The Wales national football team represents Wales in international association football and is governed by the Football Association of Wales (FAW). Between 1920 and 1939 the side played 62 matches, the majority against the other national teams of the Home Nations in the British Home Championship. The side played their first official match after the end of World War I in February 1920 on the resumption of the Home Championship, drawing 2–2 with Ireland.[1] A draw with Scotland and a win over England, their first since 1882, in the 1919–20 tournament secured the second Home Championship in Wales' history.[2] They won a third title in the 1923–24 British Home Championship after defeating all three opponents in the same competition for the first time.[3]

Wales won the Home Championship again in the 1927–28 tournament but, as Football League sides became increasingly reluctant to release Welsh players for international competition, results dropped as the decade drew to a close.[4][5] This culminated in the 1929–30 British Home Championship where Wales lost all three matches, conceding 17 goals whilst scoring just 2.[6] When the Football League added further restrictions on releasing players ahead of the following tournament to avoid fixture clashes, Wales were forced to call-up a mixture of non-league and lower division players which led to the side being dubbed by media outlets as "Keenor and the ten unknowns", in reference to team captain Fred Keenor and the relative obscurity of his teammates. The side secured a draw with Scotland but suffered a 4–0 defeat to England before being replaced by the returning first team players.[7][8]

When Wales relented on hosting fixtures alongside those of the Football League, they were able to call upon their first team more frequently.[9] This coincided with one of the most successful periods in the team's history as they won four Home Championships between 1933 and 1939,[5] led by the goals of Dai Astley, Pat Glover and Bryn Jones.[10][11] The 1938–39 British Home Championship was the final hosting of the tournament before World War II.[1] During this period, Wales also played their first match against an opponent other than the Home Nations when they drew with France in May 1933 in Paris. The two sides also met for a second time in May 1939 in Wales' final match before the start of the war.[1]

Of the 62 matches Wales played during this period, they recorded 22 victories: 8 against both England and Ireland, and 6 against Scotland.[12][13][14] In the remaining 40 matches, Wales drew 15 and lost 25.[1]

Results

Wales' score is shown first in each case. The colours listed below are also used to signify results combined with the scoreline.

Key
Colour (with score) Meaning
Defeat
Draw
Win
Wales national football team results 1920–1939[lower-alpha 1]
Match no. Date Venue H/A Opponents Score Competition Wales scorers Att.[lower-alpha 2]
109 14 February 1920 The Oval, BelfastA  Ireland 2–2 1919–20 British Home ChampionshipStan Davies (2)30,000
110 26 February 1920 Ninian Park, CardiffH  Scotland 1–1 1919–20 British Home ChampionshipJack Evans16,000
111 15 March 1920 Highbury, LondonA  England 2–1 1919–20 British Home ChampionshipStan Davies, Dick Richards21,180
112 12 February 1921 Pittodrie, AberdeenA  Scotland 1–2 1920–21 British Home ChampionshipDai Collier20,824
113 14 March 1921 Ninian Park, CardiffH  England 0–0 1920–21 British Home Championship12,000
114 9 April 1921 Vetch Field, SwanseaH  Ireland 2–1 1920–21 British Home ChampionshipBilly Hole, Stan Davies12,000
115 4 February 1922 Racecourse Ground, WrexhamH  Scotland 2–1 1921–22 British Home ChampionshipLen Davies, Stan Davies7,000
116 13 March 1922 Anfield, LiverpoolA  England 0–1 1921–22 British Home Championship35,000
117 1 April 1922 Windsor Park, BelfastA  Ireland 1–1 1921–22 British Home ChampionshipLen Davies20,000
118 5 March 1923 Ninian Park, CardiffH  England 2–2 1922–23 British Home ChampionshipFred Keenor, Ivor Jones12,000
119 17 March 1923 Love Street, PaisleyA  Scotland 0–2 1922–23 British Home Championship25,000
120 14 April 1923 Racecourse Ground, WrexhamH  Ireland 0–3 1922–23 British Home Championship12,222
121 16 February 1924 Ninian Park, CardiffH  Scotland 2–0 1923–24 British Home ChampionshipWillie Davies, Len Davies26,000
122 3 March 1924 Ewood Park, BlackburnA  England 2–1 1923–24 British Home ChampionshipWillie Davies, Ted Vizard30,000
123 15 March 1924 Windsor Park, BelfastA  Ireland 1–0 1923–24 British Home ChampionshipMoses Russell40,000
124 14 February 1925 Tynecastle Stadium, EdinburghA  Scotland 1–3 1924–25 British Home ChampionshipBilly Williams23,000
125 28 February 1925 Vetch Field, SwanseaH  England 1–2 1924–25 British Home ChampionshipFred Keenor8,000
126 18 April 1925 Racecourse Ground, WrexhamH  Ireland 0–0 1924–25 British Home Championship10,000
127 31 October 1925 Ninian Park, CardiffH  Scotland 0–3 1925–26 British Home Championship25,000
128 13 February 1926 Windsor Park, BelfastA  Ireland 0–3 1925–26 British Home Championship25,000
129 1 March 1926 Selhurst Park, LondonA  England 1–3 1925–26 British Home ChampionshipBilly Walker23,000
130 30 October 1926 Ibrox Park, GlasgowA  Scotland 0–3 1926–27 British Home Championship25,000
131 12 February 1927 Racecourse Ground, WrexhamH  England 3–3 1926–27 British Home ChampionshipLen Davies (2), Wilf Lewis16,000
132 9 April 1927 Ninian Park, CardiffH  Ireland 2–2 1926–27 British Home ChampionshipRees Williams (2)10,000
133 29 October 1927 Racecourse Ground, WrexhamH  Scotland 2–2 1927–28 British Home ChampionshipErnie Curtis, Jimmy Gibson16,000
134 28 November 1927 Turf Moor, BurnleyA  England 2–1 1927–28 British Home ChampionshipWilf Lewis, Jack Hill (og)25,000
135 4 February 1928 Windsor Park, BelfastA  Ireland 2–1 1927–28 British Home ChampionshipWilf Lewis, Willie Davies27,563
136 27 October 1928 Ibrox Park, GlasgowA  Scotland 2–4 1928–29 British Home ChampionshipWillie Davies (2)50,421
137 17 November 1928 Vetch Field, SwanseaH  England 2–3 1928–29 British Home ChampionshipFred Keenor, Jack Fowler22,000
138 2 February 1929 Racecourse Ground, WrexhamH  Ireland 2–2 1928–29 British Home ChampionshipAlbert Mays, Fred Warren12,000
139 26 October 1929 Ninian Park, CardiffH  Scotland 2–4 1929–30 British Home ChampionshipTaffy O'Callaghan, Len Davies20,000
140 17 November 1929 Wembley Stadium, LondonA  England 0–6 1929–30 British Home Championship25,500
141 1 February 1930 Windsor Park, BelfastA  Ireland 0–7 1929–30 British Home Championship25,000
142 25 October 1930 Ibrox Park, GlasgowA  Scotland 1–1 1930–31 British Home ChampionshipTommy Bamford15,000
143 22 November 1930 Racecourse Ground, WrexhamH  England 0–4 1930–31 British Home Championship14,000
144 22 April 1931 Racecourse Ground, WrexhamH  Ireland 3–2 1930–31 British Home ChampionshipCharlie Phillips, Tommy Griffiths, Fred Warren11,000
145 31 October 1931 Racecourse Ground, WrexhamH  Scotland 2–3 1931–32 British Home ChampionshipErnie Curtis (2)10,860
146 18 November 1931 Anfield, LiverpoolA  England 1–3 1931–32 British Home ChampionshipWalter Robbins15,000
147 5 December 1931 Windsor Park, BelfastA  Ireland 0–4 1931–32 British Home Championship10,000
148 26 October 1932 Tynecastle Stadium, EdinburghA  Scotland 5–2 1932–33 British Home ChampionshipEugene O'Callaghan (2), Dai Astley, Tommy Griffiths, Jock Thomson31,000
149 6 November 1932 Racecourse Ground, WrexhamH  England 0–0 1932–33 British Home Championship25,167
150 7 December 1932 Racecourse Ground, WrexhamH  Ireland 4–1 1932–33 British Home ChampionshipWalter Robbins (2), Dai Astley (2)8,500
151 23 May 1933 Stade Olympique de Colombes, ParisA  France 1–1 FriendlyWalter Robbins25,000
152 4 October 1933 Ninian Park, CardiffH  Scotland 3–2 1933–34 British Home ChampionshipWillie Evans, Walter Robbins, Dai Astley40,000
153 4 November 1933 Windsor Park, BelfastA  Ireland 1–1 1933–34 British Home ChampionshipPat Glover20,000
154 15 November 1933 St James' Park, NewcastleA  England 2–1 1933–34 British Home ChampionshipTommy Mills, Dai Astley15,000
155 29 September 1934 Ninian Park, CardiffH  England 0–4 1934–35 British Home Championship36,692
156 21 November 1934 Pittodrie Stadium, AberdeenA  Scotland 2–3 1934–35 British Home ChampionshipCharlie Phillips, Dai Astley26,334
157 25 March 1935 Racecourse Ground, WrexhamH  Ireland 3–1 1934–35 British Home ChampionshipWilson Jones, Charlie Phillips, Idris Hopkins16,000
158 5 October 1935 Ninian Park, CardiffH  Scotland 1–1 1935–36 British Home ChampionshipWilson Jones, Charlie Phillips37,568
159 5 February 1935 Molineux Stadium, WolverhamptonA  England 2–1 1935–36 British Home ChampionshipDai Astley, Bryn Jones27,519
160 11 March 1936 Celtic Park, BelfastA  Ireland 3–2 1935–36 British Home ChampionshipDai Astley, Charlie Phillips27,519
161 17 October 1936 Ninian Park, CardiffH  England 2–1 1936–37 British Home ChampionshipPat Glover, Seymour Morris44,729
162 2 December 1936 Dens Park, DundeeA  Scotland 2–1 1936–37 British Home ChampionshipPat Glover (2)23,858
163 17 March 1937 Racecourse Ground, WrexhamH  Ireland 4–1 1936–37 British Home ChampionshipPat Glover (2), Bryn Jones, Fred Warren19,000
164 30 October 1937 Ninian Park, CardiffH  Scotland 2–1 1937–38 British Home ChampionshipBryn Jones, Seymour Morris41,800
165 17 November 1937 Ayresome Park, MiddlesbroughA  England 1–2 1937–38 British Home ChampionshipEddie Perry30,608
166 16 March 1938 Windsor Park, BelfastA  Ireland 0–1 1937–38 British Home Championship15,000
167 22 October 1938 Ninian Park, CardiffH  England 4–2 1938–39 British Home ChampionshipDai Astley (2), Bryn Jones, Idris Hopkins55,000
168 9 November 1938 Tynecastle Park, EdinburghA  Scotland 2–3 1938–39 British Home ChampionshipDai Astley, Leslie Jones34,800
169 15 March 1939 Racecourse Ground, WrexhamH  Ireland 3–1 1938–39 British Home ChampionshipHorace Cumner, Pat Glover, Les Boulter22,997
170 20 May 1939 Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, ParisA  France 1–2 FriendlyDai Astley23,000

Head to head records

Head to head records
Opponent P W D L GF GA W% D% L%
 England 20 8 4 8 27 44 40 20 40
 France 2 0 1 1 2 3 0 50 50
 Ireland 20 8 6 6 35 42 40 30 30
 Scotland 20 6 4 10 34 43 30 20 50
Totals622215259813235.4824.1940.32

Notes

  1. Table information sourced from the references listed in the statistics section below.
  2. Due to the unavailability of exact figures, some attendance numbers are given as recorded estimates.

References

Statistics
  • Nygård, Jostein. "Wales – International Results". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  • "Welsh International Matches". Welsh Football Data Archive. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  • Tossani, Gabriele. "Scotland – International Results". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  • Oliver, Guy (1992). The Guinness Record of World Soccer. London: Guinness World Records Ltd. pp. 560–561. ISBN 978-0-85112-954-9.
Bibliography
  • Stead, Phil (2013). Red Dragons – The Story of Welsh Football. Ceredigion: Y Lolfa. ISBN 978-1-84771-468-8.
Specific
  1. 1 2 3 4 Nygård, Jostein. "International matches of Wales". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  2. Stead 2013, pp. 92–93
  3. Stead 2013, pp. 98–99
  4. Stead 2013, pp. 110–112
  5. 1 2 Reyes, Macario; Morrison, Neil. "British Home Championship 1920–1939". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  6. Stead 2013, pp. 113–114
  7. Williams, Aled (7 September 2018). "Denmark v Wales: The story of the 1930s 'unknowns' who forced a draw in Scotland". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  8. Stead 2013, pp. 116–118
  9. Stead 2013, pp. 122–123
  10. Stead 2013, pp. 124–125
  11. Stead 2013, pp. 128–129
  12. "Wales national football team: record v Ireland". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  13. "Wales national football team: record v Scotland". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  14. "Wales national football team: record v England". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 18 August 2020.

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