The amazing story of the very first player to score a goal for England in his only game
After the very first official international football match between Scotland and England ended without any goals, England wasted no time in their next game. Just two minutes in, they scored the first-ever international goal!
Before this, Scotland and England had played five friendly matches from 1870 to 1872, but none of those are officially recognized by FIFA. Setting up these early games was tricky—in fact, the Football Association chairman even placed ads in Scottish newspapers in Glasgow and Edinburgh to find players. Many Scottish players on the visiting team actually lived in London.
By 1872, Scotland’s whole team came from Queen’s Park, the top Scottish club back then. Queen’s Park had even played in the previous season’s FA Cup and helped host the first official match since the Scottish Football Association wasn’t formed until 1873.
The second match took place at London’s Kennington Oval with over 3,000 fans watching. Unlike the goalless first game, it was more exciting. William Kenyon-Slaney, a forward for the English club Wanderers, scored the very first international goal just two minutes into the match. England went on to win 4-2, with Kenyon-Slaney scoring again in the second half.
Kenyon-Slaney wasn’t your typical footballer. Football professionalism wasn’t allowed until 1885, so players usually had other careers. He was actually a lieutenant and captain in the 3rd Battalion of the Grenadier Guards. Born in India in 1847 (then ruled by the East India Company), he moved to England with his family and later spent 27 years in the army before retiring in 1892.
He was also a keen cricketer, playing 11 first-class matches for the famous Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). Records show he played against Cambridge University in 1877 alongside cricket legend W.G. Grace, even being the top scorer with 16 not out in a low-scoring game.
Besides sports, Kenyon-Slaney had a long political career. He served as a Member of Parliament for Newport (Shropshire) from 1886 to 1908, winning five elections as a Conservative.
Back to football: Kenyon-Slaney never played for England again after his two goals against Scotland. However, he did play in the 1873 FA Cup final, which his team Wanderers won 2-0 against Oxford University. It’s interesting to note that Oxford only reached the final because Queen’s Park couldn’t travel to London for the semi-final. During that game, Oxford even chose to play without a goalkeeper for a while after going down 1-0! They didn’t win that final but did take the cup the following year.
Football historian Andy Mitchell told the BBC in 2023 that Kenyon-Slaney likely focused on his military duties after his international football success. His great-grandson, Rupert Kenyon-Slaney, said, “During his lifetime, people didn’t really understand how important scoring the first international goal would be. He should definitely be remembered for that, but beyond that, he wasn’t a major figure in football.”