The first officially recognised international association football match was played between Scotland and England on 30 November 1872. This had been preceded by a series of "unofficial" matches between the two sides in the previous two years, played at The Oval, a cricket ground in South London. As a result, the two sides are recognised as the joint oldest international football teams in history. Following the first game, Scotland and England met annually in a series of friendly matches. By the time their fixture against Wales was organised in 1876, Scotland had played England on five occasions in official matches.