First Elevens: The Birth of International Football and the Men Who Made It Happen

by Andy Mitchell

In 1870, two teams of Englishmen and Scotsmen kicked a ball about for 90 minutes in the outfield of a London cricket ground. They were cheered on by ‘an assemblage of spectators such as is rarely seen,’ about 500 spectators. Over the next two years, culminating in the Scotland v England match of 30 November 1872, international football took the first faltering steps on a journey of passion and emotion that now captivates hundreds of millions of football fans around the world. In this ground-breaking work, football historian Andy Mitchell explains why the pioneers came up with the idea, what challenges they faced, how the rugby and association codes fought for supremacy, and who the key players were. Following exhaustive research, he outlines in detail the events that led to the first internationals, and tells the surprising stories of the men who took part in the early internationals: from convicted killer to Prime Minister’s son, the tragic deaths and the outstanding careers. This book shines new light on the birth of international football rivalry, and is a valuable addition to literature on the world’s greatest sport.
Chapters 1-5 describe the events of the five unofficial internationals between 1870-72, the first rugby international in March 1871, and the first official Scotland vs England association football international on 30 November 1872. Chapters 6-8 tell the amazing stories of the football pioneers, their triumphs and disasters, with many photos never before published. The book concludes with an indispensible biographical dictionary of the 75 association football players and 40 rugby players who took part in the matches, including birth and death details, sporting and career highlights, and family background. There is also a timeline, bibliography and index.

158 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2012