British Championship matches (World Championship)

[HibeeJibee]

Famously in late Victorian times matches for the "World Championship" were arranged between English and Scottish champions. In later decades friendlies... often home-n-away... were sometimes arranged between the Football League and Scottish League winners, or the FA Cup and Scottish Cup winners. While unofficial these "British Championship" games were often high profile matches.

There was also an Empire Exhibition Trophy in 1938, and a Coronation Cup in 1953, both contested in Glasgow by 4x Scottish with 4x English clubs but they were invited and not necessarily reigning champions.

Can anyone add to this list of British or World deciders?



Championship of United Kingdom    1883     (Cups)     DUMBARTON
Sat 1 Sep 1883     Dumbarton 6-1 Blackburn Olympic

Great International     1887     (Cups)     ASTON VILLA
Sat 9 Apr 1887     Aston Villa 3-0 Hibernian

World Championship     1888     (Cups)     RENTON
Sat 19 May 1888     Renton 4-1 West Bromwich Albion     at Cathkin Park, Glasgow

World Championship     1895     (Leagues)     SUNDERLAND
Sat 27 Apr 1895     Heart of Midlothian 2-5 Sunderland

World Championship     1901     (Cups)     HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN
Mon 2 Sep 1901     Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 Heart of Midlothian
Thu 2 Jan 1902     Heart of Midlothian 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur     (3-1 aggregate)

British League Cup     1902     (Leagues top 2)     CELTIC
Wed 30 Apr 1902     SF     Celtic 5-1 Sunderland
Thu 1 May 1902     SF      Everton 1-1 Rangers
Sat 3 May 1902     SF rep     Rangers 3-2 Everton     at Parkhead, Glasgow
Tue 17 Jun 1902     Final     Celtic 3-2 Rangers (aet)     at Cathkin Park, Glasgow


British Championship     1923     (Leagues)     RANGERS
Mon 21 Apr 1924     Liverpool 0-2 Rangers

British Championship     1933     (Leagues)     RANGERS
Wed 20 Sep 1933     Rangers 2-0 Arsenal
Wed 27 Sep 1933     Arsenal 1-3 Rangers     (1-5 aggregate)


British Championship     1953     (Leagues)     ARSENAL
Tue 8 Dec 1953     Rangers 1-2 Arsenal

Championship of Britain     1955     (Leagues)     ABERDEEN
Mon 26 Sep 1955     Aberdeen 4-3 Chelsea

Cup Winners Challenge     1959     (Cups)     ST MIRREN
Wed 23 Sep 1959     Nottingham Forest 2-3 St Mirren
Wed 30 Sep 1959     St Mirren 2-2 Nottingham Forest     (4-3 aggregate)

British Championship     1963     (Leagues)     EVERTON
Wed 27 Nov 1963     Rangers 1-3 Everton
Mon 2 Dec 1963     Everton 1-1 Rangers

Super Cup     1986     (Leagues)     LIVERPOOL
Tue 9 Dec 1986     Celtic 1-1 Liverpool (2-4p)     (in Dubai)

Champions Cup     1987     (Leagues)     RANGERS
Tue 8 Dec 1987     Rangers 1-1 Everton (8-7p)     (in Dubai)

Anglo-Scottish Challenge     1987     (Cups)     >ABANDONED<
Tue 22 Dec 1987     Coventry City 1-1 St Mirren
Tue 22 Mar 1988     St Mirren v Coventry City     (unplayed)

Champions Cup     1988     (Leagues)     CELTIC
Thu 6 Apr 1989     Celtic 1-1 Liverpool (4-2p)     (in Dubai)

British Champions Cup     1989     (Leagues)     ARSENAL
Tue 19 Dec 1989     Rangers 1-2 Arsenal

Edited January 1, 2021 by HibeeJibee

[Jimi Shandrix]

1980/81

Chesterfield 3 Rangers 0

[sfha]

Championship of United Kingdom  1883 (Cups) Dumbarton 

1 Sep 1883 Dumbarton v Blackburn Olympic 6-1

[sfha]

More can probably be dug out here

http://www.rsssf.com/tablesa/angloscot-club.html

[HibeeJibee]

I've added the British Super Cup/Champions Cup games from 1986 to 1989 although first 3 were played in Dubai.

They were an attempt to give the English champions a 'competitive' international fixtures during the Heysel ban, after the Screensports Supercup only lasted 1 season.

There was no game in 1990 (would've been Liverpool v Rangers).

Highlights of the last game - at Ibrox in 1989 - are on Youtube:
 

 

[HibeeJibee]

I've found briefer highlights of Celtic v Liverpool in 1986 and 1989, as well as Rangers v Everton in 1988.
 

 

 

You can also find full 1989 game and even shorter version of 1987 and 1989 highlights via simple search.

Can't find Coventry v St Mirren footage.

[HibeeJibee]

In relation with their friendly last Saturday it transpires Charlton and Aberdeen met in a 1947 British Cup-Holders Challenge...

... it was not played until 26th September 1949 and ended drawn 3-3!

[bluedragon]

On 02/08/2023 at 22:56, HibeeJibee said:

In relation with their friendly last Saturday it transpires Charlton and Aberdeen met in a 1947 British Cup-Holders Challenge...

... it was not played until 26th September 1949 and ended drawn 3-3!

Here is another similar match.  Portsmouth and Clyde won the FA and Scottish Cups respectively in the 1938-39 season.  A friendly between the two cup holders had been planned for the following season but the outbreak of War meant it was 16 October 1946 before the clubs met at Portsmouth with the home side winning 3-1.  The reciprocal match in Glasgow could not be arranged until 5 October 1949 when Portsmouth won again, this time it was 3-0.

[sfha]

1980-81 European Cup, 2nd rd, 2 legs
Played on 22 Oct and 5 Nov 1980
Aberdeen v Liverpool 0-1, 0-4 (agg 0-5)

[Hampden Diehard]

You could argue (and I will) that the FA Cup finals of 1884 and 1885 between Blackburn Rovers and Queen's Park were the nearest things to competitive world championship tussles. We'll gloss over the results though.