"The Welsh Football Association protested to the FA and SFA over the appointment of an English referee for this match. The protest was based on the ground that the appointment of an English referee violates an agreement made by all associations in 1930 to appoint only neutral referees for international games.
After Scotland declined England's nomination of Mervyn Griffiths, a registered FAW referee, and England had declined Scotland's nomination of an Irishman, Billy Maxwell, the FA agreed to the SFA's suggestion that an English referee be appointed." - The Glasgow Herald, Wednesday, 12 April 1950, p.9.
 

England once again clinched the Home International Championship—and with it a place in the World Cup finals—with this hard-fought win in front of a massive crowd of 133,250 spectators. It was a very close game with both sides grappling for supremacy.

Scotland began by missing a great chance as early as the second minute. Centre-forward Bauld, who, although missing chances throughout, gave a Neil Franklin a tough time, beat the England defender to a headed pass from Steel and broke clear. He seemed certain to score but shot straight at Bert Williams from 15 yards. If he had been on target, then the outcome would have probably been much different.

That was not the only near-miss of an exciting and eventful first half. Indeed, it might have been 2-2 at the interval.

The England forwards began to move the ball about beautifully along the ground and at times they had Young, Cox and Woodburn at full stretch.

After 27 minutes Scotland had their first escape when Wilf Mannion volleyed Stan Mortensen's headed pass just wide. Shortly afterwards it was Mannion again going close when he took a clever flick from Tom Finney before volleying another shot. This time Young saved his side brilliantly with a spectacular goal-line clearance.

Play then swung straight to the other end, where it was England's turn to escape. Bauld sent Waddell away and, in his effort to scramble the ball away, Williams ended up prostrate as Liddell lobbed over the bar to miss an open goal.

Six minutes into the second half, Mortensen had a goal disallowed for offside after Mannion had set him up. The Scottish crowd began to get behind their favourites and the home pressure increased. Bauld shot wide after a good shot on the turn and Williams saved twice low down from Steel and Liddell.

England stood firm though especially at full-back and centre-half. Midway through the half came what proved to be the decisive goal.

It came out of the blue. Jimmy Dickinson began the move with a pass to the left, Mannion dummied the pass and it ran on to Bobby Langton. The winger ran and held the ball well before releasing the perfect pass to Roy Bentley. Before Woodburn or Forbes could react, the England number-nine shot past Cowan.

The goal gave England much more freedom. Bentley began to roam more happily, Mannion, Billy Wright and Dickinson fed the forwards with a stream of good passes and Finney, Mortensen and Langton responded to them well.

Scotland kept battling though and 15 minutes from the end Liddell, always a danger, took a headed pass from Forbes and hit a magnificent right-foot volley which arrowed its way to the top corner. Nine times out of ten it would have been a goal, but this time Williams leapt across goal to make the save of a lifetime.

Scotland increased the pressure and after 84 minutes Bauld saw an effort strike the crossbar. Then a rare mistake by John Aston let in Waddell who shot wide from a good position. But England held on, having just deserved the result.

Individually, England had the better of the game. Wright and Dickinson were outstanding, Williams faultless. Alf Ramsey cool and calculated, and Mannion and Finney excelled up front. Indeed, Mannion, with his splendid vision was the best forward on view. For Scotland, Forbes was the outstanding player.
  

Chelsea centre-forward Roy Bentley, playing a twin spearhead role with Stan Mortensen, scored the winning goal midway through the second half of his international debut. The goal confirmed England's entry into the World Cup finals. The 133,250 Hampden Park spectators were left screaming their frustration because the Scottish Football Association had surrendered their chances of a World Cup finals place by electing to go only if they won the Home Championship. How those critics who had been calling for Billy Wright to be axed were forced to eat their words! He was the driving force behind this England victory that sent them flying all the way down to Rio. Magnificent in defence alongside the immaculate Franklin, he also found time to torment the Scots with a procession of passes that kept the top-form Tom Finney supplied. Soon afterwards came the bombshell news that master centre-half Neil Franklin did not want to be considered for the World Cup because he was joining an outlawed club in Bogota. Like Billy Wright, he had played in all twenty-seven England matches since the war and they had a terrific understanding on the pitch. Now England had lost their lynchpin with the World Cup just weeks away. It put the England selectors in a dither as to whom to play in the vital centre-half role, this in an era before the two central backs system. Everything at the back revolved around the pivotal position of the man in the number five shirt, and Neil Franklin was the best by a country mile. England had lost their anchor, and would soon be all at sea.
  

On April [15th] at Hampden Park, Glasgow, England played Scotland in the last home international of the season, and won back the international championship by a 1-0 victory. Though the teams were very evenly matched. England's slight superiority in finish probably turned the scale. Scotland were, however, unlucky not to force the draw which would have kept them in the World Cup.
Scotland attacked strongly at the start and kept the initiative through most of the first-half, Williams making flying saves from the menacing drives of Waddell, Steel and Liddell.
In the second-half England's superior power of combination, particularly at wing-half, began to tell. But they still had not found effective form in forcing home their good approach play. The solitary goal of the match came in the 64th minute, when Langton at outside-left cut down the wing and sent a low pass to Bentley, who drove hard into the Scottish net. In the last twenty minutes Scotland attacked strongly, but the English defence stood firm.