29th JUNE

Day late sorry. We are getting rather late in the year, so late that the new training schedules for our local teams are being published. We start training this week! Well not me-the boys! England's International matches were played at the end of the league season in late February, March and occasionally in early April. In 1911 England played Scotland, always the last of the Home internationals, on April 1st. After the Great War, matches were scheduled for March, April and October and there were friendly tours to Europe from 1908, taking the game to Austria, Hungary and Bohemia.

International matches for England did not happen until "ironically" 1939, when England went to Europe and played matches in May against Italy at the San Siro 2-2, against the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in Belgrade 1-2 and Roumania a 2-0 win, in Bucharest. 

Things got back to normal in the post war period with what can only be described as a "Post War Tour of Friendship to Switzerland (0-1) and Portugal (10-0) in May 1947. Tours to Europe resumed from then. 

In 1950 England met the USA in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in England's first World Cup. (Remember the World Cup had run since 1930). Eventually, the England head coach, Walter Winterbottom, the first "professional manager" of our national team, took the inventors of the great game to pit their wits against foreign opposition, other than in Europe, in a Global competition. 

On June 29th 1950, England took all their best professionals and played the USA (below), a team of amateurs and novices and lost 0-1. England also lost 0-1 to Spain and that was that! Oh by the way, England had started rather well on the 25th June, winning their first group match in Rio, thumping Chile 2-0. Over 29,000 watched the founders of the great game start their first World Cup campaign with confidence, Ooops, what happened next. 

The next June 29th fixture was versus Norway, at the Ulevall Stadium in Oslo on tour and this resulted in a 6-1 victory with goals from Jimmy Greaves (4), John Connelly of Burnley and Bobby Moore. England was warming up for the World Cup Finals in London....and we all know what happened. Good planning by Sir Alf.

In 1990, on this day, England met Belgium in Bologna, a World Cup Second Round tie and won 1-0 with a goal from David Platt. He was helped by Shiltomn, Parker, Pearce and Wright; Butcher, Walker, McMahon, Gascoigne, Waddle, Lineker, Barnes and Bull.

On June 29th 2021 in UEFA 2020, the Round of 16, 5pm ko, England beat Germany 2-0 at Wembley with goals from Sterling (75) and Kane (86) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uio-GveMuQA

LONGEVITY

On the 28th June 1994, the USA hosted the World Cup Finals; the 12th time the tournament had been held. On this day Russia beat Cameroon 6-1 and Russian, Oleg Salenko (below) became the first player to score....... 

5 goals in a World Cup Finals' match and Roger Milla, at 42 years old, became the oldest World Cup goalscorer, when he hit the back of the net for Cameroon. At 38 years and 19 days, Milla was also the oldest debut goalscorer in the Finals.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrtWQSqD3A0

In 1988, aged 36, Milla celebrated his retirement from international football, with a jubilee in Cameroon, BUT two years later in 1990, he received a phone call from the President of Cameroon, Paul Biya, who pleaded with him to come out of international retirement and rejoin the national team. Persuaded, Milla went to Italy with the Indomitable Lions, for the 1990 World Cup, where he would cause a sensation. Milla then played in the USA Finals, at the age of 42, being the oldest player ever to appear and score in a World Cup Finals (at the time). Cameroon were knocked out in the group stages; but Milla broke the "age" record he had set in 1990. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGJ0Zujnax0

His final international appearance came in a friendly against South Africa in December 1994. 

In the 2014 World Cup qualifier, Colombia's Faryd Mondragon, in a group stage match versus Japan, was 43 years and 3 days old, setting a new record. Mondragon's record in turn was beaten by Essam El Hadary in 2018.

Largest age difference on a champion team was 21 years and 297 days, 1982 in the Italian side, with Dino Zoff: 40 years and 133 days and youngster Giuseppe Bergomi, a mere18 years and 201 days.

Oldest player to ever be named to a FIFA World Cup squad: 45 years, 150 days, Essam El-Hadary (Egypt), 2018

Largest age difference on the same team: 24 years and 42 days, 1994, Cameroon (Rigobert Song: 17 years and 358 days; Roger Milla: 42 years and 35 days) 

Longest period between World Cup finals appearances as a player: 15 years and 363 days, Faryd Mondragon (Colombia, 1998–2014) 

Longest span of World Cup finals appearances as a player: 16 years by Antonio Carbajal (Mexico, 1950–1966); Elias Figueroa (Chile, 1966–1982); Hugo Sanchez (Mexico, 1978–1994); Giuseppe Bergomi (Italy, 1982–1998); Lothar Matthäus (Germany, 1982–1998); Rigobert Song (Cameroon, 1994–2010); Faryd Mondragón (Colombia, 1998–2014); Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon, 1998–2014); Rafael Márquez (Mexico, 2002–2018)

Longest period between World Cup finals appearances, overall: 44 years, Tim (Brazil, 1938, as a player and then for Peru, 1982, as coach)

Oldest captain: 45 years, 161 days, Essam El-Hadary (Egypt), vs Saudi Arabia, 25 June 2018

Oldest player to debut in a World Cup finals tournament: 45 years, 161 days, Essam El-Hadary (Egypt-GK), vs Saudi Arabia, 25 June 2018. (below)

WIMBLEDON

Today Wimbledon begins. The inaugural 1877 Wimbeldon Tennis Championships started on 9 July and the Gentlemen's Singles was the only event held, played at Worple Road, Wimbledon. 22 men paid a guinea (£1 and 1 shilling) to enter the tournament, which was to be held over five days. The rain delayed it for four days and eventually, on 19 July 1877, the final was played. Spenser Gore, an old Harrovian (old boy of Harrow School), rackets player, defeated William Marshall, 6–1, 6-2 and 6–4 in 48 minutes. Gore was presented with the silver challenge cup, valued at 25 guineas and donated by the sports magazine, The Field. 

In 1922: At the Wimbledon Championships, The Challenge Round was abolished and the tournament moved to a new venue, Church Road. 

Bill Tilden and Suzanne Lenglen were the last of Wimbledon’s champions (1921) who were not required to defend their titles until the Challenge Round. This was a rather generous and increasingly anachronistic rule, in place since the singles' competitions were first established, in 1877. This rule stipulated that the defending champion was not required to lift a finger in defence of his or her championship until the winner of the rest of the main draw had been decided. 

In 1922, the year the Wimbledon tournament moved to Church Road, the attitude of players, after World War I, ensured that the plan, suggested before the war, but never finding sufficient favour among the players in those days, was passed by a resounding player vote of 91 to 27; a new beginning. 

The construction of the new home of tennis, with accommodation for 13,500 people was completed in time for the 1922 Championships, amid forecasts the place would become a white elephant. Never have such forecasts proved more wrong. On 26th June, the official opening was conducted by King George V and Queen Mary. Some 45 minutes behind schedule the King appeared in the Royal Box, gave three blows on a gong and declared Wimbledon’s new home open. There followed the wettest two weeks in the tournament’s history!!!

The 135th edition started today (27th June 2022) and runs until the10th July 2022, with regularly scheduled play on the middle Sunday expected for the first time. The 135th edition will also mark the centenary of the inaugural championships staged at the Centre Court.

Wimbledon Old Central Football Club were formed in 1889, taking its name from the Old C entral School, on Wimbledon Common, where players had been pupils. The club's first match was a 1–0 victory over Westminster, and it only took seven years for success to come to Wimbledon as the club won both the Clapham League and the Herald League in 1895-6. 

A meeting was convened on 1 May 1905, and the decision was taken to drop "Old Central" from the club's name – the club became Wimbledon Football Club, and under its new name the club won the South London Charity Cup the same year – however, excessive debts caused the club to fold in 1910. 

The club was restarted a year later under the name Wimbledon Borough, though "Borough" was dropped from the team's name after barely a year. The club continued to play on Wimbledon Common and at various other locations in the Wimbledon area until 1912, when the side settled at Plough Lane. 

Wimbledon joined the Athenian  League 1919-20. The club then joined the Isthmian League. Winning four Isthmian League titles during the 1930s, and reaching the FA Amateur Cup final in 1934-5. Wimbledon began to prosper. The club reached another FA Amateur Cup final in 1946-7, and finished as runners-up in the league twice over the next few seasons.

Wimbledon won the Isthmian League for the fifth time in 1958-9 before starting a period of domination that saw three successive championships – 1961-64. Wimbledon also lifted the FA  Amateur Cup in 1962–63, beating Sutton  United 4–2.

Eddie Reynolds (from Northern Ireland) scored all four Wimbledon goals with his head, and in doing so became the only player to have headed in all four of his side's goals in a Wembley match – a unique feat. Following these successes, the decision was taken to turn professional for the 1964-5 season and to enter the Southern League. Wimbledon continued success in their new league, finishing as runners-up at the first attempt. 

Wimbledon became nationally famous during an FA Cup run during the 1974-5 season: entering the competition at the first qualifying round, Wimbledon saw off various non-league clubs and lower league opposition, to find themselves in the Third Round Proper. They then became the first Non-League team that century to beat a First Division (then the top division) side away from home by defeating Burnley at Turf Moor. 

In the fourth round the good form continued, as the team held the reigning First Division Champions, Leeds United to a 0–0 draw at Elland Road. Goalie, Dickie Guy, became a legend by saving a penalty from Peter Lorimer, to earn a replay, which was narrowly lost 1–0 by an own goal, in front of over 40,000 spectators at Selhurst Park. After winning the Southern League three times running from 1974-77 Wimbledon were elected to THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE in place of Workington,for the 1977-8 season.

When AFC Wimbledon won the FA Cup in 1988, they had also won the FA Amateur Cup (1963). Only one other football club has achieved that DOUBLE-The Old Carthusians FC, the old boys of Charterhouse School (below); 1881 FA Cup and  the first FA Amateur Cup in 1894 and again in 1897.

JUNE 26th Do I not like that?

26th June 1992 Denmark beat Germany 2-0 to win the Euro 1992 Championships in Sweden. Denmark had been eliminated from the competition by finishing second to Yugoslavia in their qualifying group but a civil war in the Balkans had seen Yugoslavia replaced by the Danes in the finals. Many of their players were enjoying holidays on the beach when Denmark were awarded their place in the finals but they went on the win the championship defeating the reigning European and World champions on their way to the trophy. England showed off in Malmo and Stockholm by registering in their qualifying games v Denmark a 0-0 (June 11th), then a 0-0 v France (June 14th) and on June 17th, a 1-2 defeat v Sweden! which resulted in poor old Graham Taylor being graced with this news item....England: Played 3 Won 0 Drew 2 Lost 1 F1 A2 Pts 2

and on the same day in 1996................

Alan Shearer gave England a 3rd minute lead in the Euro 96 semi against Germany at Wembley but once again it was the Germans who progressed to the final, following a 1-1 and after a penalty shoot-out 5-6. Gareth Southgate missed the crucial penalty and in 2006....................the Germans won the final

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EiE7eLWI_M

On this day Switzerland met Ukraine at the last 16 stage of the 2006 World Cup Finals in Germany. It wasn’t one of those edge-of-seat cup-ties. One national newspaper reported that it was ‘a game so dull that dishwater should take offence if ever mentioned in the same sentence as this horror show’ But no, it’s not getting a mention here as the dullest match in World Cup history – Switzerland did record two ‘firsts’ in that match. Switzerland topped their group with two 2-0 wins and a 0-0 draw while against Ukraine they drew 0-0 – after extra time – before losing 3-0 on penalties. So they became the first country to be eliminated from the World Cup finals without conceding a goal in normal play and the first country not to score a goal in a World Cup finals penalty shoot-out. Sounds like records you would have thought England would hold! and keep calm but today in Paulo Malini's birthday. This Italian beauty may cheer up your household, so show it around to the family.........

and finally...June 26th 1998 Lens, France, World Cup qualifier v Colombia 2-0 win. Anderton and Beckham score. England had already beaten Tunisia 2-0 and lost 1-2 to Romania. Next round drew with Argentina 2-2 and you guessed it...lost on pens 3-4. Remember the disallowed goal by Sol Campbell? Ruled out for a foul on their keeper by Shearer.

IT'S A DISGRACE

 Football On This Day - 25th June 1982

West Germany needed to beat Austria, at the El Molinon stadium in Gijon, Spain, by one or two goals to allow both countries to progress through their World Cup finals group at the expense of Algeria. The Germans took the lead after 10 minutes after which there appeared to be an agreement between the sides not to score any more goals. The match became known as the ‘Disgrace of Gijón’, as suggested in the photo.

The match was the last game of the first-round in Group Two with Algeria and Chile, group nations, having played the day before. With the outcome of that match already decided and known, a win by one or two goals for West Germany at the expense of Austria would result in both West Germany and Austria qualifying instead of Algeria, which had defeated West Germany in the first game. The Germans scored the only goal within the first 10 minutes of the match, which progressively deteriorated towards near standstill in the second half. Spectators of the match accused both teams of fixing the outcome although FIFA ruled that neither team had broken any rules.

As a result of this, and regarding similar events at the previous World Cup in Argentina, FIFA revised the group system for future tournaments, so that the final two games in each group would be played simultaneously. In German, the match is known as Nichtangriffspakt von Gijón (lit. "Non-Aggression pact of Gijón") or Schande von Gijón (lit. "Disgrace of Gijón"), while in Algerian it is called فضيحة خيخون (faḍīḥat Khīkhūn, "Scandal of Gijón"); it is also satirically referred to as the Anschluss (in reference to the annexation of Austria by Germany in 1938).

When Thailand beat Indonesia 3-2, an Indonesian defender deliberately scored an own goal so his team did not have to face the host Vietnam in the semi-finals of the 1998 Tiger Cup.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vxMaEMKzEM

AS Adema beat SO l'Emyrne149-0, where the SO l'Emyrne players deliberately scored 149 own goals in protest of refereeing decisions that had gone against them in the previous match.

On January 27, 1994, the Barbados and Genada played each other as part of the qualification round for the 1994 Caribbean Cup. Due to an unusual scoring rule and the two teams' respective positions in the tournament, it became alternately in the best interest of each team to score an own goal. The result has been described as "one of the strangest matches ever". The organisers of the tournament had imposed a rule requiring all matches to have a winner, and this was enforced with an unusual variant of the golden goal  rule: the first goal scored in extra-time, not only won the match, but was also worth two goals. Barbados started the match needing to win by a margin of at least two goals to qualify for the final tournament, and after Grenada scored late in normal time to bring the scoreline to 2–1, Barbados deliberately scored an own goal to force extra-time, where they could get the two-goal winning margin they needed courtesy of the unconventional golden goal rule. This resulted in an unusual situation: for the last three minutes of the match, Grenada was trying to score in both goals, as either outcome (3–2 or 2–3) would have advanced them to the finals, while Barbados had to defend both goals. Ultimately, Barbados was able to prevent Grenada from scoring, thus forcing extra-time, and scored the golden goal to win the match.

The outcome of the match was criticised by Grenadian manager James Clarkson, who felt that his team had been cheated out of advancing to the finals. However, FIFA chose to not punish Barbados given the unusual tournament rules.Barbados beat Grenada 4-2, after a Barbadian defender deliberately scored an own goal, so his team could win by two goals in extra-time, according to an unconventional golden goal rule.

Spain 12-1 v  Malta, was a game where Spain qualified to Euro 1984 because of a better goal difference than Netherlands. Accusations of match fixing and drugging were made, but not proven. Four days before the game, The Netherlands defeated Malta 5–0 and finished their qualification schedule with 13 points and a goal difference of +16. If Spain won their final qualifier and thus also finished on 13 points, then goal difference would decide which team qualified. With a goal difference of +5, Spain would need to defeat Malta by a margin of 11 or more goals to qualify. The team had only managed to score 12 goals in their previous seven matches, and before the game the Maltese goalkeeper, John Bonello, said: "I wouldn't return to my country if they scored 11 goals."

Coventry 2-2 Bristol City, 19th May, at Highfield Road, was the final match for both sides in the 1977 English First Division. With five minutes remaining, players received news of a Sunderland defeat which meant a draw would save both Coventry and Bristol from relegation. Both sides stopped attempting to score for the final five minutes.

THE WORLD CUP IN JUNE 1950

Twent years after the first staging of the World Cup (1930), Brazil hosted the 1950 World Cup following on from the Second World War. FIFA clearly had some work to do and after last minute complications, FIFA was practically begging nations to bring their teams to fill the last three places. British teams had not joined in the fun, the home countries' reason has been explained in this blog before. Snobbism? Nevertheless FIFA offered places to the winners and runners up of our own Home Championship, which were England and Scotland. The Scots did not want to accept this because they had not won the Home Championship! The England captain, Billy Wright, an international who eventually won 105 caps, along with the Scottish captain, George Young, tried hard to persuade the Scottish FA to accept the invitation. The Scots did not "play ball" and stayed at home. So England went on their own representing GB. The first World Cup match was played on June 24th at the Maracana, Brazil 4 v Mexico 0.

The English may have wished they had stayed at home, because having played in Pool 2, they beat Chile 2-0 on June 25th, then crucially lost to the USA amateurs (above) 1-0 on the 29th and then lost to Spain 1-0 on July 2nd. England came runners up in their group, second to Spain (who won 3 out of 3 with a goal tally of 6 for and 1 against). Only one team went forward to the next round, Spain and England went home in disappointment.

Argentina did not join the World Cup due to differences with neighbours Brazil, who apparently had been "rough" in matches between the two countries, played in the 1940s...no change there then? The Czechs declined, the French stayed at home having seen their proposed qualifying matches staged 2,000 miles apart and the Brazilians refused to change the venues. Germany was banned following the war. 13 teams competed, not an easy number to deal with. There were two groups of 4 (Brazil, Yugoslavia, Switzerland and Mexico) and (Spain, England, Chile and the US), one of three (Sweden, Italy Paraguay) and one of two (Uruguay and Bolivia)! Uruguay, who had won the first World Cup in 1930 on their home soil and had not played since, beat Bolivia in ONE match 8-0. 

(A serious note is that Alfred Bickel and Erik Nilsson of Sweden both played in the final stages of the World Cup before and after the Second World War; the only men to do this!)

BEWARE THE DISEASE IN OUR SEWERS

I was concerned about a news' bulletin today, warning the public about possible pollution in domestic water supplies, in a certain part of the country, that might be caused by the presence of human waste. Poliovirus has been detected in sewage samples collected in London between February and May this year, the U.K. Health Security Agency said today.  There have been no reported cases of paralysis, the agency said, but investigations are underway to determine if there is any community transmission.  People are recommended to check their "Polio vaccinations". 

I remember being taken to Fratton Park one Saturday and hearing an announcement about a footballer from Birmingham City, called Jeff Hall (born September 1929), who was very ill. These sorts of announcements were not common thank goodness but this one seemed important as it involved Polio.
The date was March 1959 and I was not very old. Just tall enough to see over the wall at the front of the main terrace.

One Sunday in March, Jeff Hall fell ill (now there won't be many sentences written today with so many "ll"s in it), with a sore throat; he didn't make training and soon was paralysed and taken to Birmingam hospital. He was placed in an "iron lung"; he had three throat operations but two weeks later, his condition had deteriorated so much that he died on April 4th 1959.
He was one of England's great full backs and of course a stalwart of the Birmingham side.

Once this condition had been diagnosed the doctors immediately sent out a warning that anyone who had been in contact with Jeff should report to their doctor immediately. There was immediate "panic"; Birmingham's three Easter games were cancelled and Midlands clubs and City's recent opposition were medically checked out.

The Football League recommended vaccinations and a panic set in, knowing that if a fit 29 year old footballer like Hall, could be struck down by the illness, then it was likely to affect anyone. It was the death of Hall – a young, fit, international footballer-from polio, which helped kick-start widespread public acceptance in Britain of the need for vaccination. Though the disease was generally feared and the Salk Vaccine was available, takeup had been slow. Hall's wife, Dawn, spoke on TV and to the media and her story forced the country's newspapers to "up" their coverage of the illness. News of Halls' untimely death, created a national outcry which encouraged, subsequently, the "Salke" vaccination programme, which saved many lives, demand for immunisation rocketed. Emergency vaccination clinics had to be set up and supplies of the vaccine flown in from the United States to cope with demand. I remember the jab well which became a routine for children!

Hall was born in Scunthorpe and brought up in Wilsden, West Yorkshire.. After leaving school, in 1945, he played for various junior clubs in the area, before joining his local Football League club, Bradford Park Avenue, then a Second Division side, where he remained an amateur and never made a first-team appearance. It was while playing for the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during his National Servise (compulsory in those days) that he was spotted by the Birmingham City chief  scout and Hall signed on professional forms in May 1950. He made his debut for Birmingham in 1951 and played 227 games for City.
He was an FA Cup Finalist  in1956, losing to Manchester City at Wembley, 3-1. He won 17 caps for England, making his debut in 1955 against Denmark and was never on a losing side wearing an England shirt. His illness and the condition of his health was reported on 25th March 1959.

"If Gill Merrick, (Birmingham and England's goalkeeper) was an emperor among goalkeepers, then Jeff Hall and his other full back Ken Green were his worthy paladins....(look it up!)" (Sunday Times)
There is a memorial clock sited at the club's St Andrew's Stadium.

IT'S A PENALTY AND A PLAY OFF

In 1986 , this day was Maradona's "Hand of God" moment! Talksport is running through "great moments".... here's a few.

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

The penalty kick was not introduced into English football for a while as the glorious Football Association  believed that NO FOOTBALLER, being a gentleman, would meaningly break any the LAWS . Eventually, the penalty kick was first introduced by the Irish FA in the 1890/91 season with the Scottish FA following in January 1891. The FA introduced it into the English game at the start of the 1891/92 season.

On Saturday May 3rd 1924, the last day of the football season, Cardiff City needed a win their final game to become Football League champions. At 0-0 against Birmingham City, Cardiff were awarded a penalty but Len Davies missed it. As a result Huddersfield Town pipped them for the title on goal average.

The first FA Cup match to be decided on penalties was between Birmingham City and Stoke City at St Andrews on August 5th 1972. An unusual date for an FA Cup match, but it was one of only five fixtures held to decide who would finish third and fourth in the previous season's FA Cup. The match was goalless but Birmingham won 4-3 on penalties. The previous season, 1971-2 season, saw FA Cup semi-finals between Arsenal and Stoke City, 1-1 then 1-2 to Arsenal in the replay and Leeds Utd and Birmingham City 3-0. Leeds won the Final 1-0 at Wembley.

Of all the FA’s daft ideas, the FA Cup third-place play-off must be among the worst. No one remembers the runners-up, do they? then who cares who came third or even worse, fourth. These were, and are, the forgotten FA Cup ties. The first play-off was in 1970, between that season’s beaten semi-finalists, Manchester United and Watford. The game was played on a Friday night at Highbury, the day before the Cup final. United won 2-0; 15,105 people watched. And were they impressed? Not arf!

“As an aperitif for the FA Cup final,” wrote Norman Fox in the Times the next day, “the play-off failed for no more subtle reason than that it was a non-event between two losers.” There was heavy rain and an “unreal atmosphere”. On the same day, two real games took place in the First Division. The play-off was squeezed in alongside, presumably in the hope no one noticed. Precious few cared, even the Times sports pages gave more space to the rackets report.

The next season was worse. The beaten semi-finalists were Stoke City and Everton and naturally, the FA played the game on a Friday night at Selhurst Park in south London, attracting 5,000; the same night, more people watched a mid-table Fourth Division game between Colchester and Stockport. Neither the Times nor the Sun carried a match report of Stoke’s 3-2 win.

Stoke’s Evening Sentinel, though, reported “entertainment worthy of a better response than a meagre crowd”. Despite that, the paper was more concerned with Stoke’s upcoming entry into the second-ever Anglo-Italian Cup. Trips to Roma and Verona, it seemed, were more exciting than a Friday night at Selhurst Park, playing for a scant consolation prize. (Stoke, as it turned out, won at Roma and lost at Verona, so didn’t make the final.)

It wasn't until 1991, that the rules were changed to allow the shoot-outs in the main competition itself, with the first penalty decider being between Rotherham and Scunthorpe, on Tuesday November 26th 1991. After drawing the First Round match 1-1 at Scunthorpe, the shoot-out followed on from the 3-3 draw in the replay at Millmoor, Rotherham won 7-6.

When you get a penalty you just aim to hit it hard into the back of the net don't you? Well, not if your name is Johan Cruyff who did this for Ajax in 1982 with the help of Jesper Olsen...must be seen! https://youtu.be/tJB2AUWPplY

At Highbury, on Saturday 22nd October 2005, when Arsenal entertained Manchester City in the Premier League, Robert Pires and Thierry Henry proved that they were not in the Cruyff/Olsen class....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhA3wcvrgyY  and some others.

RICHMOND TOWN AFC: A FORTRESS?

No, not an ancient grandstand or hospitality, this is Richmond Town AFC's ground in the shadow of the Yorkshire town's impressive castle; sadly a bit battered, the castle that is. I was visiting today, no game, no obvious plans for a game this week (it is June!) but I did catch a few moments of inter Second XI County Cricket League match between the local lads Richmondshire CCC and Middlesex 2nds, played in the shadow of the castle.

Back to footy:  Richmond Town AFC last season ended in 12th place, 

P32, Pts32, W13, D6, L15, F61 A 70.

The club supports also, Richmond Town Women, who play in the North Riding Premier League and until the disruption of COVID had: 

Played 14, Won 9, D 1, L 4, F45, A 22, 

so doing rather well! Standing 3rd in the division at the moment, chasing Poppleton Ladies and  Redcar Town Reserves.

The CLUB also supports : Minikickers,
11 boys U7-U16 teams
4 Girls teams and 
6 adult teams

Richmond Castle was built in the aftermath of the Norman Conquest of 1066. The exact circumstances remain obscure, but it was most likely founded in the late 1070s by Count Alan Rufus, a kinsman of William the Conqueror, Alan may have commanded the Breton contingent of the Norman army at the Battle of Hastings. In return for his service, King William granted him land in the north in about 1071. Richmond Castle was probably begun soon afterwards to join royal control in the north and to maintain vigilance over the border with Scotland, which at that time was further south than it is today. 

The castle is referred to in the 1086 Domesday. Although the survey makes no direct reference to a castle, it describes Alan’s lands as forming a ‘castlery’, an estate organised to sustain a castle. The survey also names Richmond (then called Hindrelag) as Alan’s possession, and as Richmond came to form the centre of his estates it was doubtless Richmond Castle that he had built. The earliest surviving buildings at Richmond were probably erected by Alan Rufus in the 1080s. They include long stretches of the stone curtain wall, the great archway in the ground floor of the keep, and Scolland’s Hall. No other castle in England can boast so much surviving 11th-century architecture – it is probably the best-preserved castle of this scale and age in the country. To gather some more info on the castle, link up:

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/richmond-castle/richmond-graffiti/

CHATT, GOOD IN THE BOX

Robert Chatt (August 1870 – c. 1955) was an English footballer who was a member of the Aston Villa team which won the Football League championship three times in the 1890s. Chatt was credited with scoring the fastest goal in FA Cup Final history, scored after just 30 seconds in the 1895 FA Cup Final. This record stood for 114 years until Louis Saha of Everton scored after 25 seconds against Chelsea in the 2009 final.

Chatt later won the FA Amateur Cup with Stockton and is the only player to have winner's medals for both the FA Cup and the FA Amateur Cup.

Chatt was born in Barnard Castle, County Durham and played football for Cleator Moor and Middlesbrough Ironopolis before joining Aston Villa in August 1893. In his first season with Aston Villa (where his teammates included James Welford and later Albert Evans, both also from Barnard Castle) he made seventeen appearances generally playing at left half, from where he scored five goals in league matches and four in the FA Cup. His goals included six scored in a run of two goals per match in three consecutive matches in March. At the end of the season, Villa claimed their first Football League title by a margin of six points over Sunderland, having scored 84 goals in 30 games, with only five defeats.

Chatt became a regular member of the side in the 1894–95 season, when he was pushed forward to play as an inside forward. Chatt only missed three league games, scoring ten league goals, as Aston Villa finished the season in third place, eight points behind the champions, Sunderland.

In the FA Cup, Villa defeated Nottingham Forest 6–2 in the third round with two goals each from Chatt and Stephen Smith, to set up a semi-final against Sunderland. Two further goals from Smith despatched Sunderland and Villa were in the final for the third time where they once again met local rivals, West Bromwich Albion, against whom they had played in their two previous finals, winning 2–0 in 1887 and losing 3–0 in 1892.

The final on 20 April 1895 was played for the first time at Crystal Palace, which was to host the finals for the next twenty years. The weather for the final was described as "a beautiful spring day" and consequently the crowd and press were still coming into the ground when the game kicked off. From the kick-off, John Devey, the Villa centre-forward, swung the ball out to his inside-left, Dennis Hodgetts. Hodgetts' long cross-pass found Charlie Athersmith on the right, and his centre fell to Chatt who sent the ball goalwards on a half volley. Albion's keeper Joe Reader was only able to get his fingers to the shot, and turned the ball across the goal mouth and, after a goalmouth scramble involving Devey and Albion defender Jack Horton, the ball was turned into the net. There are no accurate timings for the goal and different reports time it at between 30 and 39 seconds. At the time, many of the crowd and press missed the goal as they were still taking their seats, and the press reports indicated that Chatt had scored. According to Ward & Griffin in their "Essential History of Aston Villa" however, "after the game, the Villa players confirmed that John Devey had netted after Chatt's shot had been blocked straight into the latter's path and had ricocheted off his knee." Despite this claim, The Football Association still credit the goal to Chatt as having been scored on thirty seconds. Chatt's record stood for 114 years until beaten by Louis Saha's effort for Everton after 25 seconds in 2009. Despite pressure from the Albion forwards, especially from Billy Bassett, Villa were able to hold on to their lead until half-time. In the second half, Villa began to press forward again with Chatt and Devey forcing excellent saves from Joe Reader. Neither side was able to add to the score and Villa won the cup for the second time.

For the 1895–96 season, Chatt was moved back to centre-half to accommodate Johnny Campbell who had arrived from Celtic during the summer. The season started badly for Villa when they lost the FA Cup - literally. On 11 September the trophy was on display in a football outfitter's window when the shop was broken into and the trophy, together with some cash, was taken. The trophy was never recovered and Villa were fined £25 by the Football Association. On the pitch, Chatt made 17 appearances in the league, as Villa took the title by four points over Derby County with Campbell top-scorer on 26 goals. As Philip Gibbons pointed out in "Association Football in Victorian England": "Aston Villa had twice won the League Championship, as well as the FA Cup, during the three previous seasons, with a team generally acknowledged as the finest in the land."

The following year Chatt continued at half-back but was no longer a regular choice, with Jack Reynolds, James Cowan and Jimmy Crabtree forming a well established half-back line. During Villa's double winning season, Chatt made eleven league and one cup appearance, scoring a single goal, in a 2–1 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Boxing Day. Chatt continued in defence for one more season, when Villa finished in a disappointing sixth place, before deciding to retire from professional football in June 1898. In his five years with Villa, Chatt made a total of 94 appearances, scoring 26 goals.

Later career On leaving Villa, Chatt was reinstated as an amateur player and joined Stockton, and was part of the Stockton team which claimed the FA Amateur Cup with a 1–0 victory over Harwich & Parkeston in his first season. He also played for South Shields and Willington Athletic before becoming the trainer of Doncaster Rovers (1904–1905).[11] He held similar posts with Port Vale (1905–1906), Manchester City (1906–1916), South Shields (1919), Caerphilly (1921–1922) and Newport County (1922–1931). Robert Chatt died in 1955.

Honours: Aston Villa Football League champions: 1893–94, 1895–96, 1896–97 FA Cup winners: 1895 Stockton FA Amateur Cup winners: 1899

CRYSTAL PALACE FC and A NEW DAWN FOR DARWEN

 I came across this video on You Tube today and thought it deserved some public support....it most certainly gets more views than my blog but hey-ho, somebody out there might just be logging into me and will enjoy this piece of History; so do stick with it, it leads you through the history of Crystal Palace FC. If you love the game, at any level, have a go!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7in00aPT_QA

AND to help you avoid watching cricket or doing the washing up, The NON-LEAGUE PAPER this weekend, has featured Darwen FC, a Lancashire club with considerable football pedigree. 

The revitalised AFC Darwen was formed in 2009 following the "winding up" of the original club Darwen FC, some years ago. The new club intends to adopt the historic name, for the start of a new era.

Where is Darwen? you southerners might ask.....well, it's in Lancashire and the club was founded in 1870, in the midst of the flourishing textile industries in the North-west. The club went on to reach the FA Cup semi-final in 1880-1, the season that the Old Carthusians (old boys of Charterhouse School, London) won the FA Cup. Following this run of success,  Darwen played in the Football League from 1891-99. There has been a successful Netflix series a couple of years ago, called "The English Game" where their history was followed, showing the game as it was played in the early stages of the Association. They caused controversy in this competition by signing two professional players, Fergie Suter and Jimmy Love, both from Partick FC, the Scottish club based in Glasgow. This is believed to be the first involvement of professional players in English football. 

In 1891, Darwen was elected to the Football League as it was expanded to 14 teams. League rules meant that teams couldn't have the same coloured kits and so since Notts County had already taken black and white stripes, Darwen adopted a salmon pink top from which their nickname 'The Salmoners' originates.

"The Salmoners", today, are eager to add to their illustrious history and their "Chair", Sarah Hindle, is keen to revitalise their history and energise the present, by offering the new club and clubhouse at the Anchor Ground, to the community, bringing more interest from the town and surroundings. Blackburn Rovers Ladies also play here.

There are 26 teams playing under the Darwen name. In last season's North-West Counties Division One North, the first team, The Salmoners ended 17th, so a climb back to the Football League may be a way away, but promotion is the club's aim.

JUNE 17th 1992

Remember the ninth European Championships in 1992? Staged in Sweden, England played their last group game against the hosts on June 17th in Stockholm and lost 1-2 with a goal from David Platt, in front of over 30,000 fans. In their group, the England tournament ended with only points from two draws earned against Denmark 0-0 and France 0-0. Two points only!! making England the worst team in Pool 2, with Sweden top, Denmark second and France third. Denmark won the Euro Final beating Germany 2-0 at the Ullevi Stadium.

England's squad included: Woods in goal, Keown, Pearce, Steven, Curle, Daley, Walker, Platt, Palmer, Smith, Lineker, Merson, Webb, Batty, Shearer, Sinton. PLATT scored our only goal. It was Lineker's last international appearance. He played his last game for England in the 2–1 loss against Sweden in a Euro 1992 group match.. Lineker made his England debut in 1984, having earned 80 caps and scoring 48 goals, over an eight-year international career. He is England's fourth-highest scorer, behind Rooney, Bobby Charlton and Harry Kane. His six goals in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, made him the tournament's top scorer, receiving the Golden Boot. He still holds England's record for goals scored in the FIFA World Cup. His international career: Appearances and goals by national team and year:

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
ENGLAND	1984	1	0
	1985	9	6
	1986	10	8
	1987	7	9
	1988	10	3
	1989	9	3
	1990	15	8
	1991	11	9
	1992	8	2
Total		80	48

Lineker almost equalled the England goalscoring record, held at the time by Bobby Charlton, in a pre-tournament friendly against Brazil, but he missed a penalty kick, leaving him one goal short of Charlton's total, which was evetually overtaken by Wayne Rooney in 2015.

Lineker is a Visiting Fellow of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University appointed 2020. What ever that means; I guess he gets a free dinner after a chat? That's cheered him up!

DISAPPOINTMENT MAINLY IN JUNE

 

June 16th 1914 My Dad's birthdate! On various dates.......England made a mess of things on various dates....

10.  England 0-1 Scotland, Euro 2000 qualifying play-off second leg, November 13th 1999, England had a 2-0 lead after a brace from Paul Scholes in the first leg at Hampden Park four days earlier. But they didn't make life easy for themselves with this underwhelming performance against their old enemies in the return at Wembley. Don Hutchison grabbed the only goal in the 39th minute as Kevin Keegan's men were left to hold on and just confirm their spot at Euro 2000 in less-than-convincing style. Scotland's Don Hutchinson headed home the only goal at Wembley in November 1999. In 10 games in 1999, England scored only 15 goals.

9. Sweden 2-1 England, Euro 1992 group stage. 17th June 1992 England needed a win - or at least a high-scoring draw - to make it through to the knockout stages, but they found themselves on the end of a defeat as the hosts made the semi-finals. David Platt struck early for the Three Lions before Jan Eriksson and Tomas Brolin turned the game on its head and Graham Taylor made the surprising decision to take off captain Gary Lineker. Sweden striker Tomas Brolin wheeled away in celebration after netting his side's second goal against England. 

8. Northern Ireland 1-0 England, 2006 World Cup qualifier, played in September 2005. The only defeat England suffered in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup came against lowly Northern Ireland, a country they had not lost to, since way back in 1972. David Healy was the hero at Windsor Park, scoring the only goal in the 73rd minute as Sven Goran Eriksson's men went down with a whimper.  Ashley Cole watches on as David Healy scores the winning goal for Northern Ireland in a World Cup qualifier. England had beaten them 4-0 at Old Trafford in March 2005.

7. England 0-1 Republic of Ireland, Euro 1988 1st Round, group stage, 12th June 1988, Ray Houghton's early strike gave the Republic of Ireland victory in their first-ever tournament match, as England's campaign got off to the worst possible start.  To make matters worse, Bobby Robson's team then lost their next two group games against The Netherlands 1-3 and USSR 1-3, before heading home humiliated.

6. England 1-3 Soviet Union, Euro 1988 group stage, 18th June 1988, in FRankfurt.  England had already been eliminated from Euro 1988 when they met the Soviet Union in their final group game, but they could not even salvage some pride before flying home. Tony Adams equalised after Sergei Aleinikov's third-minute opener before goals from Oleksiy Mykhailychenko and Viktor Pasulko condemned Robson's men to a third straight defeat.

5. Norway 2 England 1, 1982 World Cup qualifier, September 9th 1981. Defeat in the Ullevaal Stadium, Oslo, was not a disaster as England still qualified for the 1982 World Cup in Spain, but the 2-1 loss to Norway - who finished bottom of the qualifying group - is better remembered for Bjorge Lillelien's superb commentary at the full-time whistle.'Lord Nelson! Lord Beaverbrook! Sir Winston Churchill! Sir Anthony Eden! Clement Attlee! Henry Cooper! Lady Diana! Maggie Thatcher - can you hear me, Maggie Thatcher! Your boys took one hell of a beating! Your boys took one hell of a beating,' he bellowed.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqZTP8-8wIs 

Step forward veteran Norwegian commentator Bjørge Lillelien

Bryan Robson had given Ron Greenwood's side the lead before Tom Lund and Hallvar Thoresen turned the game in favour of the hosts.

4. Germany 4-1 England, World Cup Finals, last 16, 27th June 2010. Despite Frank Lampard having a perfectly good goal disallowed when the officials failed to spot the ball had crossed the line, England were comprehensively beaten by Germany in Bloemfontein. Goals from Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski and a double from Thomas Muller sent the superior Germans through to the quarter-finals as Fabio Capello's men faced up to another early exit.

3. England 2 Croatia 3, Euro 2008 qualifier, on 21st November 2007. A damp night at Wembley, brought the curtain down on Steve McClaren's ill-fated reign as England coach as Croatia's victory saw the Three Lions miss out on Euro 2008.  Defeats in Croatia and Russia, as well as a damaging goalless draw at home to Macedonia, meant McClaren's men were at risk of not qualifying for the event in Austria and Switzerland. And so it came to pass as Scott Carson fumbled Niko Kranjcar's effort and Ivica Olic made it 2-0 inside 15 minutes. McClaren, watching on from underneath an umbrella on the touchline, saw his side rally as Frank Lampard and Peter Crouch scored - only for Mladen Petric to claim a winner for Slaven Bilic's Croatia. McClaren's umbrella did not help....keep him dry!

2. United States 1 England 0, 1950 World Cup group stage, June 29th 1950. Entering their first-ever World Cup as favourites, England's squad in Brazil boasted names such as Stanley Matthews, Tom Finney and Billy Wright.  But Walter Winterbottom's side were shocked in Belo Horizonte as, despite dominating possession and hitting a post, they were beaten by Joe Gaetjens' effort, with the USA's team of amateurs, postmen and funeral directors pulling off the biggest upset in the history of the sport at the time. USA's Joe Gaetjens is carried from the pitch after scoring the winner against England at the 1950 World Cup

1. England 1-2 Iceland, Euro 2016 last-16, 27th June 2016.  The worst in the list of embarrassing defeats. Iceland's deserved victory in Nice capped off a miserable tournament for Hodgson and his underachieving squad, who just never got going. Wayne Rooney's early penalty seemed to have England on course for a quarter-final against hosts France, but they had no answer after goals from Ragnar Sigurdsson and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson.  In Nice, Roy Hodgson and his players were beaten by a nation with a population of 323,000, but it wasn't the first time the Three Lions have been humiliated on the international stage, as you may have gathered from the previous reports.

Recently, England has scored one goal in the past 4 international games, a penalty from Harry Kane, against Germany, salvaging a 1-1 draw and thus meaning in four defeats on the trot, the first time this has happened since 2014. Gareth Southgate’s recent success, a losing presence in the last World Cup semi-final and a penalty shoot-out loss in the Euros last summer, has been scrubbed out by this recent lack of success. Southgate has much to ponder in the upcoming “break” from matches and a break from the role he took over in 2016.