FORFAR, FIFE AND ROUSE

The April date is famous for a number of reasons, but surely the best excuse to use the date is  because Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise came up with the football result that we all mimmick at some time or another: East Fife 4 Forfar 5, with various downward inflections and upward lilts. On 22nd April 1964 there was the exact score although Forfar (at home) beat East Fife 5-4...not quite the comic value! It's all in the timing!

In 1959, on this date, Vic Rouse of Crystal Palace from the Fourth Division, won his debut cap for Wales against Northern Ireland in Belfast. It was the first time any player from the "lowest" division of the football league had managed an international honour. The Irish won 4-1 and Vic never played for his country again.
It is also hard to imagine Palace being in the 4th Division!

In 1998, Phil Neville replaced hs brother Gary at half time at Wembley when England played a friendly against Portugal. England won 3-0 with goals from that well known duo, Shearer 2, Sheringham 1.
The team: Seaman, Beckham, Le , Nevilles G, Adams (his 50th cap), Campbell, Batty, Ince, S + S, Scholes, Owen as a sub, Merson a sub, Phil N as sub. Hard to imagine why did we lost so many games in tournaments?!