England national amateur football team

History

First match and unbeaten run

Its first international match was against Germany on 21 September 1901, a 12–0 win at White Hart Lane, London, with R. E. Foster scoring 6. It was to be another five years before an official England amateur team was founded. The next match was away against France on 1 November 1906 and resulted in a 15–0 win for England, with Stanley Harris netting seven goals and Vivian Woodward four. The team played many internationals against the full representative sides of Europe, which were usually a mixture of amateur and professional players. The strength of the English amateur team meant they were still able to beat many of these sides and in fact they were unbeaten in 20 matches from 1906 to 1910. As such, the England amateur side delivered the biggest defeats on several European nations; the Netherlands (12–2) in 1907, Germany (9–0) and Belgium (11–2) in 1909, and Sweden (12–2) and Hungary (7–0) in 1912 (as Great Britain).

England amateurs and Great Britain Olympics team

There is a difference of opinion as to whether the England amateur team was effectively the Great Britain Olympic football team at the 1908 and 1912 Olympic football tournaments. The FA's website considers the gold medals in these tournaments a win for the England amateur side rather than a British team, whilst in Bryon Butler's book it is shown that the winners' certificate names England. Conversely, Mark Chapman's England's Amateurs site states that the 1908 and 1912 teams were Great Britain and points to the fact that photographic evidence shows the team playing with the Union flag on their shirts. It can be stated that both arguments are true, as it was the case for the 1956 Olympic tournament where the team played as Great Britain but the team was organised by the FA and consisted solely of amateur Englishmen as the other home nations withdrew their support.

Demise and successors

The England amateur team was disbanded in 1974 when the Football Association abolished the distinction between amateurs and professionals, simply calling them "players". A semi-professional representative team, made up of players from the National League System, now plays in its place.

Top goalscorers

The list below only includes those matches prior to World War I (1906–1914).

Willie Jordan scored 6 goals, while the likes of Arthur Bell, Syd Owen and Frederick Chapman settled at five.

Results

Main article: England national amateur football team results (1906–1939)

Notes

References

References

1. (2017). "UK Amateur International Football: The Complete Record 1901-1974". Lulu Enterprises Incorporated.
2. "England Unofficial Match - Germany - 21 September 1901 - Match Summary and Report".
3. Mark Chapman. (15 April 2009). "The First England Amateur International Match". England's Amateurs.
4. "FORGOTTEN GLORIES – British Amateur Internationals 1901–1974".
5. Karel Stokkermans. (30 March 2004). "England's and its Amateurs' series of 18 matches unbeaten each". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.
6. "All matches of The National Team in 1909". [[German Football Association.
7. "Belgium – List of International Matches". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.
8. In some years, notably 1908, 1912 and 1956, the Great Britain Olympic team was the England national amateur football team playing in the colours of the United Kingdom. Sources differ as to whether this team should be considered a GB team or an England national team.
9. "Archived copy".
10. Butler, Bryon. (1991). "The Official History of The Football Association". Queen Anne Press.
11. Mark Chapman. (25 March 2009). "Disputed status of international matches at amateur level". England's Amateurs.
12. Mark Chapman. "About The Project". England's Amateurs.
13. "England Matches - The Amateurs 1906-1939".