1949–50 British Home Championship was one of the most significant competitions of the British Home Championship football tournament. This year saw the competition doubling up as Group 1 in the qualifying rounds for the 1950 FIFA World Cup. It was the first time that either England, Wales, Scotland or Ireland (IFA) had entered a World Cup competition. rsssf.orgThe World Encyclopedia of Football (2004): Tom Macdonald It was also a significant moment in the history of Irish football as it was the last time that the (Northern) Irish Football Association entered a team featuring players born in both Northern Ireland and what is now the Republic of Ireland.The Boys In Green - The FAI International Story (1997): Sean Ryan

Both England and Scotland began well, the Scots beating Ireland 8–2 at Windsor Park while England beat Wales 4–1 in Cardiff. Both teams continued their dominance in the second round of matches, Scotland beating Wales 2–0 whilst Ireland were again heavily defeated, this time losing 9–2 to England. In the final round of games Ireland and Wales gained some consolation points with a goalless draw while − England took first place by beating Scotland 1–0 in a hard-fought game in Glasgow.Official Blundering Leads To Scottish Defeat, The Glasgow Herald, 17 April 1950Scots May Yet Take Part In World Cup Series Strong Pressure On Selectors To Change Decision, The Scotsman, 17 April 1950, via London Hearts Supports Club

World Cup qualifying FIFA offered two places at the 1950 FIFA World Cup to the winners and runners up of the competition. However Scotland insisted they would only enter if they won the championship outright and even though they finished second, the Scottish FA declined the opportunity to enter a team in the World Cup finals for the first time. FIFA subsequently offered their place to both France, the runners-up in Group 3 and Ireland (FAI), www.independent.ie the runners-up in Group 5. However both teams also declined the invitation. Despite winning the championship, England failed to impress at the World Cup. After defeating Chile 2–0 they then lost 1–0 to both the United States and Spain and failed to qualify for the second stage.The World Cup - The Complete History (2002): Terry Crouch

Last all-Ireland team Until 1950 there were, in effect, two Ireland teams, chosen by two rival associations. Both associations, the Belfast-based IFA and the Dublin-based FAI claimed jurisdiction over the whole of Ireland and selected players from the whole island. As a result, several notable Irish players from this era played for both teams.

The game between the IFA XI and Wales at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham on 8 March 1950 marked the end of an era in Irish football history. The result was irrelevant, as both teams had lost their previous games and had nothing to play for but pride. However, the 0–0 draw saw the IFA XI field an all-Ireland team for the last time. The team included four players - Tom Aherne, Reg Ryan, Davy Walsh and the captain, Con Martin - who were born in what is now the Republic of Ireland. Since this game was also a qualifier for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, the situation led to controversy. All four players had previously played for the FAI XI in their qualifiers. Both Martin and Walsh had even scored for the FAI XI. As a result, the four players actually played for two different associations in the same FIFA World Cup tournament.

FIFA intervened, after complaints from the FAI, and subsequently restricted players' eligibility based on the political border. In 1953 FIFA ruled neither team could be referred to as Ireland, decreeing that the FAI team be officially designated as the Republic of Ireland, while the IFA team was to become Northern Ireland. The IFA objected and in 1954 were permitted to continue using the name Ireland in the British Home Championship. This practice was discontinued in the late 1970s.The Boys in Green - The FAI International Story (1997): Sean Ryan

Table

Results

Team squads

Head coach: Walter Winterbottom Pos.PlayerDoBGamesplayedGoalsMinutesplayedSub offSub onClub DF John Aston 3 September 1921 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 Manchester United FW Roy Bentley 17 May 1924 1 1 90 0 0 – – 90 Chelsea F.C. MF Jimmy Dickinson 25 April 1925 2 0 180 0 0 90 – 90 Portsmouth F.C. FW Tom Finney 5 April 1922 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 /2The number indicates the league the team played in that year. Preston North End DF Neil Franklin 24 January 1922 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 Stoke City FW Jack Froggatt 17 November 1922 1 1 90 0 0 – 90 – Portsmouth F.C. FW Johnny Hancocks 30 April 1919 1 0 90 0 0 90 – – Wolverhampton Wanderers FW Bobby Langton 8 September 1918 1 0 90 0 0 – – 90 Bolton Wanderers FW Wilf Mannion 16 May 1918 1 0 90 0 0 – – 90 Middlesbrough F.C. FW Jackie Milburn 11 May 1924 1 3 90 0 0 90 – – Newcastle United FW Stan Mortensen 26 May 1921 3 3 270 0 0 90 90 90 Blackpool F.C. DF Bert Mozley 21 September 1923 2 0 180 0 0 90 90 – Derby County FW Stan Pearson 15 January 1919 1 2 90 0 0 – 90 – Manchester United DF Alf Ramsey 22 January 1920 1 0 90 0 0 – – 90 /2 Tottenham Hotspur FW Jack Rowley 7 October 1920 1 4 90 0 0 – 90 – Manchester United FW Len Shackleton 3 May 1922 1 0 90 0 0 90 – – Sunderland A.F.C. GK Bernard Streten 14 January 1921 1 0 90 0 0 – 90 – /2 Luton Town MF Willie Watson 7 March 1920 1 0 90 0 0 – 90 – Sunderland A.F.C. GK Bert Williams 31 January 1920 2 0 180 0 0 90 – 90 Wolverhampton Wanderers MF Billy Wright 6 February 1924 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Head coach: none, SFA Selection Committee Pos.PlayerDoBGamesplayedGoalsMinutesplayedSub offSub onClub MF George Aitken 28 May 1925 2 0 180 0 0 90 90 – East Fife FW Willie Bauld 24 January 1928 1 0 90 0 0 – – 90 Heart of Midlothian GK Jimmy Cowan 16 June 1926 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 /2 Greenock Morton DF Sammy Cox 13 April 1924 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 Rangers MF Bobby Evans 16 July 1927 2 0 180 0 0 90 90 – Celtic MF Alex Forbes 21 January 1925 1 0 90 0 0 – – 90 Arsenal F.C. FW Billy Liddell 10 January 1922 2 0 180 0 0 – 90 90 Liverpool F.C. FW Alec Linwood 13 March 1920 1 1 90 0 0 – 90 – Clyde FW Jimmy Mason 18 June 1919 1 1 90 0 0 90 – – Third Lanark MF Ian McColl 7 June 1927 1 0 90 0 0 – – 90 Rangers FW John McPhail 27 December 1923 1 1 90 0 0 – 90 – Celtic FW Willie Moir 19 April 1922 1 0 90 0 0 – – 90 Bolton Wanderers FW Henry Morris 17 December 1919 1 3 90 0 0 90 – – East Fife FW Lawrie Reilly 28 October 1928 2 1 180 0 0 90 90 – Hibernian FW Billy Steel 1 May 1923 3 1 270 0 0 90 90 90 Derby County FW William Waddell 7 March 1921 2 2 180 0 0 90 – 90 Rangers MF Willie Woodburn 8 August 1919 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 Rangers DF George Young 27 October 1922 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 Rangers

Head coach: none, managed by a committee Pos.PlayerDoBGamesplayedGoalsMinutesplayedSub offSub onClub DF Tom Aherne 26 January 1919 1 0 90 0 0 – – 90 /2 Luton Town MF Danny Blanchflower 10 February 1926 2 0 180 0 0 90 – 90 /2 Barnsley DF/MF Gerry Bowler 8 June 1919 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 /2 Hull City FW Bobby Brennan 14 March 1925 3 1 270 0 0 90 90 90 Birmingham City FW Davy Cochrane 14 August 1920 2 0 180 0 0 90 90 – /2 Leeds United FW Eddie Crossan 17 November 1925 1 0 90 0 0 90 – – /2 Blackburn Rovers MF Ray Ferris 22 September 1920 1 0 90 0 0 90 – – Birmingham City DF Jim Feeney 23 June 1921 1 0 90 0 0 – 90 – /2 Swansea Town GK Hugh Kelly 17 August 1919 2 0 180 0 0 – – 90 Fulham GK Pat Kelly 9 April 1918 1 0 90 0 0 90 – – /2 Barnsley FW Jimmy McCabe 17 September 1918 1 0 90 0 0 – 90 – /2 Leeds United FW Johnny McKenna 6 June 1926 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 Huddersfield Town DF Alf McMichael 1 October 1927 2 0 180 0 0 90 90 – Newcastle United DF Con Martin 20 March 1923 1 0 90 0 0 – – 90 Aston Villa MF Reg Ryan 30 October 1925 1 0 90 0 0 – – 90 West Bromwich Albion FW Sammy Smyth 25 February 1925 3 3 270 0 0 90 90 90 Wolverhampton Wanderers FW Charlie Tully 11 July 1924 1 0 90 0 0 – 90 – Celtic MF Jackie Vernon 26 September 1918 3 0 270 0 0 90 90 90 West Bromwich Albion FW Davy Walsh 28 April 1923 1 0 90 0 0 – – 90 West Bromwich Albion

See also 1950 FIFA World Cup qualification 1950 FIFA World Cup

References