1914 British Home Championship

Back(l-r): Val Harris, Fred McKee, Davy Rollo, Patrick O'Connoll
Front(l-r): EH Seymour, Sam Young, Billy Gillespie, Alex Craig, Bill Lacey, Louis Bookman, Bill McConnell] The 1914 British Home Championship was the last British Home Championship played before the First World War. The competition was played between January and April 1914 and won by Ireland with a team that included Patrick O’Connell, Billy Gillespie, Val Harris, Louis Bookman, Samuel Young and Bill Lacey.

1914 was the first time Ireland won the competition outright. The Irish had been the tournaments poorest performers over the years, but the previous year had demonstrated potential in beating England for the first time in a 2-1 win at Windsor Park. Ireland began the 1914 tournament beating Wales 2-1 a in Wrexham on January 19 and then demolished England in England for the first time, winning 3-0 at Ayresome Park in Middlesbrough. Ireland clinched the title on March 16 following a 1-1 draw with Scotland at Windsor Park while England's away victory over Wales did not salvage their poor campaign as Scotland would eventually finish as runners up, beating England 3-1 at Hampden Park. It would be six years before the trophy was again contested, and it would be with substantially different teams and in a different, increasingly global era of footall.

Table

The points system worked as follows:
* 2 points for a win
* 1 point for a draw

Results

footballbox
date = January 19, 1914
team1 = fb-rt|WAL
score = 1–2
team2 = fb|IRE
goals1 = Evan Jones
goals2 = Samuel Young, Billy Gillespie
stadium = Racecourse Ground, Wrexham----footballbox
date = February 14, 1914
team1 = fb-rt|ENG
score = 0–3
team2 = fb|IRE
goals1 =
goals2 = Bill Lacey 2, Billy Gillespie
stadium = Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough----footballbox
date = February 28, 1914
team1 = fb-rt|SCO
score = 0–0
team2 = fb|WAL
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Celtic Park, Glasgow----footballbox
date = March 14, 1914
team1 = fb-rt|IRE
score = 1–1
team2 = fb|SCO
goals1 = Samuel Young
goals2 = Joseph Donnachie
stadium = Windsor Park, Belfast----footballbox
date = March 16, 1914
team1 = fb-rt|WAL
score = 0–2
team2 = fb|ENG
goals1 =
goals2 = Joe Smith, William Wedlock
stadium = Ninian Park, Cardiff----footballbox
date = April 4, 1914
team1 = fb-rt|SCO
score = 3–1
team2 = fb|ENG
goals1 = Charlie Thomson, William Reid, Jimmy McMenemy
goals2 = Harold Fleming
stadium = Hampden Park, Glasgow

References

* [http://www.rsssf.com/tablesb/bhc1900-14.html#1914 British Home Championship 1914 at Rsssf]
*cite book
author= Guy Oliver| title=The Guinness Record of World Soccer
date=1992
publisher=Guinness
id=ISBN 0-851129-54-4