THE Socceroos will face England for the first time since a famous victory 13 years ago, with the English FA confirming the game on Friday (AEDT).

The match will take place on May 27 at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light.

It’s the first scheduled meeting since the Socceroos scored a stunning 3-1 win at West Ham’s Upton Park in 2003. That was Wayne Rooney’s first appearance in an England shirt and the country’s record goal scorer is likely to feature in a full strength England side that will be in final preparations for the 2016 European Championships.

Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Joe Hart are among the other big names expected to see action in a game that will be played 12 days after the final EPL match of the season.

media_camera This reminder of our last meeting never gets old.

FFA CEO David Gallop said the fixture represented a wonderful opportunity for all sports fans to unite behind the Socceroos.

“The Caltex Socceroos taking on England will be a special occasion for everyone and is especially exciting for Socceroos fans,” Gallop said in a statement.

“Ange [Postecoglou] and his team have played and matched it with some of the biggest nations in world football over recent years as Australian football and the Socceroos continue to grow on the world stage.

“The Socceroos is a team that unites the nation and this game will excite not just football fans but sports fans in general.”

Postecoglou said Australia v England was a “massive part of the Australian sporting culture.”

“This is another opportunity for the players to step up against a big football nation and show that our journey to make an impact on world football is heading in the right direction, Postecoglou said.

The match will be the seventh between the two nations since Australia first played England in 1980 with the Socceroos winning one, drawing two and losing three times.

We take a look at Australia’s footballing history against England.

Australia 3, England 1 — Upton Park

“Kanga Poo — Stinking England Dumped On By Aussies”.

That was The Sun’s none-too-subtle summation of England’s abject defeat to the Socceroos — and the home fans agreed.

England’s young squad — was jeered as they left the pitch 2-0 down at halftime, and again after the final whistle.

“The game was already lost at halftime and maybe the booing at the end was intended as a reflection on our first-half performance,” said England captain David Beckham.

“We all get frustrated and I can understand that. But this has not helped morale and the fans have got to get behind us in the next game.

Eriksson added: “If England lose at home to Australia, you have to expect a reaction like that and even to accept it.”

Tony Popovic, Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton were Australia’s goal scorers.

media_camera Tony Popovic of Australia scores their first goal during the International Friendly match between England and Australia at Upton Park in London on February 12, 2003.

England 1, Australia 0 — Sydney Football Stadium

June 1, 1991

Less than 11 months after losing a penalty shootout to West Germany in the World Cup semi-final, England made the trek to Australia for the first time in eight years.

Gary Lineker led a side that contained World Cup heroes Des Walker, Stuart Pearce and David Platt against a Socceroos outfit led by Paul Wade and featuring Graham Arnold, Ned Zelic and Aurelio Vidmar.

More than 35,000 fans streamed into the SFS to watch managers Graham Taylor and Eddie Thomson match wits, however the majority of them would leave the stadium underwhelmed.

The match was a largely unspectacular affair and was decided by Ian Gray’s own goal in the 40th minute from an English free kick.

Australia 1, England 1 — Olympic Park, Melbourne

June 19, 1983

It was the three-match tour England didn’t want — and manager Bobby Robson wasn’t subtle in getting his point across.

“It was of little value to anybody, and nothing like the sort of preparation we needed for the European championships,” Robson said at the time.

Such was the low esteem in which the tour was held, serious consideration was given by the English FA not to award full caps to their players.

In the end, they relented, and the Peter Shilton-captained touring side closed with a 1-1 result in Melbourne.

The inexperienced English opened the scoring through Trevor Francis in the 23rd minute, however the Socceroos, led by John Kosmina, drew level four minutes later via a Phil Neal own goal.

England 1, Australia 0 — Lang Park, Brisbane

June 15, 1983

As noted by England Football Online’s Norman Giller, “there were just 10,000 to watch Paul Walsh score the only goal of the match.”

“Mark Barham, Steve Williams, Danny Thomas, John Gregory, Nick Pickering and Nigel Spink were, along with Walsh, the new full caps, and not one of them was still in the frame for England when the 1986 World Cup build-up started,” Giller continued.

Australia 0, England 0 — Sydney Cricket Ground

June 12, 1983

The Australians employed a physical, defensive style of play against the English — and manager Frank Arok was unapologetic.

“I was given the job to get results and I did it,” Arok said at the time. “Who cares how we played?”

England 2, Australia 1 — Sydney Cricket Ground

May 31, 1980

Many of England’s stars were omitted from their country’s first official match in Australia to prepare for the European Championships.

Nonetheless, a strong England team took the field featuring the likes of Brian Robson, Terry Butcher (who would later coach Sydney FC on the same sporting precinct) and Glenn Hoddle.

It was Hoddle who opened the scoring in the ninth minute of the one-off friendly, organised to celebrate Australia’s Centenary of Football.

Paul Mariner added to the tourists’ tally in the 25th minute before Gary Cole contributed the Socceroos only goal via an 85th minute penalty.

“I can promise the public that the Australian team is not treating this as a friendly match,” coach Rudi Gutendorf said before the match. “I am sure that the Australian public would not expect our part time players to be as fit or play better soccer than a full professional England side. However I can promise that the spectators will see the one thing which has become the trademark of the Australian team, and that is the outstanding courage and fighting spirit they show when they play in the green and gold colours.”

While this match is recognised as the first official encounter between the two nations, Australia’s footballing rivalry with England in fact dates back 91 years and four “B-international” tours.