1878–79 in English football
The 1878–1879 season was the eighth season of competitive football in England.
National team
For the first time, England played a team other than Scotland. England played both Scotland and Wales at Kennington Oval, London, beating Wales 2–1. This match was played in atrocious weather conditions with the team captains agreeing to play only 30 minutes in each half. England gained revenge on Scotland for the previous year's debacle by beating them 5–4.| Date | Opponents | Score | England scorers | Wales scorers |
| 18 January 1879 | 2–1 | Herbert Whitfeld & Thomas Sorby | William Henry Davies |
Note – credits England's 4th goal against Scotland as an own goal by the Scottish goalkeeper, Robert Parlane.