England Programmes | England & Scotland 1938/39

England & Scotland 1938/39

England’s 1938/39 international campaign combined Home Championship drama with notable friendly fixtures against European opposition. It was also the final complete international season before the outbreak of the Second World War brought regular football to a halt.

The campaign began with a 4–2 defeat to Wales in Cardiff, although 19-year-old Tommy Lawton scored on his England debut. The team responded with a 4–0 friendly victory over Norway at St James’ Park before defeating Ireland 7–0 at Old Trafford. Tottenham Hotspur’s Willie Hall scored five goals against Ireland, setting an England record for goals by one player in an international match.

England completed their Home Championship fixtures with a 2–1 victory over Scotland at Hampden Park. Lawton scored the winning goal in front of an enormous crowd, leaving England, Scotland and Wales sharing the championship with four points each.

The end-of-season European tour included a prestigious 2–2 draw with reigning world champions Italy in Milan, followed by matches against Yugoslavia and Romania. These fixtures reflected England’s increasing engagement with continental football during a politically uncertain period.

The surviving programmes from 1938/39 preserve team selections, official notes and match details from this significant campaign. Featuring prominent players such as Lawton, Stanley Matthews, Eddie Hapgood and Vic Woodley, they offer collectors a direct connection to the international game immediately before wartime disruption. Scarce and historically important, each issue records one of the final chapters of pre-war England football.