Tonight's match in Middlesbrough is only the fourth time that England have played on Teesside. Chris Lloyd looks at the heroes and villians of the other three encounters

England 1 - Ireland 1

February 25, 1905

Attendance: 24,000

England: Williamson (Middlesbrough), Balmer (Everton), Carr (Newcastle), Wolstenholme (Blackburn), Roberts (Man Utd), Leake (Aston Villa), Bond (Preston North End), Bloomer (Derby), Woodward (Spurs), Harris (Corinthians), Booth (Man City)

ENGLAND'S goal in their first match at Ayresome Park was scored by Steve Bloomer - "it was a beauty, too. One of the Derby crack's very best", according to The Northern Echo.

A year later, Bloomer transferred to Middlesbrough for £750 to join Alf Common, the first £1,000 footballer, in a forward line that was so expensive and controversial that questions were asked in the House of Commons.

The game was also notable for the international debut of Reginald Garnet "Tim" Williamson in goal.

Williamson was born in North Ormesby in 1884, and was nicknamed Tiny Tim because, at 5ft 9ins, he was small for a keeper. When he retired in April 1923, he had made 602 appearances, which is still a Boro record.

The 1905 Ireland game was the first of his seven international caps - even though he dropped a clanger. Ireland barely managed a shot all game, but scored first when they won a corner.

The Northern Echo reported: "Unfortunately, Tim failed to hold it, and the leather cannoning against the upright rolled over the line.

"Tim really ought to have saved it. I have seen him clear many much more difficult shots."

Newcastle's representative was left-back Jack Carr, a rugged player who stayed at St James's Park for 13 years.

England 0 - Ireland 3

February 14, 1914

Attendance: 27,439

England: Hardy (Aston Villa), Crompton (Blackburn), Pennington (WBA), Cuggy (Sunderland), Buckley (Derby), Watson (Burnley), Wallace (Villa), Shea (Blackburn), Elliott (Middlesbrough), Latherton (Blackburn), Martin (Sunderland)

THIS was the first time England had ever been beaten on home soil, and all Teesside's Irish population - wearing cabbage leaves and sprigs of parsley to match the players' green shirts - turned out to celebrate.

As in 1905, both sides had stayed before the match at the Zetland Hotel, in Saltburn, and afterwards, the Irish departed on the 6.04pm train from Middlesbrough station. They changed trains at Eaglescliffe amid great commotion.

For the local England players, it was a career-threatening defeat. Neither of the Sunderland players, right-half Francis Cuggy and outside-left Henry Martin, played for their country again. Middlesbrough's centre, George Washington Elliott, made only one more appearance, although he continued to play for Boro until 1925, by which time he had scored 213 goals. He remains Middlesbrough's second highest scorer of all time.

England 2 - Wales 1

November 17, 1937

Attendance: 30,608

England: Woodley (Chelsea), Sproston (Leeds), Barkas (Man City), Crayston (Arsenal), Cullis (Wolves), Copping (Arsenal), Matthews (Stoke), Hall (Spurs), Mills (Chelsea), Goulden (West Ham), Brook (Man City)

KICK-OFF was at 2.30pm on the Wednesday. England played in white with numbers on their backs - "a departure fairly new to Association football" - and the second half was broadcast live on radio.

The Northern Echo's headline said it was a "well-merited win over gallant little Wales", and the man of the match was EF Brook, who scored the winner.

However, Stoke's Stanley Matthews also caught the eye and The Northern Echo labelled him the master controller.

Despite his now-legendary status, Matthews played in only 54 of England's 119 internationals between 1934 and 1957, and he was a controversial selection ahead of Everton's Geldard for the Ayresome Park match.

However, he justified his selection with only his second England goal, which he tapped in after 13 minutes.

The Northern Echo reported: "It was a capital contest, rendered the more enjoyable because of the general effort to play football as it should be played.