1929 Spain V England Football Match
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On 15 May 1929 at the Estadio Metropolitano in
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
, the home stadium of
Atlético Madrid Club Atlético de Madrid, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), commonly referred to as Atlético Madrid or simply Atlético, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid that plays in La Liga. The club play their home game ...
,
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
's national team were defeated 4–3 by
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
in a friendly international
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
match. As a result, Spain became the first team from
Continental Europe Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous mainland of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by som ...
to defeat England, and doing so in the first meeting between the two countries. Such was the prestige of the match for the Spanish, it was the first ever to be publicly broadcast via radio. The match was refereed by Belgian official
John Langenus Joannes Julianus "John" Langenus (9 December 1891 in Antwerp, BelgiumHome Nations had popularised the sport, and England were widely viewed as the greatest team in the world in the early 20th century. Their first matches against continental European sides resulted in high-scoring victories, but after
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
the gap in quality eventually narrowed, due in part to England's insularity and failure to evolve, as well as the increase in skill and innovation throughout Europe. Though England were favourites and in good
form Form is the shape, visual appearance, or configuration of an object. In a wider sense, the form is the way something happens. Form may also refer to: *Form (document), a document (printed or electronic) with spaces in which to write or enter dat ...
going into the match, the standard of
Spanish football Football is the most popular sport in Spain, with 61% of the population interested in it. Spain has some of the most influential teams in Europe (Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid, Sevilla, Valencia, and others) as well as many playe ...
was greatly improving due to the influence of expat English coaches such as Atlético manager
Fred Pentland Frederick Beaconsfield Pentland (29 July 1883 – 16 March 1962) was an English football player and coach. Pentland played club football in the Football League for Blackpool, Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough, in the Southern Football League f ...
, who at the time was assisting the Spain national team, as well as the recent professionalising of the sport, which included the creation of
La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...
. Despite being played in searing heat which favoured the hosts, England went 2–0 up inside the opening 20 minutes through goals by
Joe Carter Joseph Chris Carter (born March 7, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays ...
and
Joe Bradford Joseph Bradford (22 January 1901 – 6 September 1980) was an English footballer who played as a centre forward. He spent the majority of his career with Birmingham, and remains the club's all-time leading goalscorer with 267 goals from 445 app ...
following mistakes by goalkeeper
Ricardo Zamora Ricardo Zamora Martínez (; 21 January 1901 – 8 September 1978) was a Spanish footballer and manager. He played as a goalkeeper for, among others, RCD Espanyol, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. As an international he played for Spain. As a man ...
, a mainstay for Spain since their first international in 1920, and who injured his
sternum The sternum (: sternums or sterna) or breastbone is a long flat bone located in the central part of the chest. It connects to the ribs via cartilage and forms the front of the rib cage, thus helping to protect the heart, lungs, and major bl ...
early on. Spain came back into the match and levelled the score, goals from
Gaspar Rubio Gaspar Rubio Meliá (14 December 1907 – 3 January 1983) was a Spanish football forward and coach. Club career Born in Serra, Valencia, Rubio amassed La Liga totals of 61 games and 37 goals over the course of five seasons, representing in th ...
and
Jaime Lazcano Jaime Lazcano Escolá (5 March 1909 – 1 June 1983), was a Spanish professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Spain during the 1920s and 1930s. He scored the first ever La Liga goal for Real Ma ...
making it 2–2 shortly before the half-time interval. England retook the lead in the second half thanks to a Carter
penalty kick A penalty shot or penalty kick is a play used in several sports whereby a goal is attempted during untimed play. Depending on the sport, when a player commits certain types of penalties, the opposition is awarded a penalty shot or kick attempt. ...
, only for Spain to again draw level and then take the lead themselves; Rubio scored the equaliser with 10 minutes remaining, and then
Severiano Goiburu Severiano Goiburu Lopetegui (8 November 1906 – 31 July 1982) was a Spanish footballer who played for the Spain national team. He played for many clubs in La Liga, most notably Barcelona. He is known for scoring the decisive goal in the 1929 ...
, an
amateur An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...
footballer, scored the match winning goal. Both goals resulted in a
pitch invasion A pitch invasion (also known as field storming, rushing the field or rushing the court) occurs when a person or a crowd of people spectating a sporting event run onto the competition area, usually to celebrate or protest an incident, or somet ...
from ecstatic Spanish fans which caused slight delays to the match, and no further goals ensured Spain had made history. The British press gave little coverage to the result, while those in the Spanish media were enthusiastic about Spain's performance and doubtful as to the quality of the English players. The match marked the final time a
non-league football Non-League football describes association football, football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is ...
player represented England,
Edgar Kail Edgar Isaac Lewis Kail (26 November 1900 – 17 January 1976) was an English association football, footballer who played for Dulwich Hamlet F.C., Dulwich Hamlet and the England national football team, England national team, as an inside forward. ...
of
Dulwich Hamlet Dulwich Hamlet Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in East Dulwich in south-east London, England. They are currently members of and play at Champion Hill. History The club was formed in 1893, by Lorraine 'Pa' Wilson. The ...
never being selected to play for his country again, along with six other players. Neither team attended the following years' inaugural
FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often called the World Cup, is an international association football competition among the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the FIFA, Fédération Internatio ...
, but the two sides eventually competed in a rematch at the request of England; the fixture, played at
Highbury Highbury is an area of North London, England, in the London Borough of Islington. Highbury Manor Highbury was once owned by Ranulf, brother of Ilger, and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads. The manor hou ...
in December
1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...
, was won 7–1 by the home side.


Background

In the early 20th century, England viewed matches against teams from
Continental Europe Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous mainland of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by som ...
as an act of generosity, and
The Football Association The Football Association (the FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest footb ...
had created a second team with the purpose of playing in the matches. Spain had been one of the seven founder members of
FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
in
1904 Events January * January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''. * January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system. * ...
, a worldwide governing body for the sport intended to advance and organise the sport collectively, and though they initially refused to join, England would join the following year, which allowed the Home Nations four individual
football association A football association, also known as a football federation, soccer federation, or soccer association, is a governing body for association football. Many of them are members of the sport's regional bodies such as UEFA and CONMEBOL and the world gov ...
s to remain separate. Though the England amateur team had already played on the continent, England departed the
British Isles The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...
to play full internationals for the first time in the summer of
1908 This is the longest year in either the Julian or Gregorian calendars, having a duration of 31622401.38 seconds of Terrestrial Time (or ephemeris time), measured according to the definition of mean solar time. Events January * January ...
, defeating
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
6–1 in their first match. Demonstrating just how far England were ahead of the rest of the world at this point, this was followed by an 11–1 victory against the same opponents, a 7–0 win against
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
, and finishing the tour with a 4–0 win over
Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
. Until the match against Spain, England had been undefeated in 23 matches against foreign opposition, winning 22 of them, with only the winners of the
1920 Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (; ; ), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (; ; ) and commonly known as Antwerp 1920 (; Dutch language, Dutch and German language, German: ''Antwerpen 1920''), were an international multi-sport event held i ...
,
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
, avoiding defeat, drawing 2–2 in
1923 In Greece, this year contained only 352 days as 13 days was skipped to achieve the calendrical switch from Julian to Gregorian Calendar. It happened there that Wednesday, 15 February ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Thursday, 1 March ' ...
; such was the "humdrum" nature of these matches, they "barely warranted a mention in sporting press" according to writer Rory Smith in his book ''Mister: The Men Who Taught The World How To Beat England At Their Own Game''. In the 23 matches, England had scored a total of 118 goals and conceded 26, but had withdrawn from FIFA in
1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly demonstrating that DNA is the genetic material. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris B ...
. Though England were achieving positive results, their performances were attracting the attention of critics such as James Catton, who wrote in ''
Athletic News The ''Athletic News and Cyclists' Journal'' was a Manchester-based newspaper founded by Edward Hulton in 1875. It was published weekly, covering weekend sports fixtures other than horse racing, which was already covered by the '' Sporting Chroni ...
'' in 1923 that "unless players get out of the rut into which they have fallen, the game will lose its popularity and Great Britain her fame".
Gabriel Hanot Gabriel Hanot (; 6 November 1889 – 10 August 1968) was a French association football, footballer and journalist (the editor of ''L'Équipe''). The UEFA Champions League, European Cup—which became the UEFA Champions League—was the brainch ...
of '' L'Equipe'' saw threats to the English dominance from further afield, describing England as "farm horses" compared to the
Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
an " Arab thoroughbreds". In his book ''The Anatomy of England: A History in Ten Matches'', writer Jonathan Wilson describes England's lack of development as "institutional insularity".
Brian Glanville Brian Lester Glanville (24 September 1931 – 16 May 2025) was an English football writer and novelist. He was described by ''The Times'' as "the doyen of football writers—arguably the finest football writer of his—or any other—generation" ...
attributed it to the structure of the English league system, saying the possibility of relegation was the cause of conservatism and negativity within the English game, while
Willy Meisl Wilhelm "Willy" Meisl (26 December 1895 in Vienna – 12 June 1968 in Locarno) was an Austrian-Jewish sports journalist in the 20th century. He was the brother of Austrian national football manager Hugo Meisl. Meisl was an avid sportsman, playin ...
blamed an unimaginative interpretation of tactics.
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
forward
Cliff Bastin Clifford Sydney Bastin (14 March 1912 – 4 December 1991) was an English footballer who played as a winger for Exeter City and Arsenal. He also played for the England national team. Bastin is Arsenal's third-highest goalscorer of all time. Cl ...
was critical of the selection committee, saying they were "not particularly intelligent" as they favoured the talent of the individual rather than how they fit into the team. A 1930 editorial in ''Athletic News'' highlighted the issue of player turnover, with 145 players selected for Home Nations Championship fixtures since the end of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. JM Freeman of the ''
Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily Middle-market newspaper, middle-market Tabloid journalism, tabloid conservative newspaper founded in 1896 and published in London. , it has the List of newspapers in the United Kingdom by circulation, h ...
'' noted the "inferiority" of England's performance in finishing bottom of the
1927–28 British Home Championship The 1927–28 British Home Championship was an international football tournament played during the 1927–28 season between the British Home Nations. The competition was won by Wales who did not lose a game and only dropped a single point during ...
, in comparison to Scotland who finished third having defeated England 5–1 at
Wembley Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in the London Borou ...
. Spain had played their first international match in
1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen in Finland, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its ow ...
, less than nine years prior to the fixture with England, taking part in the 1920 Olympics where they faced
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
in the opening match; a goal from
Patricio Arabolaza Patricio Arabolaza Aranburu (17 March 1893 – 10 March 1935) was a Spanish football player who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics. He is best known for scoring the first goal in the history of the Spain national team. Club career Born in Ir ...
secured a 1–0 victory, though it was goalkeeper
Ricardo Zamora Ricardo Zamora Martínez (; 21 January 1901 – 8 September 1978) was a Spanish footballer and manager. He played as a goalkeeper for, among others, RCD Espanyol, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. As an international he played for Spain. As a man ...
who was Spain's key player in the match, particularly late on when injuries meant they had to finish the match with 10 players. Spain were managed by
José María Mateos José María Mateos y Larrucea (31 March 1888 – 22 December 1963) was a Spanish journalist and football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal ...
, a former journalist and manager of
Athletic Bilbao Athletic Club (; ), commonly known as Athletic Bilbao (), or simply Athletic, is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in the city of Bilbao in the Southern Basque Country, Basque Country, Spain. They are known ...
who had been part a management trio taking charge of Spain since 1922, and had taken sole charge of the team following a 7–1 defeat to
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
at the
1928 Olympics 1928 Olympics may refer to: *The 1928 Winter Olympics, which were held in St. Moritz, Switzerland *The 1928 Summer Olympics, which were held in Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of t ...
, In contrast to England's stubborn approach towards foreign football, the Spanish held the English in high esteem and their football heritage was treated with great reverence; several Spanish football clubs used English terminology in their names, and many coaches of the teams were from England; Athletic referred to England as "la madre del fútbol" (the mother of football). Such was the profile of the fixture within Spain, it was the first football match to be publicly broadcast via radio, and it was said by
Mundo Deportivo ''Mundo Deportivo'' (; ) is a Spanish nationwide daily sports newspaper published in Barcelona. History and profile ''Mundo Deportivo'' was first published on 1 February 1906, as a weekly newspaper, and since 1929 daily. It is the oldest sports ...
to be a "giant, transcendental step" for Spain to playing against England, and that a victory would see their "prestige consolidated throughout the world".


Pre-match

In May
1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...
, England had already achieved big victories over
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
and Belgium, winning 4–1 and 5–1 respectively, their
allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...
in World War I who they had begun playing on a near-annual basis. The committee who selected England's players chose the same team for all three matches, changing only two players from the starting lineup of England's last competitive fixture against
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
in April, namely defenders Tom Cooper and Ernie Blenkinsop coming into the team. England's performance against France was deemed poor, with newspaper the ''
Daily Sketch The ''Daily Sketch'' was a British national tabloid newspaper, founded in Manchester in 1909 by Sir Edward Hulton, 1st Baronet. The ''Sketch'' was Conservative in its politics and populist in its tone during its existence through all its ch ...
'' saying they "lacked speed and will have to play better if they are to beat Spain". Committee member Phil Bach told the Spanish press they had not been happy with the performance. During the match against Belgium, striker
George Camsell George Henry Camsell (27 November 1902 – 7 March 1966) was an English Association football, footballer who scored a club record 325 league goals in 419 games for Middlesbrough F.C., Middlesbrough, and 18 goals in nine appearances for England ...
, who had dislodged
Dixie Dean William Ralph "Dixie" Dean (22 January 1907 – 1 March 1980) was an English footballer who played as a centre forward. Dean holds the record for the most goals scored in a single season in top-flight English football, with 60. He is regarded as ...
from the team, scored four goals but picked up an injury which would rule him out of the match against Spain; '' Sporting Life'' said it was a "distinct loss". It was the first meeting between the two countries; overall, it was Spain's 33rd international fixture, and England's 167th. It was to be the first Spain match played at the Estadio Metropolitano in
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
, with tickets priced between 5 and 22 pesetas, which sold out two days in advance. The stadium, which was opened in 1923, was the home of
Atlético Madrid Club Atlético de Madrid, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), commonly referred to as Atlético Madrid or simply Atlético, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid that plays in La Liga. The club play their home game ...
from its inauguration until 1966. Mateos surprisingly opted not to select any players from
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
despite their being crowned inaugural
La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...
champions a month later. The professionalism of football in Spain had brought an upturn in results and performances internationally; in March they defeated
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
5–0 in
Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...
, and achieved a bigger victory against France than England had achieved, winning 8–1 in
Zaragoza Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...
, with
Gaspar Rubio Gaspar Rubio Meliá (14 December 1907 – 3 January 1983) was a Spanish football forward and coach. Club career Born in Serra, Valencia, Rubio amassed La Liga totals of 61 games and 37 goals over the course of five seasons, representing in th ...
scoring a
hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...
against Portugal and four against France, and Rubio told
Royal Spanish Football Federation The Royal Spanish Football Federation (; RFEF) is the governing body of football in Spain. Founded on 29 September 1913, it is based in La Ciudad del Fútbol of Las Rozas de Madrid, Las Rozas, a municipality near Madrid. RFEF organizes the natio ...
president Pedro Díaz de Ribera that he should be paid a bonus for each goal he scored against England. Half-back
José María Peña Anacleto José María Peña Salegui (9 April 1895 – 13 January 1989) was a Spanish professional football player and manager. Born in Las Arenas, he started playing football as a midfielder at Arenas Club de Getxo in 1913; teammates included ...
was the first professional footballer in Spain, and was a key proponent of the Spain team throughout the . The Spain squad and Mateos had been preparing since February for the three fixtures due to be played.


Match


Team selection

Spain's starting lineup had an average age of 24.5 years, and were captained by goalkeeper Zamora, with
Félix Quesada Félix Quesada Mas (1 July 1902 – 9 July 1959) was a Spanish professional association football player. He was born in Madrid, Spain. He played as a defender spending the entire of his career at Real Madrid C.F. He scored 33 goals in 244 matche ...
and
Jacinto Quincoces Jacinto Francisco Fernández de Quincoces y López de Arbina (17 July 1905 – 10 May 1997) was a Spanish football player and manager, as well as President of the Valencian Pilota Federation. He was a central defender and is regarded as on ...
in defence. In the middle was Martín Marculeta, with half-backs Peña and Pachuco Prats, in for Paco Bienzobas as Spain's only change from the France match. The attacking five players for Spain consisted of
José Padrón José Padrón Martín (5 May 1907 – 3 December 1966) was a Spanish footballer who played for RCD Espanyol, Sevilla FC and FC Barcelona in Spain and various clubs in France. Club career A native of Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria and th ...
and
Severiano Goiburu Severiano Goiburu Lopetegui (8 November 1906 – 31 July 1982) was a Spanish footballer who played for the Spain national team. He played for many clubs in La Liga, most notably Barcelona. He is known for scoring the decisive goal in the 1929 ...
, the teams' only amateur player, behind centre-forward Rubio, who was flanked by left winger and right winger
Jaime Lazcano Jaime Lazcano Escolá (5 March 1909 – 1 June 1983), was a Spanish professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Spain during the 1920s and 1930s. He scored the first ever La Liga goal for Real Ma ...
. Mateos had given 10 players their first
international cap In sport, a cap is a player's appearance in a game at international level. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of rugby football and association football. In the e ...
across the two previous matches, but no new débutants were announced for the England match. Alongside Mateos on the coaching team was Atlético Madrid manager
Fred Pentland Frederick Beaconsfield Pentland (29 July 1883 – 16 March 1962) was an English football player and coach. Pentland played club football in the Football League for Blackpool, Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough, in the Southern Football League f ...
, who revolutionised the way many clubs in Spain played football and is regarded as the first great coach in the country, moving from the English-style kick-and-rush to a style focused on "skill, bravery in possession, short passing and quick movement". England's starting lineup, selected by an FA committee, had an average age of 28.9 years, and consisted of goalkeeper Ted Hufton behind a defensive pairing of Blenkinsop and Cooper, with Joe Peacock and
Fred Kean Frederick William Kean (10 December 1898 – 28 October 1973) was an English international footballer who played professionally as a right half for The Wednesday, Bolton Wanderers and Luton Town. Kean was born in Sheffield and won nine caps for ...
at wing-half either side of
Jack Hill Jack Hill (born January 28, 1933) is an American filmmaker, known for his work in the exploitation genre. He was an early associate of Francis Ford Coppola and Roger Corman, and worked on many films distributed by American International Pictur ...
, who was captaining England for what would be the sixth and final time. In the English attack,
Joe Carter Joseph Chris Carter (born March 7, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder and first baseman for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays ...
and
Edgar Kail Edgar Isaac Lewis Kail (26 November 1900 – 17 January 1976) was an English association football, footballer who played for Dulwich Hamlet F.C., Dulwich Hamlet and the England national football team, England national team, as an inside forward. ...
were positioned behind an attacking trio of outside left Leonard Barry and outside right
Hugh Adcock Hugh "Hughie" Adcock (born 10 April 1903 in Coalville, England – 16 October 1975) was an English footballer. Career Club Adcock played for Ravenstone United, Coalville Town, Loughborough Corinthians, Bristol Rovers, Folkestone and Ibstoc ...
, either side of centre forward
Joe Bradford Joseph Bradford (22 January 1901 – 6 September 1980) was an English footballer who played as a centre forward. He spent the majority of his career with Birmingham, and remains the club's all-time leading goalscorer with 267 goals from 445 app ...
. Bradford was a surprise selection to the Spanish, who were expecting Dean to come back into the team to replace the injured Camsell. Both teams used a
2–3–5 In association football, the formation of a team refers to the position players take in relation to each other on a pitch. As association football is a fluid and fast-moving game, a player's position (with the exception of the goalkeeper) in a ...
formation.


Summary

The match was refereed by Belgian
John Langenus Joannes Julianus "John" Langenus (9 December 1891 in Antwerp, Belgium and who would referee the first World Cup Final in 1930. Spain won the
coin toss A coin is a small object, usually round and flat, used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to facilitate trade. They are most often issued by a ...
and chose for England to play the first half "into the winds with the sun at their backs". The match kicked off at 17:00
GMT Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the local mean time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, counted from midnight. At different times in the past, it has been calculated in different ways, including being calculated from noon; as a co ...
in front of a crowd of what was officially estimated at 45,000, but believed to be more, though Wilson writes that the match commenced at 17:05GMT as the Spain players were late out. The first chance went Spain's way, their left-winger Yurrita hitting the post early on. Though accounts differ as to the precise minutes and scorers of the opening goals, England's right-winger Adcock set up two English goals in quick succession, using skill to beat a defender before centring the ball on both occasions; the Spanish media reported that inside-forward Carter and centre forward Bradford scored the goals, while the consensus among the English press was that Carter had scored both goals. Unbeknown to everybody but himself, Spain goalkeeper Zamora injured his
sternum The sternum (: sternums or sterna) or breastbone is a long flat bone located in the central part of the chest. It connects to the ribs via cartilage and forms the front of the rib cage, thus helping to protect the heart, lungs, and major bl ...
when he accidentally collided with his own teammate, the halfback Peña, in the build-up to the first goal. Though England were clearly the superior side, they dropped their guard, and in quick succession Spain scored twice, first through a header from centre forward Rubio, and then a 25-yard strike from right-winger Lazcano to go into the half-time break level at 2–2, the latter goal described by English newspaper ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' simply as "a brilliant shot". The break had helped England, and they began dominating possession, eventually scoring a third goal in approximately the 73rd minute, when Adcock was fouled inside the penalty area and Carter scored his second of the match from the resulting
penalty kick A penalty shot or penalty kick is a play used in several sports whereby a goal is attempted during untimed play. Depending on the sport, when a player commits certain types of penalties, the opposition is awarded a penalty shot or kick attempt. ...
, though ''The Times'' reported that England's third was scored by halfback Hill following a clearance by England's goalkeeper Hufton. "With the game drawing to a close England looked like good winners", reported ''Sporting Life'', however amidst a "patriotic and electrifying atmosphere", Spain equalised again in the 80th minute, with Rubio scoring his second of the match with a powerful header, after good teamwork from Lazcano and inside forward Goiburu on the right wing. The goal was immediately followed by a
pitch invasion A pitch invasion (also known as field storming, rushing the field or rushing the court) occurs when a person or a crowd of people spectating a sporting event run onto the competition area, usually to celebrate or protest an incident, or somet ...
, the jubilant Spanish crowd lifting Rubio onto their shoulders in celebration. The
Guardia Civil The Civil Guard (; ) is one of the two national law enforcement agencies of Spain. As a national gendarmerie, it is military in nature and is responsible for civil policing under the authority of both the Ministry of the Interior and the Minis ...
with swords emptied the pitch of the invaders and play resumed. Quickly thereafter, Goiburu scored to put Spain 4–3 in front, resulting in a second pitch invasion. With the pitch cleared again, Zamora and fullback Quesada prevented two England chances late on, ensuring a historic victory for Spain.


Details


Aftermath


Press reaction

Despite turning out to be such a historic defeat, many in the British press hadn't travelled to
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
to report on the match, only a reporter from ''The Times'' known to be there, and in the ensuing days ''
The Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily middle-market tabloid conservative newspaper founded in 1896 and published in London. , it has the highest circulation of paid newspapers in the UK. Its sister paper ''The Mail on Sunday'' was launch ...
'' and the ''
Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is part of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the tit ...
'' posted short reports, with ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' carrying no report. A correspondent from the ''
Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first ...
'' wrote; "I never thought I would live to see the day when 11 Spanish players humbled the might - more or less - of English soccer". Writing to ''Athletic News'', a member of the FA praised the Spaniards as "very fast, and not lacking in skill and finesse". England captain Hill said that he was shocked by how well Spain had played, and that he was "really, really disappointed" in the outcome, but claimed the heat had handicapped his team. In Spain, ''
Mundo Deportivo ''Mundo Deportivo'' (; ) is a Spanish nationwide daily sports newspaper published in Barcelona. History and profile ''Mundo Deportivo'' was first published on 1 February 1906, as a weekly newspaper, and since 1929 daily. It is the oldest sports ...
'' said the win had been achieved through the heart of the players rather than their technique, and paid tribute to the performances of Boiburu, Lazcano, Prats, and Padron on the Spanish team, with praise also given to England's Peacock and Adcock. ''
La Vanguardia ' (; , ) is a Spanish daily newspaper founded in 1881. It is printed in Spanish and, since 3 May 2011, also in Catalan. It has its headquarters in Barcelona and is Catalonia's leading newspaper. Despite being mostly distributed in Catalonia, ...
'' polemicised that "if England can't offer more than this, then English football is in crisis". Spanish journalist Alfredo Relaño believes the former site of the ground should have a plaque memorialising the historic occasion and paying tribute to the 11 players. Spain captain Zamora refuted any claims of luck, saying his team had "roundly imposed itself in the second half and that was the key to our success".


Spain

Zamora was signed the following year by
Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...
for 150k pesetas, becoming the highest paid player in Europe as a result. He was an integral part of the side which won their first
La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...
championship in 1931–32, a season in which they were unbeaten, and conceded 17 goals the following season when they retained the title in 1932–33. Beginning in the , the '
Ricardo Zamora Trophy The Zamora Trophy () is a football award, established by Spanish newspaper '' Marca'' in 1958. The award goes to the goalkeeper who has the lowest "goals-to-games" ratio.Similar to goals against average in ice hockey or earned run average in b ...
' would be awarded to the best goalkeeper in La Liga. Internationally, Zamora wouldn't feature in the inaugural
FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often called the World Cup, is an international association football competition among the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the FIFA, Fédération Internatio ...
in
1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be on J ...
, when Spanish clubs refused to allow their players to leave for an extended period of time, but was still the starting goalkeeper when Spain entered for the first time in
1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...
, with only Quincoces and Marculeta also remaining from the victory over England. Having defeated
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
3–1 in the first round, they came up against tournament hosts Italy. The teams played a violent and controversial match, with Italy receiving many favourable refereeing decisions, but the match finished 1–1, meaning a replay was played the following day which was won 1–0 by Italy in another match marred by controversy, following which referee
René Mercet René Mercet (1 December 1898 – 13 June 1961) was a Swiss football referee in the 1920s and 1930s. He is best known for having refereed the Italy v Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and West ...
was banned for life. The match, and the tournament as a whole, would be subject to accusations of political interference from
Prime Minister of Italy The prime minister of Italy, officially the president of the Council of Ministers (), is the head of government of the Italy, Italian Republic. The office of president of the Council of Ministers is established by articles 92–96 of the Co ...
,
Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...
. Pentland would return to manage Athletic Bilbao soon after, and would win consecutive La Liga championships in 1929–30 and 1930–31. The clubs' unique
Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...
-only signing policy, which had only previously been hinted at by the clubs hierarchy, was solidified thanks to the success Pentland achieved with the club. Quincoces, the standout defender at the 1934 World Cup, would later successfully revolutionise the defensive tactical approach from the then-popular 2–3–5 in which he excelled, into the 4–2–4 and later the 4–4–2 formations when manager at Real Madrid and
Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...
in the . The scorer of two of Spain's goals, Rubio, suddenly left the country in 1930 and went to
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
, effectively ending his international career. 20 years after the match, he would say that the equaliser to make the game 3–3 was the goal that gave him most joy throughout his career. Despite his brief spell representing his country, in which he scored nine goals in four matches, he is considered amongst the best players in Spain's history by '' AS'', alongside Zamora and Quincones.


England

The match would be the final cap for seven of the England lineup - Hufton, Kean, Hill, Peacock, Kail, Carter, and Barry never played for their country again. Kail, who played his club football for
Dulwich Hamlet Dulwich Hamlet Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in East Dulwich in south-east London, England. They are currently members of and play at Champion Hill. History The club was formed in 1893, by Lorraine 'Pa' Wilson. The ...
, was the last
non-league Non-League football describes association football, football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is ...
player to represent England. England made no immediate attempt at reconciliation with FIFA, not returning to the fold until 1946, and rejected the invitation to compete in the 1930 World Cup, which lead the British
Press Association PA Media (formerly the Press Association) is a multimedia news agency A news agency is an organization that gathers news reports and sells them to subscribing news organizations, such as newspapers, magazines and All-news radio, radio and ...
to refer to the tournament mockingly as the "so-called World’s Association Football Championship". With the rest of the world now catching up to England, they were being sought out for friendlies on a regular basis, failing to defeat both Austria and
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
in 1930, the match against the former directly lead to the FA stating they were "not in favour of granting permission to
alien Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, a lifeform with ext ...
players to be brought into this country" when Arsenal attempted to sign goalkeeper
Rudi Hiden Rudolf "Rudi" Hiden (9 March 1909 – 11 September 1973) was an Austrian- French footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Grazer AK, Wiener AC and RC Paris. He was capped internationally by the Austria and France national teams. In later life, ...
, and the
International Football Association Board The International Football Association Board (IFAB) is an international self-regulatory body of association football that is known for determining the Laws of the Game, the regulations for the gameplay of football. It was founded in 1886 in or ...
wrote it into law the following year. Things got worse the following year when losing to France 5–2 in 1931 (described by German sports magazine ''
Kicker Kicker or The Kicker may refer to: Sports * Placekicker, a position in American and Canadian football * ''Kicker'' (magazine), sports magazine in Germany * Kicker, the German colloquial term for an association football player * Kicker, the wor ...
'' as being "like a bombshell over the continent"), but defeated the Austria ''
Wunderteam ''Wunderteam'' (; ''Wonder Team'') was the name given to the Austria national football team of the 1930s. Led by manager Hugo Meisl, the team had an unbeaten streak of 14 games between April 1931 and December 1932. The style of the team focused on ...
'' 4–3 in
1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...
, a result seen as fortunate for England, and though Austria's English manager
Jimmy Hogan James Hogan (16 October 1882 – 30 January 1974) was an English football player and coach. He enjoyed some success as a footballer, reaching an FA Cup semi-final with Fulham in 1907–08, but his primary legacy is as a pioneer of the game ...
said that while his compatriots were still the best natural talents, he believed their lack of coaching and training was letting them down. England were ruled out as potential hosts for the next World Cup, with Italy chosen by FIFA; subsequently, it was Italy who were the next team to ask for a friendly against England, with the teams settling for a 1–1 draw in
1933 Events January * January 11 – Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independen ...
under the cloud of Mussolini's fascist reign. FA secretary Frederick Wall would reject an offer from the
Italian Football Federation The Italian Football Federation (, ; FIGC ), known colloquially as (), is the governing body of football in Italy. It is based in Rome and Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano, the technical department is in Coverciano, Florence. It manages a ...
to have all expenses covered in exchange for entering the tournament, and
Charles Sutcliffe Charles Edward Sutcliffe (8 July 1864 – 11 January 1939) was a British lawyer, football administrator and referee. Football career Sutcliffe played for Burnley during the 1880s, but retired by the mid-decade.. He retained a role at the club, jo ...
said the Home Nations Championship "was a far more representative World Championship than what is taking place in Rome".


Rematch

English representatives felt that the match had been played under extreme heat and on a dry pitch, so at a farewell banquet following the match,
Stanley Rous Sir Stanley Ford Rous (25 April 1895 – 18 July 1986) was an English football referee and the List of Presidents of FIFA, 6th President of FIFA, serving from 1961 to 1974. He also served as secretary of the Football Association from 1934 to 196 ...
requested a rematch with Spain. With the return match to be played at
Highbury Highbury is an area of North London, England, in the London Borough of Islington. Highbury Manor Highbury was once owned by Ranulf, brother of Ilger, and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads. The manor hou ...
on 9 December 1931, the Spanish contingent travelled to
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
early, arriving on 4 December and watching a league match between
West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
and Everton the following day, during which they witnessed England striker Dixie Dean in action, and were introduced to the fans at half-time to a good ovation. Spain would be only the second foreign team to play in England, with Belgium being the other on two prior occasions. According to Wilson, Zamora was unsettled by the refusal of the federation to allow players' partners to accompany them on the trip. Captained by Blenkinsop, who was still accompanied in the defence by Cooper, England would emerge victorious by a score of 7–1; in addition to a goal from Dean, his last for England, there were two goals each scored by
Sammy Crooks Samuel Dickinson Crooks (16 January 1908 – 3 February 1981) was an English footballer who played as outside forward or outside right for Derby County in the mid-war era. He was one of the best-known footballers of the 1920s and 1930s and was ...
, Jack Smith and Tommy Johnson, and Spain's consolation came in the 87th minute from
Guillermo Gorostiza Guillermo Gorostiza Paredes (15 February 1909 – 23 August 1966) was a Spanish footballer who played as a forward. In a 14-year professional career, he played for Athletic Bilbao and Valencia, amassing La Liga totals of 255 games and 178 goal ...
, a "low, stinging drive" going past England goalkeeper Harry Hibbs. The defeat remains the heaviest ever suffered by Spain, and was one of the worst games of Zamora's international career.


See also

*
1949 England v Ireland football match On 21 September 1949 at Goodison Park, Liverpool, the home of Everton, England were defeated 2–0 by Ireland in a friendly international. As a result, Ireland became the first foreign team to beat England at home. In 1953, the Hungarian team ...


References

Specific Bibliography * * * {{England national football team matches
Eng Eng or ENG may refer to: Language and linguistics * Eng (letter), Ŋ ŋ * En with descender, Ң ң * eng, ISO 639-3 and ISO 639-2 code for English language * Velar nasal, a phoneme People * Eng (name), a given name and surname in various cu ...
Esp Association football matches in Spain Spain national football team matches England national football team matches 1920s in Madrid May 1929 sports events in Europe International association football matches Spain–United Kingdom sports relations May 1929 sports events in the United Kingdom