1904 and 2004-CULTURE CHANGE

Football On This Day – 5th March 1904
Before the Charity Shield/Community Shield came along the big charity match was the Sheriff of London Charity Shield which was competed for annually for 10 seasons from 1898. The competing teams were the best amateur side of the period - which was usually the Corinthian Football Club - and a top professional side. In 1904 the opposing teams were Corinthians and the side who had won the FA Cup the previous year, Bury. Played at the Queen's Club, which was Corinthians home ground and is better known now as a tennis venue, Bury fielded ten of the side who had beaten Derby County 6-0 in the Cup final - still a winning margin which has not been bettered in a final although Man City equalled it in 2019. In less than 10 minutes Bury were leading 2-0 but then the amateurs started to play with 'wonderful dash' and the Corinthians (in photo) were 4-2 up at the break and won the match 10-3. Amazing!

The Corinthians would not approve of the club behaviour!

March 5th 2004

Footballers behaving badly again, hit the headlines on this day in 2004 when Leicester City were kicked out of the exclusive La Manga resort in Spain. Leicester were taking a mid-winter break prior to their League Cup Final against Tranmere Rovers but with their players generally misbehaving and Stan Collymore emptying the contents of a fire extinguisher over players and guests their stay was cut short. The club got the players to pay for the damage and fined the person they thought the ringleader – Stan Collymore – two weeks wages. Not bad seeing that he had only been signed by City a week earlier! Potential for the club captaincy maybe? Millionaire stars Keith Gillespie, Frank Sinclair and Paul Dickov were reduced to sharing a freezing Spanish prison cell after what manager Micky Adams as his “worst". Manager, Micky Adams (below), is haunted by the “La Manga affair” and regards the 2004 police probe into his Leicester City players his “worst hour”. He reveals how he phoned the wives and girlfriends of each of the nine arrested – and how one told him: “Good. They can f*****g keep him.” 

Millionaire stars Keith Gillespie, Frank Sinclair and Paul Dickov were reduced to sharing a freezing Spanish prison cell after allegations which shook English football to the core. 

Believing that was behind them, Leicester City visited La Manga again in March 2004. This time six players were arrested and appeared in court accused of sexual aggression. Three of them – Paul Dickov (appropriate?), Keith Gillespie and Frank Sinclair spent a week in prison before the charges were dropped. I understand Leicester City now go to Skegness for their winter sun! Butter wouldn't melt......