1983–84 British Home Championship
International football competition
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The 1983–84 British Home Championship was the 100th anniversary of and the last staged of the British Home Championship international annual football tournament between the British Home Nations. Both England and Scotland had announced their withdrawal from future competition, citing waning interest in the games, crowded international fixture lists and a sharp rise in hooliganism. The football competition was instituted in 1884, but this edition was the 87th tournament to be staged due to a five-year hiatus during World War I, a seven-year gap in World War II and the cancellation of the 1981 competition following threats of violence during The Troubles in Northern Ireland.
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 13 December 1983 – 26 May 1984 |
| Teams | 4 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Northern Ireland (8th title) |
| Runners-up |  Wales |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 6 |
| Goals scored | 11 (1.83 per match) |
| Top scorer | Mark Hughes Tony Woodcock(2 each) |
← 1982–83 | |
The tournament was surprising in its outcome, as the favourites in England and Scotland played each other into a 1–1 draw in the final game, thus allowing Northern Ireland to claim victory on goal difference, with Wales second. This was only the third time in 87 tournaments that (Northern) Ireland were undisputed champions, and the only time goal difference was used to determine a champion. It also marked the first time since 1928 that neither Scotland nor England placed in the top two. The trophy was permanently awarded to the Irish FA.[1]
Table
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland (C) |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 |
| Wales |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| England |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
 Scotland |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 3 |
Rules for classification: 1) points 2) goal difference. The points system worked as follows: 2 points for a win and 1 point for a draw.
(C) Champions
Results
| Northern Ireland | 2–0 | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
Whiteside  17' McIlroy 56' |
Report Page 22 |
| England | 1–0 | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Woodcock 49' |
Report |
| Wales | 1–1 | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Hughes 51' |
Report | Armstrong 73' |
| Scotland | 1–1 | England |
|---|---|---|
| McGhee 12' |
Report Page 15 | Woodcock 35' |