Victory International

The term Victory International or Victory Internationals refers to two series of international football matches played by the national football teams of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales at end of both the First and Second World Wars. The matches were organised to celebrate the Victory of the Allied Powers in both wars. The term specifically refers to those matches played after the conflicts were over, making them distinct from the wartime internationals which were played during the course of the wars.

Among the games regarded as Victory Internationals were those played as part of the 1945–46 British Victory Home Championship. The 1945–46 season also saw England play Victory internationals against France, Switzerland and Belgium. Scotland also played the latter two national teams. The status of these internationals is open to debate. England, Ireland and Wales do not recognize any of these games as full internationals. Scotland, however, does list the games against Belgium and Switzerland as full internationals. Similarly Belgium, Switzerland and France all regard their Victory Internationals as full internationals. [1] [2] [3] [4]

1918–19

22 March 1919
Scotland  21  Ireland
Andrew Wilson 2 Billy Halligan
Ibrox Park

19 April 1919
Ireland  00  Scotland

26 April 1919
 England 22 Scotland 
Robert Turnbull
Sydney Puddefoot
J Wright
James Bowie

3 May 1919
 Scotland 34 England 
Andrew Wilson 2
Alan Morton
Arthur Grimsdell 2
Sydney Puddefoot 2

1919–20

11 October 1919
Wales  2 1  England
Billy Meredith
George Wynn
Sydney Puddefoot

19 October 1919
England  20  Wales
Bob Whittingham
Joe Smith

1945–46

15 September 1945
 Ireland 0 1 England 
  Stan Mortensen

20 October 1945
 England 0 1 Wales 
  Aubrey Powell

10 November 1945
Scotland  2 0  Wales
William Waddell
Jock Dodds
 




13 April 1946
Scotland  1 0  England
Jimmy Delaney  

4 May 1946
Wales  0 1  Ireland
  Paddy Sloan

11 May 1946
England  4 1   Switzerland
Raich Carter 2
Robert Brown
Tommy Lawton
Hans-Peter Friedlander


19 May 1946
France  2 1  England
Jean Prouff
Ernest Vaast
Jimmy Hagan
Stade Olympique de Colombes

References