FIRST BLOG AND AN ANNIVERSARY

https://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/butter-wouldnt-melt.html 

The blog above was written on March 16th 2015, 6 years ago. 

My first blog was written on the 22nd of March 2014, encouraged and "set up" by an old uni friend, who worked successfully in media. This first offering wasn't a proper blog, just a statement that I was off to watch Everton and Swansea City in a Football League match, as part of my celebrating the anniversary of the founding of the Football League, matches first played in 1888. The journey took me eventually to all of the 12 original members. Of course the Football League, First Division, became the Premier League in 1992.

On Saturday March 16th 2002 saw a unique abandonment of the First Division fixture between Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion, which became known as the 'Battle of Bramall Lane'. 

9 minutes in to a league match, Sheffield United's keeper Simon Tracey was sent off for handling the ball outside the penalty area, United manager Neil Warnock using his first substitution by replacing an outfield player with the sub goalkeeper. 

Warnock later used his second and third subs and amazingly one of those, George Santos, was sent off in the 65th minute for a foul on Andy Johnson while the other sub, Patrick Suffo, received his marching orders in the skirmish that followed the Santos sending off. 

That left United with 8 players and no substitutions left. So when Michael Brown had to leave the pitch with an injury in the 80th minute and Robert Ullathorne followed him a couple of minutes later for the same reason it left Sheffield United with just 6 players. The minimum number a team must have is 7 players, so ref Eddie Wolstenholme, had no option but to abandon the game in the 82nd minute with visitors WBA leading 3-0. Letter of the law!

West Brom's manager, Gary Megson, said after the match..
'There will be no replay. If we are called back to Bramall Lane we shall kick-off and then walk off the pitch. I've been in professional football for a long time, I've never ever witnessed anything as disgraceful as that. There is no place for that in any game of football, let alone professional football.'

Megson also accused Warnock of faking the injuries to end the game, but an investigation cleared the Blades' manager of that accusation, although United were fined £10,000 and yet the result was allowed to stand.