The 1888 World Championship was an exhibition football match that took place in Crosshill (today part of Glasgow), Scotland, on 19 May 1888 between the winners of the Scottish Cup, Renton, and the English FA Cup, West Bromwich Albion. The match was won by Renton who beat Albion 4–1.[2][3][4][5] The match was played in very bad weather and a replay in England was proposed, but never took place.[1]
 Renton team, winning side | |||||||
| Event | Football World Championship | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Date | 19 May 1888 | ||||||
| Venue | Hampden Park, Crosshill | ||||||
| Attendance | 6,000 | ||||||
| Weather | Thunderstorm[1] | ||||||
Overview edit
This was not the first "World Championship" game between English and Scottish sides; however, the next edition was the first such club competition contested between national league winners (as the leagues had not been yet created before that time). Johnny Campbell, who played for Renton in this fixture, would also win a world championship with Sunderland in 1895; he is therefore the first known British footballer to have been twice listed as a world champion with different clubs.[6]
It was noted in the press that West Brom were "one of the English clubs which have never had a Scotchman either as a coach or a player"[1] and the match were therefore seen as a truly international event – by this point may of the leading English clubs (which were allowed to become professional in 1885) had Scottish players, and in the aforementioned Sunderland v Hearts match in 1895 both entrants had an all-Scottish line-up.
Renton's win was something of a watershed for Scottish football, as within a few days James Kelly and Neil McCallum had left to join the newly-formed Celtic and quickly helped to establish them as a force in the game,[7] Meanwhile Renton soon lost several other members of their 'world champion' team to professional clubs in England (including Andrew Hannah who moved to West Brom after he impressed them in the Glasgow match) and gradually declined, never returning to the same level.[1]
Participant teams edit
| Team | Qualification |
|---|---|
 West Bromwich Albion |
1887–88 FA Cup winners |
 Renton |
1887–88 Scottish Cup winners |
Match details edit
      Renton
|
   West Bromwich
Albion |
Teams edit
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References edit
- ^ a b c d e The Championship of the World Robert Bradley & Douglas Gorman, 2018, via Scottish Sport History
- ^ Renton crowned World Champions, BBC
- ^ RENTON F.C. CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD, The League, 2 March 2019
- ^ Remember when a team from Scotland won the World Cup? The incredible story of Renton F.C, Glasgow Live, 12 November 2018
- ^ Saturday's Football. | Renton V. West Bromwich Albion., The Glasgow Herald, 21 May 1888
- ^ Johnny Campbell, The Twice World Club Championship Winner, Ryehill Football, 27 April 2020
- ^ Mitchell, Andy (2021). The men who made Scotland: The definitive Who's Who of Scottish Football Internationalists 1872-1939. Amazon. ISBN 9798513846642.