PFA AWARDS, SNOW, WINDSCREEN WIPERS, CUP FINAL

On World Penguin Day, we have had snow, hail and more hail so far, BUT to warm me up, let me send many congratulations to The Spurs' boys who were singled out at the Professional Footballers' Association Awards yesterday. Harry Kane (short listed for Players' Player) and Dele Alli (chosen as Young Player, twice now) have earned their individual accolades and appear in the Premier League Team of the Year with Kyle Walker and Danny Rose who were also selected for the team, as full backs.

The PFA awards have been featured for some years now (Norman Hunter of Leeds United was the first recepient in 1973-4) and in the past the Spurs had a sprinkling of players receiving recognition:-
Previously top awards were given to Pat Jennings (1975-6), Clive Allen (1986-7), David Ginola (1998-9), Gareth Bale (2010-11 young award, 2011-12 and 2012-13).

Manchester United have had 11 top award winners, Liverpool 6 and Spurs 5 since its foundation.


Harry Kane (2014-15) Dele Alli (2015-16, 2016-17) have recently received Young Player awards.

As well as those Spurs mentioned above, the following have been selected for the PFA team of the year since 1973-4:-
Hoddle YPA and team place 5 times, Ardiles, Waddle, Klinsmann, Stephen Carr (remember him?), Lineker twice, Gascoigne, Berbatov, Campbell, Scott Parker, Vertonghen. Alderweireld, Rose and Kyle Walker (YPA).

The Spurs had several players representing the Best Division Two (as was) Team in 1977-78, but we are not going there; too embarrassing even if awards were made.

Lucy Bronze Manchester City (below) won Women's Players' Player and Jess Carter of Birmingham City Young Player of the Year.

Below is a link to the early History of the PFA. It is a very pleasant cruise through the PFA early timeline.
https://www.thepfa.com/thepfa/timeline

On April 25th 1908 18" of snow fell on Oxford and the Thames Valley was full of blizzard. Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle met in the FA Cup at Crystal Palace. Newcastle suppporter, Gladstone Adams, had to stop his car frequently as he drove home (a long way!!) to clear the snow. Eventually he gave up and "folded down" the windscreen to face the elements head on. This led him to invent the windscreen wiper which he patented in 1911 and the first working model is on show at the Discovery Museum in Newcastle. I did blog about Mr Adams in May 2015. Read more:
http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/cup-final-day-brings-snow-and-wedding.html

Wolves won 3-1.