Wales national football team results (1920–1939)
The side played their first official match after the end of World War I in February 1920 on the resumption of the Home Championship, drawing 2–2 with Ireland.[3] Wales won the Home Championship again in the 1927–28 tournament but, as Football League sides became increasingly reluctant to release Welsh players for international competition, results dropped as the decade drew to a close.[6] When the Football League added further restrictions on releasing players ahead of the following tournament to avoid fixture clashes, Wales were forced to call-up a mixture of non-league and lower division players which led to the side being dubbed by media outlets as "Keenor and the ten unknowns", in reference to team captain Fred Keenor and the relative obscurity of his teammates.The side secured a draw with Scotland but suffered a 4–0 defeat to England before being replaced by the returning first team players.[9] This coincided with one of the most successful periods in the team's history as they won four Home Championships between 1933 and 1939,[5] led by the goals of Dai Astley, Pat Glover and Bryn Jones.