UNLUCKY 13th NIGHT?

January 6th 1934: When goalkeeper Stanley Milton made his debut for Halifax Town against Stockport County, in a Division 3 (North) match he was on the wrong end of a 13-0 defeat, a record scoreline in a Football League match! Yes,they did wear polo neck, woollen jumpers and woolly gloves.

1954: Same date, Bill Shankly, took over the manager's role at Workington FC., a team from the North-west which played in the Third Division North at Borough Park. In those days, the manager didn't just look after the players and their strategy, but he had to look after the office and pay the bills. He discovered, on his first day, that there was no electricity at the club that was gas powered!

Shanks, born in Glenbuck, Ayrshire, went on to play for and manage clubs only in England; Carlisle, Preston (won the FA Cup in 1938) and managing at Carlisle, Grimsby (note Ian Holloway is there now!), Workington, Huddersfield and then Liverpool. He did play 7 times for Scotland though!

1974: Same date, the war in the Middle East caused a three-day working week in this country, which led to the first senior Sunday matches being played in England. Four FA Cup Third Round ties were played on Sunday 6th January, the first that kicked off was between Cambridge United and Oldham Athletic. Two weeks later Football League matches were played for the first time on a Sunday and football on the Sabbath was here to stay.

We've all been there, well the tallest man gets that job.

1975: Same date, a home League defeat to Notts County over the Christmas period saw Nottingham Forest sack their manager Allan Brown and on 6th January 1975 they appointed his successor....Brian Clough. After his failures at Brighton and Leeds, few would have expected great things at the City Ground, but he turned a mid-table Second Division side into League champions in 1978 and European Cup winners in 1979 and 1980.