Scotland has a rich football history and culture. The nation of the highlands has a proud football followership that dates centuries. The Scots were some of the earliest people to have played the beautiful game. They are so many things to learn about the game in Scotland, but we will list a few interesting facts about football in Scotland.
1. Origins
It’s unclear when the inhabitants of what would later come to be known as Scotland started playing football, but it was thought to have been introduced from France and England. It is almost certain that in the 1400s the game was already being played, because in 1424 King James 1 outlawed the playing of the game, because he felt it interfered or distracted military personnel from their duties.
2. First Football Club
The first football club established in Scotland was Queens Park FC, founded in 1867. It is regarded as the oldest football club in the world outside of England.
3. Scottish Football League
The league was set up in 1890. The first league winners were Dumbarton FC and Glasgow Rangers FC, who were declared joint champions. Some of the best foreign players have played in Scotland
5. Oldest National Team
Scotland, alongside England, are the oldest recorded football national teams. The first recorded international friendly match was between Scotland and England on 30th November 1872. The game ended goalless.
6. Most Capped Player
The player with the highest number of appearances for the Scottish national team is Kenny Dalglish. The former Celtic and Liverpool player made 102 appearances between 1971-1986.
7. Highest Goal Scorers
Denis Law and Kenny Dalglish share the record for the greatest number of goals for Scotland with 30 goals apiece. Law, however, achieved this feat in fewer games (55).
8. Number of Matches
Till date, Scotland has so far played over 795 games.
9. Most Matches played against the same opponent
Scotland has faced the English national team the most times of any other team having played the 3 Lions 115 times since their first game in 1872.
10. Biggest Ever Win
The largest margin of victory that the Scottish national team has ever recorded was against the Republic of Ireland. They defeated the Irish national team 11-0 in a match played in Glasgow on the 23rd of February, 1901.
11. Biggest Defeat
The worst defeat that the Tartan Army has suffered was at the hands of Uruguay in 1954. They were beaten 7-0.
12. International Appearances
Scotland has qualified for the FIFA World Cup 8 times in their history. The first appearance was in 1954. The Scots have also qualified for the Euros 3 times. Their first participation was in 1992.
13. Highest Transfer Fee Received in the SPFL
The highest transfer fee received in the Scottish Professional Football League, was the amount paid for Kieran Tierney by Arsenal to Celtic, £25 million, 8 August 2019.
14. The Oldest Football Trophy
The trophy for the the Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup or just Scottish Cup for short is the oldest football trophy. . The trophy was crafted by the silversmith George Edward & Sons in Glasgow with solid silver. The trophy has existed since 1874.
15. The Most Successful Football Club in Europe
In their 146-year history, Rangers FC have won a mind-blowing 115 trophies, including a world record 54 League titles.
16. The First Team to Exit the World Cup Without Defeat
In the 1974 World Cup, the Scottish national team became the first team to be eliminated from the World Cup without losing a match. The Scots defeated Zaïre, and drew with both Brazil and Yugoslavia, but went out because they had beaten Zaïre by the smallest margin.
17. Last Club to win The League Apart From Celtic and Rangers
The last club to win Scotland’s top-flight league title, other than Celtic or Rangers, was Aberdeen in 1985, that is over 36 years ago. That feat occured in the 1984/85 season, when the Aberdeen managed by Alex Ferguson won the Premier Division
