Match Summary

Ireland Team

England Team

   The Council of the English Football Association, at their meeting in London yesterday [4 October 1937], embarked upon a new departure when they agreed that teams in the Ireland v. England international match at Belfast on October 23 should be numbered.
   Mr R. Graham, secretary of the S.F.A., when asked last night regarding the Scottish position on the numbering of international players, expressed the opinion that the S.F.A. would not consider the matter unless they were approached by some of the other national bodies.

   The decision to number the England team suggests a change of policy.
   The "Mail" understands that it is almost certain that all England teams in future will be numbered providing their opponents agree.
   Mr W. Pickford, in an exclusive interview after the Council meeting, said:- "This is the first time an England international team has been numbered and I personally am in favour of the numbering of players in all matches. Of course, I cannot speak for the Council, but I am sure that many of the members see eye to eye with me. In a 70,000 crowd, I am certain that there are hundreds of people who like the guidance of numbers in helping to identify players." - 5 October 1937

Although Stanley Rous, in May of this year, stated that the touring members of the England squad would be numbered, we believe the final sentence of the Ireland match report sums up the anomaly.... "For the first time in international matches between home countries the teams of both sides were numbered." - 24 October 1937

Source Notes

Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats
Original Newspaper Reports
TheFA.com
Rothman's Yearbooks
FA Yearbooks 1950-60
Ancestry.com
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CG