2nd February 1929 is Groundhog Day; well the Americans observe it.....
Perhaps "going on for ever" at 38 years and 2 days of age Andy Cunningham of Newcastle United became the oldest player ever to make his debut in the Football League, against Leicester City at St James' Park. The former Rangers player and Scottish international later became player-manager of the Magpies. FA Cup winner 1932. Born in Galston, on January 30th 1930 in Ayrshire, Cunningham began his career with Newmilns FC before moving to Kilmarnock in 1909. After six seasons at Rugby Park he joined Rangers in 1915. He made his Rangers debut on 5 April 1915 in a 1–0 defeat to Partick Thistle. He made 5 appearances in his first season at Ibrox. Cunningham continued to be used infrequently by manager William Wilton before establishing himself in the Rangers team in season 1918–19. In total, he made 389 appearances and scored 182 goals for Rangers. He won 7 League titles and played in Rangers' famous 1928 Scottish Cup final triumph where they defeated Celtic 4–0 to win their first Scottish Cup in 25 years. Cunningham (below) was also capped at international level, playing 12 times for Scotland and scoring 5 goals. He lost just one of his 12 games for Scotland. Cunningham also represented the Scottish League XI 10 times.
In his managerial career Cunningham moved to Newcastle United in 1928, becoming the then oldest player to make his debut in the English football League at the age of thirty-eight. He began his Newcastle career as player/manager and then went on to become full-time manager of the club after retiring from playing. Technically, he was the first true manager of the club, as his predecessor Frank Watt had no control over team selection. He guided the club to FA Cup success in 1932 after beating Arsenal 2–1 in the final.
However the club was also relegated to the Second Division whilst he was at the helm. Cunningham eventually left the club in 1935. He is remembered as a moderately successful manager of the club, having won 105 games out of 251. After his time with Newcastle, he returned to Scotland where he managed Dundee between 1937–1940 before becoming a sports writer after World War II. Honours As a manager Newcastle United FA Cup winner: 1932. Died May 8th 1983.
2nd February 1946 On this day in 1946 Arsenal's Kevin O'Flanagan played for Northern Ireland against Scotland in Belfast. Seven days before that he had played for Ireland against France in Dublin....at rugby! And he was pretty good at athletics as well! A doctor, he was one of the last amateurs to play first-team football for Arsenal - he needed to remain an amateur sportsman to continue playing rugby union. The 'Flying Doc' made 14 League and 2 FA Cup appearances for Arsenal in 1946, scoring twice.
At this time, on February 2nd, Thiago Silva is presently, the oldest active player in the Premier League. Silva turns 38 years old on September 22. Nobody aged 38, or older, has made a 2022-23 Premier League appearance.
John Burridge, who was 43 years old and five months when he played in goal for Manchester City in 1995, was the oldest to appear in the Premier League.
5. James Milner – Liverpool Age: 36 years, 8 months James Milner is still ticking at the heart of Liverpool’s midfield, albeit more sparingly. He has made 822 appearances for six teams over a 21-year career. Milner won the Premier League three times (two with Manchester City and one with Liverpool), the FA Cup twice (2011 and 2022), and the Champions League once (2019). And he might not be done quite yet.
4. Ashley Young – Aston Villa Age: 37 years, 2 months While the Aston Villa defender isn’t about to change his surname to Old, his age is starting to contradict his given last name. Young has been around forever. At least it feels that way. His career started in 2003, and he has played for four clubs, most notably Manchester United, where he spent nine seasons. Young won the FA Cup, Premier League, and Europa League during his time with the Red Devils.
3. Lukasz Fabianski – West Ham Age: 37 years, 4 months Lukasz Fabianski is still performing at an elite level in east London. West Ham’s first-choice goalkeeper gets better with age, unlike most players in his age bracket. Admittedly, it’s easier for goalkeepers to maintain their peak level as time elapses. However, don’t take anything away from Fabianski’s unwavering athleticism. He has made 444 appearances with five clubs since turning pro in 2004.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United Age: 37 years, 7 months It’s hard to believe that Cristiano Ronaldo will soon be 38. The legendary Portuguese superstar has achieved everything humanly possible, aside from winning the World Cup and then some during arguably the most esteemed and storied career. Ronaldo is a fringe figure at Manchester United under new manager Erik ten Hag, but it’s hard to conceive him retiring with a whimper. Instead, expect Ronaldo to find a way to retire with some notable crescendo.
1. Thiago Silva – Chelsea Age: 37 years, 11 months The oldest player to appear in a Premier League match in 2022-23, Thiago Silva turns 38 on Sept. 22. The elder statesman somehow continues to marshal Chelsea’s backline as the team’s first-choice center-back. Incredibly, the wily Brazilian still finds a way to compete at the top level. However, the sands of time are catching up with Silva, whose legs are quickly becoming enemy No. 1. Silva, who reads the play as well as anyone, was one of the best center backs of a generation, playing 603 matches with four teams over 17 years.
On February 3rd 1974, two weeks after the Football league gave permission for clubs to play on a Sunday, Swindon Town's goalkeeper, Jimmy Allan, refused to play on a Sunday, missing a game against Bolton Wanderers at Swindon in Division 2. Allan had been an ever present in 27 league matches for the Robins during 1973-4 and manager Les Allen (of Spurs' Double fame) said fair enough and appreciated the player's commitment as a committed Christian. After that Allan, (the one with an "A"), only played in two of the next 8 fixtures.
| Date | Match | Result | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Jan 1960 | Crewe Alexandra v Tottenham Hotspur | D | 2-2 | FA Cup |
| 03 Feb 1960 | Tottenham Hotspur v Crewe Alexandra | W | 13-2 | FA Cup |
| 28 Jan 1961 | Tottenham Hotspur v Crewe Alexandra | W | 5-1 | FA Cup |
| 08 Oct 1975 | Crewe Alexandra v Tottenham Hotspur | W | 0-2 | League Cup |
| 13 Oct 1999 | Tottenham Hotspur v Crewe Alexandra | W | 3-1 | League Cup |
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