Rous Cup

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The Rous Cup was a short-lived football competition in the late-1980s, contested between England, Scotland and, in later years, a guest team from South America.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Results and winners 2.1 1985 2.2 1986 2.3 1987 2.4 1988 2.5 1989

[edit] Overview

The Rous Cup arose from the ashes of the British Home Championship, which had been discontinued in 1984. Initially, the competition (which was named after Sir Stanley Rous, a former secretary of The Football Association and president of FIFA) was merely a replacement for the annual England v Scotland match that had been lost due to the end of the British Home Championship. Thus, the competition consisted of just one game between England and Scotland (with home advantage alternating annually) with the winner claiming the Cup. The competition was played in the early summer, normally just after the domestic season had finished.

After two years under this format, it was decided to invite a different South American team to compete each year to spice things up a bit and to fulfil England and Scotland's desire to regularly play 'stronger' teams (which was one of their reasons for leaving the British Home Championship). As there were now three teams competing, a league system, just like the one used in the British Home Championship, was introduced. Each team would play the other two once, receiving two points for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss, with goal difference (total goals scored minus total goals conceded) being used to differentiate between teams level on points. England and Scotland continued to play each other home and away in alternating years, but the guest South America team would play both their games away.

The Cup was discontinued, after just five years, in 1989. The annual England vs Scotland fixture was abandoned at this point and since then the oldest rivalry in world football has only been renewed when the two nations have been drawn together: in Euro 96 and in the qualification play-off for Euro 2000.

[edit] Results and winners

[edit] 1985

May 25, 1985
	Scotland	1–0	England	Hampden Park, Glasgow
	Richard Gough

[edit] 1986

May 25, 1986
	England	2–1	Scotland	Wembley Stadium, London
	Terry Butcher, Glenn Hoddle		Graeme Souness

[edit] 1987

Brazil were guests

May 19, 1987
	England	1–1	Brazil	Wembley Stadium, London
	Gary Lineker		Mirandinha

May 23, 1987
	Scotland	0–0	England	Hampden Park, Glasgow

May 26, 1987
	Scotland	0–2	Brazil	Hampden Park, Glasgow
			Raí, Valdo

Team	Pts	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
Brazil	3	2	1	1	0	3	1	+2
England	2	2	0	2	0	1	1	0
Scotland	1	2	0	1	1	0	2	-2

[edit] 1988

Colombia were guests

May 17, 1988
	Scotland	0–0	Colombia	Hampden Park, Glasgow

May 21, 1988
	England	1–0	Scotland	Wembley Stadium, London
	Peter Beardsley

May 24, 1988
	England	1–1	Colombia	Wembley Stadium, London
	Gary Lineker		Andres Escobar

Team	Pts	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
England	3	2	1	1	0	2	1	+1
Colombia	2	2	0	2	0	1	1	0
Scotland	1	2	0	1	1	0	1	-1

[edit] 1989

Chile were guests

May 19, 1987
	England	0–0	Chile	Wembley Stadium, London

May 27, 1989
	Scotland	0–2	England	Hampden Park, Glasgow
			Chris Waddle, Steve Bull

May 30, 1989
	Scotland	2–0	Chile	Hampden Park, Glasgow
	Alan McInally, Murdo MacLeod

Team	Pts	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
England	3	2	1	1	0	2	0	+1
Scotland	2	2	1	0	1	2	2	0
Chile	1	2	0	1	1	0	2	-2

Football in the United Kingdom v • d • e
Home Championship | Rous Cup | Coronation Cup | Texaco Cup | Anglo-Scottish Cup | British Football League | Empire Exhibition Trophy | Team GB
England: National association – Football in England – National team  Northern Ireland: National association – Football in N. Ireland – National team  Scotland: National association – Football in Scotland – National team  Wales: National association – Football in Wales – National team