THE IREMONGER TRIO

After Lincoln City's FA Cup run last season, which doesn't seem very long ago, the Imps are at it again and travel to AFC Wimbledon next week in the First Round Proper. Possibly beginning another charge through the financially valuable Emirates Cup.

Coincidentally, the Wombles' close rivals MK Dons are drawn away at Hyde United, both matches will be a challenge to the Wimbledon "relations".

So I got interested in Lincoln City once again and discovered one of their long serving players, Albert Iremonger, a goalkeeper standing at 6'5", who played 35 times for Lincoln but prior to this, he made his name with Notts County making 564 appearances. He earned one Football League cap in 1912 but of course it was the First World War that interfered with Albert's career. He is regarded by many as the best goalkeeper never to have played for England.

Born in 1884 Albert lived on to March 1958, had a road near the ground named after him and was the oldest player to turn out for Lincoln at 42 years 312 days old in 1926-7 season. He ended his career running pubs, The Cremone in the Meadows, Nottingham and later the Ferry Inn, Wilford. Below he is presented to HRH Prince of Wales.
https://prideofnottingham.co.uk/home/media/notts-alumni-albert-iremonger-r1560/  Nice link to more about Albert.

Albert played cricket for Nottinghamshire although brother James was more prolific appearing in the Ashes Tour of 1910/11 and being named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1903. He scored 334 first class runs at 35.06 and took 619 wickets at 22.98. James made his debut at full back for Nottingham Forest in 1896 v Stoke City and won 3 caps for England.

The other Iremonger was Harry who was a Nottingham Forest goalkeeper, playing 11 times between 1913-15, soon to be called to war.

THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL MUSEUM

Monday, half term (ish), time for a reunion? Yes, so five intrepid ex-Independent Schoolmasters gathered at the National Football Museum, central Manchester for a few hours of chit chat and reminiscing. What better place for a group of football coaches to get together? If you have not been to this wonder, then it is a must.

The Museum, in a remarkable building, used to known as Urbis, designed by Ian Simpson, a "museum" of urban development, which failed through lack of interest.

The Football Museum used to be at Deepdale, Preston originally from 2001 but funding was withdrawn in 2010 and the collection moved in July 2012 to a welcoming central part of the footballing population. Encouraged financially by the Manchester City Council and the European Regional Development Fund (Brexit??) the Museum settled in Manchester.

Its President is Sir Bobby Charlton, Vice-Presidents are Alex Ferguson, Geoff Hurst and Trevor Brooking with Mark Lawrence as a Special Ambassador

Enjoy the "Walk of Fame" as you enter the building, relax in the cafe afterwards and spend some money in the well stocked shop full of goodies, especially since it is nearing Christmas!

Even the male lavatories are football themed....work that out! (I don't know about the ladies?!).

Then there is the Hall of Fame with 152 inductees-this website will get you there, unless you want to name them all first:
http://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/
http://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/whatson

So, for the youngsters there is no need to get bored and trudge the three floors not reading the notices because you can get involved with practicalities such as interactive games, football skills and even some brain work with quizzies.

For the oldies you can reminisce as we did over the Old Carthusians, Preston North End, Newton Heath, Blackburn Rovers and the Trotters. Pele was in full view in the Gallery and so were Dick Kerr Ladies.

It's free to get in but do make a donation and if you do, you can hold the FA Cup and have a photo taken.

WOMEN IN THE MIDDLE

I did get a glimpse of a female assistant referee today whilst watching Leceister City give their new manager a welcome present. Everton, also intending to give their new man a boost, were done by Vardy and co and none of the officials were to blame.

The lady in question is Sian Massey-Ellis MBE, an assistant referee at Premier League level, who was awarded her "gong" for services to football in the New Year's Honours list 2017. So good on her.
At 32 years old, a school teacher from Coventry, she turned professional in 2010, having made her first appearance in August 2009 at Hereford United v Port Vale.

In January 2011, her performance at Liverpool v Wolverhampton Wanderers prompted Andy Gray and Richard Keys to go all sexist and this led to their "Sky downfall". Reporter Andy Burton was suspended too.

Sian was removed from officiating for a while as the PGMOB predicted that her appearance at matches after this controversy would detract from the state of the game. Her first game back was in February 2011 at Chesterfield v Aldershot in League 2 on the line and soon she was back in business helping Howard Webb along in the PL at Blackpool.

She was appointed to the select group of match officials and hence there she was at the King Power. So far her involvement in international football has been with Women's tournaments (Euros and World Cup) as an assistant ("lino" as we used to call it).

Prior to Sian, Wendy Toms, a parcel post manager, was reffing and assisting in the Football League and PL in 1994-7 and from 1996 to present reffing in the Conference and then as a Premier league assistant up to 2007. She is 55 and still reffing Conference games.

Amy Fearn made the Football League grade by being the first women to referee a league game in February 2010, when she took over when the main referee strained a calf muscle in the game between Coventry and Nottingham Forest. I think Mike Newell also had a few words to say about her performance in his Luton Town match against QPR over the non-awarding of a penalty. He was fined etc and apologised unreservedly.

http://you-are-the-ref.com/wendy-toms-exclusive-call-wish-id-received-ten-years-ago/  this says a bit more about our ladies and actually is quite a good website to get on if you want to be THE REF.

PISSED OFF

Yes it has happened, Salford City Goalkeeper, Max Crocombe, a New Zealand Youth international and now Salford City's goalkeeper was dismissed from the Horsfall Stadium today for having a piss. Despite being asked by a steward not to, Max managed to pull out his Rodger with gloves on and relieve himself. He had no choice, he said.

Spotting an opportunity to get one over the opponents a spectator complained and the ref had to take action. The last laugh was with Salford who despite being reduced to ten men in the 86 minute, won athe game 2-1 and posted an apology on Twitter, inevitably.

In 2009, Jens Lahmann playing for Stuttgart in a European Champions League tie was caught short and nipped behind an advertising hoarding. His manager said "I thought he handled it well" but then you would do with huge gloves on!

Needless to say, I did the research and came up with a number of similar incidents. I am not going to reduce this blog to farce.

Let's celebrate the Under 17s miraculous win in the FIFA World Cup U17s and bask in the glory of being 0-2 down and winning 5-2. The cohort is a bit special and the victory over Spain stunning. Thank heavens for St George's and all.

OSTERSUND FC

Many will not have a clue about this football club, but some will. Any lad or lass who has played in the Gothia Cup, Sweden's biggest football tournament (and possibly the largest in the world) will have seen or played against one of their junior sides. I know Charterhouse boys will have come across these subArctic players who live seven hours north of Stockholm, in a place where winter ends in May and begins in October. There is a need for indoor pitches therefore and if you know my blog you may have come across one on Iceland and the country's application to getting games played under difficult conditions. He is the only British manager in the competition!

The town's football club has no locals in its squad but is bringing community strength to the town with great success in the national league and now the Europa League. The club stadium hold under 9,000 spectators.  In 1996 the club was in the national fourth division, when an English university coach Graham Potter arrived and transported the club through to the Allsvenskan in 2015 and winning the Swedish Cup last season. With interest from Swansea City, loanees have added to the squad. 

Now their venture into Europe has included beating Turkish Galatasaray 3-1  on aggregate, Fola Esch of Luxembourg, also 3-1 and drawing with Greek PAOK 3-3, with a draw against Athletico Bilbao in the next round, the Group Stage. They also lead against Hertha Berlin 1-0 and Zora Luhansk 2-0. 

Locals were not interested in playing for their club so it was the immigrants who made the most of the opportunity. Potter advertised for players and immigrants who could play jumped at the chance.

Ronald Mukiibi was prepared to travel north, Patrick Kpozo was let go by his Stockholm club, Brwa Nouri was kicked out of his previous club for drug abuse but Potter whose career pinnacle before this moment, was at Stoke City, took the brave step and accepted those who wanted to play.

Training at 25 degrees below and being paid £600 per week proved that these players, used to more suitable temperatures, were prepared to go the extra mile to earn a living and be accepted.

Potter has a degree from the Open University in Social Sciences, specialising in emotional intelligence, so he has many team building techniques including performing plays and poetry, the "stuff of legends". The immigrants who have swamped all parts of Sweden, include thousands of unaccompanied children, and they have shown that they are capable of anything, given the right support. Potter has supported his new players and Ostersund FC is reaping the rewards. Local supporters have chartered a plane to Spain to watch their team, the players say that "Not all nations are friendly to us Africans-Sweden is a model."

Potter played over 300 first class English League games, including the 1996 6-3 drubbing of Manchester United in that grey kit, for Southampton not in that grey kit. In his Ostersund squad are two British players; Jamie Hopcutt once of Ossett Town and York City and Curtis Edwards from Middlesbrough Fc, there are nine immigrants and a number of locals!

YOUTH TO THE FORE; FOR HOW LONG?

To cheer me up after Tottenham threw away their Energy Drink Cup tie last night, I was happy to see the England Under 17s beat Brazil last night in their FIFA U17s World Cup semi-final in Kolkata.

A hat trick, some good old English brutality, the occasional long ball and extended dribbles put the South Americans in their place. Liverpool's Rhian Brewster's performance at centre-forward was a bit special. But, the whole team did what was necessary and they were disciplined and exciting too, coping with a technically gifted Brazilian team.

England's opponents in the final, also to be held at the Kolkata stadium, on the 28th at 20.00, will be Spain (for some reason, yesterday, I thought Mali got through their semi?). Spain won their semi-final 3-1 as well.

To qualify England beat Chile 4-0, Mexico 3-2 and Iraq 4-0 meeting Japan in the last 16, 0-0 winning on pens and then the USA 1-4 in the last eight.

The future is bright at national level; not so for the Crystal Palace manager, 70 year old Roy, who played 19 year old Fosu-Mensah (a tough test for him...get it?), 21 year olds Jairo Riedewald and Ruben Loftus-Cheek and 22 year old Sullay Kaikai against Bristol City, at Ashton Gate in the Energy Drink Cup, who ran away winners 4-1. After the game, there was the apparently ill judged Palace shirt throw in to the crowd by the mature, 27 year old Senegalese, Pape Soaure, who had it rebound in his face. There was good intention from young Pape, not so from the less than adoring Palace fan. Souare who has just recovered from a serious car accident and was making a return to the team, really did not need that hassle. Shame.

NATURE'S FIRE

I have torn myself away from the FIFA U17 World Cup Semi-final between England and Brazil. England beat the Brazilians 3-1 and are due to meet Mali in the Final. Miraculous youth!

My next match, was 3pm today, at Penistone Grammar School v an U18 school team from Doncaster in the ESFA U18 Schools' Cup, held at the moment by Millfield School (an independent school!). I went, no sign of a lads' game......came home.

It is football, football, football! So why not consider one of the great football men. I guess I could have written more about Sir Stanley, or Pele (it has just been his birthday by the way) or Roy Hodgson BUT it is Bill Shankly who is in the news today, because there is a film to be shown soon called "Nature's Fire", all about him! It is a Riverhorse TV production commissioned by BBC Scotland.
Here's a bit of advertising for you to whet your whistle.
http://www.liverpoolphil.com/whats-on/shankly-natures-fire

The news of this film has been written up by Paul Hayward in the DTelegraph, so why not make sure that a few more football people might benefit from knowing about this little gem (the film that is not Shankly...he was not little).
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/10/24/bill-shanklyfilm-reminder-liverpool-fans-can-happenwith-defensive/

Shankly came from the tiny East Ayrshire village of Glenbuck. He died in September 1981 at 68 years old. He played for Carlisle and Preston 1932-49 and Scotland 5 times. Carlisle, Grimsby, Workington, Huddersfield and Liverpool were his managed clubs between 1949-1974. When he joined Liverpool as manager in 1959 they were in the Second Division and had just been beaten by Worcester City in the FA Cup. The Anfield pitch needed a watering system and the Melwood Training facility was a shambles. He had much to do.

BLACK MAN-WHITE FACE

In 1975, and ageing footballer from England is found taking a black football team from the South African townships to Brazil, flouting apartheid rules and a United Nations' blacklist. Dubbed "the black man with the white face". Stanley Matthews moved in dangerous areas. Desmond Tutu said that "He made a dent in the apartheid armoury".

In 1969 there were around 150 British players registered with South African clubs, set up as whites-only. Stanley Matthews, well into his 60s, had visited South Africa to top up his "income" by playing exhibition matches. But seeing black children playing by the road, he was moved to return annually and set up a black team called "Sir Stan's Men". At a time when white men were not easy visiting Soweto, Matthews showed no fear. Stanley Junior, Matthews' son, once a professional tennis player, has become film producer and is making a documentary about his father. Matthews senior became UN "blacklisted" by the government putting his life at risk and of course going against authority.

Matthews sorted funding from Coca Cola to make the trip to Brazil possible and The Sunday Times in Johannesburg became involved. An airline offered free travel and the team boarded the plane along with 2 "undercover policemen".

In Brazil the group met Pele and trained with Zico, playing at the Maracana. The squad then went to Germany. Some would say that Matthews was regarded higher than Nelson Mandela.

A year after this tour South Africa erupted into violence, especially in Soweto when students protested about being forced to use Afrikaans in schools, "the language of the oppressor". There were deaths and in the next year Steve Biko was beaten to death. Matthews returned as soon as he could and was still visiting until his death in 2000, at 85 years old.

Stanley's daughter lived in Johannesburg for 14 years and a foundation set up in her father's name has allowed students from Stoke (Matthews' last club) to coach in Cape town.

Matthews led the way in modernising football in the post war years. He had a rigorous training regime, had no bad habits, he developed lighter boots, walked around with weights on his ankles during the day to make his boots feel lighter and insisted that the pitch was watered before a game to make it slicker. All this clearly worked because he played until he was well over 50 and indeed turned out in a Charity match at 70.

The film "Matthews; The original no7" can be downloaded and is available on DVD from October 30th.

Born in 1915, Mathews played for English Schoolboys against Wales at Dean Court, Bournemouth in 1929 in front of 20,000. I am pleased to say I would have trod the same pitch playing right wing for Sutton in an FA Cup tie in November 1975! I then met Matthews later at two coaching events, one outside the House of Lords and then other at Pontins Morecambe, where he attended the ESFA Easter Tournament.
He also became manager for the day when Charterhouse staff and boys played a match at the Royal Military Academy in 1984. Where was I? New Zealand!!

He played for his home club Stoke City from 1932-47, 259 times scoring 51 goals. He was transferred to Blackpool and played for them until 1961, scoring 17 goals only(he was a supplier but in those days they didn't measure assists). During this period he played in three Cup Finals (1948, 1951) winning the famous "Matthews' Final" in 1953 against Bolton W.

At 46 years old he went back to Stoke and played until 1965, helping the Potters to a Second Division title, scored 3, becoming the oldest professional player, both for club and country-England 1934-57; 54 caps (11 goals).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54HRpvcRn0w

SIR ALEX AND SALFORD CITY

I got quite excited reading the Times this morning, looking at those headlines about Harry and the Spurs, Hudd and the Terriers; what a great weekend of football. I was captured also by the article about Sir Alex (who else) when he delivered a motivational speech at the opening of the 5,000 capacity Salford City Peninsula Stadium. You Tube has it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXdCfosNvFo

There was quite a lot of "brilliant" apparently though I listened to the 5 mins and 30 secs which is quite long enough for any speech, and found it interesting but not exactly stunning. What he has pointed out to those lucky enough to be invited to the occasion, is that the work ethic is so important in anything you do.

Lew Grade worked until he was in his 70s and got up at 6am every day to get on with stuff. Sir Alex reminded us that Manchester United scored 166 "last minute goals" in his time-surely a sign of grafting till the bitter end.

Gary Neville was always in bed early ready to prepare for his next successful day on the training pitch. Nicky Butt spent his lunch hour hitting a ball against a training wall. Phil Neville, when he moved to Everton (boy could they do with him now) he set the trend and encouraged players to do gym worked for an hour before the official training started. Then there is David Beckham who would go join the United U15s after his 1st team sessions and Paul Scholes who never stopped "visualising" the game.

No doubt the great Eric Harrison, United Youth coach had much to do with all this, but it has to come from earlier-upbringing doesn't half help.
Ferguson we know is not a "qualified intellectual"but he was brought up through the shipyards of Govan and that is where he learned his work ethic and saw the importance of social solidarity.

Nicky Butt was signed at his home over a cup of tea with his parents being reminded that United was not a club it was a family.
He was setting the scene for the future not just for the next game. he said "If your managers and coaches are hard on you, you know why? You need to develop your character so that it never lets you down."

Let us hope that the Class of '92 do not let him down!
Here are some of the chaps at the ceremony.

THE BEST AND LAW

I did see a hero footballer yesterday afternoon at Huddersfield Town, Denis Law. He was Scottish and clever, one of the "mavericks", who made his name for Town, signed on by Bill Shankly.

Of course Law went on to greater things.

In the sixties most clubs had a maverick (you had to!) and more recently, of course, despite the increase in "physical and mental discipline" in our national game, there are still a few lads lurking, but not as many as the days of the mini-skirt.
(That was a reference to era's general fashion and not a suggestion that footballers wore mini-skirts.)

On October 21st 1967, 50 years ago, Denis Law appeared for Scotland in a European Championship qualifying (British Group) international at Windsor Park against Northern Ireland. He faced a rampant George Best, who took Scotland apart 1-0 and Dave Clements scored the goal.
This clip from the game shows Best mesmerizing Law and the jocks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dGYJ5NnCuY

Familiar names on the NIreland team included,
Pat Jennings in goal, Terry Neill, Dave Clements, Billy Campbell and Derek Dougan,
whilst Scotland had on board Ronnie Simpson in goal, Tommy Gemmell, Eddie McCreadie, Ian Ure, Jim McCalliog, Willie Morgan, Bobby Murdoch and Willie Wallace; surely a stronger side than the Irish? Well

Best turned the game in Northern Ireland's favour watched by an adoring 55,000 crowd. In the previous championship tie, the Scots won 2-1.

England topped the "Home Championship" table despite being beaten by Scotland 3-2 and drawing with them at Hampden. The defeat at Wembley convinced the Scots that they had beaten the World Champions-which of course they had. Only one team progressed to the tournament finals!
Northern Ireland came fourth (out of four).

Scotland and Northern Ireland have only met 36 times, the first occasion as late as 1954.

TERRIERS v DEVILS

If you were brave enough to read about the exploits of Graham Souness in yesterday's masterpiece you might have been amazed about the hurdles he had to jump over one way or another. To help you get a better grip of Graham,  have a gander at the Daily Telegraph Sports today and John Mullin's article which sheds even more light on the life of GS.

I have been at the Kirklees, John Smith's, Galpharm Stadium this afternoon with the coaches of Hepworth United Juniors and their young prodigies. I was lucky enough to discover that Tom Randolph, an Old Carthusian and past member of the school's 1st XI team, is one of two "Player Liaison Officers" at Huddersfield Town FC. Tom has only been there for a few weeks but he has made contact with his old teacher and kindly provided two tickets for me to enjoy the Town game against Manchester United. Two weeks ago he join me in another major encounter as we witnessed the HUJFC U14s get hammered, but what ever, the youngsters keep coming back for more and so do we as football nuts.

The Terriers, today faced Manchester United in all their glory at 3pm. Rain fell and the wind blew down the pitch. The last time these two played each in any guise was in March 1972, 45 years ago, in the old Division 1 at Manchester with nearly 59,000 watching the Red Devils win 2-0.

Here's a clip from their previous game at Leeds Road in November 1971, when I believe my friend David Wood lost his scarf, nicked by a United rascal.
http://int.search.mywebsearch.com/search/video.jhtml?id=XNxdm019YYgb&n=77edc526&pg=video&pn=1&ptb=308DCB58-2A13-42C4-993A-77A59B6C34C6&ptnrS=XNxdm019YYgb&qs=&searchfor=Huddersfield+Town+FC+1970&si=CJeTnrb1k7ECFZMctAodh14dkA&ss=sub&st=sb&tpr=sbt
I will not mention the score.

In March 1963 in the FA Cup at Old Trafford, Huddersfield went down 5-0 in front of nearly 48,000, with Dennis Law (an old Terrier) grabbing a hat trick and Albert Quixall and Nobby Stiles in attendance. law turned up at the stadium today and he looked in good form. Law of course played for Town first on Boxing Day 1956 when he scored against Notts County in the First Division at 16 years old, managed by Bill Shankly.

There have been 46 meetings of the two clubs now, the first in January 1912, again in the FA Cup when United won 3-1, with Enoch West (2) and Harold Halse (1) on the score sheet. They don't make names like that anymore (20,000 nearly saw this at Manchester).

Post First World War, in 1921 it was Town's first season in Division One and they beat United 5-2 on March 26th at Leeds Road. Huddersfield were super stars at that time under the control of the fabulous Herbert Chapman and they met United in Division One on several occasions. They have only met in one other "league", the Premier one today.
The overall playing record between the Town however is now:
P46 Huddersfield Lost 20 and Drawn 15.

SOUNESS NOW AFTER 50 YEARS IN THE GAME

This podcast is celebrating Graham Souness' 50th year in football, a player who has left his mark on the game and on several oppositions shins.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/10/19/total-football-podcastgraeme-souness-special/
Souness started his career playing for Tynecastle Boys in Edinburgh, a youth club that has provided football with may young stars. You may find them still appearing at the Gothia Cup in Sweden every July where they make a very good fist of the international tournament.

Souness joined Tottenham having signed forms in 1968 at 15 years old and he appeared briefly for the Spurs from 1970-2. Indeed he appeared at Fenners, Cambridge against the University side as a youth player and we had to cope with him a several other starlets under the care of Bill Nicholson.

Not having much luck at Spurs, the young Souness went to Montreal Olympique one summer and then joined Middlesbrough for £30,000, playing over 170 times up to 1978. He then briefly went to West Adelaide, landing at Liverpool later that year and made his name over 247 games. He then joined Sampdoria (56 apps), a phase in the club's history involving players such as Trevor Francis, Vialli, and Mancini and came back as player-manager at Rangers. During the 1974-86 he played 50 times for Scotland.

Management then took over where he made a name for himself at Rangers and established the "Souness Revolution" during the ban of British clubs due to the Heysel tragedy, drawing in English players like Terry Butcher, Trevor Francis, Ray Wilkins and  Gary Stevens. It must be said there were moments of ill-discipline during his time in Scotland and indeed he wound up the authorities by signing Mo Johnston, a Catholic.

Remarkably Souness went manage Galatasaray in the furnace of Turkish football between 1994-96, laying out the club flag across the centre circle after his team had beaten arch rivals Fenerbache in the Turkish Cup Final. he became known as "Ulubatli" after a hero from the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople.

There should have been quieter times at Southampton but he fell out with the board and signed an unknown called Ali Dia from Senegal, apparently on the recommendation of George Weah, though this proved to be a fake. Dia actually made an embarrasing start in a professional league match!
Souness then spent a short time with Torino.

He brought British players Dean Saunders and Brian Deane to Benfica (1997-9) when he was in charge, but refused to sign Deco! After spells at Blackburn Rovers (2000-04) and Newcastle (2004-6), he was voted "Worst Manager" by the Observer Sports Monthly and appeared in "Boys from the Blackstuff"  along with Sammy Lee. He now lives with his second wife at Sandbanks, Dorset, not far from Harry Redknapp and many other millionaires.

Souness did win; 5 English League titles, 3 European Cups, 4 League Cups as well as the European Golden Boot (1980-1), he earned 50 caps for his country, was put on the Roll of Honour in the Scottish National Football Hall as well as voted into the English Hall of Fame and now as you know is a very good pundit with Sky.

SABRINA PLAYS UP FRONT

I do read The Times, but only when I am at the gym, soaking up Bannatynes luxurious central heating, hot water and free press. Today near the "obituaries" page, I was attracted by a photograph of two of Britain's most attractive models, Billy Wright and Norma Sykes. WHO?

Well Billy Wright, was the England captain during the post war years, who played in the old fashioned centre-half position 105 times. He was also a stalwart at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Billy married one of the Beverley Sisters (who??- this was an all girl singing group who were stars of stage and screen) and was lucky enough to be on the Hawthorns pitch when Norma took the kick off to start the benefit match for goalkeeper Norman Heath. Norman had sustained neck and back injuries in a Baggies match against Sunderland and never played again, being confined to a wheelchair.

Norma probably did not play after this again either; well not football at least. Here she is with Arthur Askey (with whom she often appeared on stage-who is the other bloke?)

Where is this all going? Well Norma Sykes, also known as Sabrina, who like Billy's wife, was a well known blonde star of stage and screen, aided by her worldly assets.


This was the time of glamour blondes like Marilyn Monroe, Diana Dors and the like, taking the limelight and appearing in glossy magazines.

Sabrina certainly did take the limelight at the Hawthorns when she turned up on the pitch in a pink car, drove a circuit and then took the ceremonial kick off, watched by Albion skipper, Len Millard and Billy Wright. A right pair of strikers!

http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/push-and-run-totally-great-football.html
This link from a while back involves Sabrina as well.

THE DUCKS ARE FLOATING WITH AQUAFORCE

Shaw Lane Association FC plays in the Evostick Northern Premier League Premier Division at Level 7  in the Pyramid. The club has its base in Barnsley and will play Mansfield Town from the Football League in the next round of the FA Cup. Last weekend they beat Barrow AFC 2-1 to earn that treat. The club has had a meteoric rise especially in the last 5 seasons.

In 1991 a bunch of 11 year olds started playing under the name of Shaw Lane and by 2004 the juniors and seniors formed the Shaw Lane Community  Sports' Association. At present the community club entertains one adult male team, a Ladies team and juniors at 16s, 13 x 2, 12, 10, 9 8,7 and Nursery. (Fewer than Hepworth United FC!!)

Drawing on local Barnsley teams from Wosborough Common FC and Barugh Green FC in 2011, the club became known as Aquaforce Barnsley FC, after their local sponsor.

The club joined the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Division 1 and was promoted as runners up to the Premier in 2011-12. They became Shaw Lane Aquaforce.

Next season (2012-13) came promotion as Premier champions to the Northern Counties East League Division 1 and then quickly rose into the NCEL Premier in 2013-14 as runners up.

Promotion as champions in 2014-15 took the club into the Northern Premier League Division 1 South, which they then won after a "rest" in 2016-17 and moved into the NPL Premier.
During this season they won the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior Cup to complete a remarkable double.

Having moved up the pyramid, FA Regulations prevented the club from including the sponsors Aquaforce in their name and they also moved grounds from Shaw Lane to Sheerien Park which the club has agreed to share with Athersley Recreation FC. Moving from Shaw Lane was a pity as this was a major sports complex near the town centre. Barnsley CC, for example play on the site, as do the major rugby club and they are conference facilities, tennis course etc. Sharing with Athersley means that the Ducks have joined the Penquins.

NO HYDEING PLACE FOR THE DONS?

I'm not claiming to be VERY topical but writing about the FA Cup on the weekend of the last Qualifying Round and then having the draw on the Monday, means I'm pretty much on the button. To add ammo to this, Hyde United hosted the BBC and the Emirates FA Cup First Round Proper draw last night. There was a roar from the home team when they drew MK Dons at home-yes, the offshoot of Wimbledon AFC-FA Cup winners of course.

I raked out a couple of Hyde United related blogs from a little while back and reminded myself that I made the effort to get to watch Hyde in 2016
http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/hyde-and-seek.html
http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/fa-cup-brings-more-coincidences.html
The 26-0 defeat to Preston all those years ago is always an attraction to an "anorak".

What of Ossett Town? Yes, I watched them in the Trophy very recently and then have drawn Wycombe Wanderers if they beat Solihull Moors in their replay. Yesterday's "topic", Truro City, play away at Charlton.
Don't you get a slight shiver when you see these Non-League clubs take on the bigger boys? I do. Sutton are away at Cambridge United and Shaw Lane Association meet Mansfield Town (I watched the Bucks at Buxton last weekend and the Shaw Lane "Ducks" meet the Mansfield Stags).

TRURO OOOAAAARRRR

A few years ago the Charterhouse School U15 Football team made a long trip to Truro to play against the local independent school in the Independent Schools' FA U15 Cup. It was an early round fixture and despite the long journey there and back, the team was successful. Some of those young Truro School lads might just be part of the Truro City FC rise to fame in the FA Cup this season.

In 1889 it was at Truro School that Truro City played their first ever match against Penzance winning 7-1. Their first trophy win was the Cornish Senior Cup in 1895. In 2006-7 Truro beat AFC Totton in the FA Vase at Wembley and since then the club has worked its way up the pyramid.

Tonight at 7pm, the Truro club which was in administration in 2012, has worked its way into the 1st Round proper draw. They might just get an attractive tie which will will help financially of course.

Last Saturday Truro, known sometimes as the White Tigers or the Tinners, became the first Cornish club to reach the 1st Round proper of the FA Cup since Falmouth Town in 1969. Truro beat Martin Tyler's (Sky TV man) Hampton and Richmond 2-0 on Saturday and presently lie a healthy 3rd in the National League South, being unbeaten in 10 games. The signs are promising.

One issue is the fact that their nearest tie is with Weston-Super-Mare, 150 miles away, so players need to be organised and flexible in their "other jobs". Most players live in the Plymouth-Torquay area, the club's "base" is Exeter, a four hour journey away and few players are local to Truro.

Cody Cooke is a local lad who teaches at Exeter College, so his availability for midweek games needs organising. Local business man, Peter Masters, the chairman, revived the club and has given the Cornish lads a future. The FA Cup run will certainly pay back some of his investment, possibly the building of a new Stadium for Cornwall sharing with the Penzance Pirates rugby union club.

Klub Peldroes Truru is the Cornish name of the Klub!! OooooAaaaRR

A RIGHT HYDEING

On the 15th October 1887, Preston North End, the strongest team of the period, were on their way to their first FA Cup Final when they met Hyde United at Deepdale in the first round.

Jimmy Ross, known as the Little Demon from Edinburgh, was to taunt his opposition by scoring 8 goals in Preston's recorded breaking 26-0 victory in the First Round against Hyde United.

In 8 cup ties on the way to the 1888 Oval Cup Final, Preston scored 56 goals and Ross netted 20, 8 in the Hyde thumping. In the second round Preston beat Bolton 9-1 and Everton 6-1 in a game announced "void" due to some dodgy doings. They went to the 3rd Round and beat Halliwell 4-0, got a BYE in R4, then took a day at Southport to train on the healthy beach, before beating Aston Villa 3-1 away.

Preston then took on and won at Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 and the Crewe in the semi-final 4-0.
Preston over estimated their opponents when they asked to have a photograph with the cup after their semi-final win.
Their opponents at The Oval in the final on March 24th were West Bromwich Albion who had beaten the Old Carthusians in the 6th Round. (Other old boys' sides playing in this cup campaign included the Old Etonians, Wykehamists (Winchester College), Harrovians, Foresters, Lancing Old Boys and the Westminsters.)
PNE took on WBA and lost 2-1!

During Ross' time at Preston North End, his first professional club, he played 130 times and scored 85 goals. This was a very satisfactory return for the club that won the newly formed Football League (the only division in 1888-9) having played 22 matches and winning 18 with 4 draws. Preston also got to the Cup Final again without conceding a goal. Beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0 at The Oval, they did the Double and became known as The Invincibles. 149 teams started the FA Cup First Qualifying Round.

Ross during his time was affected by the imposition of a maximum wage of £4 a week, which created an issue, so he and others formed the Association of Professional Footballers, to make their point.

They also won the following season's First Division title by a closer margin with Everton 2 points behind them and were runners up for the next three seasons, behind Everton and Sunderland twice.

I wish I knew which one is Jimmy Ross! Have a guess; Scottish, scorer, small?

OLD BOY GIVES HEED A BOOST

Buxton FC has the highest league ground in the country (304 m.a.s.l) and Gateshead's (the Heed) ground lies at 53 metres above sea level. Not so high. This link will give you an idea about other ground altitudes.
http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/bucking-trend.html

The "altitude based" Fourth Qualifying FA Cup tie took place at the Tarmac Silverlands Stadium, Buxton, this afternoon and  when I mentioned my afternoon plan this morning to a friend from Hepworth United Juniors FC, he said look out for Jordan Preston, an old boy of the club, who now plays for Gateshead. Sure enough, there was Jordan, wearing the 11 shirt and playing major part in the downfall of Buxton. Dare I have a chat with him after the game? Nah!

The game ended only 2-1 to the visitors who really had the best of the game, and had a long journey home, so the win was quite important. 

Buxton will have to soldier on in their league football, their next fixture in the Evostick Northern Premier is Coalville Town away, not so far away. 

Gateshead will carry on in the cup and the National league where they sit half way in the division, traveling to exotic venues such as Dover, Torquay and Wrexham. No wonder they are "full time".

This link will take you to an interesting blog on altitudes! (not attitudes)

Harrogate met their end against Gainsborough Trinity 1-2, Sutton United continue with a 3-2 win at Paulton Rovers, Ossett Town drew away at Solihull Moors and Martin Tyler of Sky Sports, will have had one eye on the cup where his club Hampton and Richmond were knocked out by Truro 2-0.

So the FA Cup is in full swing and the winners this time have earned themselves in 4 Qualifying rounds £27,500, thanks to The Emirates.

THE END OF SLAVERY?

George Eastham towards the end of the 1959-60 saw his contract with Newcastle United run out. With a maximum wage of £20, the club would find their players "another job", for Eastham, at a glass manufacturer to supplement his income and naturally Eastham was not happy with that or with the "club house" Newcastle provided. Although his house apparently had been lived in by Jackie Milburn. 
So Eastham refused to sign a new contract, but the club refused to let him go. 

Eastham was not free to move clubs and ended up working as a "cork salesman" in Guildford, Surrey.

Eventually Newcastle let him go in October 1960, to cut their losses, transferring him to Arsenal for £47,500, a move that he first heard about on the radio!

The Professional Footballers' Association enabled Eastham to pursue the "retain and transfer" system in the law courts by paying his legal fees.

The trial began in June 1963 and his QC claimed that the professional players were being treated "like cattle", "they are paid slaves".
In July 1963 the Judge decided that the contract system was an "unreasonable restraint of trade", "the end of the slavery contact". 
Eastham, a canny inside forward, made his way into the 1966 World Cup squad and scored the winner for Stoke in the 2-1 1972 League Cup win over Chelsea at the time being the oldest winner of a major English football medal at 35 years  and 161 days. Eastham retired in 1963, tried coaching and briefly as a manager as Stoke were relegated. He did see the end of the maximum wage however.
http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/cap-wage.html

Jean-Marc Bosman, of RFC Liege, in Belgium, changed the rules of ownership in December 1995, allowing footballers a right to a free transfer at the end of their contract, a European Court of Justice ruling. He was able to move to his chosen club Dunkerque in France

In 1996 Edgar Davids benefitted from this first when he moved from Ajax to Milan.


Happy Birthday Bobby, 80 years old a couple of days ago. (Rodney Marsh was 73 on the same day)

THE GLORY YEARS 1899-2017-IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS PRESENT

On the 11th October 1958 Tottenham Hotspur played Everton FC in a Division 1 league match (in those days this was the top division) at White Hart Lane and won 10-4. Nearly 38,000 watched what was Bill Nicholson's first game as manager. I missed yesterday's anniversary.

Bobby Smith (with his right hand on the cup) the bustling England centre-forward scored 4, Alfie Stokes 2, Tommy Harmer, Terry Medwin, George Robb and John Ryden one each.
(can you work out which players are which?)
Everton replied with Jimmy Harris 3 and Bobby Collins 1.

This will be recorded in a new book written by Martin Lipton, something to celebrate Tottenham at White Hart Lane and their history from 1899-2017.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/White-Hart-Lane-Glory-1899-2017/dp/1409169278
Some great news/secrets are revealed by Lipton including this shocker below!
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/4655624/alex-ferguson-had-a-concrete-agreement-to-be-tottenham-manager-says-former-spurs-chief-irving-scholar/

Lipton, an Oxford graduate, is presently Chief Sports' writer at The Sun.

ASPINA GIVES SANCHEZ A HEADACHE

Teams less able than Holland, Hungary, Wales and even Slovakia will have snuck their way into the Russian 2018 World Cup finals. Blame it on the Europeans knocking each other out, as I mentioned last time. It is jolly good that some of the smaller nations have a chance to compete on the big stage, isn't it?
Clearly yesterday's blog title didn't attract as many readers as previous titles but there you are, those unbelievers have missed some little gems...that's what I think anyway.

So who has got through from the rest of the World. Not the USA! Why should they but on the other hand since SOCCER is growing fast in the States, shored up by the many Trump refugees from Mexico and a few British old lags, perhaps they should be there, flying the flag? Did the USA soccer players take the knee during the anthem?
The USA went out after their 1-2 defeat by Trinidad and Tobago, one of the great soccer nations. It is the first time that the USA have not made the finals since 1986. TandT did not.
Honduras go on to a play off with Australia. The Socceroos (also sometimes known as the Tim Cahill XI) have just beaten Syria to get there. The Syrian progress is remarkable considering all their issues.

Argentina were hauled back into the competition by Messi's hat trick after his team were 0-1 down to Ecuador up in the mountains, in a rarified atmosphere.

Panama and Iceland, "Worlds" apart, are appearing for their first time. Watch that Finals draw for Iceland or Panama v England? tragic.

David Ospina, Arsenal and Colombia's goalkeeper, is rated as the safest Premier League goalkeeper. His club's goals have been rated by "minutes between conceded goals"-150 mins apparently with 47% clean sheets. Just to confirm his ability, Ospina had a part to play in the South American qualifications as Peru beat Colombia last night, following his attempt to save an indirect free kick, shot directly at his goal. Instinct STUNK.
Note that his club team mate Alexis Sanchez is suffering from this error as his team, Chile, lost to Brazil 0-3 and are out on goal difference. Looking forward to the next session under Arsene?

Have a read of this;
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/10/11/david-ospina-costs-alexis-sanchez-world-cup-chance-bizarre-fashion/
It is also worth noting the goalkeeper who let a throw in directly into his goal, doh!

More teams flooding to Russia, include Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia.
Egypt, Nigeria, with several African ties yet concluded.
Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea
Costa Rica, Mexico
AND NOW to calm your nerves-
Here are some natty skills for you to practise when you get a moment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSy0UgUy-zo

NEARLY THERE

After seeing the Welsh beaten by the Irish in the World Cup qualifier and Gareth Bale unable to do anything about it, I wondered if all this was fair.
We might also be without Messi in Russia, perhaps there should be a better way of deciding who gets through to the World Cup Finals? Just pick the national teams with the Golden Boot players??

At the moment the groups are picked by "region" eg UEFA, CONCAF and so on. Heavens knows what goes on in OCEANIA but I managed to play with two 1982 World Cup players from New Zealand in 1984 when I turned out briefly for Christchurch United during a year off in NZ. Club members Bobby Almond and Steve Wooddin were in the 1982 All Whites 1st team squad. Both had English origins and they played for ChCH Utd in National league in 1984. You can imagine what the standard of football was like there then! NZ shared a WC Group with Brazil, Scotland and Russia.

The 2018 selection of the 54 European clubs for the qualifying groups was done by "pots" midst great ceremony and use of FIFA rankings.
SO I have ranked the various opposition in each of the British/Irish groups, just to see what the average rank was and unsurprisingly they were quite close, once totalled and divided by 6.

Group D: Serbia Rank 32, ROI 34, Wales 13, Austria 57, Georgia 103, Moldova 156, = 395 = Average rank 66
Group C: Germany 1,  NIreland 20, Czech Rep 58, Norway 73, Azerbaijan 92, San Marino 204, = 448 = 75
Group F: England 15, Slovakia 19, Scotland 43, Slovenia 55, Lithuania 120, Malta 191,= 443 = 74
+ an odd one to compare:
Group G: Spain 11, Italy 17, Albania 66, Israel 82, Macedonia 101, Liechtenstein 187, = 464 = 77

The 9 group winners qualify:
Belgium 5, Germany 1, Switzerland 7, France 8, Poland 6, Serbia 32, England 15, Iceland 22, Spain 11 with host Russia 64.
The 8 best runners up play in Round 2 home and away, adding 4 winners to the 9. EASY!
from:-
Sweden, Portugal, NIreland, ROI, Denmark, Slovakia, Italy, Greece, Croatia
THERE ARE THREE QUALIFYING GROUPS TO BE DECIDED TODAY:
GROUP A (France or Sweden have one game left each),
B (Switzerland or Portugal to top the group), 
H (Belgium already qualified, Greece should be runner-up)

FAIR BEAR THERE

WALES AND THE REPUBLIC

Thank God England aren't playing this evening. I couldn't justify watching the second half of another turgid display by my home nation rather than "Liar". Which way will it go? Liar that is not the Welsh-Irish game!

Since the Republic is not part of the UK or Britain, the chances of one of our British  teams meeting ROI is less likely. After all there was the British Home Championships that ran from 1885. England did play Ireland in Belfast, Scotland and Wales annually, surely a good test, until 1984 when the tournament was laid to rest.

The Welsh and the Republic of Ireland have only met 14 times, the first in 1960 when Wales won at Dalymount in Dublin 2-3. Irishmen Charlie Hurley and Johnny Giles played in front of a 20,000 crowd that saw Fionan (Paddy) Fagan, at the time playing for Manchester City, scored twice.
Wales included Cliff Jones and Terry Medwin, wingers of the great Spurs side, Phil Woosnam, Roy Vernon, Mel Nurse; some of you may remember them. Look up your Charles Buchan annuals if not.

This welsh team actually played Brazil in that era but most of the team were in the Irish game....recognise many?

It was a friendly and then a further 8 friendlies were pplayed until the two sides met in the European Championships in 2007 twice (1-0 to the Republic and a 2-2 draw). There was a Nations Cup match (ROL won 3-0), another friendly in 2013 and now two World Cup qualifiers in 2017. The Republic held Wales to 0-0 on 24th March 2017 and have a crucial match to play this evening.
The combinations are, if Wales win, they go through; if ROI win, they go through and there are other combos based on other nations in the group!

England and the ROI have met 16 times with England winning 5 times and there are 9 draws. The first time the two met was in 1946, and three years later the Republic was officially declared.

OSSETT T and OSSETT A

For those of you not in the know, Ossett is a suburb of Leeds and I had cause to be in the area yesterday afternoon, mainly so that Mrs Bailey could shop in Leeds, a much improved city centre, and partially for an FA Trophy 1st Qualifying tie at Ossett town FC v Goole AFC. By the way we also went to watch Rich Hall, the American comedian, at the WYPlayhouse. Very funny, but he made so many unfair remarks about his president....shame!

En route I watched Hepworth United Junior Under 9s get thumped by Shelley in two matches,  then dropped Mrs B off at the conveniently placed Ossett bus station so she could spend an hour or so on a double decker bus taking her to Leed's retail paradise. I sauntered off to the Ingfield, the home of Ossett Town FC. The Ingfielders (ing-referring to people who belong to the field) have just recovered from a midweek 6-5 penalty win over 1874 Northwich in the FA Cup, after a 0-0 aet. 
Town were founded as late as 1936 and like the BUS have travelled through all points of the local leagues; Leeds League, West Yorkshire, Heavy Woollen (formed during the war, presumably for those producing uniforms), Yorkshire League, Northern Counties East, Northern Evostick 1st where they now sit in in 12th place.
The ground is mish-mash of buildings, with a seated stand behind the town end stand, media pylons carry floodlights and starlings, there are many portacabins and Kelly's Bar which is being expanded. Ossett beat Goole 3-0 in this Trophy match, relying heavily on a tall centre forward and second ball. It was route one much of the time.
Goole AFC are bottom of the same division and were reincarnated in 1999 after the demise of Goole Town. Who knows where Goole is? They came second in this match.

Just across the road is Ossett Albion. They too are in the NP Evostick 1st but lounging in 21st place. They won midweek beating Colne 2-1 (their second win this season with 1 draw) and on Saturday in the Trophy, they were held 1-1 by Droylsden, another club from their division (9th place). 

Not so entertaining? 

The Unicorns are in the Dimplewells area of Leeds and formed in 1944 starting in the West Riding League. Next came the West Yorkshire League, the Yorkshire League in 1957, and then the Northern Counties East when in 1999 they were denied promotion to the Northern Premier League because one of their dressing rooms was not big enough! 

In 2001 they were promoted. Since then they have been up and down a bit but now reside in the same division as their neighbours.
So its been a busy weekend for me; the Hepworth Juniors U14s lost 4-7 but the good news is they played well and scored goals! There is light at the end of a tunnel somewhere.....

LOAD OF OLD MESSI BOCAS

Below is the "state of play" for South America national teams attempting to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/world-cup-2018-what-argentina-chile-colombia-need-to-qualify/1fro651dr3pk414wouixnaxx8h

With the various World Cup qualifying rounds going on and the prospect of Argentina and Messi not making it to Russia, why not cheer my world wide audience up with something about the Boca Juniors of Buenos Aires? I did write about River Plate, their deadly rivals recently.

Have I featured Boca before? Of course.
http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/falling-idols-in-torrid-finals.html

So Club Atletico Boca Juniors is a sports' club in La Boca area of Buenos Aires, which hosts many varied sports of which football is the most well known. Founded in 1905 the club has always been in the Primera Division and of course holds all the records for most trophies won. I shall not go through them, but they do hold the Championship title (again) this year. They are called the Genoese (Xeneizes) due to their foundation by Italian boys from Genoa (of course) and Greek lads from Chios, Samos and Kassos. Europeans migrated to Argentina in their "droves" during the 19th Century, hence the number of "white" faces in their teams.
The photo is from 1906 after the club's victory in the Copa Reformista and their promotion to the Primera was in 1913, mainly because the AAF decided to run a top division of 15 teams and not 6!

They have a fierce rivalry with River Plate, since both clubs are set in La Boca area so matches between them are known as Superclasico. Their first venture to Europe to test their strength was in 1925 and they 15 out of 19 games in Spain, Germany and France. I doubt whether the English FA would have condoned their visit to England!
If you can concentrate their team strip is based on the Swedish national flag and well they have cheer leaders! Calm down.

CHEER UP ENGLAND FANS

Stunned by our boys' performance last night and the point that Sven has been our most successful manager since, Sven was manager, I was lucky enough to be sent this marvellous set of "videos" which will take us away from all this media mire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ruzcrq7MJ-k

So make your paper aeroplanes, chuck them at Gareth and thank heavens for Harry, the 21st century Dixie Dean (William Ralph Dean)

Dixie, the Everton (349 goals in 399 apps) and England centre forward (18 goals in 16), had fractured his jaw and skull in a motorcycle accident, had a testicle removed after a particular nasty tackle and became a Freemason. But this did not stop him! So now there is a hotel being built and named after him to join the Shankly Hotel in Liverpool's "football quarter". Let's hope Harry keeps all his bits in place.

HARRY'S TASTE FOR GOALS

Gareth's men will take on Slovenia (ranked 55 in FIFA) tonight with Harry Kane on top of his form. I wonder if he is missing the "tucker" provided by his personal chef? Harry's diet has been the subject of most sports' newspaper reports today.

Gareth is earning a nice wage (less than Harry I bet and may be less than Harry's chef) but it is miles less than the most recent failures in charge of our national team.
So will we see a good game tonight? Why not join me assessing the state of the game after about 20 minutes? I reckon the state of the game is judged around that time.

I wrote about Slovenia previously, so you might find where the country is as a starter.
http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/where-is-slovenia.html

The two nations have met only five times previously, (bear in mind the country has not be around for long) the first in September 2009 in a friendly, which England won 2-1 at home. Since then they met in the 2010 World Cup and England won 1-0 with a goal by Jermaine Defoe. England came second in the group behind the USA!

In 2014-15 they met twice in the UEFA Championships with a 3-1 and a 3-2 win. The last meeting was our 0-0 draw in this latest World Cup qualification in Slovenia. It as a grumpy game, with Rooney dropped to the bench and Joe Hart in top form.

Bostjan Cesar playing for Chievo in Italy, a 35 year old long standing hero, has earned 98 caps as a defender.
Bojan Jokic playing for UFA in Russia has 85 caps, also a defender.
Valter Birsa, 31 years old, with 87 caps plays in the midfield, on Chievo's books too.
The rest of the squad plays as far and wide as New England Revolution in USA and Caen in France; only 4 play in Slovenia.

Slovenia; only conceded 4 goals in 8 games, W4, D2, L2, F10, Pts 14
England; P8 W6 D2 F16 A3 Pts 20

IF THE CAP SUITS

Ryan Mason, 26 years old, signed from Spurs and was playing for Hull City, when he suffered a shocking head injury against Chelsea on 22nd January, clashing with Gary Cahill. He was put in an induced coma. Since he regained consciousness, he suffered characteristic symptoms of loss of speech and not being about to suffer bright lights. A CT scan suggests that his future in football must be in danger, so at the moment his career is in the balance. See photo below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECCvdAs4IwE

Due to the nature of the game, head injuries are likely to happen and Petr Cech, the Premier League's "senior" goalkeeper at 35 years old, has become an "ambassador" for head injuries. Cech suffered a serious head injury in 2006 against Reading and since he has recovered, he has worn a skull cap, which is easier to do in goal rather than outfield.

Cech visited Mason as soon as he could to talk to the Hull player and share his experience. Cech appreciated that Mason didn't want to talk much, so Cech spoke about his personal experience for over an hour. Mason was so impressed by this gesture and the advice given, that he would like to carry on spreading the word to his fellow footballers.

So as Ryan Mason thinks about returning to play, he may well be wearing a skull cap, like Cech. He wonders is this will become common place for outfield players. This is the full interview on Talksport between Ryan Mason and Jim White. Worth a listen?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxjFQ_8BWpA

Fernando Torres has suffered a similar injury......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2beBoRrCsI

I have written before about the close link between heading football and dementia;

http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/we-will-remember-them-50-years-on.html

and of course heading in youth football is not necessarily encouraged!

BARCA-CATALONIAN OR SPANISH

FC Barcelona is located in Catalonia where supporters regard the club as the "embodiment of Catalonia identity". Their away kit is based on the Catalonian flag, their supporters' communal singing is the Catalonian national anthem and at 17 minutes and 14 seconds into every match, the year that Catalonia was merged with Spain, there are shouts by the crowd of "independence".
At the weekend Las Palmas were due to visit the Nou Camp, during an independence referendum, sporting the Spanish flag on their kit to show their allegiance to their country. Tempers flared-where better to make a point?
To cancel the game would have cost Barca six points , so it went ahead behind closed doors. The home crowd reacted outside the stadium along with those not supporting football but interested in voting for Catalonian independence. Riot.
Below, Messi is spreading the word.

If Barca followed their traditional beliefs and left La Liga to play in the Catalonian League (should such a thing exist) they would only meet Espanyol, Girona and some local sides. Not playing Real Madrid regularly would serious affect Barca's status and economy.
If Catalonia did gain independence, then Barcelona playing in the Spanish National League would be regarded as hyprocritical-another country.

So have Berwick Rangers experienced such political, social and economic intrigue? The English club has opted to play in the Scottish League rather than travel hours to get to an equivalent English opposition every fortnight. There are many other football clubs that have chosen to play in a neighbouring country and if you can ignore the "other sports" in this link (although you might be interested in rugby, netball or basketball clubs) you will have abundant dinner party chit chat at hand.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sports_clubs_playing_in_the_league_of_another_country