England national amateur football team

England Amateurs
Association The Football Association
FIFA code ENG
First colours
Second colours
First international
 France 0–15 England Amateurs England
(Parc des Princes, Paris;1 November 1906)
Biggest win
 France 0–15 England Amateurs England
(Parc des Princes, Paris;1 November 1906)
Biggest defeat
 Denmark 3–0 England Amateurs England
(Copenhagen, Denmark; 5 June 1914)
 Belgium 3–0 England Amateurs England
(Brussels, Belgium; 5 May 1923)

The England national amateur football team was the amateur representative team for England at football. It was formed in 1906,[1] due to the growth of the professional game which meant that amateur players could no longer easily find places in the main England national team.

First match and unbeaten run

Their first international match was 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.[2] 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.[3] Whilst these England amateur matches are not considered full senior internationals by The Football Association, they are deemed to be by their opponents.[3] As such, the England amateur side delivered both Germany's and Belgium's biggest defeat in 1909, beating them 9-0[4] and 11-2[5] respectively.

England amateurs and Great Britain Olympics team

Olympic medal record
Men's Football
1908 London Team
1912 Stockholm[6] 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,[7] whilst in Bryon Butler's book it is shown that the winners' certificate names England.[8] 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.[9] It was the case that for the 1956 Olympic tournament the team played as Great Britain but the team was organised by the FA and consisted solely of Englishmen as the other home nations withdrew their support.[9]

Demise and successors

The England amateur team was disbanded in 1974[1] 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.

References

  1. 1 2 Mark Chapman. "About The Project". A complete record of the England amateur international football team 1906-1974. England's Amateurs. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  2. ↑ Mark Chapman (15 April 2009). "The First England Amateur International Match". A complete record of the England amateur international football team 1906-1974. England's Amateurs. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  3. 1 2 Karel Stokkermans (30 March 2004). "England's and its Amateurs' series of 18 matches unbeaten each". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  4. ↑ "All matches of The National Team in 1909". DFB. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  5. ↑ "Belgium - List of International Matches". rsssf.com. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 December 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  8. ↑ Butler, Bryon (1991). The Official History of The Football Association. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 54. ISBN 0-356-19145-1.
  9. 1 2 Mark Chapman (25 March 2009). "Disputed status of international matches at amateur level". A complete record of the England amateur international football team 1906-1974. England's Amateurs. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
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