1983 British Home Championship

The 1983 British Home Championship was the penultimate in the series of football tournaments between the British Home Nations which stretched back 99 years to 1884. In 1983 England and then Scotland announced their withdrawal from future competition after the 1984 competition with the arrangement of the Rous Cup between the two nations to eliminate Wales and Northern Ireland, who were seen as weaker opposition. The 1983 tournament was a tight contest, which England won with a final victory at home over Scotland following an opening victory over Wales and a draw in Belfast. The game at Wembley was played in midweek in an attempt to curb the large number of travelling Scottish supporters. The Scots came second with a win over Wales and a draw with Northern Ireland off-setting their final day defeat. The Welsh succumbed to goal difference as the points system then in use meant that the Irish, who had drawn twice and lost once without scoring themselves gained the same number of points for a smaller goal difference despite Wales' victory over them in their final game.

Table

Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
 England 5 3 2 1 0 4 1 +3
 Scotland 3 3 1 1 1 2 2 0
 Northern Ireland 2 3 0 2 1 0 1 −1
 Wales 2 3 1 0 2 2 4 −2

The points system worked as follows:

The teams were then divided on goal difference

Results

23 February 1983
England  2 – 1  Wales Wembley Stadium, London
Terry Butcher
Phil Neal  pen.'
Ian Rush

24 May 1983
Scotland  0 – 0  Northern Ireland Hampden Park, Glasgow
   

28 May 1983
Northern Ireland  0 – 0  England Windsor Park, Belfast
   

28 May 1983
Wales  0 – 2  Scotland Ninian Park, Cardiff
  Andy Gray
Alan Brazil

31 May 1983
Northern Ireland  0 – 1  Wales Windsor Park, Belfast
  Gordon Davies

1 June 1983
England  2 – 0  Scotland Wembley Stadium, London
Bryan Robson
Gordon Cowans
 

References