FOX IN AND ON THE BOX.

Happy Birthday Denis Law! Ok it was the 24th (1940) but I have to get some theme going, so it is "Fox in the Box" and I suspect if you do a search on my 900+ blogs you will find a few references to Denis and a few more clever goal scorers inside that 18 yard area. I see Billy Sharpe is keeping Sheffield United afloat (78 games 44 goals so far)!

After yesterday's Italian job blog, I am heading in that direction again.

Dennis CBE scored 227 goals in 485 games for various teams and then 30 in 55 for Scotland, so he earned his wages.Even in Italy with a brief stay with Torino (1961-2) he scored 10 in 27. Dennis was a subject of  "This is your Life" the TV "Guest Show" on 19th February 1975 and does work for radio and TV. A Fox in/on the Box!

I was hoping another "Italian" footballer would make history today and in fact he almost did, although a linesman's flag changed the story with a disallowed goal, perfectly onside, prevented Manolo Gabbiadini from gathering a hat trick at Wembley this afternoon in the EFL Cup for Southampton.

He wore a whispy beard today!
His last club was with Napoli and he is an Italian international, Manolo scored two today and brought his side back to 2-2 and almost took the Saints into a second major trophy win. It was not to be. Gabbiadini had a slow start in the Italian league at Atlanta, Cittadelia, Juventus, Bologna but at Sampdoria he notched 15 in 47 games, then 15 in 55 at Napoli. He has had similar ratios playing at U20, U21 and Full internationals.
In this EFL Final, Manolo's THIRD game for Southampton, he has scored 5 goals for his new club-should have been SIX.
Manolo's sister Melania plays for AGSM Verona and is a women's international player.

I thought Manolo might be related to Marco Gabbiadini, another "fox in the box" but he is not, Marco is English, he played between 1985-2003, for 12 different clubs, played 665 games and scored 226 goals. In his more active youth with Sunderland he scored 74 in 152. Dropping down a level or so, with Darlington in 1998-2000, he managed 47 in 82. He even found it easy at Hartlepool, his last club when he played 15 and scored 5!!

Marco has restored a Victorian Hotel in York with his family, a guest house that won an award in York's Tourism Year 1999. He has hinted that he would like to be a TV pundit and did indeed do some work for Sky at Hartlepool and done work with BBC Newcastle. On the BOX.