The British Home Championship- 1884

 Walter Arnott- Scotland's captain

International football matches had begun with annual games played between England and Scotland in 1872 and they had been joined by Wales in 1876 and Ireland in 1882. 

 The Scottish FA was formed in 1873, The Football Association of Wales in 1876, and the Irish Football Association in 1880.

In 1883 the four governing bodies held a conference to standardise the rules of the game and to arrange an annual league tournament.  With missionary zeal England played their three fixtures away from home.

If we look at the club teams represented:

England-The Swifts London,Blackburn Rovers FC,Notts County FC,Clapham Rovers FC, Stoke FC,Wednesbury Old Athletic, Cambridge University,Hendon London,Aston Villa FC,Oxford University.

A mixed bag, a split between the London/ home counties/ university teams who would virtually dissapear from top football with the advent of professionalism, and the North West/ Midlands teams who would bring about the development of the professional game.

Scotland-Kilmarnock Athletic,Vale of Leven FC, Queen´s Park ,Annbank FC,Abercorn FC Paisley,Dumbarton FC, Lugar Boswell FC,Glasgow Rangers FC,Arthurlie FC Barrhead,Pollockshields Athletic,Third Lanark

Scottish football was rooted in the Glasgow area. In  Scotland the game remained (officially) amateur until 1893.

Wales-Ruthin Grammar School, Chirk AAA, Wrexham AFC,Oswestry White Star, Ruthin FC, Oswestry FC, Druids FC Ruabon, Bolton Wanderers FC,Northwich Victoria FC,Berwyn Rangers,Rhyl FC

The hotbed of early Welsh football was the industrialised north east around Wrexham. Interestingly Wales were the only side to field players who played 'abroad'. In the pre professional age players like captain John Powell of Bolton Wanderers would have been surreptitious pros whilst working on the railways or in the factories of Lancashire. The Welsh FA also accomodated clubs from nearby Cheshire and Shropshire, who played in the Welsh FA Cup up until the 1990's.

Ireland- Cliftonville FC Belfast,Distillery FC Belfast,Ulster FC Belfast,Moyola Park Castledawson,Wellington Park Belfast,Rosall School.
 In the early days Irish football was essentially Belfast football. The opening game of the tournament was only their 5th international, and their results were actually creditworthy. Ireland was a single footballing entity until 1924

26.1.84    Ireland 0 Scotland 5 (Ballynafeigh Park, Belfast)

9.2.84      Wales 6 Ireland 0     (Racecourse Ground, Wrexham)

23.2.84    Ireland 1 England 8  (Ballynafeigh Park, Belfast)

15.3.84    Scotland 1 England 0  (Cathkin Park, Glasgow*)

17.3.84    Wales 0 England 4    (Racecourse Ground, Wrexham)

29.3.84    Scotland 4 Wales 1   (Cathkin Park, Glasgow)

	1. SCOTLAND   3  3  0  0  10- 1  6 2. England          3  2  0  1  12- 2  4 3. Wales             3  1  0  2   7- 8  2 4. Ireland            3  0  0  3   1-19  0

 Norman Coles Bailey, England's captain

* at the time Cathkin Park was known as Hampden Park, but the modern Hampden Park didm't open until 1903.