Events

                      Foot-Ball & Football
The Football-Club formed to play to essentially non-handling rules and as a summer sport over its existence to 1841. 

First competitive non-handling, football match played between Sheffield and Hallam F.C.s.

The formation of the Football Association, which was basically clubs from southern England trying to do what had already been done in Sheffield six years earlier, create a set of agreed rules for what was then an already organising regionally but purely attack-based sport. Except that they did not manage it. Instead a majority and a minority emerged. The former decided to do the obvious for the dextrous human, use the hands, which requires some skill but inevitably relies on bulk and is therefore exclusive. The latter decided to pursue the less natural, use only the feet, which too requires skill but is not size-dependent and is thus inclusive.   

Formation of United Mechanics, the World's first working-class club certainly of non-handling game and probably all football.

First Scot, Robert Smith, known to have been playing in English or Welsh football.
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                     Association Football
The Royal Engineers' team reported as using the tactic of "backing-up", i.e. "combination" football.

Again the Royal Engineers' team reported as now using "passing".

Queen's Park take part in the FA Cup for the first time thus both joining the FA and accepting its rules with the reality that the semi-final of March 1872 was its first competitive match.
Seventeen football clubs but one playing the Association game in Scotland.

in the autumn, probably October, Queen's Park travel to the Vale of Leven put on an Association football demonstration game for the shinty, cricket and fitba' playing locals. 
The introduction to the game by Scotland, essentially the Queen's Park club, and specifically its captain, Robert Gardner, on the occasion on 30th November of the first official international, of organised defence producing the 2:2:6 formation.
Total of more than twenty-five senior Association clubs in existence in Scotland.  
The formation in 1872 into 1873 in the Vale of Leven of 10 Association football teams, three of which would become major working-class ones (in italics); north to south, Jamestown, in Alexandria Vale of Leven itself, Vale of Leven Rovers and Star of Leven, in Renton Renton itself and Renton Star and in Dumbarton Dumbarton itself and Alcutha-Dunbritton with also Kilmaronock Thistle and Lennox.

The foundation of the Scottish Football Association.
The creation of the Scottish Cup competition.
A Sheffield club, Sheffield F.C., takes part in the FA Cup for the first time thus accepting the FA rules.
John Carson, formerly of Queen's Park take football to Birmingham, there forming Calthorpe F.C..
Total of more than fifty senior Association clubs in existence in Scotland.  

Scotland defeat England for the first time, the start, with one exception, of a thirteen year, undefeated international run.
Almost one hundred and fifty Association clubs in existence in Scotland. 

The first competition, the Scottish Cup, to have a working class team, Renton, in its final. It lost to Queen's Park by 3:0, at least two of the goals scored in the last fifteen minutes in a game played at Queen's Park's own ground.
The number of Association senior clubs formed in Scotland passes two hundred and fifty. 

Queen's Park is defeated for the first time by a Scottish club, Vale of Leven.
Robert Walker is thought, by turning out for Third Lanark to the Scottish Cup Final, lost only on a replay and the first in Scotland to be played on a neutral ground, to be the first Black player globally to feature in any senior team.
Wales, with a Scot in its eleven, plays it first international match. It is against Scotland away. England does not play Wales until 1879.
A viable Aston Villa created by three Scots, the Lindsay brothers from Golspie and George Ramsay, who would go on to play for the club for six years and manage it for forty more.
First Scots, Andrew(s) and Laing, thought to be playing in English and Welsh football for money.

The consolidation of the emergence of a distinctive "Scottish Combination Game" as Vale of Leven become, in winning the Scottish Cup, the first working-class both to win and retain, twice, a senior trophy. And to do it in part probably by being fitter than their opponents, in this case by nature of the team members' day-jobs.
The first inclusion of a Scot, John Bain, born in Bothwell, in the England team. 
Sheffield Rules are effectively replaced in the Yorkshire city by FA rules

Reinforcing the superiority of the Scottish game over the English Vale of Leven, Scottish Cup holders, travel South to meet The Wanderers, the FA Cup winners and defeat them 3-1 away.
The Shanghai Engineers' Football club, affiliating to the SFA, founded with Beattock-born, Greenock- educated John Prentice as its first President.
The now recognised first association game in Australia was when the town of Germanton, now renamed, challenged the nearby Yarra Yarra homestead of James McLaurin of Dunnoon. Yarra Yarra won by a single goal and in its team were four of McLaurin's sons and a nephew.
In April at the instigation of James Strang, born by Carmunnock the south Manchester team, Birch F.C. returned to the association game from rugby. In that they pioneer the implantation of the game in the city, with United as Newton Heath not formed until November that year and City, as Ardwick, in 1880.   
The number of senior clubs formed in Scotland reaches almost six hundred. 

The rebuilding of the Queen's Park team in part by the obvious recruitment (transfer/tapping) from other clubs of a number of new players, amongst them Andrew Watson, who would in 1881 go on to play for and captain Scotland, although as a child of the Empire he would normally have been expected to play for England.
More than five Scots playing in English/Welsh football.

Sunderland A.F.C. founded by Scot, James Allan.
More than ten Scots playing in English/Welsh football.

The Irish Football Association formed in Belfast. It followed an exhibition game played there two years earlier by the Glasgow clubs Queen's Park and Caledonians and said to have been arranged after the honeymoon to Edinburgh of John McAlery, who would be come the first Secretary of the IFA. 
Foundation of Western Football Association i.e. of eastern Ontario in Canada with David Forsyth, born somewhere between Perthshire and Canada, as its first Secretary, i.e. organiser. 

Scotland, captained by Andrew Watson, the World's first international player, defeat England in London 1-6 and then go on two days later at Wrexham to beat Wales 1-5.
More than twenty Scots playing in English/Welsh football.

The exclusion of Andrew Watson from the Scotland team due to a change of regulation from residence to birth but possibly on racial grounds, a change that also caught by-chance, Canadian-born Eadie Fraser and may have led to his premature death.
Wales use 2-3-5 for the first time in international football.

Foundation of Clark ONT, the company team of the second iteration of the cotton thread mill built by the Clark company of Paisley. Campbell Clark was elected its first President, William Clark Jnr. Vice-President.

England use 2-3-5 in international football for the fist time. It is against Scotland with Scotsman, Stuart MacRae, the "Saxons" first ever centre-half.
The number of senior clubs formed in Scotland passes the thousand mark.
The English FA Cup Final is played between Blackburn Rovers and Glasgow's Queen's Park. Blackburn would win 2:1 but with four Scots in its side. It meant that on the day there were fifteen Scots on the field.

More than seventy Scots now playing in English/Welsh football up from twenty-seven the previous season.

William Leslie Poole, seen as the Father of Uruguayan Football, the son of an Edinburgh-born doctor in a long line of Aberdeenshire medics arrives to teach at the English High School and there introduces the game. 
Foundation of Millwall as Millwall Rovers based around the Morton canning factory with the Honorary Secretary, William Henderson from Edinburgh, and  first Chairman , William Murray Leslie, from by Munlochy on the Black Isle.

Arsenal is founded by the Fifer, David Danskin.
The first ever international between non-British teams was played between the USA and Canada. Both David Forsyth and Harry Pirie were in the latter eleven. The USA win 1-0.

Ireland push through the abolition of birth outwith the UK but in the Empire meaning international qualification only for England but too late to affect Stuart MacRae, England's first centre-half and clan-chietain of the Macraes of Conchra. It did not change the Home Nation birth-qualification. It would change only in 1971.
The full implementation by Renton F.C., by means of James Kelly playing what would, in something of a misnomer, become know as the "Scottish Centre-Half", of the mid-field.
Born of Scots parents and raised and learning the game in Kilmarnock, John Goodall leads England's line for the first of fourteen caps. The following year he would be joined on the roster by David Weir, raised in Coatbridge and Maybole.
More than a hundred Scots playing in English/Welsh football.
The "World Championship" took place in Glasgow between Renton, the winner of the Scottish Cup, and West Bromwich winner of the FA Cup. The former won 4-1.

Rosario Central and Recreativo de Huelva, the oldest club still playing in Spain, founded by Scots, Colin Bain Calder and William Alexander Mackay/Charles Adams.
Preston North End win the FA Cup with seven Scots in its eleven, having also reached the final the previous year and lost with only six, and it also completed The Double in the first season of League.   

More than one hundred and fifty Scots playing in English/Welsh football.

The first Argentine Championship was played with Scot, Alex Lamont, as Secretary, i.e. organiser, and won in defeating Old Caledonians by St. Andrews.  
Introduction of the penalty-kick following an incident in involving Jimmy Adam of Hearts in the Scottish Cup followed by a similar incident in England. But it was not from the penalty spot or in the penalty-area. Neither existed but an 18 yard line was introduced. 

Liverpool founded and represented by "The Team of the Macs".
Lace-makers from Newmilns and Darvel in Ayrshire take football to Sweden.
More than two hundred Scots playing in English/Welsh football.

The second Argentine Championship was played with Scot, Alex Lamont, again as Secretary, was won by Lomas, managed by son of Scots, Arnot Leslie, with new President, regarded in Argentina as the Father of its football, a third Scot, Alex Watson Hutton.  

Charles Miller with Scottish father from Largs returned and Tommy Donohoe from Busby arrived in Brazil to introduce the game there, the former in Sao Paulo, the latter to Bangu by Rio de Janeiro. Glaswegian Tom Scott also does the same in Campinas and Jundiai in the interior of Sao Paulo State.

The foundation of the Chilean Football Association by four Scots, Peter Eweing, David Scott, Andrew Gemmell and Robert Reid and the first probable translation and by Gemmell of the FA rules into Spanish. 

The foundation of Sporting Club Aguileno, funded and coached by John Gray, born Kelso, raised in Edinburgh. It won twenty-six of twenty-six games with no goals conceded.
More than two hundred and fifty Scots playing in English/Welsh football.

Number of Scots recorded as playing in English and Welsh football peaks at 270.

The employment of the World's first player/coach/manager in Ayr's John Cameron at Spurs and including the winning of the FA Cup in 1901, the only club to do so from outwith the Football League.

In the Costa Rican capital the first games were played between "native" and "foreigner" elevens with at least three Scots in the latter and the referee, the Canadian-Scot, Harry Pirie. 

The Escoces F.C. team forms and folds in the Catalan capital but is the driver of both the game and refereeing in the city.

Penalty-spot introduced within a now defined penalty-area.
James Luke from Lochee by Dundee becomes Principal of the Hope Waddell Training Institution and introduces football to the curriculum and thus to country. 
Argentina plays its first official international. It is against Uruguay. In the team there are at least five sons or grand-sons, the Brown brothers, of Scots including captain, John Anderson.
The two-leg "World Championship" was played between the English FA Cup winner, Tottenham Hotspur, and Hearts, the Scottish Cup winner. It was won by the latter, 3-1 on aggregate. In the first game thhere were sixteen Scots on the pitch in the second seventeen  

Orizaba, said to be a team of ten Scots, including Dundee's Duncan McComish, win the first Mexican Championship. 
Bradford City founded at the instigation of newspaperman, James Whyte, born in Cambusnethan-Wishaw, raised in Airdrie. 

Birth of Jimmy McGrory, who even today holds not just the Scottish but the British record as all-time goal-scorer, 550 goals in 547 competitive, first-team games at club and international level.

The Englishman, Daniel Woolfall, becomes President of FIFA and sets about unifying the game's rulles world-wide. 
Jake Madden, ex. of Dumbarton, Celtic and Scotland takes a coaching position in Czechia with Slavia Prague thus becoming the first full-time, professional  coach abroad.  He remains for the rest of his life.
Chelsea founded to make use of an under-used Stamford and by importing Scottish international, John Tait Robertson, as captain and player-trainer, twenty-eight players, sixteen of them Scots.

Alfred Mitchell Innes becomes one of otherwise Egyptian founders and, it is said, of the Al-Ahly, Cairo's National Sporting Club.

John Urquhart, a flax merchant from Forfar serves as the first coach of the Meteor cum Kalev club in the country's capital.
John Harley, born in Cathcart Glasgow wins his first of twenty-two caps for Uruguay. He would also captain his adopted country.

Scotland joins FIFA, five years after England.
John Pattullo from Glasgow and a coal merchant to trade plays one season for Barcelona, scoring forty-one goals in just twenty-three games.  
John Hamilton, born in Glasgow, and brother of three Scottish internationals, wins three caps himself and for Chile. 

Jock Simpson, raised in Falkirk, of Scottish parents and who would return to live out the rest of his life, plays the first of his eight caps for England.

Arthur McPherson of an Scottish-Russian family originally from Perth becomes the first President of the Russian Football Federation.
Alex Steel from Newmilns joins Barcelona for a season and a bit and scores fifty-six goals in forty-three games.

The Aguilas ground, El Rubial, to be bought in 1915 by John Gray (See 1897), is first used, making it the oldest ground in Spain still in continuous use. 

George Davidson of Angus and Genoa effectively brings professional football to Italy.

Scotland leaves FIFA with the other Home countries over disagreement on membership, post-War, essentially of German and Austria.
James McMurray from Wigtownshire founds and becomes the first President of the Persian, now Iranian, Football Association.

Johnny Moscardini, born in Falkirk of the chip-shop family, plays for Italy for the first time of nine times.

The creation of the World's first nursery club under the instigation of Inverness's Peter McWilliam.

Scotland with the other Home nations rejoins FIFA

The SFA propose the changing of the off-side rule (to what it had been in Scotland to 1872)

England, effectively with ten and then nine men and using a centre-back for the first time defeat Scotland at Hampden, 1-2, in front of 111,000. Dixie Dean scores a brace.

Scotland leaves FIFA with the other Home nations once more, this time over an English objection to payment to amateurs. 
The resolution  by the then new SFA President, Bob Campbell, with FIFA of the "US Soccer Wars", a solution which laid the ground for future contractual transfer of registrations and therefore players between countries and their football associations.
Scotland defeat England away 1-5 in the Wembley Wizards match. Scotland employ a centre-back for the first time.

Scotland finally, on a three match, summer tour, again at the instigation of SFA President , Bob Campbell, play their first, official international outwith Britain and Ireland.

Jim Brown from the Broons o' Troon family becomes the first Scot to score a World Cup goal. It was in the first staging of the competition. He was one of five Scots to reach the semi-final as part of the USA team, itself managed by another Scot Bob Millar, from Paisley.  

The resolution, once more by SFA President, Bob Campbell, of the claim by clubs in England to have a call on players contacted to them from outwith that country above that of international call-up. Had it been allowed to pass it might well have meant the end of competitive, international football.  

Scotland finally plays an international at home that is not against a home nation. Austria, managed by Meisl, coached by Hogan, is the opposition. The result is 2:2 with Austrian twice coming from behind. 62,000 watch on.
The first and only cap for Matt Busby.

Jimmy Simpson takes Scotland's notional No. 5 shirt for the first time, although teams did not yet actually number. He took over, after a ten game hiatus, partially filled by Queen's Park and therefore amateur Robert Gillespie, from David Meiklejohn, who Simpson  had also replaced at Rangers. It marked the efffectively abandonment after fifty years and for a defensive centre-back of the system based around the Scottish, attacking centre-half.  

The first cap for Bill Shankly.
Senior debut of Sergio Livingstone "El Sapo", Chile's first great goalkeeper and grandson of a Scot. 
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