<P> The England--Scotland football rivalry is a sports rivalry that exists between their respective national football teams . It is the oldest international fixture in the world, first played in 1872 at Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow . The history of the British Isles has led to much rivalry between the nations in many forms, and the social and cultural effects of centuries of antagonism and conflict between the two has contributed to the intense nature of the sporting contests . Scottish nationalism has also been a factor in the Scots' desire to defeat England above all other rivals, with Scottish sports journalists traditionally referring to the English as the "Auld Enemy". </P> <P> The footballing rivalry has diminished somewhat since the late 1970s, particularly since the annual fixture stopped in 1989 . For England, games against Germany and Argentina are now considered to be more important than the historic rivalry with Scotland . </P> <P> The BBC website has commented that the games "have represented all that is good and all that is bad about football since the fixture began," while The Guardian newspaper once reported that "for millions across both sides of the border the encounter represents a chance for the ultimate victory over the enemy ." As of June 2017, the teams have played 114 matches; England have won 48, Scotland 41, and there have been 25 draws . </P> <P> The rules of association football had been formalised and set down by The Football Association in England in 1863 . By 1870 C.W. Alcock, Secretary of The Football Association, issued public challenges in various Scottish newspapers, including the Glasgow Herald, to Scottish players to play an international match against England . One of the few public responses that Alcock received from Scotland stated that "devotees of the' association' rules will find no foemen worthy of their steel in Scotland". Alcock ardently defended that the right to play in these matches "was open to every Scotchman whether his lines were cast North or South of the Tweed". The first match was described in the Glasgow Herald as "the great international football match" and there was acceptance by the same newspaper in 1871 that "both captains had been successful in the composition of elevens capable of efficiently representing their respective causes". </P>

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