Friday, 30 September 2022

UNIFIED EMIRATES STADIUM

This weekend, Spurs may be in for a "timely" experience, when they visit The Emirates tomorrow for the North London Derby against Arsenal.

The Arsenal Stadium was sited in Highbury, London, and was the home of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006. It was popularly known as "Highbury" due to its location and was given the affectionate nickname of the "Home of Football" by the club.

It was originally built in 1913 on the site of a local college's recreation ground and was significantly redeveloped twice. Woolwich Arsenal moved from the Manor Ground in PlumsteadSouth East London to Highbury, leasing the recreation fields of St John's College of Divinity for £20,000. The lease negotiation also agreed that no matches were to be played on "holy days" and that no "intoxicating liquor" would be sold at the stadium; however, these stipulations were dropped within a year.  Phew!

Arsenal bought the stadium site outright in 1925, for £64,000.

The first reconstruction came in the 1930s from which the Art Deco East and West Stands date. There was a second development; the first phase was completed in 1989 which added executive boxes to the Clock End. In 1993 a new North Bank Stand was constructed, both following the recommendations of the Taylor Report which replaced the terraces  to make the stadium an all-seater with four stands. However, further attempts to expand the stadium were blocked by the community, and the resulting reduction in capacity and matchday revenue eventually led to Arsenal opting to build a new stadium, to become known as the Emirates Stadium, in nearby Islington. 

After the club moved to their new stadium (below) upon the conclusion of the 2005–2006 season, Highbury was redeveloped as a residential development known as Highbury Square with the Clock End and North Bank stands being demolished; parts of the East and West Stands remained and were incorporated into the new development due to their listed status. (below-below!)

The stadium was hurriedly built over the summer of that year, and was designed by the famous Archibald Leitch, an architect of many other football grounds of that era. It featured a single stand on the eastern side and the other three sides had banked terracing. The new stadium cost £125,000. It opened whilst not fully complete, with Arsenal's first match of the 1913-14 season, a 2–1 Second Division win against Leister Fosse, on 6 September 1913. Leicester's Tommy Benfield scored the first goal at the new ground while George Jobey was the first Arsenal player to do so. 

Highbury hosted its first England international match in 1920.

The stadium also hosted international matches – both for England and in the 1948 Summer Olympics – and FA Cup Semi-finals as well as boxing, baseball and rugby matches. Its presence also led to the local Underground station being renamed to Arsenal in 1932, making it the only station on the Underground network to be named after a football club!

In addition to its architecture, the stadium was known for its small but immaculate pitch, with one of the first clubs to install underground heating and for the clock which had been positioned in the southern side of the ground since its introduction in 1930

The Emirates stadium is home to Arsenal Football Club and also home to one of our most famous clocks. 

The story of the clock goes back a long time, and to Arsenal’s earlier home at Highbury. The “clock for all to see” became well known, so much so that the South end of the stadium became known as The Clock End. The firm, Smith of Derby was commissioned to recreate this famous clock, fit for the 21st century, for a new “clock end” at Arsenal’s Emirates stadium. Larger in diameter, but keeping the famous white and black design, it is equipped with a synchronous movement for accuracy and was revealed to a capacity crowd (59,867) on Saturday 21st August 2010. And so, Arsenal’s home triumphs and losses continue to be overseen by an iconic clock, and not just one clock, as there is another - its baby sibling which graces the wall of the Diamond Club lounge at the Emirates Stadium.


As the 1990's progressed there was a growing feeling that Arsenal had outgrown their historic Highbury home. In 1997 the Gunners had made a controversial - and unsuccessful bid to BUY Wembley Stadium and make it their new home but when they started their first Champions League campaign in 1998/99 Wembley did become their temporary home. 

With UEFA reducing the capacity of Highbury to around 35,000 for the competition - one of the lowest of clubs in the Champions League - Arsenal agreed a move to Wembley for their home fixtures in the Champions League for 1998/99 and later did the same for 1999/2000. 

The first of those was against Panathinaikos on 30th September 1998. Despite a 25 minute delay to kick off due to traffic problems delaying fans getting to the ground a new record Arsenal 'home' crowd of 73,455 witnessed a 2-1 victory over the Greek side. 

All the six group matches Arsenal played at Wembley over those two seasons attracted 70,000+ crowds with the Panathinaikos record being bettered two months later with 73,707 attending the match against Lens. But while the crowds were good the results weren't and over the two seasons Arsenal's record at Wembley was won 2, drawn 1 and lost 3. They didn't qualify for the knock-out stages in either season. Wembley then closed for a rebuild and Arsenal announced a move to a new home at Ashburton Grove.

Thursday, 29 September 2022

DONNY "CITY" WANTING TO BE "BONNY".

My viewing numbers are dwindling like the Government's votes, but like the Gov, I am not giving up! Maybe everyone is so excited about being free from COVD, that they are out and about and not glued online! Whatever, here's yesterday's really fascinating Blog:

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/3994718670252035536/3618839283264904706

Like it or not, why not pass on the link to chums who are interested in football, geography, history, politics, social studies, local knowledge, chit chat and so on? 

Having rooted around the history of Doncaster Rovers, yesterday, it was remarkable that the radio (Talksport) has released more interest in the history of a Doncaster football club, overnight, so here we go! Welcome to Doncaster City!!! Names will change over time to reflect Doncaster is a city but it will be done in a cost effective way. Doncaster Council, for example, will change its legal title and be known as City of Doncaster Council or Doncaster City Council from November 1 2022!! Her Majesty’s Crown Office will shortly be issuing the granting documents and official scroll that will officially mark us becoming a city from November 1 2022



The Doncaster City Football Club has applied to play in the Scottish Cup after an "ambitious" bid based on an ancient treaty. Doncaster City FC, formed earlier this year, submitted an application to the Scottish Football Association under an agreement dating back to 1136.

The "13th Division" club, who are not currently permitted to take part in the English FA Cup, claim Doncaster is Scottish-owned, meaning they should be allowed to play against other teams, north of the border. The club's spokesman, Josh Rutherford, said: "We are at the bottom tier of English football, but what is the point of not having ambition? "Why not Celtic or Rangers away? Or them coming down here? "People are laughing and saying it's all a joke, but it's good for the area and for businesses so why not?"

Doncaster's historic links to Scotland is: Doncaster was ceded to the then King of Scotland, David I, as part of the 12th century Treaty of Durham. The "city" has never officially been given back!! Peter Davies, the ex-Doncaster Mayor, even suggested people in the city should be allowed to vote in the 2014 Scottish Independence referendum.

Doncaster City FC presently play in the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior Football League Division Two, but the Scottish Cup bid is not the owners' only big ambition.They include building a “hub of football for the North of England” in Bawtry.

The club also wants to build a new stadium complex, including accommodation for other teams and entertainment facilities, plans which have already been publicly supported by a number of other clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur. There is precedent for English sides playing in Scotland's knockout competition – both Berwick and Tweedmouth are eligible to compete despite their Northumberland location. However, while the Scottish FA have yet to comment publicly on Doncaster's bid to play in the Cup, it is understood that they have told the club it does not meet eligibility requirements.The club starts at home against @ Hepworth United Reserves this Saturday at the Marra Falcons Stadium! Free entry!! (Hepworth being my local club). The village club's reserves travel to the Marra Falcons Stadium tomorrow.

⏰ 3:00pm kick off 📍 Marra Falcons Stadium (DN3 3AG) 🍺 Food and Refreshments available!!!!!

Even the Spurs are in support!!













Wednesday, 28 September 2022

JACK AND DONNY

 Football fan uses two flights, two trains and tram to make £400 journey for just £33.

The cost of living crisis is hitting us all in the pocket and one fan has refused to be taken for a sucker on his way to a football match, going on quite the journey to avoid massive costs. 

A football fan facing a £400 train ticket to watch Doncaster Rovers, got there for £33 by taking a tram, two trains and two flights - but it did take him 11 hours.

Jack Peat, 36, tries to see his hometown team as often as possible since moving to London in 2012, and wanted to see them face Barrow AFC away. Faced with a £389 open return train ticket to Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, he decided to look for alternatives. He managed to get there for £32.70 - but it involved a many-legged journey. He got a tram from Beckenham Road to East Croydon for £2.50 at 6.45am yesterday morning [13], and a train from East Croydon to Gatwick Airport for £5.90 at 7.30am. He boarded a flight from Gatwick to Dublin for £10 at 9.30am, and then took another from Dublin to Manchester for €9 (£7.80) at 1.50pm. His mammoth 11 hours journey ended with a final train from Manchester Airport to Barrow for £6.50 at 3.30pm. His efforts were rewarded when the team found out and invited him into the dressing room for a pre-match team talk - even though they lost 2-0.

Editor and author Jack, who lives near Crystal Palace in London, said: "I really wanted to watch Doncaster Rovers play Barrow but there was no way I was paying £389 to get there on the train."

"I planned an alternative route to highlight three things - my love for Doncaster Rovers, my eagerness to try the best pies in Britain, and how utterly absurd UK rail fares are. I've followed Doncaster all my life but live down in London now, so I try my best to see them when I can.

"I particularly wanted to go to Barrow because I wax lyrical about it in my book - 'The Great Pie Revolt' - which I wrote based on local recommendations. The last stretch seemed to take absolutely forever but it was a great day out and I managed to squeeze a few beers in before kick off."

Jack made it to Barrow-on-Furness two hours before kick off last night. He ended his long journey with a few well-deserved beers and will be treating himself to a pie from Greens Bakers today. After Doncaster Rovers saw him detailing his journey on social media, he was invited to give the team a pep talk before the match and he loved meeting the players in the dressing room....it was nuts! Apparently, they'd been following the journey online! I'd never met them before so it was amazing. "This might be the Guinness talking, but I bloody love this club."

The journey took 11 hours in total and cost a fraction of the original train cost..

Jack has elected to take an easier - but more expensive - trip home today, but still made a huge saving with the complicated route there. He said: "I'm taking an easier trip home - this was just to prove a point that UK rail fares are extortionate!" The journey was definitely worth it - I don't follow them for the wins."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeMolLRNVC4 HERE'S A VIDEO. 

 I have been to Holker Street (since 1909) and the nuclear submarine works-Geography field trip!!

and also seen Donny at their luxurious ground. The clubs first met on the 1st December 1923 in Div 3 North; a 2-2 draw at Donny. They played each other in this division until 1950. It was then Div 4 from 1959-65, then two times in Div 3 in 1970 and 2 in Div 4 again in 1971-2 season. They met again on 13th September 2022 2-0 to Barrow in EFL2.

Matches between the two clubs record as: Games won:19 by Barrow Games drawn:19 Games lost:21

There have been 6 FA Cup ties:

28 Nov 1931Barrow v Doncaster RoversD3-3FA Cup
03 Dec 1931Doncaster Rovers v BarrowD1-1FA Cup
07 Dec 1931Barrow v Doncaster RoversD1-1FA Cup
09 Dec 1931Doncaster Rovers v BarrowL1-0FA Cup

one in 1933, Barrow won 4-2 at home and in 1934 0-2 to Barrow away. 
Here is the Keepmoat, Donacster since  2007.




Tuesday, 27 September 2022

SK BRANN

Sportsklubben Brann is a Norwegian professional football club, founded 26 September 1908, in Bergen. Christen K. Gran and Birger Gjestland together with eight other men, met in a local café in Bergen. Due to dissatisfaction of the current state of the local football clubs in Bergen, they decided to form a new football club. They called it Ski- og Fodboldklubben Brann (Ski and Football Club Brann). This was later changed to Sportsklubben Brann (Sport Club Brann)Brann played their first match against a local Bergen team on New Year's Day 1909, drawing 1–1.

SK (Sports Klubben) Brann had been in the Elitesirien, Norway's Premier Division of Football, since 1987, bar one season spent in the 1st Division, in 2015. They play their home matches at Brann Stadion. where they had a record-breaking 17,310 in average attendance in the 2007. In October 2007, Brann won the Norwegian league title for the first time since 1963.

As the biggest club in Norway's second-largest city Bergen (Pop:285,000), Brann is historically one of the major clubs in Norway in terms of public interest, and hence there are high expectations for the club every season. Brann won their first Norwegian top flight titles in 1961–62 and 1963, but after this Brann was involved in the race for the league title only in seasons 1974–76, 1990 and 2006. In 2007, they reclaimed the league title and thus ended a 44-year-long waiting period.

Despite the limited success, the club has never failed to spark considerable interest from the Norwegian media and keeping an epidemic of football hysteria continuously running in Bergen. Moreover, Brann have regularly been winners and runners-up of the Norwegian Cup. The club reached the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup, in the 1996–97 season, won eventually by Barcelona.

The city, sited on Norway's western coast, is an international center for aquaculture, shipping, the offshore petroleum industry and subsea technology, and a national centre for higher education, media, tourism and finance. It hosts the School of Meteorogical and Geo-Physical Institute since 1917. The port, a natural fjord, surrounded by 7 mountains, is Norway's busiest in terms of both freight and passengers, with over 300 cruise ship calls a year bringing nearly a half a million passengers to Bergen, a number that has doubled in 10 years.  

Almost half of the passengers are German or British. Below is the Fjord! drawn in 1580, and trading first known in the 1020s.






Monday, 26 September 2022

THE ENGLISH LEAGUE CUP

 26th September 1960

The first two matches in the English League Cup were played on this day – Bristol Rovers v Fulham and West Ham v Charlton – Fulham’s Maurice Cook scored the first goal in the competition. Below Maurice's career:

YearsTeamApps(Gls)



1952–1958Watford208(68)
1958–1965Fulham221(89)
1965–1966Reading12(2)
1966–1967Banbury United (player-coach)

Currently known as the Carabao Cup, for sponsorship reasons, the competition is open to any club within the top four levels of the EFL – 92 clubs in total – comprising the top level the Premier League and the three divisions of the English Football League's own league competition 

First held in 1960-1 as the Football League CupThe competition began on 26 September 1960, and ended with the two-legged final almost a year later on 22 August and 5 September 1961.

The tournament was won by Aston Villa who beat Rotherham United 3–2 on aggregate after extra time. Rotherham won the first leg 2–0 at Millmoor, their home ground. In the second leg at Villa Park, Harry Burrows and Peter McParland levelled the tie on aggregate and Alan O'Neill scored in extra-time to win the cup for Aston Villa.

It is one of the three top-tier domestic football competitions in England, alongside the Premier League and FA Cup It concludes in February, long before the other two, which end in May. It was introduced by the league as a response to the increasing popularity of European football, and to also exert power over the FA. It also took advantage of the roll-out of floodlights, allowing the fixtures to be played as midweek evening games. With the renaming of the Football League as the English Football League in 2016, the tournament was rebranded as the EFL Cup from the 2016-17 onwards.

The tournament is played over seven rounds, with single-leg ties throughout, except for the semi-finals. The final is held at Wembley Stadium, which is the only tie in the competition played at a neutral venue and on a weekend (Sunday). The first two rounds are split into North and South sections, and a system of byes based on league level ensures higher ranked teams enter in later rounds, and to defer the entry of teams still involved in Europe.

The winners get a place in the UEFA Conference League. Should the winner also qualify for Europe through other means at the end of the season, this place is transferred to the highest-placed Premier League team not already qualified for European competition. The current holders are Liverpool, who beat Chelsea on penalties in the 2022 Final, to win their ninth League Cup, the most of any club. Premier League giants Manchester City (6), Manchester United (4), Liverpool (4) and Chelsea (3) between them won 17 editions of the competition between 2000 and 2022.

League Cup winners receive £100,000 prize money (awarded by the Football League) with the runners-up receiving £50,000, considered relatively insignificant to top-flight teams, compared to the £2 million prize money of the FA Cup, which is in turn eclipsed by the Premier League's television money (awarded on final league position) and consequent participation in the Champions League.

Many teams in the Premier League have used the competition to give young players valuable big-game experience. Consequently, it began to be described sarcastically as the Mickey Mouse Cup in some quarters.

"Unusual" past winners: Oxford United, Swansea, Blackburn Rovers, Swindon (remember Don Rogers!), Sheffield Wednesday, Luton Town, Stoke City, QPR, Middlesbrough, WBA.

Sunday, 25 September 2022

DALE VINCENT OBE

Noting that the Government is fiddling with the nation's economy and wondering about where energy is coming from, I thought I might remind you about the "Environmental football club", Forest Green Rovers, that ploughed its own furrow amongst the rich soils of the National League and presently in Football League 1. In the blog below, I promote the club's owner, Dale Vince, a leader in the field of environmentalism.

Dale Vince OBE (born Great Yarmouth, 29 August 1961) is a British "green energy" industrialist. Leaving school at 15, he became a New Age Traveller. In 1991, he saw his first windfarm ("I thought, either I can carry on by myself with the windmill on my van, or I can get into the big stuff") and in 1995 he founded the Renewable Energy Company In 1996, he launched his first wind turbine, supplying "green electricity".

He is the owner of the electricity company EcotricityVince was appointed an OBE in 2004, for "services to the Environment and to the Electricity Industry". 

Formed in 1889 by the local Nonconformist Church, the club joined the Mid Gloucestershire League in 1894. A hundred years later the club grew in stature and won the FA Vase beating Rainworth Miners Welfare at Wembley and Hellenic League titles in 1981-2

They spent the next 13 years in the Midland Division of the Southern League and briefly competed under the name Stroud F.C. Reverting to the name Forest Green Rovers, the club won successive Southern League Southern Division and Premier Division titles in 1996–97 and 1997–98, winning promotion into the Conference. Reaching the 1999 FA Trophy Final, which they lost, they became the first club to reach the finals of both the FA Vase and FA Trophy. They also reached the 2001 FA Trophy Final, which again they lost. 

Twice reprieved from relegation from the Conference National due to the demotion of other clubs, the club was transformed following investment from green energy industrialist Dale Vince in 2010Vince became a major shareholder of FGR and three months later was appointed club chairman. In February 2011, Rovers players were banned from eating red meat for health reasons, and a few weeks later the sale of all meat products was banned at the club's ground, leaving only vegetarian options and free-range poultry and fish from sustainable stocks. 

In 2013, he was given the Honorary Doctor of Philosophy by the University of Goucestershire.

Under Vince's chairmanship Forest Green became the world's first vegan football club in 2015, and the New Lawn was installed with numerous eco-friendly innovations. Investment in the playing squad saw the club compete for promotion into the EFL, which they achieved with victory in the 2017 National League Play Offs, having been beaten in the semi-finals in 2015 and in the 2016 Final. Forest Green were then promoted to League One in 2022 for the first time in their history, following their EFL title win.

Vince has also introduced a number of different eco-friendly developments at the club including the installation of solar panels on its New Lawn home ground, the use of a solar-powered robot grass mower, and the creation of the world's first organic football pitch. In September 2015, Vince revealed Forest Green were using a player recruitment method similar to the 'Moneyball' model that had been initially used in baseball to sign players by using computer-generated analysis. In October 2015, Forest Green became the world's first all vegan football club.

In 2021, the team became the first in the world to play in a football kit made from a composite material consisting of recycled plastic and coffee grounds.

In April 2022, Vince announced he planned to sell Ecotricity and go into politics. He said part of the reason was that a new owner "can achieve even more, faster. We’ve got a massive pipeline of projects that need to be built requiring £2 billion of investment." As well as developing his interest in politics, he would focus on renewable projects such as tidal lagoons and geothermal energy.

The United Nations has recognised Forest Green Rovers as the world's first carbon-neutral football club and it was described by FIFA as the “greenest team in the world”

Yes the grass is always greener at FGR a small village near Nailsworth, Gloucestershire.
http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/eco-power-will-keep-rovers-charged.html

The club plays at the New Lawn Stadium, Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, near their original ground The Lawn. 
FGR makes the news through its environmentalism and is a member of the "Ecological Management and Audit Scheme". It is known for its strict club food rules (see previous blog), its "Sustainability in Sport" Terrace, the organic pitch, solar panels (contributing to 10% of the ground's energy needs) and the Robot lawn Mower. In 2012 the club was given the Institute of Groundsmanship award. The ground presently has a pub The Green man", a gym, dance studio, conference facilities and seven hospitality boxes.

All this is changed though as there are plans to build an all wooden stadium as a centre piece to an Eco Park development, just off the M5. The company Zaha Hadid Architects who built the 2012 Olympic Aquatic Stadium and who are also responsible for one of the Qatar World Cup stadia, were awarded the contract. The facility will include the club stadium, training pitches and a sports science hub and is worth £100 million.

About 4,000 jobs are to be created with businesses sited alongside the football club. Dale Vince's company Ecotricity will be on site, needless to say.



Saturday, 24 September 2022

WHO WOULD BE A KEEPER? PERHAPS NOT CHIC!

 A footballer who found a television set to be more than a match for him was David 'Calamity' James, who once pulled a muscle in his back when reaching for a television remote control. James also missed a match at Liverpool suffering from a RSI injury to his thumb which he blamed on his excessive computer-game habit. 

In the second League match of the 1975/76 season at Birmingham City, Manchester United's goalkeeper Alex Stepney became so animated in shouting at his own defenders that he dislocated his jaw and had to be taken to hospital.

While at Southampton goalkeeper Dave Beasant missed 8 weeks of a season after a confrontation with a bottle of salad cream. He knocked it over and attempted to control the falling bottle with his foot but only succeeded in rupturing his ankle ligaments.

Goalkeeper Chic Brodie made over 400 Football League appearances but is probably the player best remembered for the things that went wrong in his life. In 1972 the Sun described him as 'a walking mishap, a one-man casualty station, a multiple accident statistic' and after another mishap the newspaper headline was 'Unlucky Chic, The One-Man Natural Disaster'. Playing for Brentford against Millwall in November 1965 a hand grenade was thrown into his penalty area which he inspected and threw it into the net (it was later found to be a fake). 

In August 1970, again playing for Brentford, he brought a match at Lincoln to a halt when an acrobatic save brought down the goalposts. He was the Margate goalkeeper on the receiving end of a 11-0 FA Cup defeat by Bournemouth in November 1971 (Ted MacDougall scored nine of them). After he retired he became a taxi driver and once had a collision with a Jaguar...driven by Geoff Hurst

But perhaps he is best remembered for the injury he received when playing for Brentford at Colchester in November 1970. A dog ran onto the pitch and collided with Brodie, breaking his kneecap. He said 'the dog may have been small - but it just happened to be solid.' Although it is perhaps seen as a comical injury it did effectively end his Football League career and I certainly said 'ouch' when I first saw it.....

https://twitter.com/blzzrd/status/1332649690278416385

In a League 1 match at Glanford Park on 17th January 2015 Scunthorpe United had the misfortune of losing two goalkeepers with broken arms in their 2-0 defeat against Bristol City. First choice goalkeeper Sam Slocombe and substitute keeper Jamie Severn both suffered their injuries in the first half leaving outfielder Andy Boyce to take over between the posts.

In the days before substitutes injured players were often expected to stay on the pitch and do their duty. In one instance, on Saturday 16th February 1952 at Villa Park, Stoke goalkeeper Dennis Herod suffered a first half injury in a First Division match. He was patched up and sent out for the second half and asked 'to make a nuisance of himself' on the left wing. He did - and scored the winning goal in Stoke's 3-2 victory over Aston Villa. His injury - a broken arm!

During England's opening game of the 1980 European Championships goalkeeper Ray Clemence had to leave the field of play after succumbing to the effects of tear gas. Italian police released the gas after trouble broke out on the terraces behind Clemence's goal.

England's Jordan Pickford almost missed England's World Cup semi-final against Croatia in 2018 thanks to a self-inflicted injury. Aiming to punch the floor in frustration during his side's game against Sweden, he hit his knee and ended up hurting his thumb but recovered in time to take his place in goal.

Back in September 1957, Lazio goalkeeper Roberto Lovati ended up needing treatment after a series of curious events. With only seconds remaining of a Serie A home match against Bologna, the Rome side were winning 4-3 when the referee awarded a penalty to the away team. Disgusted by the decision, the keeper turned his back on play as Bologna's Gino Pivatelli stepped up to take the spot-kick. However, Pivatelli's effort struck the back of Lovati and rebounded back into play. The Lazio pounced on the ball, only to break his finger in the process. Lazio held on to win.

It goes on and on and on......


Friday, 23 September 2022

IS THERE A DONCASTER TARTAN?

Doncaster City cites ancient treaty in bid to play in Scottish Cup

We all know that Cardiff City and Swansea fromWales, play in the English Football League and Football Cups and Berwick Rangers, located in England, play in the Scottish League and Cups. A spokesperson for Doncaster City Football Club, who formed earlier this year, confirmed their application had been submitted to the Scottish Football Association, to allow Donny to play in their Cup.

A treaty dating back to 1136, which handed Doncaster to the then Scottish King, could permit the team to play north of the border.

The football club from South Yorkshire is using an ancient treaty to launch an “ambitious” bid to play in the Scottish Cup.

Bosses at newly-formed Doncaster City FC now believe it could give them the right to compete north of the border. The club had hoped to exploit a twelfth-century treaty which saw Doncaster handed over to King David I of Scotland in 1136 as part of a peace deal after he had conquered parts of northern England.

Bankrolled by Sports Direct, the non-league club from the Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior Football League Division Two, came up with the idea, as it is not currently permitted to take part in the English FA Cup. Officially, the city has never been handed back, prompting Doncaster City to try its luck with an application for entry next season – and generate some publicity in the process.

The club, which was formed in June and plays in the thirteenth tier of English football with average attendances of around 100, had visions of hosting one of the Old Firm at their temporary home – the 2,000-capacity Welfare Ground in Armthorpe. Doncaster City are currently holding trials for prospective players amid ‘stacks’ of interest since news of the club’s formation broke, according to first-team manager Terry Curran. Former Bradford City winger, Leon Osborn,e is among those who have been trying to impress Curran in recent weeks.

But, according to the Scottish Cup's rules of entry, their status as members of the English Football Association, rather than that of Scotland, means they do not meet the eligibility requirements.

A spokesman for the club said: “We want to play as high as possible, I think it comes down to ambition. The group that we are, we’re very ambitious, so let’s have a go.”

On Friday Doncaster City beat Barnsley-based Houghton Main, who play two leagues above them, 3-2 in a friendly. On the same day the club, which has been set up by the wife of football agent Willie Mackay, unveiled its sky blue-coloured home shirt sponsored by retail chain Sports Direct.

Curran previously told The Free Press: “These (Doncaster City) are going to have money behind them. "They are going to have big sponsors. It will be going in the right direction.”He continued: "It’s a matter of building it up, getting it going, and helping young players, as well as helping us to take the club on an adventure.” It is unknown if Murray has any involvement with Doncaster City.

The Scottish Cup is the oldest association football trophy in the world and has been the country’s major knockout tournament since 1874. Last season it was won by Rangers who defeated Hearts at Hampden in extra-time.

No supporters will be inside Hampden at next weekend’s Scottish Cup final after the Scottish Government announced Glasgow will not move to level two coronavirus restrictions.The Scottish Football Association confirmed the showpiece event between St Johnstone and Hibs on May 22 will take place in front of an empty national stadium.It tweeted on Friday evening: “Following today’s Scottish Government announcement that Glasgow will remain under level three Covid restrictions for at least another week, the Scottish government have subsequently confirmed that fans will now not be permitted to attend the Scottish Cup Final.”

The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup  is an annual knock-out cup competition for men's football clubs in Scotland. The competition was first held in 1873-4. Entry is open to all 122 clubs with full membership of the Scottish FA, along with up to eight other clubs who are associate members.

Although it is the second oldest association cup in football history, after the English FA Cup, the Scottish Cup trophy is the oldest in association football and is also the oldest national trophy in the world. It was first presented to Queen's Park, who won the inaugural tournament in March 1874. The current holders are Glasgow Rangers, who won the tournament for the 34th time by defeating Heart of Midlothian 2–0 in last season's final..

Here's a miss for you....

https://twitter.com/DoncasterCityFC/status/1573318132625809412?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

Thursday, 22 September 2022

FINN SMITH and other youngsters and oldies

Finn Smith: Isle of Wight 16-year-old becomes FA Cup's youngest ever goalscorer

Over the weekend, a teenager from the Isle of Wight has become the youngest goal scorer in the 151-year history of the FA Cup. Finn Smith, a day after his 16th birthday, scored for Newport IW FC in their 3-1 extra preliminary round win against Fleet Town. "When I was walking into the changing room after the game, I heard all the lads talking and on their phones. They were saying that I might have beaten the record. "I'm well chuffed," Smith told BBC Sport. "I've been getting loads of messages from people saying congratulations and how proud they are. It's hard to take it all in if I'm honest." The midfielder had only signed with Newport the day before the match on his 16th birthday so was making his debut."It was a close game so I wasn't really expecting to get on the pitch," he said. "I noticed their left-back had maybe pulled his hamstring, so I just ran through the middle of the field, past the defender and called for the ball. "My team-mate passed to me in the box and I just tapped it in." A calm and precise finish from the youngster, who had come on as a second-half substitute, provided Newport's third goal in their 3-1 victory on August 6th. Only later did Smith realise he might have made history."They were searching on their phones. I was just shocked." 'I went to a beach party to celebrate'A week later the Football Association officially confirmed Smith as the new youngest goalscorer in the competition's history, aged 16 years and one day."I was happy enough to just get on the pitch. But to score as well was mad," he added."I went to a beach party after the match that night and celebrated a bit." Players must be 16 or over to play in the FA Cup. The competition's previous record holder was 16 years and 25 days old. A teenager from the Isle of Wight has become the youngest goalscorer in the 151-year history of the FA Cup. 

Newport IW FC travel to nearby AFC Stoneham in Southampton on Saturday for the next round of the world's oldest national football competition.

Seventeen-year-old Kaide Gordon became Liverpool's youngest FA Cup goalscorer to set Jurgen Klopp's side on the way to a comfortable 4-1 third-round victory at home to Shrewsbury. The League One visitors had threatened an upset when, having had just 15 per cent possession, they took a 27th-minute lead through Daniel Udoh. However, Gordon, who at 17 years and 96 days also became the club's second-youngest all-time scorer after Ben Woodburn, soon restored order.

Kaide Gordon
Right Winger
England
Jamaica
Liverpool FCJan 9, 2022Liverpool FC

Billy Meredith scored his last goal at the age of 49 years 208 days for Manchester City against Brighton & Hove Albion at the Goldstone Ground on 23 February 1924 in the third round of the FA Cup,”  The oldest FA Cup goalscorer in history!