England national amateur football team results (1906–1939)
This is a list of the England national amateur football team results. Between their first match in 1906 and 1939, when competitive football stopped for the Second World War, England amateurs played in over 100 official matches.[1] Throughout this period they participated in three Olympic Football Tournaments in 1908, 1912 and in 1920, winning the former two after beating Denmark in both finals.[2][3] Throughout this period they also set a 18-match unbeaten run, starting off with a 15-0 win over France on 1 November 1906 in the team's first official game, and until they were finally beaten by Denmark (1-2) 4 years later, on 5 May 1910, courtesy of a late goal from Vilhelm Wolfhagen.[4] Notable figures during these years was Vivian Woodward who scored 44 goals in just 30 official matches, including 6 hat-tricks against the likes of France (twice) and the Netherlands (twice).[5]
Although the England amateur team was not created until 1906, the first appearance of an English team containing only amateur players dates back to 21 September 1901, when they beat a German touring side, 12-0, at White Hart Lane, London.[1]
Note: England recovered from 3-1 and 4-3 down and, with the help of an own goal, managed to rescue a draw with a late equalizer in their first ever game not to result in a victory.
Stadium: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 5,274 Referee: Charles Barette (Belgium)
Note: At 5-0 up, Corbett suffered a thigh injury and came off. He rejoined the action for the second half, but soon had to withdraw from the field, leaving England with ten men for around an hour of the game.
Note: Following England's first-ever defeat, a second match was scheduled for 7 May, however, King Edward VII died on 6 May and the officials asked for a postponement for 9 May, but after heavy rain over Copenhagen, the English referee, Jackie Pearson, called the match off, thus killing the chances for revenge.
Note: England amateur's first-ever defeat in the UK, despite the fact that Harry Carr (a replacement for Vivian Woodward) had twice given them the lead on his only international appearance.
Note: The two times Olympic Champions suffered a second successive defeat in Belfast and found themselves three goals down for the first time in their history. It was Hoare who, with fifteen minutes left, scored a brace to salvage some pride.
Note: The Welsh goalkeeper, Williams, went off injured ten minutes before half-time. Full-back, Frank Blew took over in goal. England were also down to ten men, with Jackie Hegan also coming off with an injury. Williams returned in goal at the beginning of the second half, whilst Hegan came back on after an hour of play.
Note: Harry McCracken astonished the home team by scoring a hat-trick in three minutes at the beginning of the second half to bring the Irish level, before England's firepower finally won the day in a ten-goal thriller.
Note: Irish midfielder, Jim Jamieson went off injured just before half-time, but the visitors bravely fought back to equalise, and they even lost another defender, Andrew Watson, who was carried off towards the end, leaving them to finish the game with nine men.
Note: For the second time in a row, England were facing a nine-man team by the end of the game. Emrys Ellis and Jack Nicholls both left the field injured in the closing stages.
Note: This time a goal in the first minute was enough to win the game, though many felt that it had not crossed the line after bouncing down from the crossbar.
