Reasons for excluding or including full "A" internationals (1901-1910) by FIFA / IFFHS
Bohemia: a territory whose clubs belonged to three different football associations affiliated to FIFA. The Czech Football Association (Český svaz footballový, ČSF), founded on October 19, 1901, was an independent organisation which was not in any way subordinated to the Austrian Football Union (Österreichische Fussball-Union, the forerunner of the Österreichischer Fussball-Bund, ÖFB). At the time, the Czech territory was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire monarchy. The Czech FA, which became a FIFA member in 1906, admitted only Czech clubs from Bohemia. German and Austrian clubs in Czech territory were affiliated to the German FA (Deutscher Fussball-Bund, DFB) or the Austrian Football Union (ÖFU) respectively. One of these was the strong DFC Prag [DFC, Deutscher Fussball-Club]. The players of the Prague clubs of these two non-Czech FA's also held city matches between Prague and Budapest. One of these city matches was held in Budapest on April 5, 1903, the Prague side fielding not only DFB and ÖFU players, but also a few who were affiliated to the Czech FA. Since only a few of the players were affiliated to the Czech FA, this encounter cannot be considered a full "A" international for Bohemia. Austrians and Germans cannot play in official Czech full "A" internationals. For the same reason, this match also not be considered a full "A" international for Hungary. Five days prior to the match against England on June 13, 1908, FIFA – acting at the instigation of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy – ruled that Čechy (Bohemia) was no longer an independent FIFA member. However, the match had already been officially announced on both sides and FIFA did not object, especially since the opponent was England. When FIFA went through the formalities and sent the papers to the Czech FA in Prague, the match had long been played, and so retained its official character. In December 1908, a counter-FA was founded in Prague, but this organisation had no official status and could not hold full "A" internationals. The ČSF remained the only official Czech FA until the Austrian authorities banned it and it was dissolved it in 1916. Thus, Bohemia's football record comprised just six full "A" internationals.
No national football association should have the right to annul an abandoned full "A" international and strike it from their country's record, nor should the players be penalised for something where they (or at least one of the teams) were not at fault. A national fotball association does not reimburse the spectators for the tickets and travel expenses if a full international is abandoned either. None of the preparations by the national teams or anything else to do with an abandoned full "A" international may be declared void. All of did in fact occur, and it required time, locality, effort and expense of all who were actively or passively involved. Likewise, injuries sustained by players or spectators during a full "A" international that was abandoned cannot be undone by a simple declaration, and as medical care and insurance go must be treated the same way as are injuries sustained during a normal completed full "A" international. FIFA and IFFHS have therefore decided that abandoned full "A" internationals may not be annulled and should be included in the record listings. This ruling is logical and will to have effect worldwide. The Scotland-England match (1:1) which was played at Ibrox Park (Glasgow) on April 5, 1902, before a crowd of 80,500 spectators and which Irish referee James Torrans stopped at 51 minutes is to be regarded as a full "A" international by both sides. During this full international, a section of the newly-erected westside stands collapsed, killing 26 and injuring 587. None of this can ever be undone by either one of the two Football Associations involved.
Furthermore after 1885 England's opponents were all amateurs from Scotland, Wales and Ireland – excepting a few professionals who played for English clubs. Only Scotland started fielding many more professionals in the national team after the Scottish FA legalised professionalism in 1893. Thus, the British Home Internationals saw amateurs, professionals and mixed teams (consisting of professionals and amateurs) all playing against each other. Naturally, professional football gained in strength over time (decades) and drove out the amateurs from national teams. Yet, there were outstanding players, often highly educated, who for professional or moral reasons chose not to become professional footballers, but who despite less training and playing fewer matches (they only played in amateur leagues) kept up with the professionals or even surpassed them. Since amateurs were held in higher regard than professionals, the captain of the English national team was almost always an amateur during the 19th century, and often during the first decade of the 20th as well. After the turn of the century, there were four international matches between 1902 and 1904 where England fielded an all-professional team, while their British opponents usually fielded teams consisting of both amateurs and professionals. During the first decade of the 20th century, the England national team usually included three amateurs, not least the exceptional forward Vivian John Woodward. In 1908 and 1909, a mainly professional English national team toured Europe and played against Austria, Hungary and Bohemia, whose national teams consisted entirely of amateurs. During this decade, England also fielded an amateur national team, which starting on November 1, 1906, played full "A" internationals against the national teams of France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and Denmark and also played in – and won – the Olympic football tournaments in 1908 (London) and 1912 (Stockholm), although it participated under the name Great Britain. The best players of this amateur side had also been or were simultaneously members of England's professional national team. FIFA and the IFFHS have decided that all matches played at Olympic football tournaments during the first half of the 20th century (beginning 1908) are to be officially counted as full "A" internationals. Furthermore, all matches played by the English amateur national team against the national teams from mainland Europe are likewise to be officially considered by both sides as full "A" internationals. In these matches during the first two decades of the 20th century played again two amateur teams under the regular conditions a full "A" international, analogous as the British Home Internationals were played from 1872 to 1885 and also later. Therefore, until 1924, all full international played by the English (as well as Welsh) amateur national teams against non-British national teams until 1924 are to be considered as full "A" internationals by both sides, and take into consideration at the determination of all records. The contemplation of the Englishmen and the Football Association (FA) is total not logical. In their view, those full "A" internationals played by England from 1872 where the English team consisted entirely or mostly of amateurs, as well as those where England's professional national team played against an amateur side, would have to be annulled.
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