: Rangers 3-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
  • 1962-63: Tottenham Hotspur 8-4 Rangers
  • 1965-66: Celtic 1-2 Liverpool
  • 1968-69: Dunfermline Athletic 1-0 West Bromwich Albion
• Inter-Cities Fairs Cup/UEFA Cup
  • 1962-63: Everton 1-2 Dunfermline Athletic
  • 1966-67: Leeds United 4-2 Kilmarnock
  • 1967-68: Leeds United 2-1 Hibernian
  • 1967-68: Dundee 1-2 Leeds United
  • 1967-68: Rangers 0-2 Leeds United
  • 1968-69: Chelsea 9-3 Morton
  • 1968-69: Rangers 0-2 Newcastle United
  • 1969-70: Dundee United 1-3 Newcastle United
  • 1970-71: Hibernian 0-3 Liverpool
  • 1973-74: Aberdeen 2-5 Tottenham Hotspur
  • 1973-74: Leeds United 0-0 Hibernian
  • 1975-76: Hibernian 2-3 Liverpool
  • 1981-82: Ipswich Town 2-4 Aberdeen
  • 1983-84: Nottingham Forest 2-1 Celtic
  • 1984-85: Manchester United 5-4 Dundee United
  • 1997-98: Celtic 2-2 Liverpool
  • 2002-03: Celtic 3-0 Blackburn Rovers
  • 2002-03: Celtic 3-1 Liverpool

European Cup redirects here. ... Leeds United Football Club is the only professional association football club in the city of Leeds in West Yorkshire. ... Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club, competing in the Scottish Premier League, the highest form of competition in Scotland. ... Aberdeen Football Club are a football team from Aberdeen, Scotland, who compete in the Scottish Premier League. ... Liverpool Football Club are an English professional football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside, who play in the Premier League; they are historically the most successful club in the history of English football, having won more trophies than any other English club. ... For other uses, see Rangers F.C. (disambiguation). ... Manchester United Football Club are a world-famous English football club, based at the Old Trafford stadium in Trafford, Greater Manchester, and are one of the most popular sports clubs in the world, with over 50 million supporters worldwide. ... The UEFA Cup Winners Cup (also known as the European Cup Winners Cup) was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. ... Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. are an English football club playing at Molineux Stadium. ... Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is an English professional football club which plays in the Premier League. ... Dunfermline Athletic Football Club is a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. ... West Bromwich Albion Football Club (also known as West Brom, The Baggies, Albion, The Albion, The Throstles or W.B.A.) are an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands. ... The UEFA Cup (also known as European Cup 3, CE3 or C3) is a football competition for European club teams, organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). ... Everton Football Club is an English football club located in the city of Liverpool. ... Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. ... Hibernian Football Club (informally known as Hibs) are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, north Edinburgh. ... Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football team based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. ... Greenock Morton Football Club are an Association football club, whose first team currently plays in the Bells Scottish Football League Second Division. ... Newcastle United Football Club (also known as The Magpies or The Toon) is an English professional football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, who currently play in the Premier League. ... Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. ... Ipswich Town Football Club (also known as Ipswich, The Blues, Town or The Tractor Boys) are an English professional football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk. ... Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English professional football club based at The City Ground in Nottingham, England. ... Blackburn Rovers Football Club are an English Premier League football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. ...

England v Wales

• European Cup
  • 2005-06: TNS 0-6 Liverpool
• European Cup Winners Cup
  • 1990-91: Wrexham 0-5 Manchester United
• UEFA Cup
  • 2003-04: TNS 0-7 Manchester City

European Cup redirects here. ... The New Saints F.C., often known as TNS, is a Welsh football club representing Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain in Wales and Oswestry in England (the two places are only 8 miles/13 km apart). ... The UEFA Cup Winners Cup (also known as the European Cup Winners Cup) was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. ... Wrexham Football Club (nicknamed The Red Dragons, or more traditionally, The Robins) are a football team based in Wrexham in north-east Wales. ... The UEFA Cup (also known as European Cup 3, CE3 or C3) is a football competition for European club teams, organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). ... Manchester City Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Manchester. ...

England v Northern Ireland

• European Cup
  • 1976-77: Crusaders 0-7 Liverpool
• European Cup Winners Cup
  • 1961-62: Glenavon 2-7 Leicester City
  • 1970-71: Linfield 2-2 Manchester City
  • 1976-77: Carrick Rangers 3-9 Southampton
  • 1982-83: Coleraine 0-7 Tottenham Hotspur
• Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
  • 1969-70: Glentoran 1-3 Arsenal

European Cup redirects here. ... Crusaders F.C. is a Northern Ireland football club playing in the Irish Premier League. ... The UEFA Cup Winners Cup (also known as the European Cup Winners Cup) was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. ... Glenavon F.C. is a Northern Ireland football club playing in the Irish Premier League. ... Leicester City Football Club, (also known as The Foxes) is an English professional football club based in the city of Leicester. ... “Linfield” redirects here. ... Carrick Rangers is a Northern Ireland football club playing in the IFA Intermediate League. ... Southampton Football Club is a professional English football team, nicknamed The Saints and based in the city of Southampton. ... Coleraine F.C. is a Northern Irish football club playing in the Irish Premier League (IPL). ... The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1970. ... Glentoran F.C. . a Northern Irish football club, playing in Belfast. ... Arsenal Football Club (also known as Arsenal, The Arsenal or The Gunners) are an English professional football club based in Holloway, north London. ...

Scotland v Wales

• UEFA Cup
  • 1996-97: Aberdeen 6-4 Barry Town
  • 1997-98: Inter Cardiff 0-8 Celtic
  • 1999-2000: Cwmbran Town 0-10 Celtic

The UEFA Cup (also known as European Cup 3, CE3 or C3) is a football competition for European club teams, organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). ... Barry Town F.C. are a football team based in Barry. ... UWIC Inter Cardiff FC (UWIC stands for University of Wales Insitute, Cardiff) are a Welsh football club. ... Cwmbran Town F.C. is a football team, playing in the League of Wales. ...

Scotland v Northern Ireland

• European Cup Winners Cup
  • 1966-67: Glentoran 1-5 Rangers
• Inter-Cities Fairs Cup/UEFA Cup
  • 1963-64: Glentoran 1-7 Partick Thistle
  • 1970-71: Coleraine 4-3 Kilmarnock
  • 1987-88: Coleraine 1-4 Dundee United
  • 1989-90: Glentoran 1-5 Dundee United
  • 2001-02: Glenavon 0-2 Kilmarnock
  • 2006:07: Derry City 7-3 Gretna (note that Derry, although in the UK, plays in the FAI League of Ireland in the Republic)

The UEFA Cup Winners Cup (also known as the European Cup Winners Cup) was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. ... The UEFA Cup (also known as European Cup 3, CE3 or C3) is a football competition for European club teams, organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). ... Partick Thistle Football Club is a Scottish professional football club from the city of Glasgow. ... Derry City Football Club (Irish: , IPA: ) is an Irish football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland. ... Gretna Football Club is a Scottish football club from Gretna, near Annan, Dumfries and Galloway and promoted to the Scottish Premier League in the 06/07 season. ... The FAI eircom League of Ireland (Irish: Curadh na hÉireann Cumann Peile na hÉireann) is the Republic of Irelands new national football league system created following the merging of the FAI and the League of Ireland. ... Anthem The Soldiers Song Republic of Ireland() – on the European continent() – in the European Union() Capital (and largest city) Dublin Official languages Irish, English Demonym Irish Government Republic and Parliamentary Democracy  -  President Mary McAleese  -  Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, TD Independence from the United Kingdom   -  Declared 24 April 1916   -  Ratified 21...

Wales v Northern Ireland

• European Cup Winners Cup
  • 1980-81: Crusaders 0-4 Newport County

The UEFA Cup Winners Cup (also known as the European Cup Winners Cup) was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. ... Newport County AFC are a football club with a chequered history. ...

National Football Museums

• England: The National Football Museum Based at Deepdale in Preston, Lancashire. Holds collections of International, European and National significance. Charts the history of football and the game in England. See National Football Museum.
• Scotland: The Scottish Football Museum Housed at Hampden Park in Glasgow. Holds collections of International and National significance. Charts the history of Scottish Association Football. See Scottish Football Museum

The National Football Museum is a museum in Preston, England, founded to preserve, conserve and interpret several important collections of Association Football memorabilia. ... Deepdale is a stadium in Preston, England, the home of Preston North End F.C. and Englands National Football Museum. ... This article is about Preston, Lancashire. ... Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... The National Football Museum is a museum in Preston, England, founded to preserve, conserve and interpret several important collections of Association Football memorabilia. ... The Scottish Football Museum is the Scottish Football Associations National Museum of Football, located in Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland. ... For other uses, see Hampden Park (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ... The Scottish Football Museum is the Scottish Football Associations National Museum of Football, located in Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland. ...

See also

• Football in regions of England
• Timeline of English football
• UK Scorers of European Cup Final Goals

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