The Football League XI

{{Short description|Representative side of the Football League}}

The English Football League XI was a representative side of the Football League. The team regularly played against the Scottish Football League XI and other national league select teams between 1891[http://gottfriedfuchs.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-football-league-vs-scottish-league.html The Football League vs The Scottish League – 1890s], Before The 'D'...Association Football around the world, 1863–1937, 5 April 2014 and 1976.

For a long period the annual fixture between the English and Scottish leagues was only second in importance to the matches between the two national teams. The fixture declined in importance, however, particularly after regular European club competition was instituted in the 1950s. Later matches were played irregularly and poorly attended, with the last match against the Scottish league being played in March 1976.{{cite web |url=http://www.londonhearts.com/SFL/games/19760317.html |title=Wed 17 Mar 1976 SFL 0 English Football League 1 |work=www.londonhearts.com |publisher=London Hearts Supporters' Club |access-date=28 February 2014}}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=grXiAUEzVZoC&q=inter+league+football+matches&pg=PA1974 |title=The last inter-league match |work=First, Last & Only: Football |first=Paul |last=Donnelly |publisher=Hachette UK |year=2010 |isbn=9780600622543 |access-date=28 February 2014}} Other than the Inter-league fixtures, a match was played against the England national team in 1963 as part of the Football Association's centenary celebrations, ending in a 3–3 draw at the Arsenal Stadium.[https://www.11v11.com/matches/england-v-football-league-24-may-1963-270278/ England v Football League, 24 May 1963], 11v11.com{{cite news|title=Draw at Highbury|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NGxAAAAAIBAJ&pg=3882%2C4154659|date=25 May 1963|newspaper=The Glasgow Herald|location=Glasgow|page=8|access-date=5 November 2019}}

Aside from one-off exhibition matches against the Glasgow Football Association in 1977 (a 2–1 loss, celebrating the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II)[http://partickthistleahistory.wikifoundry.com/page/1977+-+Glasgow+v+English+League It's Spot on Sandy], match report, 1977 (via Partick Thistle History Archive)[https://thecelticstar.com/king-kenny-and-the-queens-silver-jubilee-match-glasgow-select-v-english-league-select/ King Kenny and the Queen’s Silver Jubilee match, Glasgow Select v English League Select], The Celtic Star, 12 June 2019[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-62904879 The day Queen Elizabeth united Celtic and Rangers], BBC News, 14 September 2022 and against a 'World XI' at Wembley (a 3–0 victory, which was part of the League's centenary celebrations),{{cite web |url=http://nifootball.blogspot.co.uk/2006/12/supranational-sides.html |title=Supranational Sides |website=Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats |access-date=8 March 2014}}[http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamHons/HonsRepTms.html England Player Honours: International Representative Teams], England Football Online{{cite web|url=https://thesefootballtimes.co/2017/08/05/100-years-bore-the-arduous-and-elongated-football-league-centenary-celebrations/ |title=100 years bore: the arduous and elongated Football League centenary celebrations in 1988|date=8 May 2017|work=These Football Times|access-date=25 October 2017}}[https://englandmemories.com/2015/08/07/when-the-football-league-took-on-the-world/amp/ When the Football League took on the world…], England Memories, 7 August 2015 the Football League XI's most recent games have been against the Italian League,[https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jul/02/serie-a-football-league-best-england-italy When the best of Serie A beat a Football League all-star XI], The Guardian, 3 July 2019 which was a regular fixture through the 1990s and was most recently played as an Under-21 fixture in 2006.{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/4662826.stm | title=Taylor reveals U-21 League squad |publisher=BBC Sport | date=30 January 2006}}