World Cup Qualifiers

If, like me, you come from a country that falls in to the category of  international minnows, World Cup Qualifiers is a phrase that conjures up memories and expectations of frustration or humiliation. We watch the big countries contesting the prizes whereas to us even qualifying for a major tournament would be like lifting the World Cup itself.
The Qualifying process was introduced by FIFA  for the 1934 tournament, 32 teams entering (FIFA had more sense then, and limited the finals to 16 teams for the purposes of logistics and quality).
So, let's look at the first 16 teams to experience the ignominy of  'not qualifying for the World Cup'.
Firstly, some absences can be explained by reason of not entering- England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland (ie Northern Ireland- Irish football history is complex) did not deign to enter. Bolivia and Paraguay who both featured in 1930, did not enter.Uruguay, World Champions- refused to enter in response to Europe's poor show at the 1930 tournament.
Italy, on the other hand, who have been accused of having the tournament virtually sewn up before a ball was kicked, had to qualify.

Europe
21 teams in 8 groups contested 12 places

Group 1 was a northern European affair- Sweden progressed after beating both Estonia and Lithuania , who pragmatically decided not to bother playing their fixture as neither of them could qualify.
Group 2 pitted Spain against Portugal. A 9-0 defeat in the first leg ensured that Portugal missed out on the World Cup. 
Group 3 was another 2 team affair- hosts Italy beat Greece 4-0 in Milan and Greece withdrew just to be on the safe side. 
Group 4 saw Bulgaria withdrawing, making qualification for Austria and Hungary a formality. 
Group 5- Czechoslovakia progressed after Poland withdrew after the first leg of their qualification tie.  
Group 6- Yugoslavia were eliminated after defeats at the hands of Switzerland and Romania. 
Group 7- The Irish Free State (predecessors of the ROI) were grouped with the relatively hugely experienced Netherlands and Belgium and yet were eliminated only on goal average. 

 Luxembourg v France

 Luxembourg v Germany

Group 8- probably the earliest 'minnows', Luxembourg were grouped with Germany and France. In fairness to the Red Lions they scored in both their games, losing 9-1 to Germany and 6-1 to France, who then didn't bother playing each other having already qualified. 

South America
The 2  groups (9&10) were non events, Peru and Chile withdrawing, allowing Brazil and Argentina a clear route to Italy. Bolivia and Paraguay who both featured in 1930, did not enter. 

Central/ North America
Group 11 was the sort of convoluted path to qualification that we still see today.
Haiti played Cuba in a 3 match series (all held in Haiti) and were eliminated (L 2 D 1)
Cuba then traveled to Mexico and were eliminated (L 3)

Mexico traveled to Rome and played USA in a play off to settle the final qualification place. 
A 4-2 defeat saw Mexico eliminated. 

Other

Group 12 was a middle eastern arrangement. Turkey withdrew. Palestine, (British Mandate), forerunners of the modern Israel, were eliminated over 2 legs by Egypt. 

Multiple Honours...

The following is a selection of players who won multiple domestic honours in English and Scottish football during the 1872-1937 period.

In England there was no great dominance by any one club in the professional era. Certain clubs enjoyed clusters of wins- for example Blackburn Rovers won the FA Cup 5 times in the 1880s and 90s, Aston Villa and Sunderland both enjoyed multiple championships in the 1890s, Huddersfield Town dominated the 1920s and Arsenal the 1930s. But this did not present any one player with more than 7 individual honours.

Athersmith, Devey & Cowan

  

Wins	England
7	Charlie Athersmith		Aston Villa
	1893-94	League
	1894-95	FA Cup
	1895-96	League
	1896–97	League & FA Cup
	1898-99	League
	1899-1900	League
7	Jack  Devey		Aston Villa
	1893-94	League
	1894-95	FA Cup
	1895-96	League
	1896–97	League & FA Cup
	1898-99	League
	1899-1900	League
7	James Cowan		Aston Villa
	1893-94	League
	1894-95	FA Cup
	1895-96	League
	1896–97	League & FA Cup
	1898-99	League
	1899-1900	League
6*	Eddie Hapgood
	1929-30	FA Cup	Arsenal
	1930-31	League
	1932-33	League
	1933-34	League
	1934-35	League
	1935-36	FA Cup
6*	Cliff Bastin
	1929-30	FA Cup	Arsenal
	1930-31	League
	1932-33	League
	1933-34	League
	1934-35	League
	1935-36	FA Cup
·         Hapgood and Bastin both later won 7th honours.
6	Stephen Smith
	1893-94	League	Aston Villa
	1894-95	FA Cup
	1895-96	League
	1896–97	League
	1898-99	League
	1899-1900	League
6	Clem Stephenson
	1912-13	FA Cup	Aston Villa
	1919-20	FA Cup
	1921-22	FA Cup	Huddersfield Town
	1923–24	League
	1924–25	League
	1925–26	League
6	David Jack
	1922-23	FA Cup	Bolton Wanderers
	1925-26	FA Cup
	1929–30	FA Cup	Arsenal
	1930–31	League
	1932–33	League
	1933–34	League
6	Joe Hulme
	1929–30	FA Cup	Arsenal
	1930-31	League
	1932-33	League
	1933-34	League
	1934-35	League
	1935-36	FA Cup

Some players enjoyed success both north and south of the border- the most prolific being Johnny Campbell...

Johnny Campbell

10	Johnny  Campbell		Celtic Aston Villa
	1891-92	Scottish Cup
	1892-93	Scottish Lge
	1893-94 1894-95	Scottish Lge    League
	1896-97	League & FA Cup
	1897-98	Scottish Lge	Celtic
	1898-99	Scottish Cup
	1899-1900	Scottish Cup
	1902-03	Scottish Lge	Third Lanark

Scotland, as one might imagine, was a different story. It did not take Glasgow giants Celtic and Rangers very long to establish the dominance that would extend into the 21st century, and both strung together long successions of title wins.  

 McNair and McMenemy

Two Celtic stalwarts, Alec McNair and Jimmy McMenemy each won 18 domestic honours (McMenemy's last medal came when he was playing for Partick Thistle as a 41 year old).

	Scotland
18	Alec McNair							Celtic
	1904-05		Scottish Lge
	1905-06		Scottish Lge
	1906-07		Scottish Lge & Cup
	1907-08		Scottish Lge & Cup
	1908-09		Scottish Lge
	1909-10		Scottish Lge
	1910-11		Scottish Cup
	1911-12		Scottish Cup
	1913-14		Scottish Lge & Cup
	1914-15		Scottish Lge
	1915-16		Scottish Lge
	1916-17		Scottish Lge
	1918-19		Scottish Lge
	1921-22		Scottish Lge
	1922-23		Scottish Cup
18	Jimmy McMenemy							Celtic
	1903-04			Scottish Cup
	1904-05			Scottish Lge
	1905-06			Scottish Lge
	1906-07			Scottish Lge & Cup
	1907-08			Scottish Lge & Cup
	1908-09			Scottish Lge
	1909-10			Scottish Lge
	1910-11			Scottish Cup
	1911-12			Scottish Cup
	1913-14			Scottish Lge & Cup
	1914-15			Scottish Lge
	1915-16			Scottish Lge
	1916-17			Scottish Lge
	1918-19			Scottish Lge
	1920-21			Scottish Cup				Partick Thistle
17	Davie Meiklejohn						Rangers
	1920-21			Scottish Lge
	1922-23			Scottish Lge
	1923-24			Scottish Lge
	1924-25			Scottish Lge
	1926-27			Scottish Lge
	1927-28			Scottish Lge & Cup
	1928-29			Scottish Lge
	1929-30			Scottish Lge & Cup
	1930-31			Scottish Lge
	1931-32			Scottish Cup
	1932-33			Scottish Lge
	1933-34			Scottish Lge & Cup
	1934-35			Scottish Lge & Cup
16	Sandy Archibald						Rangers
	1917-18			Scottish Lge
	1919-20			Scottish Lge
	1920-21			Scottish Lge
	1922-23			Scottish Lge
	1923-24			Scottish Lge
	1924-25			Scottish Lge
	1926-27			Scottish Lge
	1927-28			Scottish Lge & Cup
	1928-29			Scottish Lge
	1929-30			Scottish Lge & Cup
	1930-31			Scottish Lge
	1931-32			Scottish Cup
	1932-33			Scottish Lge
	1933-34			Scottish Lge
15	Sunny Jim Young						Celtic
	1904-05			Scottish Lge
	1905-06			Scottish Lge
	1906-07			Scottish Lge & Cup
	1907-08			Scottish Lge & Cup
	1908-09			Scottish Lge
	1909-10			Scottish Lge
	1910-11			Scottish Cup
	1911-12			Scottish Cup
	1913-14			Scottish Lge & Cup
	1914-15			Scottish Lge
	1915-16			Scottish Lge
	1916-17			Scottish Lge
14*	Bob  McPhail						Rangers
	1926-27			Scottish Lge
	1927-28			Scottish Lge & Cup
	1928-29			Scottish Lge
	1929-30			Scottish Lge & Cup
	1930-31			Scottish Lge
	1931-32			Scottish Cup
	1932-33			Scottish Lge
	1933-34			Scottish Lge & Cup
	1934-35			Scottish Lge & Cup
	1936-37			Scottish Lge
·         Won further honours after 1937
11	Jimmy Quinn							Celtic
	1903-04			Scottish Cup
	1904-05			Scottish Lge
	1905-06			Scottish Lge
	1906-07			Scottish Lge & Cup
	1907-08			Scottish Lge & Cup
	1908-09			Scottish Lge
	1909-10			Scottish Lge
	1910-11			Scottish Cup
	1911-12			Scottish Cup
11	Alan Morton							Rangers
	1920-21			Scottish Lge
	1922-23			Scottish Lge
	1923-24			Scottish Lge
	1924-25			Scottish Lge
	1926-27			Scottish Lge
	1927-28			Scottish Lge & Cup
	1928-29			Scottish Lge
	1929-30			Scottish Lge & Cup
	1930-31			Scottish Lge

10	Davy Adams		Celtic
	1903-04	Scottish Cup
	1904-05	Scottish Lge
	1905-06	Scottish Lge
	1906-07	Scottish Lge & Cup
	1907-08	Scottish Lge & Cup
	1908-09	Scottish Lge
	1909-10	Scottish Lge
	1910-11	Scottish Cup
10	Davie Hamilton		Celtic
	1903-04	Scottish Cup
	1904-05	Scottish Lge
	1905-06	Scottish Lge
	1906-07	Scottish Lge & Cup
	1907-08	Scottish Lge & Cup
	1908-09	Scottish Lge
	1909-10	Scottish Lge
	1910-11	Scottish Cup
10	Jimmy Dun Hay		Celtic
	1903-04	Scottish Cup
	1904-05	Scottish Lge
	1905-06	Scottish Lge
	1906-07	Scottish Lge & Cup
	1907-08	Scottish Lge & Cup
	1908-09	Scottish Lge
	1909-10	Scottish Lge
	1910-11	Scottish Cup
10	Willie Loney		Celtic
	1903-04	Scottish Cup
	1904-05	Scottish Lge
	1905-06	Scottish Lge
	1906-07	Scottish Lge & Cup
	1907-08	Scottish Lge & Cup
	1908-09	Scottish Lge
	1909-10	Scottish Lge
	1910-11	Scottish Cup

In terms of  Scottish FA Cup/ FA Cup winners alone (pre League era, with the exception of Jimmy Forrest) the record holders are:

Wins	Player	Club	Years
7	Charles Campbell	Queen's Park	1873-74	1874-75	1875-76
			1879-80	1880-81	1881-82
			1885-86
5	Charles Wollaston	Wanderers	1871-72	1872-73	1875-76
			1876-77	1877-78
	Arthur Kinnaird	Wanderers	1872-73	1876-77	1877-78
		Old Etonians	1878-79	1881-82
	Henry McNiel	Queen's Park	1873-74	1874-75	1875-76
			1879-80	1880-81
	Jimmy Forrest	Blackburn Rovers	1883-84	1884-85	1885-86
			1889-90	1890-91