UK government diplomats celebrating 150th anniversary of Scotland v England football fixture across the world
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office staff around the world are marking the 150th anniversary of the first ever football international on St Andrew鈥檚 Day.
Embassy staff in Mozambique play a 5-a-side football match to celebrate 150 years of football matches between Scotland and England.
- Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office staff marking 150th anniversary of famous fixture by playing Scotland v England games around the world
- granddaughter of football legend Jack Charlton amongst those pulling on their boots to celebrate the world鈥檚 first international football match
- diplomats working overseas in countries including Bahrain, British Virgin Islands, Malaysia, Mozambique, Poland and Serbia celebrate with St Andrew鈥檚 Day kickabouts 150 years on from first ever Scotland v England friendly
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office staff around the world have been marking the 150th anniversary of the first ever football international on St Andrew鈥檚 Day by holding their own Scotland v England matches.
The granddaughter of football legend Jack Charlton will line-up for England in a charity match organised by staff at the FCDO鈥檚 joint headquarters, Abercrombie House, in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire this Sunday (4 December).
Kate Wilkinson moved to Scotland 6 years ago to work as a Syria programme manager for FCDO and is looking forward starring in the staff Scotland v England clash, which is raising funds jointly for the and .
Diplomats working overseas in countries including Bahrain, the British Virgin Islands, Malaysia, Mozambique, Poland and Serbia are also celebrating the historic fixture鈥檚 150th birthday.
The fixture is celebrated as the world鈥檚 first international football match after Scotland and England drew 0-0 in front of 4,000 spectators at the West of Scotland Cricket Ground, in Glasgow, on 30 November 1872.
World Cup winning defender Jack, who died aged 85 in 2020 after a battle with lymphoma, made his mark on the famous fixture.
Leeds-born Kate, 28, said:
My grandad loved England v Scotland games and used to joke to fans that if he had not got injured in the famous 1967 match, Scotland would never have won 3-2.
There were no substitutes allowed back then so my grandad was forced to hobble around as a striker for most of the match after breaking his toe early on. He still managed to score a goal.
I鈥檓 very much looking forward to helping celebrate the 150th聽anniversary of the fixture, although I鈥檝e told my team not to expect much from me- I鈥檝e got 2 left feet!
Funnily enough, the Charlton soccer skills did not pass down from either Jack or Bobby to the rest of the family. There was no danger of me being part of the England Lioness鈥� Euro winning side this summer.
I think my grandad must have taken one look at me and my siblings playing when we were younger and thought 鈥楪osh, what on earth has happened here?鈥�.
I鈥檓 sure once my team have seen me play, they will decide I鈥檇 be better cheering them on to victory from the touchline. It鈥檚 a great chance for us to raise money for good causes.
Almost 1,000 staff are at the heart of delivering UK foreign policy from the FCDO鈥檚 joint headquarters in Scotland 鈥� with plans to redeploy a further 500 jobs to the East Kilbride site as part of the UK government鈥檚 levelling-up agenda.
Sunday鈥檚 fundraiser is taking place at the K-Training Academy in East Kilbride at 4pm.
East Kilbride Community Trust Facilities Manager Ian Aitchison said:
It is fantastic that the FCDO is marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of international football by holding Scotland v England games around the world.
Ideally, Scotland would have been facing England this week at the World Cup, but we are proud to be part of this event in East Kilbride.
Scots diplomat Euan Davidson and English colleague Freddie Brunt skippered the sides for a Scotland v England 6-a-side match in Maputo, Mozambique on Sunday. The Dark Blues triumphed 9-5.
Euan beamed:
It was a great game for the neutral, with England regaining the lead in the last 10 minutes before Scotland came back to secure a historic win.
What the Scottish players lacked in fitness, skills and ability, we made up for with some creative signings, drawing on Mozambicans, Brazilians and Dutch players to score all our goals!
Freddie said:
It was a topsy-turvy game played in true British conditions 鈥� windy and wet. Scotland were leading, England came back, but then we tired and Scotland ran away with it.
I suppose the Scotland win will soften the blow of them not having a team to cheer on at the World Cup鈥� unlike England and Wales.
Staff in Warsaw, Poland braved snow and sub-zero temperatures to play their game, while in Belgrade, Serbia diplomats Lara Bryden and Thomas Wright had fun contesting a Scotland v England Subbuteo game during a St Andrew鈥檚 Day event held at the British Embassy. Their match finished 1-1.
The FCDO is also celebrating St Andrew鈥檚 Day around the world 鈥� with Scottish Secretary Alister Jack travelling to Paris on a 2-day trip to promote Scottish trade with France.
The Secretary of State will meet UK and French businesses, as well as government ministers, diplomatic staff, parliamentarians, senators and British community leaders. He will visit Chanel, to see how they are using Harris Tweed and other Scottish materials in their latest range, and will also jointly host a St Andrew鈥檚 night dinner with the British Ambassador to France, Dame Menna Rawlings.
To make a charity match donation, visit .
Background
- interviews with Kate Wilkinson are available on request
- contact Graeme Donohoe on 07384 248 770 or email graeme.donohoe@fcdo.gov.uk if you have any further queries
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