12 March 1881 - His Selection Was Elementary

On 12 March 1881, Queen's Park fullback Andrew Watson became the world's first black international footballer when he received his first cap for Scotland.

Born in British Guiana as the son of a Scottish sugar planter, Watson (pictured, center) enrolled at the University of Glasgow where his studies included math and engineering. While there, he developed a love of football.

He first played for Maxwell FC, then Parkgrove FC and, eventually, Queen's Park (he also served as a club administrator for the latter two). While at Queen's Park, he earned high accolades, with the 1880-81 Scottish Football Association Annual calling him "one of the very best backs we have; since joining Queen's Park has made rapid strides to the front as a player; has great speed and tackles splendidly; powerful and sure kick; well worthy of a place in any representative team."

He got his first call-up to the national team for a friendly against England, captaining Scotland in their 6-1 win. He earned two other caps in his career; both were victories as well.

After retiring in 1887 after spells with Swifts, Corinthians, and a second stint at Queen's Park, Watson moved to Australia, remaining there until his death in 1902.

30 November 1872 - The First Official International

On 30 November 1872, England and Scotland played the first ever official international, which ended in a scoreless draw.

The two countries had actually played five earlier matches, with England winning three of those and the other two ending in draws, but FIFA does not consider them full internationals, as the Scottish sides were mainly limited to players based in the area surrounding London, where the matches were played.

In October 1972, the FA decided to play a match against Scotland in Glasgow "to further the interests of the Association in Scotland." There was no Scottish FA at the time, so the Scotland's oldest club, Queen's Park FC, stood in for the national team, with all players coming from that club. Nine different clubs were represented in the English side, with Oxford University having the most players at three.

Played at Hamilton Crescent in Partick, the match started after a 20-minute delay for fog. 4,000 people were there to watch, paying a ticket price of one shilling each. Scotland had the best chances of the day, with two shots hitting the crossbar (actually, a strip of tape hung between the top of the posts), but neither side managed to find he back of the net and the match ended 0-0.

18 October 1873 - When The Scots Buy A Cup, They Keep It

On 18 October 1873, Renton FC won the first-ever Scottish Cup match, defeating Kilmarnock 2-0. Because the Scottish Cup predates league play, that match was the first competitive match in Scotland.

Sixteen clubs entered the inaugural tournament, which started with an unseeded knockout round. The clubs contributed the money used to purchase the cup and medals--a total of £56 12s 11d. Of those first eight matches, two were forfeits. The widest winning margin was Queen's Park's 7-0 victory over Dumbreck, followed closely by Clydesdale's 6-0 win over Granville.

Renton advanced to the semi-finals, where they lost to eventual winners Queen's Park, 2-0. A year later, the same two teams met in the Final, with Queen's Park winning again.

Although the FA Cup tournament predates the Scottish Cup by two years, the first FA Cup trophy was stolen in 1895, making the current Scottish Cup the oldest existing national tournament trophy in the world.

9 October 1875 - Anoraks Sold Separately

On 9 October 1875, a crowd of 12,000 people gathered at Glasgow's Hampden Park to see Queen's Park FC defeat English side Wanderers FC 5-0. Apart from the impressive scoreline, the match is notable for being the first known one at which programs were sold to the attendees.

The program for that match consisted of a single sheet listing the date, location, and line-ups for both sides (including C.W. Alcock, the founder of the FA Cup, at center half for Wanderers). It also included an admonition to the crowd: "Please do not strain the ropes." Since then, programs have expanded to multi-page, professionally printed booklets. They have also become an industry unto themselves, with a vigorous collection market. Early versions fetching premium prices at auctions, as do programs from eventful matches, such as World Cup Finals.

The highest recorded price for a program is £21,850, paid at a May 2006 auction for a single-sheet copy of the program from the 1889 FA Cup Final between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Preston North End.

29 March 1884 - The Scots Invade England

On 29 March 1884, Glasgow club Queen's Park FC became the first non-English club to appear in an FA Cup Final, losing 2-1 to Blackburn Rovers (pictured, with the Cup).

Queen's Park, founded in 1867, was Scotland's first football club. In 1870, they joined England's Football Association in order to challenge themselves against tougher competition than was available in Scotland (Scotland did not yet have its own FA at the time).

The Scottish side started the 1883-84 FA Cup in brilliant fashion, traveling to Crewe Alexandra, where they crushed their hosts 0-10 in the First Round. The did even better in the Second Round, beating Manchester FC 15-0, then kept their momentum with wins over Oswestry Town (1-7) and Aston Villa (6-1) in the Third and Fourth Rounds, respectively. Their closest match on the way to the Final was a 0-1 Fifth Round victory over Old Westminsters, but they regained their dominant form in the semifinals, beating Blackburn Olympic 4-0.

While Blackburn's road to the Final was not as dominating (despite a couple of 7-0 wins, the matches were generally closer contests), they proved to be more than a match for the Scots. The two sides maintained an even balance for the first twenty minutes until Blackburn roared ahead with two late first-half goals in quick succession. Queen's Park pulled one back before the half-time whistle, but could not find an equalizer as Blackburn bossed them around the pitch in the second half.

Queen's Park returned to the Final the following season, again losing to Blackburn, this time 2-0. They remained the only non-English side to reach the Final until Welsh club Cardiff City finished as runners-up in 1925. Two years later, Cardiff became the first non-English side to win the Cup, with a famous 1-0 victory over Arsenal at Wembley.

6 November 1986 - They Call Him "Sir"

On 6 November 1986, Manchester United appointed Alex Ferguson as their new manager, replacing the recently-sacked Ron Atkinson.

The Glasgow-born Ferguson began his career in football as a striker for his hometown club Queen's Park FC in 1957. Before he switched to management in 1974, he played for a number of Scottish teams, including Dunfermline Athletic (1964-67) and Falkirk (1969-73).

He began his management career with East Stirlingshire (1974) and St. Mirren (1974-78), but made his name with Aberdeen. He was in charge of the Dons from 1978 to 1986, leading them to three league titles (1980, 1984, 1985), four Scottish Cups (1982, 1983, 1984, 1986), and one Scottish League Cup (1986). He also enjoyed European success, winning the UEFA Cup-Winners' Cup (1983) and the UEFA Super Cup (1983).

Ferguson got off to an inconsistent start at United, finishing in 11th position his first season, then second place the next, and back to 11th in his third season. Midway through his fourth season, his job appeared to be in jeopardy following a poor start to the season that saw United limp into the new year in 15th place after taking two points from a string of eight matches between 25 November and 1 January. United stuck with him, however, and he led them to the FA Cup trophy that season.

Ferguson went on to a string of successes at Old Trafford, including 13 League titles, four more FA Cups, four League Cups, and two UEFA Champions League titles before retiring in 2013.

He also has received a number of individual accolades, including eleven Premier League Manager of the Year awards. In 1999, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to football.

9 July 1867 - The Oldest Firm In Scotland

On 9 July 1867, a group of unidentified men in Glasgow formed Scotland's first football club, Queen's Park FC. It was the first football club in the world outside of England and Wales.

Queen's first recorded match came more than a year later when, on 1 August 1968, they defeated Glasgow's now-defunct Thistle FC by the score of 2-0. Two years later, in 1870, Queen's joined the English Football Association and advanced to the final of the FA Cup in 1884 and 1885, losing to Blackburn Rovers both times.

Shortly after Queen's establishment, other clubs began to sprout up across Scotland and, in 1873, Queen's joined with eight other clubs to form the Scottish Football Association. They dominated the new league, not conceding a goal until 1875 and not losing a match until December 1876. They also won the first three Scottish Cups (1874-76). In all, they've won the Scottish Cup ten times, a number second only to Celtic and Rangers.

Queen's were so dominant in the early years, in fact, that when Scotland faced England on 30 November 1872, all eleven Scottish players were from Queen's. (The match was a scoreless draw.)

As the surrounding clubs turned professional at the turn of the century, Queen's remained staunchly committed to its principles as an amateur club. They joined the Scottish Football League First Division in 1889, but found it difficult to compete against the professional sides and were relegated to the Second Division in 1922. They last played in the top flight from 1956 to 1958 and have since bounced among the second, third, and fourth tiers.

Still playing as the Scottish Football League's only amateur side, they are currently in the fourth tier (known as League Two).

12 March 1881 - His Selection Was Elementary

On 12 March 1881, Queen's Park fullback Andrew Watson became the world's first black international footballer when he received his first cap for Scotland.

Born in British Guiana as the son of a Scottish sugar planter, Watson (pictured, center) enrolled at the University of Glasgow where his studies included math and engineering. While there, he developed a love of football.

He first played for Maxwell FC, then Parkgrove FC and, eventually, Queen's Park (he also served as a club administrator for the latter two) . While at Queen's Park, he earned high accolades, with the 1880-81 Scottish Football Association Annual calling him "one of the very best backs we have; since joining Queen's Park has made rapid strides to the front as a player; has great speed and tackles splendidly; powerful and sure kick; well worthy of a place in any representative team."

He got his first call-up to the national team for a friendly against England, captaining Scotland in their 6-1 win. He earned two other caps in his career; both were victories as well.

After retiring in 1887 after spells with Swifts, Corinthians, and a second stint at Queen's Park, Watson moved to Australia, remaining there until his death in 1902.

30 November 1872 - The First Official International

On 30 November 1872, England and Scotland played the first ever official international, which ended in a scoreless draw.

The two countries had actually played five earlier matches, with England winning three of those and the other two ending in draws, but FIFA does not consider them full internationals, as the Scottish sides were mainly limited to players based in the area surrounding London, where the matches were played.

In October 1972, the FA decided to play a match against Scotland in Glasgow "to further the interests of the Association in Scotland." There was no Scottish FA at the time, so the Scotland's oldest club, Queen's Park FC, stood in for the national team, with all players coming from that club. Nine different clubs were represented in the English side, with Oxford University having the most players at three.

Played at Hamilton Crescent in Partick, the match started after a 20-minute delay for fog. 4,000 people were there to watch, paying a ticket price of one shilling each. Scotland had the best chances of the day, with two shots hitting the crossbar (actually, a strip of tape hung between the top of the posts), but neither side managed to find he back of the net and the match ended 0-0.

18 October 1873 - When The Scots Buy A Cup, They Keep It

On 18 October 1873, Renton FC won the first-ever Scottish Cup match, defeating Kilmarnock 2-0. Because the Scottish Cup predates league play, that match was the first competitive match in Scotland.

Sixteen clubs entered the inaugural tournament, which started with an unseeded knockout round. The clubs contributed the money used to purchase the cup and medals--a total of £56 12s 11d. Of those first eight matches, two were forfeits. The widest winning margin was Queen's Park's 7-0 victory over Dumbreck, followed closely by Clydesdale's 6-0 win over Granville.

Renton advanced to the semi-finals, where they lost to eventual winners Queen's Park, 2-0. A year later, the same two teams met in the Final, with Queen's Park winning again.

Although the FA Cup tournament predates the Scottish Cup by two years, the first FA Cup trophy was stolen in 1895, making the current Scottish Cup the oldest existing national tournament trophy in the world.

9 October 1875 - Anoraks Sold Separately

On 9 October 1875, a crowd of 12,000 people gathered at Glasgow's Hampden Park to see Queen's Park FC defeat English side Wanderers FC 5-0. Apart from the impressive scoreline, the match is notable for being the first known one at which programs were sold to the attendees.

The program for that match consisted of a single sheet listing the date, location, and line-ups for both sides (including C.W. Alcock, the founder of the FA Cup, at center half for Wanderers). It also included an admonition to the crowd: "Please do not strain the ropes." Since then, programs have expanded to multi-page, professionally printed booklets. They have also become an industry unto themselves, with a vigorous collection market. Early versions fetching premium prices at auctions, as do programs from eventful matches, such as World Cup Finals.

The highest recorded price for a program is £21,850, paid at a May 2006 auction for a single-sheet copy of the program from the 1889 FA Cup Final between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Preston North End.

29 March 1884 - The Scots Invade England

On 29 March 1884, Glasgow club Queen's Park FC became the first non-English club to appear in an FA Cup Final, losing 2-1 to Blackburn Rovers (pictured, with the Cup).

Queen's Park, founded in 1867, was Scotland's first football club. In 1870, they joined England's Football Association in order to challenge themselves against tougher competition than was available in Scotland (Scotland did not yet have its own FA at the time).

The Scottish side started the 1883-84 FA Cup in brilliant fashion, traveling to Crewe Alexandra, where they crushed their hosts 0-10 in the First Round. The did even better in the Second Round, beating Manchester FC 15-0, then kept their momentum with wins over Oswestry Town (1-7) and Aston Villa (6-1) in the Third and Fourth Rounds, respectively. Their closest match on the way to the Final was a 0-1 Fifth Round victory over Old Westminsters, but they regained their dominant form in the semifinals, beating Blackburn Olympic 4-0.

While Blackburn's road to the Final was not as dominating (despite a couple of 7-0 wins, the matches were generally closer contests), they proved to be more than a match for the Scots. The two sides maintained an even balance for the first twenty minutes until Blackburn roared ahead with two late first-half goals in quick succession. Queen's Park pulled one back before the half-time whistle, but could not find an equalizer as Blackburn bossed them around the pitch in the second half.

Queen's Park returned to the Final the following season, again losing to Blackburn, this time 2-0. They remained the only non-English side to reach the Final until Welsh club Cardiff City finished as runners-up in 1925. Two years later, Cardiff became the first non-English side to win the Cup, with a famous 1-0 victory over Arsenal at Wembley.

6 November 1986 - They Call Him "Sir"

On 6 November 1986, Manchester United appointed Alex Ferguson as their new manager, replacing the recently-sacked Ron Atkinson.

The Glasgow-born Ferguson began his career in football as a striker for his hometown club Queen's Park FC in 1957. Before he switched to management in 1974, he played for a number of Scottish teams, including Dunfermline Athletic (1964-67) and Falkirk (1969-73).

He began his management career with East Stirlingshire (1974) and St. Mirren (1974-78), but made his name with Aberdeen. He was in charge of the Dons from 1978 to 1986, leading them to three league titles (1980, 1984, 1985), four Scottish Cups (1982, 1983, 1984, 1986), and one Scottish League Cup (1986). He also enjoyed European success, winning the UEFA Cup-Winners' Cup (1983) and the UEFA Super Cup (1983).

Ferguson got off to an inconsistent start at United, finishing in 11th position his first season, then second place the next, and back to 11th in his third season. Midway through his fourth season, his job appeared to be in jeopardy following a poor start to the season that saw United limp into the new year in 15th place after taking two points from a string of eight matches between 25 November and 1 January. United stuck with him, however, and he led them to the FA Cup trophy that season.

Ferguson went on to a string of successes at Old Trafford, including 11 League titles, four more FA Cups, three League Cups, and two UEFA Champions League titles.

He also has received a number of individual accolades, including nine Premier League Manager of the Year awards. In 1999, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to football.

9 July 1867 - The Oldest Firm In Scotland

On 9 July 1867, a group of unidentified men in Glasgow formed Scotland's first football club, Queen's Park FC. It was the first football club in the world outside of England and Wales.

Queen's first recorded match came more than a year later when, on 1 August 1968, they defeated Glasgow's now-defunct Thistle FC by the score of 2-0. Two years later, in 1870, Queen's joined the English Football Association and advanced to the final of the FA Cup in 1884 and 1885, losing to Blackburn Rovers both times.

Shortly after Queen's establishment, other clubs began to sprout up across Scotland and, in 1873, Queen's joined with eight other clubs to form the Scottish Football Association. They dominated the new league, not conceding a goal until 1875 and not losing a match until December 1876. They also won the first three Scottish Cups (1874-76). In all, they've won the Scottish Cup ten times, a number second only to Celtic and Rangers.

Queen's were so dominant in the early years, in fact, that when Scotland faced England on 30 November 1872, all eleven Scottish players were from Queen's. (The match was a scoreless draw.)

As the surrounding clubs turned professional at the turn of the century, Queen's remained staunchly committed to its principles as an amateur club. They joined the Scottish Football League First Division in 1889, but found it difficult to compete against the professional sides and were relegated to the Second Division in 1922. They last played in the top flight from 1956 to 1958 and have since bounced among the second, third, and fourth tiers.

Still playing as the Scottish Football League's only amateur side, they are currently in the fourth tier (known as the Third Division after the introduction of the Scottish Premier League in 1998).

29 April 1967 - For Those Of You Keeping Count, That's A Quintuple

On 29 April 1967, Celtic defeated Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup Final, one of the five trophies claimed by the Glasgow club that season.

Celtic roared through the early stages of the Cup, beating Arbroath 4-0 in the first round, then crushing Elgin City 7-0 in the second round. Queen's Park proved a more difficult opponent before succumbing 5-3, and Clyde actually held Celtic to a 0-0 draw in the semifinals, but lost 2-0 in the replay.

The final was played at Hampden Park, Glasgow, before a crowd of over 126,000. Scotland was well represented, as the only non-Scottish player for either side was Aberdeen's Danish midfielder Jens Peterson. Even both managers were Scottish, with Eddie Turnbull for the Dons and Jock Stein for Celtic. Celtic won the match 2-0, with both goals coming from forward Willie Wallace (pictured with the Scottish Cup).

Celtic had already won the Glasgow Cup and the Scottish League Cup that season, and would go on to claim the league title as well. The season is best remembered, however, for their 2-1 win over Inter Milan in the European Champions Cup in Lisbon.