 The first match, a 3–1 defeat to a Football League XI inspired by Stanley Matthews and Wilf Mannion, attracted 84,000 to Hampden Park on a snowy day in March 1947.Even the less attractive fixture against the Irish League XI drew a crowd of 62,000 to Ibrox Park in 1949.A frequent problem for the selectors was judging the strength of opposition and the importance of the match.