United Kingdom national football team (UKatWC)

The United Kingdom national football team represents the United Kingdom and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man for football matches as part of FIFA organized events and is controlled by the United Kingdom Football Association (UKFA). The UKFA is composed of representatives from the Football Association, the Scottish Football Association, the Football Association of Wales and the Irish Football Association.

Although the Home Nations are the oldest international football teams in the World, the United Kingdom football team was not formed until 1947, prior to the 1950 FIFA World Cup. All four Home Nations had previously been members of FIFA, but had withdrawn due to disagreements over the status of amateur players. However before their return FIFA ruled that the United Kingdom could enter only one team into the competition. The associations of England, Northern Ireland and Wales agreed to the terms after some negotiation with Jules Rimet and the FIFA board, on the condition of their continued status on the International Football Association Board, and the continuation of the separate league structures and Home Championship tournaments. A separate association, the UKFA, was formed to manage the United Kingdom football team. The Scottish Football Association initially declined to participate, but eventually joined the UKFA in 1953 in time to be represented at the [1954 FIFA World Cup (UKFA TL)| 1954 World Cup in Switzerland].

The United Kingdom's home ground is the Commonwealth Stadium, Liverpool, Merseyside, which was built in 1965 as a dedicated ground for the UK team, and to host the 1966 World Cup Final. With a capacity of 100,000 it is one of the largest sports stadiums in Europe.

Early History
Association Football originated in the United Kingdom. On 5 March 1870 the Football Association held a representative match between England and Scotland, followed by a further four matches. A return fixture was organised by representatives of Scottish football teams on 30 November 1872. This match, played at Hamilton Crescent in Partick, Scotland, is viewed as the first official international football match, because the two teams were independently selected and operated, rather than being the work of a single football association. On 25 March 1876 Wales played Scotland in Glasgow, and in 1879 played England at the Kennington Oval, London. On 18 February 1882, fifteen months after the founding of the Irish FA, Ireland made their international debut against England. Over the next thirty years, the Home Nations — Scotland, Wales and Ireland — played each other exclusively in the British Home Championship. The Home Nations did not enter the three FIFA World Cups held during the 1930s, because they had been excluded from FIFA due to a disagreement regarding the status of amateur players. The four associations returned to the FIFA fold after the Second World War, but FIFA ruled that as the United Kingdom was one nation, they would only be allowed to enter one team. This came about largely because of the dispute involving the North American Soccer Football League and the American Soccer League, which resulted in two competing USA teams being entered for the same World Cup in 1950. Meanwhile FIFA also ruled that the Football Association of Ireland, (FAI) and the Irish Football Association could no longer field 'All-Ireland' teams, as on previous occasions some players had played for both teams. All four British football associations protested FIFA's decision to merge the UK teams. The SFA suggested that England, as winners of the British Home Championship, should represent the United Kingdom, and future representatives would be decided by the Home Championships. However the FA, IFA and FAW eventually agreed to the ruling, on several conditions. Firstly the Home Nations were to retain their status in the International Football Association Board, further that FIFA would not interfere with their domestic league system, and the continuation of the British Home Championships. At this time there was a widespread belief in the United Kingdom that British teams were far superior to all others, as they had invented the sport and had the best established football league at the time. It was felt that it would be unsporting to field a single British team, as nobody else would have any chance of beating them. FA Chairman Amos Brook Hirst declared "after the first 10 or 11 goals of the first half of the first British match, the presiding members of FIFA will realise the extent of their mistake and by the next competition the Home Nations shall regain their rightful place as individual competitors". To prove his point, he immediately arranged a friendly match to be played between 'Great Britain' (although the team included players from Ireland) and the Rest of Europe, which the British team won 5-1 at Wembley Stadium, London. The SFA were opposed to Scottish players playing for the UK side, and threatened to ban Billy Liddell, Archie MacAulay and Billy Steel from playing for Scotland if they participated in any further games. The players promptly withdrew, although they returned in time for the 1954 World Cup.

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