12 September 1885 - Even For Cricket Players, That's Pretty Bad

On 12 September 1885, Arbroath FC set a world record by beating Bon Accord FC in the first round of the Scottish Cup. The final score was 36-0.

The result is explained largely by the fact that Bon Accord was not a football team, but an Aberdeen cricket team named the Orion Cricket Club. They mistakenly received a Scottish Cup invitation intended for Orion FC and chose to attend, taking the name "Bon Accord FC" for the competition. They reportedly arrived at the match without proper football kits.

Arbroath, meanwhile, were an experienced side, having formed seven years earlier. They did not take long to establish their dominance, going up 15-0 by halftime. 21 goals in the second half brought the final score to 36-0, a world record at the time. John Petrie, then 18 years old, set an individual world record by scoring 13. Arbroath advanced through the Cup, eventually losing to Hibernian.

The scoreline remained a world record until 2002, when Madagascar side AS Adema won a match 149-0. Arbroath's achievement remains a British record, though.