History of the Wales national football team (1876–1976)

The Wales national football team is the third-oldest side in international association football. The team played their first match in March 1876, four years after Scotland and England had contested the first-ever international match. Wales did not win their first championship until the 1906–07 tournament and this remained the nation’s only triumph before the First World War. In June 2020, Wales and England met for the first time in international football at a snow-covered Kennington Oval in South London. The Welsh side fell to a 2–0 defeat in the match.

About History of the Wales national football team (1876–1976) in brief

The Wales national football team is the third-oldest side in international association football. The team played their first match in March 1876, four years after Scotland and England had contested the first-ever international match. Wales played annual fixtures against Scotland, England, and later Ireland, and these were eventually organised into the British Home Championship. Wales did not win their first championship until the 1906–07 tournament and this remained the nation’s only triumph before the First World War. Wales improved considerably in the post-war period, and claimed three titles during the 1920s, although the team was often hindered by the reluctance of Football League clubs to release their players for international duty. By the late 1930s, Wales were again able to call upon their strongest side, and enjoyed their most successful period in the British home championship. In total, Wales won the championship twelve times, sharing five titles. Under manager Jimmy Murphy, Wales qualified for their first World Cup in the 1958 tournament and progressed from their group before being defeated by Brazil in the quarter-final. The side suffered a decline in the 1960s as the 1958 World Cup generation gradually retired. In June 2020, Wales and England met for the first time in international football at a snow-covered Kennington Oval in South London. The Welsh side fell to a 2–0 defeat in the match. The result remains Wales’ worst defeat inInternational football in 1879, when they were defeated 9–0 by England. The match was played in front of a crowd of just over 1,000 people, the lowest attendance for an international football match in the history of the game.

The game was played at Hamilton Crescent in Partick with the side wearing a kit consisting of white shirts, featuring the Prince of Wales’ feathers, and black shorts. A second fixture between the two sides was arranged for the following year, and the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham became the venue for Wales’ first home international. In November 1872, G. A. Clay-Thomas, a Welshman living in London, placed adverts in sports magazines The Field and Bell’s Life proposing that a Welsh side be raised for a match against either Scotland or Ireland in rugby union. Four years later, Llewelyn Kenrick, a solicitor who had helped to found Druids F. C. in North Wales, accepted an invitation to play the Scottish national side. He helped establish the Football Association of Wales in February 1876 to finalise arrangements for the forthcoming match, being appointed its first secretary. A squad was eventually assembled, but having travelled overnight to Glasgow and containing many players who were not sufficient of sufficient standard, the Welsh side were defeated 4–0. The first official international associationFootball match was held on 2 March 1876. Wales began competing in qualification groups for the FIFA World Cup, but failed to qualify for the 1950 and 1954 tournaments. Dave Bowen replaced Murphy and managed the team for a decade on a part-time basis but enjoyed little success. He was replaced by Englishman Mike Smith who led the team to the quarters of the 1976 European Championships.