5 March 1870 - The First International (Sort Of)

On 5 March 1870, London hosted the world's first international match, with an English team facing a group of London-based Scottish players. It ended in a 1-1 draw.

C.W. Alcock of Old Harrovians--FA Secretary and later founder of the FA Cup--organized the match as the first of a series of five showcases between the two countries and captained the English side. The Scottish eleven was chosen by Arthur Kinnaird and  captain James Kirkpatrick and also included Old Etonians' William Gladstone, whose father later became Prime Minister.

The teams met at the Oval, muddied from rain, and played through a scoreless first half. After the break, they switched sides, which a post-match report described as a newly-implemented rule. Late in the second half, Alcock moved his goalkeeper up the field, leaving an opening for Scotland's Robert Crawford to score the opening goal in the 75th minute. But Alfred Baker found the net for England in the 89th minute to earn a 1-1 draw.

Four more representative matches followed between November 1870 and February 1872, ending in one more draw and three wins for England. But because the Scottish teams for all five matches were drawn exclusively from London, FIFA does not recognize them as official internationals.

23 February 2000 - The Late Great Stanley Matthews

On 23 February 2000, Stanley Matthews, winner of the first Ballon d'Or, passed away at the age of 85.

A winger who is widely considered one of the greatest players in football history, Matthews acquired a long list of accomplishments over the course of his 33-year career, which he spent with only two clubs, Stoke City (1932-47, 1961-65) and Blackpool (1947-61). In all, he made a total of 783 appearances and scored 80 goals. But he won only one major trophy, claiming the 1953 FA Cup with Blackpool with an outstanding performance that led the game being called "the Matthews Final."

He came close twice before, reaching the FA Cup Final with Blackpool in 1948 and 1951, and also finished as league runners-up in 1956, the year he won the inaugural Ballon d'Or as Europe's greatest player. The following year, he was made a Commander of the British Empire, becoming the first (and so far only) English footballer to be knighted while still an active player.

Matthews also starred at the international level, making 54 England appearances and winning nine British Home Championships (three of which were shared titles).

His dedication to fitness and training sustained his career so that, at 50, he became the oldest player to appear in the English top flight. He is also the oldest person ever to play for England, making his last appearance at the age of 42 years, 104 days.

Upon his death in 2000, testimonials flew in from all around the world, including comments from Pelé, who said that Matthews "taught us the way football should be played" and Berti Vogts, who said "All over the world, he is regarded as a true football genius."

15 February 1995 - The Lansdowne Road Riot

On 15 February 1995, a riot erupted at a friendly between Ireland and England in Dublin. A subsequent report laid the blame on English supporters and Irish authorities.

The supporters in question were members of Combat 18, an English neo-Nazi white supremacist group with a history of violence including football hooliganism.  They wasted little time in turning the friendly ugly, chanting "sieg heil" and giving Nazi salutes during the playing of the national anthems.

After a disallowed English goal, the away supporters in the higher stands ripped up benches and threw them down onto the home fans in the lower stands, prompting the referee to halt the game and send the teams off the pitch. Ireland manager Jack Charlton, a former English international, left to chants of "Judas."

The violence escalated, with rioting in the stands as the referee decided to cancel the remainder of the match. Most fans were evacuated, but those that remained clashed with police. A total of twenty people were injured.

Afterward, an inquiry found the English supporters, and Combat 18 in particular, responsible for the outbreak of violence. But the Irish authorities also shared some of the blame. They had been alerted before the match to the presence of Combat 18, but failed to take action (and even declined assistance offered by their English counterparts).

8 February 2012 - A T'riffic Result For 'Arry

On 8 February 2012, Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp was acquitted of tax evasion charges. The decision cleared the last roadblock for him to take over as England manager, but it didn't happen.

The charges stemmed from Redknapp's time at Portsmouth. In 2002, the club sold striker Peter Crouch to Aston Villa, triggering a fee due to Redknapp in his position as manager. According to prosecutors, club owner Milan Mandaric deposited a portion of the fee, amounting to around £200,000, into an account held by Redknapp in Monaco, thus avoiding taxes in the UK. Redknapp and Mandaric admitted to the deposit, but claimed it was an investment and not a fee related to the Crouch sale.

Highlights of the two-week trial included the revelation that Redknapp had named the Monaco account after his dog Rosie and his claim that he has never used a computer or sent an email, fax, or text.

The jury ultimately found both men not guilty, relying in part on the defense's argument that, for men who deal in substantial sums, the amount involved was too small to justify such efforts to avoid the payment of taxes.

During the trial, Redknapp was considered by many to be the favorite to replace Fabio Capello as England manager. But although Capello resigned on the same day as Redknapp's acquittal, the FA opted instead for West Brom manager Roy Hodgson.

Redknapp ended up leaving Spurs later that year.

30 December 1999 - Forgotten No More

On 30 December 1999, the British government finally decorated the "forgotten five" from England's World Cup-winning team, awarding them all MBEs.

Over the years following England's win over West Germany in the 1966 World Cup Final, most of the players from that match, along with manager Alf Ramsey, received official recognition from the British government, starting in 1967 with Ramsey's knighthood and captain Bobby Moore becoming an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

Bobby Charlton received his OBE in 1969 (then became a Commander of the Order (CBE) in 1974 and received a knighthood in 1994), followed by OBEs for Gordon Banks in 1970 and Jack Charlton in 1974. In 1978, Martin Peters became a Member of the Order (MBE), as did Geoff Hurst in 1979 (Hurst was later knighted in 1998).

By 1999, however, five players from the 1966 final--Nobby Stiles, Alan Ball, Roger Hunt, Ray Wilson, and George Cohen--had not been honored, even though all of them but Ball had appeared in every match of the tournament (Ball missed the last two games in the group stage), and Hunt had scored three goals. But thanks to a push driven in part by the football media, those omissions were corrected at the end of 1999, with all five being made Members of the Order.

16 November 1974 - All Hail The Ginger Prince

On 16 November 1974, former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes was born in Salford. He went on to make over 700 appearances for the club.

He joined United as a youth player in 1991, then joined the first team for the 1993-94 season, but did not appear in a competitive match until the following season. By September 1995, he had become a regular fixture in the starting XI, helping them to a league and FA Cup Double.

More honors followed, including a staggering nine additional league titles, two more FA Cups, and two Champions League trophies. Along the way, he built a reputation as one of the best midfielders of his generation, earning plaudits from opposing players and coaches such as Barcelona midfielder Xavi, who has called Scholes the best midfielder he's seen in the past 20 years.

Scholes earned his first cap for England in 1997 and made a total of 66 appearances before his international retirement in 2004.

He retired from United in May 2011 and took up a coaching role with the club, but was later convinced to change his mind at the urging of manager Alex Ferguson and returned to the pitch in January 2012. He retired for good in 2013 with a career total of 718 appearances across all competitions.

10 October 1966 - O Captain, My Captain

On 10 October 1966, Arsenal defender Tony Adams was born in Romford, England. He went on to become the team's most successful captain and also skippered the England national team.

He spent his entire career at Arsenal, joining them as a youth player in 1980 and remaining there until his retirement in 2002. In all, he made a total of 672 appearances for them across all competitions. He received the captain's armband from manager George Graham in January 1988 and kept it for the next fourteen years.

During that time, he led Arsenal to a collection of silverware that included the league title in 1989 and 1991, the 1993 FA Cup, and the 1994 Cup Winners' Cup. Then, in 1998, he guided them to a league and FA Cup Double, a feat they repeated in 2002.

Adams also made 66 appearances for England between 1987 and 2000 and captained the team to the semifinals in Euro 96.

7 September 1977 - The End Of Callaghan's Capless Gap

On 7 September 1977, Liverpool midfielder Ian Callaghan made his third England appearance--a record 11 years and 49 days after his previous one.

A Liverpool player since the start of his professional career in 1960, Callaghan (pictured at far left) earned his first England cap at he age of 24 in a June 1966 friendly against Finland (England won 3-0). His second came the following month in the World Cup, as England beat France 2-0 in the group stage. It was his only appearances of the tournament, which England went on to win. Although his failure to take part in the final meant that he did not receive a winner's medal at the time, he eventually received one in 2009, along with all of the other squad members. 

Despite his perfect record, he then went over a decade without playing for the national team. He continued to star for Liverpool, however, winning a total of five league titles, two FA Cups, two UEFA Cups, and two European Cups between 1964 and 1978.

In 1977, after missing England's previous 108 games, he returned to the national team for a friendly against Switzerland, which ended as a scoreless draw. The gap of 11 years and 49 days between caps remains an England record.

He made a fourth and final appearance the following month in a 2-0 win over Luxembourg.

4 July 1990 - England Pays The Penalty Against West Germany

On 4 July 1990, England suffered a tearful exit from the World Cup with two missed penalties against West Germany in a semifinal shootout.

Playing before a crowd of 62,628 at Turin's Stadio delle Alpi, West Germany took a second-half lead with a goal from left back Andreas Brehme (60'), but England forward Gary Lineker scored an 80th-minute equalizer to send the match into extra time.  

The Three Lions had already had their share of late heroics, including extra-time victories over Belgium and Cameroon in their two previous matches, but they could not find one against West Germany. With neither team scoring in the extra period, the match went to penalties.

After both sides scored on their first three attempts, left back Stuart Pearce sent a low ball down the middle, where it was saved by German keeper Bodo Illgner. Olaf Thon scored to put West Germany up 4-2, then midfielder Chris Waddle stepped up to the spot for England and sent his shot over the bar to end the shootout.

Despite the dramatic finish, the match is widely remembered for the booking of England midfielder Paul Gascoigne (pictured) in the 99th minute. He had received an earlier yellow card in the match against Belgium, so the caution against West Germany meant that he would miss the Final if England advanced. The television cameras showed him visibly distraught with tears in his eyes, which became an iconic image of the tournament.

West Germany went on to win the Final against Argentina to claim their third World Cup trophy.

15 May 1957 - Stanley Matthews' International Farewell

On 15 May 1957, Stanley Matthews made his last appearance for England, setting two national team records in the process.

The occasion was a World Cup qualifier against Denmark in Copenhagen. When Matthews stepped onto the pitch, he was 42 years, 103 days old, making him the oldest player in national team history. It was the 54th national team appearance for the outside right, bookending a career that reached all the way back to 29 September 1934, when he made his debut in a win against Wales. He would have had many more caps but for the intervention of World War II, which put a halt on international football for a seven-year period from 1940 through 1946. Still, his tenure of 22 years, 228 days remains the longest term of service for any England player.

England proceeded to beat the Danes 1-4, virtually securing their World Cup berth with one qualifier remaining. But Matthews, despite having featured in each of the preceding qualifiers for the tournament, was not called up for the final one and retired from international football soon afterward.

He continued to play at the club level, however, finally putting his boots away in 1965 at the age of 50.

10 May 1930 - The Beginning Of A Beautiful Rivalry

On 10 May 1930, England and Germany met for the first time in a full international, playing to a 3-3 draw in Berlin.

Unofficial representative teams for the two countries played twice in 1899 with England dominating both matches, 13-2 and 10-2. Shortly afterward, England played two matches against combined German and Austrian teams and won both, 6-0 and 7-0.

But their trip to Berlin in 1930 was their first meeting since the establishment of an official German team in 1908. The game looked likely to follow the pattern of those earlier meetings when England went up 0-1 with an 8th-minute goal from Joe Bradford, but Germany's Richard Hofmann (pictured) brought the hosts level in the 21st minute.

The two traded goals again as Bradford put England back in front in the the 31st minute and Hofmann scored another equalizer eighteen minutes later. He then completed his hat-trick in the 60th minute to give Germany the lead. They held it for twenty minutes until David Jack found the net to finish the game 3-3.

Since then, the two teams have formed a fierce rivalry, including England's famously controversial win over Germany in the final of the 1966 World Cup.

30 April 1974 - That's The Penalty For Setting High Expectations

On 30 April 1974, the FA sacked England manager Alf Ramsey, who led the team to World Cup glory in 1966.

Ramsey took charge of England in May 1963 after a successful time at Ipswich Town. He began his new job in bold style, claiming that they would win the upcoming 1966 World Cup as hosts. And he made good on his promise. After opening the tournament with a scoreless draw against Uruguay, England reeled off five straight victories, including a 4-2 win over West Germany in the final to lift the cup.

But the decline started soon after. In 1968, England finished third out of four teams in the European Championships and, two years later, they were eliminated by West Germany in the first knockout round of the 1970 World Cup. West Germany again proved to be their nemesis in 1972, ending England's qualification campaign for the 1972 European Championships. 

The final straw for Ramsey came in October 1973, when a draw with Poland prevented England from qualifying for the next year's World Cup. Although he remained in charge for another six months, the failure to reach the World Cup effectively sealed his fate. The FA finally dropped the curtain on his tenure at the end of April despite his overall record of 69 wins, 27 draws, and only 17 losses in 119 matches played.

He later had a brief spell in charge of Birmingham City (1977-78) and another as technical director of Panathinaikos (1979-80) but could not recapture the success he had with Ipswich and England. He died of a heart attack in 1999 and, in 2002, was an inaugural inductee into the English Football Hall of Fame.

17 April 1937 - A Guinness Type Of Day (And A World Record Day, Too)

On 17 April 1937, Scotland hosted England at Glasgow's Hampden Park for the last match of the 1937 British Home Championship. The official attendance at the match was 149,415, which set a world record at the time and remains a record for European competition.

The two sides were competing for second place, as Wales had already secured the title by winning all three of its matches. Scotland and England, meanwhile, had identical records - both had 2-1 losses to Wales and 3-1 wins over Ireland. On the day, Scottish striker Bob McPhail (pictured) provided the decisive edge, scored 2 goals in the Scots' 3-1 win over the English.

The true attendance figure for the day is unknown, as a large number of people reportedly entered the stadium without paying. But the official recorded attendance of 149,415 was, at the time, the largest football crowd in world history. That number was subsequently surpassed on the last day of the 1950 World Cup, when Uruguay upset Brazil 2-1 at the Maracaña in Rio de Janeiro. FIFA recorded the official attendance for that match as 173,850, but, like the previous record, it does not include a large number of attendees who entered the stadium illegally.

The 1937 figure, however, remains the highest recorded attendance for a European match.

9 April 1938 - You Know, I Think It's Going To Catch On

On 9 April 1938, England hosted Scotland at Wembley for the first match to be shown live on television in its entirety.

The BBC expanded from radio into television in 1936. But for the first several months, the only football they showed included a recording of Arsenal's 1936-37 season opener against Everton and a short live exhibition in September 1937 between Arsenal's first team and reserves. 

For their first full live match, the BBC chose the final game of the 1938 British Home Championship, played at Wembley Stadium. The outcome was irrelevant, as England had already taken the honors; their wins over Ireland and Wales left them with four points, while Scotland had managed only a single point after a draw with Ireland and a loss to Wales (those other two teams had ended their campaigns three weeks earlier and were behind England in the standings). 

Nevertheless, a packed house turned out for the match and saw Scotland take an early lead with a strike from inside forward Tommy Walker, which turned out to be the only goal of the day. 

Live broadcasts continued, with the next one being the FA Cup Final between Huddersfield Town and Preston North End the following month.

28 March 2001 - The Magnificent Manchester Seven

On 28 March 2001, England beat Albania in a World Cup qualifier with almost half their team coming from one club--Manchester United.

It was only the fourth qualifier for the two teams, who were both off to a difficult start. England had four points with a win, loss, and draw, while Albania were one point back after two losses and a win. They met at the Qemal Stafa Stadium in the Albanian capital of Tirana where England fielded their Manchester-based squad.

Five members of the starting eleven--Gary Neville, Nicky Butt, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, and Andy Cole--were from Manchester United, the defending Premier League champions. Additionally, Red Devils Wes Brown and Teddy Sheringham entered as second-half substitutes, taking the club's total to seven. That matched the previous record for any one club, set by Arsenal in a November 1934 friendly against Italy (though all seven Gunners started that match).

The line-up worked against Albania, with both Scholes (86') and Cole (95') scoring in England's 1-3 win (their other goal came from Liverpool's Michael Owen in the 74th minute, while Altin Rraklli scored for Albania in the 93rd minute).

21 February 2008 - Gazza's Days Get Darker

On 21 February 2008, former England star midfielder Paul Gascoigne's tragic battle with alcoholism and depression resulted in his compulsory admission to a mental hospital for treatment. Unfortunately for all involved, it did little good and he continues to struggle with his problems.

Gascoigne, popularly known as "Gazza," enjoyed a remarkable career that started in 1985 with Newcastle and included spells at Tottenham (1988-92), Lazio (1992-95), and Rangers (1995-98), among others. Meanwhile, he was capped 57 times by England between 1988 and 1998, including a standout performance in the 1990 World Cup that sparked "Gazzamania" back in England.

But throughout, he struggled in his personal life with addiction and other issues, including depression and bipolar disorder. His problems grew worse after his retirement in 2004, followed by a short and unsuccessful spell as manager of Kettering Town that ended with his sacking in 2005 after only 39 days in charge. He claimed later that he was drinking up to four bottles of whisky and vodka per day.

In February 2008, police were called to the Newcastle hotel where he was staying while recovering from a hip operation. After he threatened to harm himself, he was taken into custody and compelled to enter a mental health facility. But by the end of the year, he was again deep into his alcoholism, reportedly drinking up to 30 cans of beer per day.

After promising signs of recovery in 2009, Gascoigne again relapsed in 2010, culminating in two separate October arrests for drunk driving and possession of cocaine. A series of rehab attempts and relapses followed, most recently by his January 2017 entrance into a new rehab program. 

18 February 1882 - The Luck Of The Irish Was Not With Them This Day

On 18 February 1882, Ireland set a record in their first international. Unfortunately, it was a record loss, as they fell to England 13-0.

The Irish FA had been founded two years earlier, making them the world's fourth oldest football association after England, Scotland, and Wales. For their inaugural match against England in Belfast, they pulled a team together primarily from two teams, Knock FC, who provided five players, and Cliftonville, who provided four. Their other two players came from Avoniel FC and Distillery, whose Samuel Johnston was only 15 years and 154 days old at the time.

England's team was more diverse, including players from seven different teams. But one team, Aston Villa, delivered nine of their thirteen goals, with five from Howard Vaughton (pictured) and four from Arthur Brown, both making their England debut. The other goals came from Charles Bambridge (Swifts FC), Henry Cursham (Notts County and Old Corinthians), and a couple from James Brown (Blackburn Rovers).

The match remains England's record victory and Ireland's (now Northern Ireland) record defeat.

5 December 2009 - Clearly, They Didn't Believe In Cover Jinxes

On 5 December 2009, the Sun celebrated England's draw for the 2010 World Cup by using their opponents' names to form the word "EASY" on their cover. It turned out to be a little more difficult than they thought, however.

The draw, which had taken place the previous day in South Africa, placed England in a group with the United States, Algeria, and Slovenia. Calling it "the best English group since the Beatles," the Sun headline touted the draw as "England, Algeria, Slovenia, Yanks." Several commentators agreed, with former English international Jack Charlton going so far to say "I think it is probably the easiest of the World Cup groups."

It turned out to be anything but, as England struggled to draws with the United States and Algeria in their two opening matches. Going into the group's last match day, they were level on points with the United States and needed a result against leaders Slovenia to ensure their progress into the next round.

As it turned out, they advanced with a 1-0 win over Slovenia, but did so as the group's second place team after the US topped the group by defeating Algeria. The relief was short-lived, however, as both England and the US were knocked out in the next round with losses to Germany and Ghana, respectively.

25 November 1970 - Shilton Starts His Record Run

On 25 November 1970, England beat East Germany 3-1 in a friendly at Wembley Stadium. It was the debut for goalkeeper Peter Shilton who went on to become England's all-time appearances leader.

The 21-year old Shilton was a star for Leicester City, where he had displaced England World Cup-winning keeper Gordon Banks three years earlier. His performances for Leicester impressed Sir Alf Ramsey, who called him up for the match against East Germany.

He delivered a strong performance, surrendering only a 27th-minute goal to Eberhard Vogel, the 1969 East German Player of the Year. England, meanwhile, got goals from Francis Lee (12'), Martin Peters (21'), and Allan Clarke (63') en route to a comfortable win.

Injuries from a car accident ended Banks' career in 1972, with Shilton battling Liverpool keeper Ray Clemence to become the new England number one. The two split time for the next decade, though Shilton got the lion's share of appearances. By the time he retired in 1990, he had accumulated a total of 125, blowing past the previous record of 108 set by Bobby Moore.

29 October 1975 - If Anyone Should Be Able To Play In The Fog, It's England

On 29 October 1975, Czechoslovakia and England met in a European qualifier that lasted only 17 minutes before a heavy fog forced its cancellation. And they weren't even playing in London.

At the time, the two sides were first and second in their qualification group. England were on top with seven points from four matches (wins were worth two points), while the Czechs were three points back with a game in hand. They had already played once, with England winning 3-0 at Wembley.

Czechoslovakia hosted the return fixture at the Tehelne polé stadium in Brataslava. But a heavy fog rolled in and impaired visibility so badly that referee Alberto Michelotti had no choice but halt the proceedings after only 17 minutes. It was only the second time in England's history that they had to abandon a match (the first was 1953 when rain stopped a friendly against Argentina).

The match was scoreless when Michelotti called it off, so they restarted from scratch the next day. The Czechs won 2-1, handing England their first loss under manager Don Revie. It proved to be a decisive result, as Czechoslovakia went on to qualify from the group, finishing one point ahead of England, then proceeded to win the tournament.