| Kennington Oval | ||
| ||
| Full name | The Oval | |
| Owners | Duchy of Cornwall | |
| Location | Kennington London, SE11 | |
| Built | 1845 | |
| Capacity | 26,000 | |
The Oval, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth, South London. The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since it was opened in 1845. It was the first ground in England to host international Test cricket in September 1880. The final Test match of the English season is traditionally played there.
Football[]
The Oval was also an important site in the historical development of football, before a separate national stadium was constructed specifically for the sport. Football had been played in this part of London for many years prior to the inauguration of The Oval: "The Gymnastic Society", arguably the world's first football club, met regularly at Kennington Common during the second half of the eighteenth century to play the game.
First international football match[]
The Oval was the venue for the first ever international football match on 5 March 1870, England against Scotland, organised by The Football Association. The game resulted in a 1–1 draw. Similar international matches between England and Scotland took place at The Oval until February 1872. On 8 March 1873, the England national team beat Scotland 4–2 in the first officially recognized international match played in England. England would continue to play occasionally at The Oval until 1889.
- Scores and results list England's goal tally first.
| Date | Result | Opponent | Competition | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 March 1870 | 1–1 |  Scotland
|
Friendly (unofficial) | Draw |
| 19 November 1870 | 1–0 | Scotland
|
Friendly (unofficial) | 
|
| 25 February 1871 | 1–1 | Scotland
|
Friendly (unofficial) | Draw |
| 17 November 1871 | 2–1 | Scotland
|
Friendly (unofficial) |
|
| 24 February 1872 | 1–0 | Scotland
|
Friendly (unofficial) |
|
| 8 March 1873 | 4–2 | Scotland
|
Friendly |
|
| 6 March 1875 | 2–2 | Scotland
|
Friendly | Draw |
| 3 March 1877 | 1–3 | Scotland
|
Friendly |
|
| 19 January 1879 | 2–1 |  Wales
|
Friendly |
|
| 5 April 1879 | 5–4 | Scotland
|
Friendly |
|
| 12 March 1881 | 1–6 | Scotland
|
Friendly |
|
| 3 February 1883 | 5–0 | Wales
|
Friendly |
|
| 21 March 1885 | 1–1 | Scotland
|
Home International | Draw |
| 26 February 1887 | 4–0 | Wales
|
Home International |
|
| 13 April 1889 | 2–3 | Scotland
|
Home International |
|
First FA Cup final[]
On 16 March 1872, The Wanderers beat the Royal Engineers 1–0 to win the first ever FA Cup. This final was notable for the Engineers' modern footballing style of teamwork rather than individual play. C. W. Alcock, Secretary of The Football Association, was the prime mover of the competition. He had just become Secretary of Surrey so that The Oval was the natural choice of venue for the final. Alcock also captained the successful Wanderers side. The Oval hosted all subsequent FA Cup finals (1873 excluded) up until 1892.
The Oval is one of two grounds (Bramall Lane in Sheffield being the other) to have staged both England football and cricket internationals, and also FA Cup finals. The Oval also hosted the second ever Rugby Union international between England and Scotland in 1872 (the first was hosted at Raeburn Place a year earlier).