Timeline of Scottish football


was one of the earliest modern footballing nations, with Glasgow club Queen's Park early pioneers of the game throughout the UK. More clubs formed in Scotland, resulting in the commencement of the first major competition in 1873, the Scottish Cup, then the founding of the Scottish Football League in 1890. With the official sanctioning of professionalism, the Old Firm of Celtic and Rangers became dominant in Scotland, and remain so, although other clubs have enjoyed brief periods of success too.
The first officially recognized international football match took place between Scotland and England in 1872. Over time, Scotland began to play regularly against the other home nations too, and then on a yearly basis with the establishment of the British Home Championship in 1883. Scotland didn't compete against a nation from outside the British Isles until 1929 when they played Norway in Bergen, following which they began to contest regular friendly matches against other European sides. Scotland first competed in a major tournament when they qualified for the 1954 FIFA World Cup. They have qualified for a further seven World Cups since, although have exited at the group stage each time. Scotland have also qualified twice for the UEFA European Championships, in 1992 and 1996, although again failed to progress past the group stage either time.
The Scottish Football Association were prominent in the administration of football since the early days of the game, and in 1882 agreed with the other home-nation associations on a uniform set of rules. They continue to play a role in this, with the SFA currently forming part of the International Football Association Board along with each of the other home-nation associations and four representatives from FIFA.

History

The game started to become popular in Scotland following the development in London in 1863 of the first ever rules of association football, established by The Football Association. Scottish football clubs started to be formed towards the end of the 1860s and 1870s, notably Queen's Park who were early pioneers of the game throughout the UK. The first officially recognised international football match took place in 1872 between Scotland and England at the West of Scotland Cricket Club's ground in Glasgow. The Scottish Football Association was formed in 1873, and the first official competition in Scotland commenced that same year, the Scottish Cup. The game in Scotland progressed further with the founding of the Scottish Football League in 1890, and the official sanctioning of professionalism in 1893.
Queens Park's insistence on remaining amateur saw their early prominence in Scottish football fade, and the Old Firm of Celtic and Rangers became the dominant clubs. Celtic won six successive league titles during the first decade of the 20th century, during which time they also became the first club to win the league and Scottish Cup in the same season. They also won four successive titles the following decade. In the inter-war years, Rangers won 14 of the 20 league titles competed for, and a few years after the end of the Second World War were the first club to win all three major domestic competitions in the same season in Scotland. Both Old Firm clubs have since won nine successive league titles; Celtic from 1966–1974 and Rangers from 1989–1997. Rangers have won the league championship a total of 54 times, more national league titles than any other football club in the world. Other clubs have enjoyed brief periods of success: Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian during the late 1940s and 1950s and Aberdeen, and to a lesser extent Dundee United, in the early 1980s.
Following the first international in 1872 between Scotland and England, over the next 50 years the national side played exclusively against the other three Home Nations – England, Wales and Ireland. The British Home Championship was established in 1883, making these games competitive. Scotland won the first ever championship, and won outright on ten occasions up to the First World War and shared the title on a further 6 times with at least one other team. Scotland played their first match outside the British Isles in 1929, beating Norway 7–3 in Bergen. Scotland then contested regular friendly matches against European opposition and enjoyed wins against Germany and France before losing to the Austrian "Wunderteam" and Italy in 1931.
Scotland took part in their first major international tournament when they qualified for the 1954 FIFA World Cup in Switzerland, and then again in 1958 for the World Cup in Sweden, failing to progress from the first round in both tournaments. After a barren spell in the 1960s, Scotland qualified for the 1974 FIFA World Cup in West Germany, where the team was unbeaten but failed to progress due to inferior goal difference. The national side also qualified for the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina, amidst unprecedented publicity and optimism. They failed to win either of their first two games, and a win over the Netherlands wasn't enough to prevent another first round exit. The national side qualified for the next three World Cups in 1982, 1986 and 1990, but also exited at the first round in each. Scotland qualified for the finals of UEFA European Championship for the first time in 1992, and repeated the feat for the 1996 Euros in England. A further major tournament was reached when they took part in the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. Scotland have not qualified for a major tournament since then.
The Scottish Football Association were prominent in the administration of football since the early days of the game. In 1882 they met up with other home-nation associations and agreed on a uniform set of rules for football. The home-nation associations went on to form the International Football Association Board to approve any changes to the rules. It was a proposal by the SFA that led to the offside rule being changed in 1925, where a player would now be onside if a minimum of two opposing players are between him and the goal line. IFAB continues to meet twice a year, once to decide on possible changes to the rules governing football and once to deliberate on its internal affairs. The organisation is now made up of representatives from the SFA, the other three home-nation associations, and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Each home-nation association has one vote and FIFA has four. IFAB deliberations must be approved by three-quarters of the vote, which translates to at least six votes. Thus, FIFA's approval is necessary for any IFAB decision, but FIFA alone cannot change the Laws of the Game — they need to be agreed by at least two of the home-nation members. As of 2016, all members must be present for a binding vote to proceed.

Pre-1860

1824

1867

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1890

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1931

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