Wales national football team results (1960–1979)
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international association football and is governed by the Football Association of Wales (FAW). Between 1960 and 1979 the side played 118 matches, the majority of which came against the other national teams of the Home Nations in the British Home Championship. Their first match of the period was a 3–2 victory over Northern Ireland which secured a shared Home Championship title as Wales, England and Scotland each finished with four points.[1][2]
Wales national football team results |
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Having reached the quarter-finals of the 1958 FIFA World Cup,[3] Wales suffered defeat in the qualifying stages for the 1962 tournament. As the team also failed to qualify for the 1966 FIFA World Cup they instead undertook tours to South America in both summers, playing several matches against Brazil and other sides.[1][4] Wales also entered the 1964 European Nations' Cup, after not taking part in the inaugural competition four years earlier, but were eliminated in the first qualifying round by Hungary.[5] The decade ended at a low point as Wales failed to gain a single point in qualifying for the 1970 FIFA World Cup and finished bottom of the last British Home Championship of the decade.[6][7]
Wales reached the quarter-finals of the 1976 European Championships,[lower-alpha 1] but suffered defeat in a two-legged tie against Yugoslavia. The second leg at Ninian Park proved controversial over refereeing decisions while crowd trouble led Wales to receive sanctions on home venues from FIFA.[9][10] In 1978, Wales recorded the second biggest margin of victory in their history by defeating Malta 7–0,[11] with Ian Edwards scoring four times on his debut.[12]
Of the 118 matches, Wales played during this period, they won 32.[13] They were most successful against Northern Ireland, winning 10 of 20 meetings between the two sides.[14] They also defeated Scotland three times and recorded two victories over four other sides.[13] Wales were least successful against England, winning only once in 22 meetings and losing 14.[15]
Results
Wales' score is shown first in each case. The colours listed below are also used to signify results combined with the scoreline.
Colour (with score) | Meaning |
---|---|
Defeat | |
Draw | |
Win |
Head to head records
Opponent | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | W% | D% | L% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Austria | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 50 | 0 | 50 |
Brazil | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
Chile | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
Czechoslovakia | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 25 | 0 | 75 |
Denmark | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 50 | 0 | 50 |
East Germany | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
England | 22 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 12 | 45 | 5 | 32 | 64 |
Finland | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 100 | 0 | 0 |
Greece | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 50 | 0 | 50 |
Hungary | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 40 | 20 | 40 |
Iran | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100 | 0 | 0 |
Italy | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
Kuwait | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
Luxembourg | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 100 | 0 | 0 |
Malta | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 100 | 0 | 0 |
Mexico | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
Northern Ireland | 20 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 32 | 16 | 50 | 25 | 25 |
Poland | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 50 | 0 | 50 |
Republic of Ireland | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 100 | 0 | 0 |
Romania | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 50 | 50 |
Scotland | 21 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 22 | 36 | 14 | 29 | 57 |
Soviet Union | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 50 | 0 | 50 |
Spain | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 50 | 50 |
Turkey | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 50 | 0 | 50 |
West Germany | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 50 | 50 |
Yugoslavia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 50 | 50 |
Totals | 118 | 32 | 27 | 59 | 133 | 175 | 27 | 23 | 50 |
Notes
- For the 1976 tournament, the quarter-finals were played as a two-legged, home and away tie with the final tournament hosting only the semi-finals and beyond.[8]
- Table information sourced from the references listed in the statistics section below.
- The 1966–67 and 1967-68 British Home Championships were used to determine which of the Home Nations would qualify for the 1968 UEFA European Championships.[16]
- The match was held in Liverpool after sanctions against the Welsh team following crowd trouble in the match against Yugoslavia the previous year.[17]
References
- Statistics
- Nygård, Jostein. "Wales – International Results". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- "Welsh International Matches". Welsh Football Data Archive. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- Oliver, Guy (1992). The Guinness Record of World Soccer. London: Guinness World Records Ltd. pp. 562–563. ISBN 978-0-85112-954-9.
- Bibliography
- Stead, Phil (2013). Red Dragons – The Story of Welsh Football. Ceredigion: Y Lolfa. ISBN 978-1-84771-468-8.
- Footnotes
- Stead 2013, pp. 179–182
- Reyes, Macario; Morrison, Neil. "British Home Championship 1947–1966". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 5 December 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
- Burnton, Simon (1 July 2016). "Wales at the 1958 World Cup: a quarter-final run with a difference". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
- Farmer, David; Stead, Peter (1998). Ivor Allchurch M.B.E. Swansea: Christopher Davies (Publishing) Ltd. p. 140. ISBN 978-0-7154-0733-2.
- Stead 2013, pp. 184–185
- Stead 2013, pp. 193–194
- Reyes, Macario; Morrison, Neil. "British Home Championship 1967–1984". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
- Stokkermans, Karel; Tabeira, Martín. "European Championship 1976". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 23 November 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
- Stead 2013, p. 220
- Abbandonato, Paul (22 May 2016). "The astonishing story of the forgotten Welsh football giants and the day Ninian Park erupted into violent chaos". WalesOnline. Media Wales. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
- "Wales national football team statistics and records: scores". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
- Harrison, Nick (19 November 2020). "Mark Hughes, Robbie Savage and Neco Williams are all in the list: Wrexham-born players who have starred for Wales". The Leader. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
- Nygård, Jostein. "Wales – International Results". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- "Wales national football team: record v Ireland". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Archived from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
- "Wales national football team: record v England". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Archived from the original on 13 July 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
- Reyes, Macario; Morrison, Neil. "British Home Championship 1967–1984". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
- Stead 2013, pp. 222–223