Just before the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, the Scottish League played its first match against the League of Ireland XI. The clubs in the then Irish Free State had formed their own League of Ireland after the partition of Ireland in 1922. The League of Ireland XI surprisingly won 2–1 against a strong Scottish League XI. Only one inter-league match (a fundraiser for the Royal Air Force) was played during the Second World War, a 3–2 defeat against the Football League at Blackpool in October 1941. The Scottish League XI selected Matt Busby, who was then playing as a guest for Hibernian.