# Wales national football team results (1876–1899)

The Wales national football team represents Wales in international association football and is governed by the Football Association of Wales. The team are the third oldest in international football, behind only Scotland and England and played their first match on 18 March 1876, a 4–0 defeat to Scotland at Hamilton Crescent in Glasgow. Wales played their first home fixture the following year, which Scotland won 2–0 at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham. Wales met England for the first time in 1879 and recorded their first victory against them two years later, winning 1–0 at Alexandra Meadows following a goal from John Vaughan. In 1882, Wales played Ireland for the first time, defeating them 7–1 at the Racecourse.
With all four Home Nations playing annual friendly matches, the decision was taken to organise the fixtures into a competition. The British Home Championship, a round-robin tournament, was subsequently formed and the inaugural season was held in 1884. Wales won their opening fixture 6–0 against Ireland but defeats against England and Scotland in their remaining matches led to a third-place finish. In 1888, Wales recorded the largest victory in the team's history by defeating Ireland 11–0; Jack Doughty scored four of his side's goals. It was not until 1895 that Wales finished higher than third in the Championship, claiming a second-place finish after drawing all three fixtures.
From the nation's first fixture in 1876 to the end of the century Wales played 63 fixtures, winning 11, drawing 8 and losing the remaining 44. Of the side's victories, 9 were secured over Ireland and 2 over England, while they failed to defeat Scotland in 24 attempts during this period. The team's struggles were exacerbated by the reluctance of clubs in the Football League to release Welsh players for international fixtures, which often clashed with league matches. In the 1890s, Wales finished bottom of the British Home Championship in six of the ten tournaments held and lost nine of their final ten matches in the decade.

## Results

Wales' score is shown first in each case. The colours listed below are also used to signify results combined with the scoreline.
Key :
* Meaning
* Defeat
* Draw
* Win
Wales national football team results 1876–1899 :
| Match no. | Date | Venue | H/A | Opponents | Score | Competition | Wales scorers | Att. |
| 1 | 25 March 1876 | Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow | A | Scotland | 0–4 | Friendly | | 17,000 |
| 2 | 5 March 1877 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | Scotland | 0–2 | Friendly | | 4,000 |
| 3 | 23 March 1878 | Hampden Park, Glasgow | A | Scotland | 0–9 | Friendly | | 6,000 |
| 4 | 18 January 1879 | Kennington Oval, London | A | England | 1–2 | Friendly | William Davies | 200 |
| 5 | 7 April 1879 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | Scotland | 0–3 | Friendly | | 2,000 |
| 6 | 15 March 1880 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | England | 2–3 | Friendly | William Roberts, John Roberts | 3,000 |
| 7 | 27 March 1880 | Hampden Park, Glasgow | A | Scotland | 1–5 | Friendly | William Roberts | 2,000 |
| 8 | 26 February 1881 | Alexandra Meadows, Blackburn | A | England | 1–0 | Friendly | John Vaughan | 3,000 |
| 9 | 14 March 1881 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | Scotland | 1–5 | Friendly | Knyvett Crosse | 1,500 |
| 10 | 25 February 1882 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | Ireland | 7–1 | Friendly | John Price (4), William Pierce Owen (2), John Morgan | 2,000 |
| 11 | 13 March 1882 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | England | 5–3 | Friendly | William Pierce Owen (2), John Morgan, Alf Jones (og), John Vaughan | 5,000 |
| 12 | 25 March 1882 | Hampden Park, Glasgow | A | Scotland | 0–5 | Friendly | | 5,000 |
| 13 | 3 February 1883 | Kennington Oval, London | A | England | 0–5 | Friendly | | 5,000 |
| 14 | 12 March 1883 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | Scotland | 0–3 | Friendly | | 2,000 |
| 15 | 17 March 1883 | Ballynafeigh Park, Belfast | A | Ireland | 1–1 | Friendly | Walter Roberts | 1,000 |
| 16 | 9 February 1884 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | Ireland | 6–0 | 1883–84 British Home Championship | William Pierce Owen (2), Edward Shaw (2), John Eyton-Jones, Robert Albert Jones | 2,000 |
| 17 | 17 March 1884 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | England | 0–4 | 1883–84 British Home Championship | | 4,500 |
| 18 | 29 March 1884 | Cathkin Park, Glasgow | A | Scotland | 1–4 | 1883–84 British Home Championship | Robert Roberts | 1,000 |
| 19 | 14 March 1885 | Leamington Road, Blackburn | A | England | 1–1 | 1884–85 British Home Championship | Job Wilding | 7,500 |
| 20 | 23 March 1885 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | Scotland | 1–8 | 1884–85 British Home Championship | Robert Albert Jones | 2,000 |
| 21 | 11 April 1885 | Ballynafeigh Park, Belfast | A | Ireland | 8–2 | 1884–85 British Home Championship | Herbert Sisson (3), John Roach (2), William Owen, Tom Burke, Humphrey Jones | 1,500 |
| 22 | 27 February 1886 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | Ireland | 5–0 | 1885–86 British Home Championship | Bill Roberts, Job Wilding, Richard Hersee, Thomas Bryan, Herbert Sisson | 700 |
| 23 | 29 March 1886 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | England | 1–3 | 1885–86 British Home Championship | Billy Lewis | 5,000 |
| 24 | 10 April 1886 | Cathkin Park, Glasgow | A | Scotland | 1–4 | 1885–86 British Home Championship | John Owen Vaughan | 5,500 |
| 25 | 28 February 1887 | Kennington Oval, London | A | England | 0–4 | 1886–87 British Home Championship | | 4,500 |
| 26 | 12 March 1887 | Cliftonville Cricket Ground, Belfast | A | Ireland | 1–4 | 1886–87 British Home Championship | Henry Sabine | 4,000 |
| 27 | 21 March 1887 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | Scotland | 0–2 | 1886–87 British Home Championship | | 2,000 |
| 28 | 4 February 1888 | Alexandra Recreation Ground, Crewe | A | England | 1–5 | 1887–88 British Home Championship | Jack Doughty | 6,000 |
| 29 | 3 March 1888 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | Ireland | 11–0 | 1887–88 British Home Championship | Jack Doughty (4), Roger Doughty (2), Edmund Howell (2), Job Wilding (2), William Pryce-Jones | 2,000 |
| 30 | 10 March 1888 | Hibernian Park, Edinburgh | A | Scotland | 1–5 | 1887–88 British Home Championship | Jack Doughty | 8,000 |
| 31 | 28 February 1889 | Victoria Ground, Stoke | A | England | 1–4 | 1888–89 British Home Championship | William Owen | 6,000 |
| 32 | 15 April 1889 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | Scotland | 0–0 | 1888–89 British Home Championship | | 6,000 |
| 33 | 27 April 1889 | Ballynafeigh Park, Belfast | A | Ireland | 3–1 | 1888–89 British Home Championship | Richard Jarrett | 1,500 |
| 34 | 8 February 1890 | Old Racecourse, Shrewsbury | H | Ireland | 5–2 | 1889–90 British Home Championship | William Pryce-Jones (2), William Owen, Dick Wilcock, David Lewis | 3,000 |
| 35 | 15 March 1890 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | England | 1–3 | 1889–90 British Home Championship | Billy Lewis | 3,000 |
| 36 | 22 March 1890 | Underwood Park, Paisley | A | Scotland | 0–5 | 1889–90 British Home Championship | | 5,000 |
| 37 | 7 February 1891 | Ulsterville, Belfast | A | Ireland | 2–7 | 1890–91 British Home Championship | Albert Davies, Jack Bowdler | 6,000 |
| 38 | 7 March 1891 | Newcastle Road, Sunderland | A | England | 1–4 | 1890–91 British Home Championship | Albert Davies, Edmund Howell | 15,000 |
| 39 | 21 March 1891 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | Scotland | 3–4 | 1890–91 British Home Championship | Albert Davies, Jack Bowdler (2), William Owen | 6,000 |
| 40 | 27 February 1892 | Penrhyn Park, Bangor | H | Ireland | 1–1 | 1891–92 British Home Championship | Benjamin Lewis | 4,000 |
| 41 | 5 March 1892 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | England | 0–2 | 1891–92 British Home Championship | | 4,500 |
| 42 | 26 March 1892 | Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh | A | Scotland | 1–6 | 1891–92 British Home Championship | Benjamin Lewis | 6,000 |
| 43 | 13 March 1893 | Victoria Ground, Stoke | A | England | 0–6 | 1892–93 British Home Championship | | 10,000 |
| 44 | 18 March 1893 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | Scotland | 0–8 | 1892–93 British Home Championship | | 4,500 |
| 45 | 8 April 1893 | Solitude, Belfast | A | Ireland | 3–4 | 1892–93 British Home Championship | George Owen (2), William Owen | 3,000 |
| 46 | 24 February 1894 | St. Helen's, Swansea | H | Ireland | 4–1 | 1893–94 British Home Championship | Billy Lewis (2), Edwin James (2) | 7,000 |
| 47 | 12 March 1894 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | England | 1–5 | 1893–94 British Home Championship | Jack Bowdler | 5,500 |
| 48 | 24 March 1894 | Rugby Park, Kilmarnock | A | Scotland | 2–5 | 1893–94 British Home Championship | Hugh Morris | 10,000 |
| 49 | 16 March 1895 | Solitude, Belfast | A | Ireland | 2–2 | 1894–95 British Home Championship | Harry Trainer (2) | 6,000 |
| 50 | 18 March 1895 | Queen's Club, London | A | England | 1–1 | 1894–95 British Home Championship | Billy Lewis | 10,000 |
| 51 | 23 March 1895 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | Scotland | 2–2 | 1894–95 British Home Championship | Billy Lewis, Thomas Chapman | 4,000 |
| 52 | 29 February 1896 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | Ireland | 6–1 | 1895–96 British Home Championship | Billy Lewis, Billy Meredith (2), Harry Pugh, Grenville Morris | 3,000 |
| 53 | 16 March 1896 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff | H | England | 1–9 | 1895–96 British Home Championship | Thomas Chapman | 10,000 |
| 54 | 21 March 1896 | Carolina Port, Dundee | A | Scotland | 0–4 | 1895–96 British Home Championship | | 11,700 |
| 55 | 6 March 1897 | Solitude, Belfast | A | Ireland | 3–4 | 1896–97 British Home Championship | Billy Meredith (2), Caesar Jenkyns | 10,000 |
| 56 | 20 March 1897 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | Scotland | 2–2 | 1896–97 British Home Championship | Morgan Morgan-Owen, Harry Pugh | 5,000 |
| 57 | 29 March 1897 | Bramall Lane, Sheffield | A | England | 0–4 | 1896–97 British Home Championship | Morgan Morgan-Owen, Harry Pugh | 5,000 |
| 58 | 19 February 1898 | The Oval, Llandudno | H | Ireland | 0–1 | 1897–98 British Home Championship | | 6,000 |
| 59 | 19 March 1898 | Fir Park, Motherwell | A | Scotland | 2–5 | 1897–98 British Home Championship | Thomas John Thomas, Morgan Morgan-Owen | 3,500 |
| 60 | 28 March 1898 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | England | 0–3 | 1897–98 British Home Championship | | 4,000 |
| 61 | 4 March 1899 | Grosvenor Park, Belfast | A | Ireland | 0–3 | 1898–99 British Home Championship | | 6,000 |
| 62 | 18 March 1899 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | H | Scotland | 0–6 | 1898–99 British Home Championship | | 12,000 |
| 63 | 20 March 1899 | Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol | A | England | 0–4 | 1898–99 British Home Championship | | 10,000 |

## Head to head records

Head to head records :
| Opponent | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | W% | D% | L% |
| England | 21 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 18 | 75 | 9.52 | 9.52 | 80.95 |
| Ireland | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 70 | 28 | 50 | 16.67 | 33.33 |
| Scotland | 24 | 0 | 3 | 21 | 18 | 106 | 0 | 12.50 | 87.50 |
| Totals | 63 | 11 | 8 | 44 | 106 | 209 | 17.46 | 12.70 | 69.84 |