Imagine a today's football fan as he miraculously finds himself on a football match from the 70's of the 19th century. Would he recognize his favorite game? Basically - he would, as the rules of football games haven't drastically changed since the 1863. when first complete rules were adopted at a meeting of Football Association of England in London. However, the difference compared to today's football was more than enough to get our fan amused watching them.
So, imagine that, using a time machine, you found yourself in Glasgow, Scotland, on the ground of the West of Scotland Cricket Club, on 30 November 1872nd. That day, between teams of Scotland and England, was held a match which is considered as the first international football match in the world. Scotland and England matches were played even before (first played in 1870), but this is the first game in which Scottish team players were actually drawn from Scotland. Previous games were played only by players from London area, pejoratively called 'London Scotchmen' by the Scottish press.
After you've paid a shilling for entrance, you have found yourself among 4,000 spectators interested to see the duel of best teams in the United Kingdom. The match was scheduled for 14h, but the start was delayed due to fog for 20 minutes. Finally,players ran onto the pitch sodden by rain that fell during the previous three days. Scots appear in dark blue, English in white shirts. The Scottish team was made up entirely of players the club Queen's Park, while the English team was combined of members of several clubs and universities. The first thing that strikes you is that players of both teams have caps on their heads (Scottish team with red and pointed), and that goals have no crossbars but merely a tape connecting vertical goal posts. Also, there is no penalty area marked (penalties, goalkeeper area and penalty area lines were introduced on the proposal of Irishmen in 1891).
The match begins. The judge does not have a whistle (will gain it in 1878.), so he has to shout in order to warn players to the rules of the game. Scots began briskly, embolden by the crowd. Very soon you notice something unusual in the game - almost no passing the ball! The player who reaches the ball only dribbles and tries to score himself. Except this, formations of teams are also extraordinary - English have 8 strikers. This helps them to be more offensive and to easy set-up offside traps, because, at that time, offside was inflicted if the player received the ball on the opponents' half, without having at least three opponent players in front.
Now and then, the ball gets kicked in the air, thanks to a rule from the 1870. players were allowed to hit it with head (earlier it would be a breach of Rules). Later in the game, heavier English team takes the initiative and pushes Scots back to their goal. Towards the end of the match, Scotland has the best chance of the match, Robert Leckie's shot finished on the tape that was used instead of crossbar. At one point, the English goalkeeper changes place with his team-mate and involves in the action in the field.
The match ends 0:0. You return to the present, with the impression that things didn't change that much in past 140 years.