1943–44 in Scottish football

The 1943-44 season was the fifth season of special wartime football in Scotland during World War II.

Overview

Between 1939 and 1946 normal competitive football was suspended in Scotland. Many footballers signed up to fight in the war and as a result many teams were depleted, and fielded guest players instead. The Scottish Football League and Scottish Cup were suspended and in their place regional league competitions were set up. Appearances in these tournaments do not count in players' official records.

Honours

League competition was split into two regional leagues, the Southern League and the North-Eastern League. [cite web|url=http://www.rsssf.com/tabless/scotchamp.html#war|title=Wartime league champions|publisher=RSSSF|accessdate=2008-10-02] No country-wide cup competition took place, the Glasgow Cup continuedcite web|url=http://www.rsssf.com/tabless/scot-glasgowcuphist.html|title=Glasgow Cup finals|publisher=RSSSF|accessdate=2008-10-02] and Southerncite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/br1anmccoll/southernlc|title=Southern Football League Cup|publisher=Scottish Football History|accessdate=2008-10-02] and North-Easterncite web|url=http://geocities.com/br1anmccoll/northeasternleaguecup|title=North Eastern Football League Cup|publisher=Scottish Football History|accessdate=2008-10-03] League Cups were competed for, the Southern League Cup would later form the basis of the League Cup.

International

Due to the war official international football was suspended and so officially the Scotland team was inactive. However unofficial internationals featuring scratch teams representing Scotland continued. Appearances in these matches are not, however, included in a players total international caps.

Scotland faced England in a wartime international on October 16th 1943 at Maine Road, Manchester in front of 60,000 fans. The Scotland team were crushed 8-0 by a rampant England. The Scotland team that day comprised: J Crozier, Jimmy Carabine, Archie Miller, A Little, George Young, William Campbell, William Waddell, Torrance Gillick, Alex Linwood, Thomas Walker, J Deakin

The two teams met again on the 19th February 1944 at Wembley Stadium in front of a crowd of 80,000. England won again, this time 6-2, with a Jock Dodds double accounting for Scotland's goals. The Scotland team featured: Joseph Crozier, William Kilmarnock, James Stephen, Archie Macaulay, J Kirton, Matt Busby, Bobby Flavell, James Stenhouse, Jock Dodds, James Duncanson, James Caskie.

They met for a third time at Hampden Park on 22nd April where a crowd of 133,000 saw England win 3-2, Dodds and Caskie scroing for Scotland. The line up was: Joseph Crozier, M McDonald, James Stephen, Archibald Macaulay, Bobby Baxter, Matt Busby, Jimmy Delaney, Thomas Walker, Jock Dodds, James Duncanson, James Caskie. [ [http://www.rsssf.com/tablese/eng-warvic-intres.html England - War-Time/Victory Internationals - Details] ]

Notes and references

External links

* [http://www.rsssf.com/tabless/scotchamp.html League winners at RSSSF]
* [http://www.rsssf.com/tabless/scot-glasgowcuphist.html Glasgow Cup winners at RSSSF]