Switzerland 1954 FIFA World Cup - Qualifying

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The 1954 World Cup was the second entered by the Home Nations. Qualifying took the same format as for the 1950 finals, with the 1953/54 British Championship series doubling up as World Cup qualifiers. The top two were the same, England and Scotland, and this time both would take up their places.

Although they recorded just one win in their three matches, Northern Ireland's results were showing a marked improvement. Gone were the hammerings of old, to be replaced by "plucky" defeats, and indeed a win over Wales. Also, names that would enter footballing folklore in the later 1950s were beginning to establish themselves in the Irish eleven.

Qualifying Group 3

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	England	3	3	0	0	11	4	7	6		03/10/53	Belfast	N.Ireland	1-3	Scotland
2	Scotland	3	1	1	1	8	8	0	3		10/10/53	Cardiff	Wales	1-4	England
3	N.Ireland	3	1	0	2	4	7	-3	2		04/11/53	Glasgow	Scotland	3-3	Wales
4	Wales	3	0	1	2	5	9	-4	1		11/11/53	Liverpool	England	3-1	N.Ireland
											31/03/54	Wrexham	Wales	1-2	N.Ireland
											03/04/54	Glasgow	Scotland	2-4	England

Northern Ireland Line-Ups

Danny Blanchflower, Len Graham, Billy Smyth, Billy Simpson, Billy Dickson
Jimmy McIlroy, Wilbur Cush, Alf McMichael, Eddie McMorran, Billy Bingham, Norman Lockhart

Match Programmes