LIFE AND DEATH

This is a bit contrived, but last night I watched Chris Tarrant travelling on a train through Turkey. Very entertaining.
This day, on December 10th 2016, a car bomb was exploded at the Vodafone Arena, in Istanbul, hosting a league match between Besiktas and Bursaspor football where 38 supporters were killed and 166 injured.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38276794

From death to new beginnings, Lucien Laurent (above) was born on December 10th 1907. He played for France against England in May 1931 and in another 9 internationals. His first club was Sochaux, which was a Peugeot Workers' Club at the time and he was an amateur, but was compensated by the French FA when he turned out for the national team, in the first ever World Cup tournament. This was the dream of two Frenchmen, Henri Delaunay and Jules Rimet.
Laurent scored with a volley in the 19th minute against Mexico, the "FIRST EVER GOAL" scored in a World Cup at the Estadio Pocitos. It was his only international goal.
The game, played on July 13th 1930, resulted in a 4-1 win to France. The French then lost both their next games to Argentina and Chile.

Lucien was in the French Armed Forces in World War 2, survived and was able to watch his national team win the 1998 World Cup on home soil, the only player remaining from that 1930 squad.

The French captain, Alex Villaplane, was executed in 1944, after the liberation of France, for collaborating with the enemy.

BTW the teams to play in this first World Cup were:-
Group 1:France, Mexico, Argentina (runners up), Chile,
Group 2: Brazil, Yugoslavia, Bolivia
Group 3: Romania, Peru, Uruguay (won trophy)
Group 4: Belgium, USA, Paraguay
Bit one sided, continentally.

A new sporting life was also born on December 10th 1935. This was Terry Allcock, who was the Yorkshire Schoolboys' captain and an England Schoolboy international, before he made his debut for Bolton Wanderers in October 1953 and went on to play at Norwich City.
He also played First Class Cricket for Norfolk, as a wicket keeper, batsman between 1959-75. He played alongside the well known radio commentator, Henry Blofeld.
Terry's retirement from sport ended with a career in a local family Funeral Service.


Do not mix Terence Allcock with Terrence Alcock who played over 300 senior games for Port Vale, Blackpool and others between 1963-78, before running pubs in the Burscough area.