1874 - The Third International

In 1874 and after the Scottish loss of the previous year in London the international returned to Glasgow and Hamilton Crescent. On a fine day 8000 came to watch, twice as many as two years earlier, and they saw six main things, five of them originals. The first was a team that included a player from a working-class team, John Ferguson of Vale of Leven, albeit as a late replacement. The second was England going ahead in the 22nd minute, a cross chested in. The third was a partial, Scottish recovery with a goal just before half-way. The fourth was that it was the first Scottish home goal and also the World's first ever from a free-kick; the scorer Frederick Anderson, the Clydesdale, left-side, outer forward, who would go on to be a pioneer of both football and rugby in China. The fifth was that Scotland was to go on to complete a first ever victory with a second score just after the interval, this time from open play. And finally there was in Press-reports the first ever mention of the passing-game and again from the Scots.

"Although the game was won by Scotland it must be admitted that the English team played splendidly and, in an individual point of view, surpassed the Scotch team, but the latter, who all knew each other's play, acted magnificently together, and completely puzzled their opponents in the art of passing the ball and close dribbling."


"What the Scotch lacked in weight was amply made up in swiftness and playing-together power - a course which was splendidly illustrated during the game, and there can only be one opinion about the manner in which they profited by each other's play, passing the ball, in several instances, in a way that completely astonished their opponents." 

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