1961–62 British Home Championship

{{Infobox international football competition

|tourney_name= 1961–62 British Home Championship

|image =

|size =

|caption =

|country =England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales

|dates = 7 October 1961 – 14 April 1962

|num_teams =4

|champion=SCO|second=WAL

|attendance =

|matches =6

|goals = 19

|top_scorer ={{flagicon|WAL}} Mel Charles (4)

|prevseason =1960–61

|nextseason =1962–63

}}

The 1961–62 British Home Championship was a football competition played in the season preceding the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile, for which only England had qualified from the home nations. Although they were expected to do well in the World Cup, England suffered a poor home championship and were eventually dispatched from the World Cup by the eventual winner Brazil in the quarter-finals.

The Home Championship began very well for Scotland, who in their first match scored a 6–1 defeat of Ireland in Belfast. England could not match this pace in their encounter with Wales who held them to a draw and became a contender for the title in the process. In the second game the Scots beat the Welsh 2–0 but England again failed to impress, again drawing 1–1 with the poor Irish. In the final matches, Wales beat Ireland comprehensively with Mel Charles taking all four goals and achieving second position, whilst England played Scotland knowing that only a win would get them the title. In the event, the impressive Scots ran out 2–0 winners, taking the championship and achieving a rare whitewash of the other three teams.

Table

{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL

|show_positions=n

|winpoints=2

|team1=SCO|name_SCO={{fb|Scotland}}

|team2=WAL|name_WAL={{fb|Wales}}

|team3=ENG|name_ENG={{fb|England}}

|team4=NIR|name_NIR={{fb|NIR|name=Ireland}}

|col_C=#ccffcc|text_C=

|result1=C

|update=complete|source=

|class_rules = 1) points. The points system worked as follows: 2 points for a win and 1 point for a draw.

}}

Results

{{football box

| date = 7 October 1961

| team1 = {{fb-rt|NIR|name=Ireland}}

| score = 1–6

| team2 = {{fb|Scotland}}

| goals1 = McLaughlin {{goal}}

| goals2 = Scott {{goal}} {{goal}} {{goal}}
Brand {{goal}} {{goal}}
Wilson {{goal}}

| stadium = Windsor Park, Belfast }}

----

{{football box

| date = 14 October 1961

| team1 = {{fb-rt|Wales}}

| score = 1–1

| team2 = {{fb|England}}

| goals1 = Williams {{goal}}

| goals2 = Douglas {{goal}}

| stadium = Ninian Park, Cardiff }}

----

{{football box

| date = 22 November 1961

| team1 = {{fb-rt|England}}

| score = 1–1

| team2 = {{fb|NIR|name=Ireland}}

| goals1 = Charlton {{goal}}

| goals2 = McIlroy {{goal}}

| stadium = Wembley Stadium, London }}

----

{{football box

| date = 8 November 1961

| team1 = {{fb-rt|Scotland}}

| score = 2–0

| team2 = {{fb|Wales}}

| goals1 = St John {{goal}} {{goal}}

| goals2 =

| stadium = Hampden Park, Glasgow }}

----

{{football box

| date = 11 April 1962

| team1 = {{fb-rt|Wales}}

| score = 4–0

| team2 = {{fb|NIR|name=Ireland}}

| goals1 = Charles {{goal}} {{goal}} {{goal}} {{goal}}

| goals2 =

| stadium = Ninian Park, Cardiff }}

----

{{football box

| date = 14 April 1962[https://www.britishpathe.com/video/hampden-park-scotland-v-england/query/Hampden Hampden Park - Scotland V England], video footage from official Pathé News archive

| team1 = {{fb-rt|Scotland}}

| score = 2–0

| team2 = {{fb|England}}

| goals1 = Wilson {{goal}}
Caldow {{goal||pen.}}

| goals2 =

| stadium = Hampden Park, Glasgow }}