The first fixture of any sort between representatives of Germany and England actually took place as early as November 1899, when a touring England XI won 13-2 in Berlin against what was essentially a squad cobbled together from a selection of local sides. A rematch a few days later saw England hit double figures again, as they strolled to a 10-2 victory. It was obvious that the Germans were keen and usually in decent physical shape, but lacked the technical wherewithall to complete with their English counterparts – who had been playing organised league football for over a decade.
With the German Football Federation (Deutscher Fußball-Bund, or DFB) having been formed in 1900, the game against England Amateurs on 20 April 1908 in Berlin was to be – according to German records – the first recognised fixture between the two sides. The result left little doubt that the fledgling Mannschaft still had a long way to go, as the English side coasted to a 5-1 win.
English amateur sides were to tour Germany on three further occasions after the turn of the century before the First World War – winning two games and drawing one – while the only pre-1914 fixture on English soil saw the Germans suffer a 9-0 defeat in the rather genteel surroundings of Oxford. The arrangement of most of these early fixtures bordered on the comical; for instance, during the match at Oxford the German team included Willi Baumgärtner, a centre-forward who according to German football writer Ulrich Hesse-Lichtenberger was only in the side because he happened to be residing in England at the time (U. Hesse-Lichtenberger, Tor: The Story of German Football (2003 edition), page 52).
Although these games are listed by the DFB in their overall record against England, the English FA themselves do not count them as full internationals – the first of which was played in Berlin on 10 May 1930.
Friendly International, Berlin, 20.04.1908
1-5 (1-3)
Förderer 20. / Stapley 5., Woodward 25., Purnell 43., Stapley -., Woodward 90.
Germany: Eichelmann – Hantschick, P. Fischer – Poppe, A. Hiller (c), Weymar – Gehrts, A. Neumann, Förderer, Baumgärtner, Matthes
England Amateur XI: Proud – Corbett, Smith – Chapman, Lintott, Hawkes – Berry, Woodward, Purnell, Stapley, Hardman
Cumulative Record
Home: played 1, won 0, drawn 0, lost 1. Goals for 1, goals against 5.
Overall: played 1, won 0, drawn 0, lost 1. Goals for 1, goals against 5.
Friendly International, Oxford, 13.03.1909
0-9 (-)
– / Dunning 4, Porter 3, Chapman, Hoare
Germany: Ad. Werner – Hantschick, Massini – Ugi, Glaser (c), Hunder – Eri. Albrecht, Garrn, A. Jäger, Röpnack, Baumgärtner
England Amateur XI: Bailey – Corbett, Smith – Hunt, Chapman, Hawkes – Berry, Dunning, Hoare, Porter, Davis
Cumulative Record
Home: played 1, won 0, drawn 0, lost 1. Goals for 1, goals against 5.
Away: played 1, won 0, drawn 0, lost 1. Goals for 0, goals against 9.
Overall: played 2, won 0, drawn 0, lost 2. Goals for 1, goals against 14.
Friendly International, Berlin, 14.04.1911
2-2 (0-1)
E. Möller 48., 50. / Webb 17., Wright 65.
Germany: Ad. Werner – Neiße, Hempel – Burger, Ugi (c), Hunder – Hanssen, M. Hiller, Worpitzky, Kipp, E. Möller
England Amateur XI: Brebner – Cuthbert, Knight – Littleworth, Monk, Dines – Berry, Steer, Webb, Hoare, Wright
Cumulative Record
Home: played 2, won 0, drawn 1, lost 1. Goals for 3, goals against 7.
Away: played 1, won 0, drawn 0, lost 1. Goals for 0, goals against 9.
Overall: played 3, won 0, drawn 1, lost 2. Goals for 3, goals against 16.
Friendly International, Berlin, 21.03.1913
0-3 (0-2)
– / Douglas 22., 70., Woodward 43.
Germany: C. Schmidt – Diemer, E. Möller – Jungtow, Pendorf, O. Völker – Wegele, A. Jäger (c), Löble, Kipp, W. Fischer
England Amateur XI: Brebner – Ansell, Knight – McWhirter, Dines, Veitch – Shipway, Sanders, Woodward, Douglas, Challender
Cumulative Record
Home: played 3, won 0, drawn 1, lost 2. Goals for 3, goals against 10.
Away: played 1, won 0, drawn 0, lost 1. Goals for 0, goals against 9.
Overall: played 4, won 0, drawn 1, lost 3. Goals for 3, goals against 19.