1897–98 British Home Championship

1897–98 British Home Championship
Tournament details
Host country	England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales
Dates	19 February – 2 April 1898
Teams	4
Final positions
Champions	England (6th title)
Runners-up	Scotland
Tournament statistics
Matches played	6
Goals scored	23 (3.83 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Steve Bloomer and James Gillespie (3 goals)
	← 1896–97 1898–99 →

The 1897–98 British Home Championship was the fifteenth edition of the annual football tournament played between the British Home Nations. England won the title after whitewashing all three opponents and taking the maximum six points. Scotland came second after winning two of their games whilst Ireland came third following a close victory over Wales in Llandudno.

Ireland's win over Wales was the first match of the tournament and gave Ireland a short lived advantage in the competition. England ended this advantage in the second game with a close 3–2 win over the Irish in Belfast and Scotland joined the other two on two points with a 5–2 thrashing of the Welsh. Scotland then briefly took the lead with a win over Ireland in Belfast before England joined them by beating Wales by the same scoreline in Wrexham. In the final and deciding match, played at Celtic Park in Glasgow, the Scots were defeated by a fast and powerful England side who ran out 3–1 winners and took the championship.^[1]

Table[]

Team	Pld	W	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
England (C)	3	3	0	9	3	+6	6
Scotland	3	2	1	9	5	+4	4
Ireland	3	1	2	3	6	−3	2
Wales	3	0	3	2	9	−7	0

Source:^{[citation needed]}
Rules for classification: 1) points. The points system worked as follows: 2 points for a win and 1 point for a draw.
(C) Champion

Results[]

19 February 1898

Wales	0 – 1	Ireland
		85' Jack Peden

The Oval, Llandudno

5 March 1898

Ireland	2 – 3	England
15' 70'		37' Gilbert Smith 40' Charlie Athersmith 50' Tommy Morren

Solitude, Belfast

19 March 1898

Scotland	5 – 2	Wales
James Gillespie 12', 20', 61' James McKee 29', 40'		44' Thomas Thomas 89' Morgan Morgan-Owen

Fir Park, Motherwell

Attendance: 3,500

Referee: William H. Stacey (England)

26 March 1898

Ireland	0 – 3	Scotland
	Scottish FA	30' Tommy Robertson 42' Bob McColl 70' William Stewart

Solitude, Belfast

Attendance: 5,000

Referee: John Lewis (England)

28 March 1898

Wales	0 – 3	England
		9', 75' Fred Wheldon 88' Gilbert Smith

Racecourse Ground, Wrexham

2 April 1898

Scotland	1 – 3	England
Jimmy Millar 48'		3' Fred Wheldon 23', 72' Steve Bloomer

Celtic Park, Glasgow

Attendance: 40,000

Referee: Thomas Robertson (Scotland)

Winning squad[]

England

Name	Apps/Goals by opponent			Total
Name	WAL^[2]	IRE^[3]	SCO^[4]	Apps	Goals
Fred Wheldon	1/2	1	1/1	3	3
Gilbert Smith	1/1	1/1	1	3	2
Charlie Athersmith	1	1/1	1	3	1
Jack Robinson	1	1	1	3	0
William Oakley	1	1	1	3	0
Billy Williams	1	1	1	3	0
Frank Forman		1	1	2	0
Ernest Needham	1		1	2	0
Fred Spiksley	1		1	2	0
Steve Bloomer			1/2	1	2
Tommy Morren		1/1		1	1
Charles Wreford-Brown			1	1	0
Jimmy Turner		1		1	0
Charlie Richards		1		1	0
Ben Garfield		1		1	0
Tom Booth	1			1	0
John Goodall	1			1	0
Tom Perry	1			1	0

References[]

^ England Did It. The Scottish Referee, 4 April 1898, scan via London Hearts Supporters Club
^ Monday, 28 March 1898 | Wales 0 England 3, England Football Online
^ Saturday, 5 March 1898 | Ireland 2 England 3 , England Football Online
^ Saturday, 2 April 1898 | Scotland 1 England 3, England Football Online

Guy Oliver (1992). The Guinness Record of World Soccer. Guinness. ISBN 0-85112-954-4.

[1] England Did It. The Scottish Referee, 4 April 1898, scan via London Hearts Supporters Club

[2] Monday, 28 March 1898 | Wales 0 England 3, England Football Online

[3] Saturday, 5 March 1898 | Ireland 2 England 3 , England Football Online

[4] Saturday, 2 April 1898 | Scotland 1 England 3, England Football Online

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

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