England will take on 'Auld Enemy" Scotland at Wembley next year as part of the English Football Association's 150th anniversary celebrations. The English FA confirmed the return of the oldest fixture on the international calendar, first played in 1872. England have met the 'old enemy' on 110 previous occasions, but not since November 1999 when the Scots prevailed thanks to a solitary goal from Don Hutchison. The game - to be played on Wednesday, August 14 2013 - is certain to be a sell-out and is just one match in what the FA hope is a succession of high-profile fixtures to mark their anniversary. "It will be a huge honour to lead our nation out against our oldest rivals," said England manager Roy Hodgson. "For us, England versus Scotland is one of the finest fixtures in international football and I know what this game means to both sets of supporters. "It will be a fitting part of The FA's 150th anniversary celebrations and the supporters, the team and my coaching staff all look forward to welcoming Scotland to Wembley Stadium next year." The England-Scotland game could never be revived in the manner of old, through the Home Internationals and - when that was scrapped in 1984 - the ill-fated Rous Cup, which was abandoned in 1989. However, there have been talks about the potential for a match being arranged on a more frequent basis given the huge commercial interest, and a reciprocal fixture at Hampden Park is a possibility at some point in the future. "For any Scotland supporter, player or coach, Scotland versus England is the ultimate contest: it really is as good as it gets," said Scotland manager Craig Levein." sports@thenational.ae Follow us
