30th September 2006 Manchester City bad-boy Joey Barton was in the headlines again when he bared his backside to Everton fans after a 1-1 Premier League draw at Goodison Park. He later received a warning from the PL and a £2000 fine.
Same date....1998 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. Other results from this fixture:
There was a more innocent time when the most popular gamble in the country was the Football Pools and the winners often became media personalities. Most famous of those was Viv Nicholson who on September 30th 1961 with her husband won £152,319 18s 8d for a five bob (25p) bet. That was a win of over £3.5m in today's money. But she couldn't escape the media attention and within 5 years her husband had been been killed in a car crash and she was nearly skint. Years later both a book and a West End musical about her life had the same title - Spend, Spend, Spend.
September 30th apparently is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. AND so National Days on xploring worldwide events, festivals, funnies... It’s International Thunderbirds' Day, International Rabbit Day, International Translation Day, Orange Shirt Day, National Pet Tricks' Day, National Ghost Hunting Day, National Chewing Gum Day… and much more!
Chelsea went goal crazy on this day in 1971 when they scored 8 goals past Luxembourg's Jeunesse Hautcharage in a European Cup Winners's Cup tie, first leg. The Luxembourg team had won their Nation's Cup Final the previous season and their reward was a hammering from Chelsea. The return leg saw The Pensioners add 13 to their aggregate with no reply from the hapless Luxembourgians at Stamford Bridge, the aggregate scoreline being the largest score ever for an official UEFA match.
Few from England (if any) had ever heard of Jeunesse Hautcharage, and the history of Luxembourg clubs in Europe was not distinguished. Double figures were not an unusual sight when the country's top teams came up against the cream of Europe's crop and one of their most successful teams, Union Luxembourg, had embarrassingly lost 13-0 to Cologne in 1965. Such results would befall clubs from the Luxembourg top flight regularly, whereas Jeunesse Hautcharage were a lower-league side who had caused a major shock by winning the Luxembourg Cup. According to author and football historian Cris Freddi: ''As well as the three Welscher brothers, one of their players wore glasses, one of their substitutes was just 15, and Guy Thill was born with only one arm!''
Peter Osgood, remember him? had wanted to better the eight-goal "European" haul by AC Milan's Jose Altafini (also against Luxembourg opposition, Union, in 1962-63) and had bet goalkeeper Peter Bonetti that he would score six to add to the three from the first leg. But, while he became the fourth Chelsea player to score five goals in a match (after George Hilsdon, Jimmy Greaves and Bobby Tambling) he could not muster the important sixth!
Chelsea went on to lose their second round match to another tiny team, Sweden's Atvidaberg. It was one of the biggest shocks in European football history as the Swedes held on at home for a 0-0 draw and then pinched a goal to draw 1-1 at Stamford Bridge and progress on away goals. Chelsea's standalone record of handing Jeunesse Hautcharage the largest ever aggregate defeat in UEFA competition did not last long as Feyenoord Rotterdam achieved the same aggregate score against US Rumelange: winning the first leg 9-0 and second 12-0 in the 1972-73 UEFA Cup. Eventually, the name of Jeunesse Hautcharage disappeared as the club amalgamated with Union Sportive Bascharage in 1997, to form UN Kaerjeng 97.
Most goals in a match: 1963–64: Sporting CP 16–1 APPOEL (European Cups' record)
On this day in 1981, the great Bill Shankly died at 68 years old in Broadgreen Hospital, Liverpool. The legendary manager led his team from the Second Division also-rans to what we know now, with a few title victories in between! Shankly was a committed socialist and the Labour Party conference stood for a minute's silence to honour his death, when it was announced.
The idea of a European Championship was considered not long after the Jules Rimet tournament was established. Rimet had considered organising a "World Cup" in the mid 1920s and indeed it was established in 1930. Like the World Cup, the European tournament was the brainchild of the French Football Federation. Henri Delaunay (below) proposed the tournament in 1927, but with the World Cup in the thoughts of the footballing hierarchy, a European tournament was put on the "back burner". Then politics in the 1930s and 1940s made European "agreement" impossible, but by the 1950s the idea was back on the cards.
UEFA had been recently founded in 1954 and European club competitions were gradually forming, so it was only a matter of time before an international tournament was up and running. In 1957, a UEFA congress suggested a European Championship, but it wasn't entirely popular and the British associations dragged their feet, as the had done with the World Cup, fearing that these tournaments would interfere with their Home internationals tournament!
Seven other countries also voted against this, including West Germany, Italy and Holland. But another 29 nations in UEFA set the ball rolling. Henri Delauni had died in 1955, so missed the founding of this new tournament, but the trophy would bear his name. France was to host the semi-final stages of the knock out cup and the final in the summer of 1960.
The first match to be played was between USSR (as they were called then) and Hungary, on September 1958, with Anatoly Ilyin scoring the first goal after 4 minutes. USSR won the match 4-1 on aggregate. One notable moment was for General Franco's refusal to let the Soviets enter Spain to contest the quarter-final match, so the Russians were given a walk over!! They eventually won the tournament beating Yugoslavia 2-1 in the Final. The tournament stayed the same until 1980 when eight nations were allowed to play in the "finals".
The Henri Delaunay Trophy, which is awarded to the winner of the European Championship, is named in honour of Henri, the first General Secretary of UEFA, who came up with the idea of a European championship but died five years before the first tournament in 1960. His son Pierre was in charge of creating the trophy.
On this day: European Cup 1978/9 season First Round. Rangers beat Juventus, Grasshoppers Zurich beat Real Madrid; Liverpool were reigning champions and had not been knocked out of Europe for "four years", having won the UEFA Cup in 1976, the European Cup 1977.
This time Liverpool were drawn against Nottingham Forest who had beaten Liverpool to the English title and the League Cup in the previous season. Liverpool however, were still favourites to progress. Brian Clough, Forest manager had their number however.
In the first leg on September 13th Forest had beaten Liverpool 2-0, at home at the City ground. Gary Birtles was the goal scorer, who had been thrown into the mix by Clough at the young age of 22 for only his third game. Clough recognised that Birtles had done well, having been discovered from being a "builder's tiler", two years previously. Clough reported that he told Birtles, as he let him on to the pitch, that if he didn't score, he would be back at the building site in a jiffy. Actually, Birtles didn't score but was kept in the squad for the return game.
Two weeks later, with the return match of such importance, Forest were obviously somewhat nervous on their way to the Midlands. Clough had the solution!
Tony Woodcock recounted the coach journey north two weeks later and Woodcock noted that Clough had ordered a bottle of beer for all the players (probably staff as well, knowing Cloughie). At the pre-match hotel meal, he encouraged all the players to drink a glass of wine, With a couple of hours sleep after this, they were at Anfield and held out for a 0-0 draw, with Liverpool not really having a chance. Clough reported, smiling, that "they threw everythng they had at us except the docks, but we didn't panic. Forest went on to win the European Cup.
Clough pulled a similar trick before that season's League Cup Final against Southampton, producing a crate of beer, insisting that everyone tucked in. Result? Forest 3 v Saints 2.
Today in 1964, Franz Beckenbauer made his debut for West Germany, helping his team to beat Sweden 2-1 in a FIFA World Cup Group 2 match. Although Beckenbauer did not score a lot of goals for West Germany (14 goals in 103 caps), his influence on the game enabled his country to win the 1974 World Cup and for him to win two Ballon d'Or (1972 and 1976).
He went on to be the only person to win the World Cup as a player, in 1974, and as a manager of his country team in 1990. He was known as The sweeper (orlibero) which is a more versatile centre-back who "sweeps up" the ball if an opponent manages to breach the defensive line.This position is rather more fluid than that of other defenders who man-mark their designated opponents. Because of this, it is sometimes referred to aslibero, which is Italian for "free". He won 102 caps and one of his jobs was to mark Bobby Charlton in the 1966 World Cup Final. It is for you to decide if "Der Kaiser", Germany's most famous player, did a good job at Wembley that day!
Austrian manager Karl Rappan is thought to be a pioneer of this role, when he incorporated it into his catenaccio or verrou (also "doorbolt/chain" in French) system with Swiss club, Serbvette, during the 1930s, deciding to move one player from midfield to a position behind the defensive line, as a "last man" who would protect the back-line and start attacks again. As coach of Switzerland in the 1930s and 1940s, Rappan played a defensive sweeper called the verrouilleur, positioned just ahead of the goalkeeper.
During his time with Soviet club Krylya Soveto Kuybyshev, in the 1940s, Aleksandr Abramov also used a position similar to a sweeper in his defensive tactic known as the Volzhskaya Zashchepka, or the "Volga clip". Unlike the verrou, his system was not as flexible and was a development of the WM rather than the 2–3–5, but it also featured one of the half-backs dropping deep; this allowed the defensive centre-half to sweep in behind the full-backs.
In Italy, the libero position was popularised by NereoRocco's and HelenioHerrera's use of catenaccio. The Italian term for this position, libero, which is thought to have been coined by GianniBrera, originated from the original Italian description for this role libero da impegni di marcatura (i.e., "free from man-marking tasks"); it was also known as the "battitore libero" ("free hitter", in Italian, i.e. a player who was given the freedom to intervene after their teammates, if a player had got past the defence, to clear the ball away).In Italian football, the libero was usually assigned the number 6 shirt.
One of the first predecessors of the libero role in Italy was used in the so–called "vianema" system, a predecessor to catenaccio, which was used by Salernitana during the 1940s. The system originated from an idea that one of the club's players – Antonio Valese – posed to his manager Giuseppe Viani. Viani altered the English WM system – known as the sistema in Italy – by having his centre-half-back retreat into the defensive line to act as an additional defender and mark an opposing centre-forward, instead leaving his full-back (which, at the time, was similar to the modern centre-back role) free to function as what was essentially a sweeper, creating a 1–3–3–3 formation; he occasionally also used a defender in the centre-forward role, and wearing the number nine shirt, to track back and mark the opposing forwards, thus freeing up the full-backs from their marking duties. Andrea Schianchi of La Gazzetta dello Sport notes that this modification was designed to help smaller teams in Italy, as the man–to–man system often put players directly against one another, favouring the larger and wealthier teams with stronger individual players.
Italian defender FrancoBaresi (wearing No. 6), pictured in the 1994 World Cup Final. He was often deployed as a modern ball-playing sweeper.
In Italy, the libero is also retroactively thought to have evolved from the centre-half-back role in the English WM system, or sistema, which was known as the centromediano metodista role in Italian football jargon, due to its association with the metodo system; in the metodo system, however, the "metodista" was given both defensive and creative duties, functioning as both a ball winner and deep lying play maker. Juventus manager FeliceBorel used Carklo Parola in the centre-half role, as a player who would drop back into the defence to mark opposing forwards, but also start attacks after winning back possession, in a similar manner to the sweeper, which led to the development of this specialised position.
Indeed, Herrera's catenaccio strategy with his Grande Inter side saw him withdraw a player from his team's midfield and instead deploy them further-back in defence as a sweeper.
Prior to Viani, OttavioBarbiei is also thought by some pundits to have introduced the sweeper role to Italian football during his time as Genoa's manager. Like Viani, he was influenced by Rappan's verrou, and made several alterations to the English WM system or "sistema", which led to his system being described as mezzosistema. His system used a man-marking back-line, with three man-marking defenders and a full-back who was described as a terzino volante (or vagante, as noted at the time by former footballer and Gazzetta delloSport journalist Renzo De Vecchi; the latter position was essentially a libero, which was later also used by Viani in his vianema system, and Rocco in his catenaccio system.
Though sweepers may be expected to build counter-attacking moves, and as such require better ball control and passing ability than typical centre-backs, their talents are often confined to the defensive realm. For example, thecatenacciosystem of play, used in Italian football in the 1960s, often employed a predominantly defensive sweeper who mainly "roamed" around the back line; according to Schianchi, IvanoBlason is considered to be the first true libero in Italy, who – under manager AlfredoFoni with Inter and subsequently Nereo Rocco with Padova – would serve as the last man in his team, positioned deep behind the defensive line, and clearing balls away from the penalty area. ArmandoPichi was subsequently also a leading exponent of the more traditional variant of this role in Helenio Herrera's Grand Inter side of the 1960s.
The more modern libero possesses the defensive qualities of the typical libero while being able to expose the opposition during counterattacks by carrying or play the ball out from the back. Some sweepers move forward into midfield, and distribute the ball up-field, while others intercept passes and get the ball off the opposition without needing to hurl themselves into tackles. If the sweeper does move up the field to distribute the ball, they will need to make a speedy recovery and run back into their position. In modern football, its usage has been fairly restricted, with few clubs in the biggest leagues using the position.
Edwin van der Sar pictured playing for Man U, during the 2010–11 season, is considered to be one of the pioneers of the sweeper-keeper role.
GiorgioMastropasqua was known for revolutionising the role of the libero in Italy during the 1970s; under his Ternana manager, Corrado Viciani, he served as one of the first modern exponents of the position in the country, due to his unique technical characteristics, namely a player who was not only tasked with defending and protecting the back-line, but also advancing out of the defence into midfield and starting attacking plays with their passing after winning back the ball. Other defenders who have been described as sweepers include Bobby Moore, Daniel Passarella, Franco Baresi, Ronald Koeman, Fernando Hierro, Matthias Sammer and Aldair, due to their ball skills, vision, and long passing ability. Though it is rarely used in modern football, it remains a highly respected and demanding position.
Recent and successful uses of the sweeper include The Greek national side, during UEFA 2004, as Greece became European champions.
Although this position has become largely obsolete in modern football formations, due to the use of zonal marking and the offside trap, certain players have played a similar role as a ball-playing central defender in a 3–5–2 or 3–4–3 formation; in addition to their defensive skills, their technique and ball-playing ability allowed them to advance into midfield after winning back possession, and function as a secondary playmaker for their teams.
Some goalkeepers, who are comfortable leaving their goalmouth to intercept and clear through balls, and who generally participate more in play, such as Higuita, Neuer, van da Saar, Barthez. Loris, leno and Ederson, known as "Sweeper keepers".
The role rose to prominence in the 1930s and was extensively used for the next 50 years. These positions have produced some of the most well known players in the game.
Tommy Trinder CBE (24 March 1909 – 10 July 1989), will not mean much to a certain age of "readers", but he was a true "live on stage" show man for 6 decades and very much part of my early TV viewing.
A comedian, he had the gift of the gab and I remember him being the original host of the TV variety show, "Sunday Night at the London Palladium" from 1955-8, with a catch phrase "You Lucky People". Many will know Bruce Forsyth, who took on the role of the show compere more recently! and continued to perform on stage in the 1980s. He also starred in Ealing Studio Films. AND THE POINT IS?
In 1959, Trinder became chairman of Second Division, Fulham FC until 1976 and during his time of bringing "show business" to the London club, he signed both George Best, who was playing in the US, for Los Angeles Aztecs and Rodney Marsh (Tampa Bay Rowdies), persuading them to play for The Cottagers during the NASL off season in August 1976.
In the first round of Second Division fixtures, the pair turned out at a "joyous" Craven Cottage against Hereford Utd, winning 4-1. Best hit the post from 30 yards and Marsh scored twice. The major moment in this "debut", was when Best accidently took the ball off team mate, Marsh and then Marsh deliberately tackled Best creating a 1970s maverick phenomenon.
Typically, as the season went on, Best got into the news for the wrong reasons and became one of the first players to be given the newly introduced "red card", at Southampton.
(Yellow and red cards were introduced to the English league in 1976, with two red cards shown on the first day of their use. There was initially a bit of confusion over what they were supposed to be given for, with Blackburn Rovers’s David Wagstaffe becoming the first player to be show a red card when he argued with the referee after thirty-six minutes of the match. Sixty-seven minutes into his match for Manchester United that same afternoon, George Best was shown a red card for swearing.)
Luton player Mick Harford became the first person to be shown a red card during his club's match with Derby County on the15th of August 1987.
In December Best was fined £75 for making obscene gestures to the referee at Chelsea and in February, he drove his car into a lampost in front of Harrods at 4am. Best admitted to being "out at dinner" and then at Tramps Discotheque but was not breath tested and claims he would have been negative if the police insisted. He said he had three drinks all evening!! Fulham ended the season (1976-7) escaping relegation, just and Best and Marsh went back to the US in the Summer. Best returned at the start of the new season in 1977 but a "pay dispute" put an end to his "dalliance" with The Cottagers.
Jimmy Hill OBE, the well known TV pundit, once was a player for Fulham (below with Trinder) made a return to the club in 1987 to become chairman, helping his old club survive near-bankruptcy and blocking an attempted merger with Queens Park Rangers.Born: 22 July 1928 and died: 19 December 2015.Hill's career below.
Today marks the beginning of a weekend when Charterhouse School, in Godalming, celebrates the life of Robert Bogdan (RAB), who was a member of the school's teaching staff, a Common (Staff) Room known as Brooke Hall. Robert, a Geographer and Historian, was a national standard hockey player and coach, but could also turn his hand to football, known as "soccer" by Carthusians, who were members of the school. He was very good cricketer, tennis player, rugby.....an all rounder.
Carthusians would enjoy the Soccer game in the Oration Quarter, kn,own as the Autumn Term, firstly at the school's London site and then after 1872, at its new site in Godalming, Surrey. This is the weekend when Carthusians (OCs) and Old Carthusians come together to play "soccer" matches against each other. RAB will be missed, but I know he will be remembered for his massive influence on Carthusians and colleagues.
Recently, I had an email from an old colleague, who has retired to Felixstowe and who is a full on Ipswich Town fan. I guess this is due to his family roots and the fact that he went to Charterhouse School, the Alma Mater of the Ipswich Town Football Club family, The Cobbolds, famed for their Tolly Cobbold Brewery.
Thomas Clement Cobbold was the founding father of the Suffolk club in 1878. He was a pupil at Charterhouse from 1848-51, when it was a London based school. Thomas became the Conservative MP for Ipswich in 1876 and having brought the game from Charterhouse in London, instilled in his football (soccer) club "the principles of fair play". His players, following on the skills of their founder who was known as the "Prince of Dribblers", were also scrimmagers and dribblers, very much after the style of the Carthusians and their old boys who went on to dominate amateur football in the late 19th Century.
Thomas' nephew, William Neville Cobbold, was known as the "Prince of Dribblers" and was a leading player for the Old Carthusians and England in the 1880s. I could write a whole blog on him.....in fact I might, one day.
The Old Carthusians are recorded as playing an AFA Cup match against Ipswich Town on January 2nd 1933. The teams played at Ipswich and drew 4-4. There was a replay, meeting again on the 9th, the OCs (below) losing 2-4 at home.
The Ipswich club turned professional, eventually in 1936 and were elected to the Football League two years later, joining the relatively youthful Third Division South in 1938. They came 7th that year and were ahead of Clapton Orient, a side that left the Football League after the war, continuing to play at the lower level.
On the 20th September, 2004, Brian Clough died, aged 69. He said, when he had led Derby County to their first League Title, " I certainly wouldn't say that I am the best manager in the business, but I am in the top one!" He could point to the club's results to back up his boast as he won league titles with both Derby and Nottingham Forest and of course led Forest to two European Cup triumphs.https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/brian-clough-quotes
Brian Clough was one of the game's greatest ever managers and characters. The former Nottingham Forest and Derby manager, who had had a long battle with alcoholism, died at Derby City Hospital after suffering from stomach cancer. He had had a liver transplant the year before, because of a cancerous growth in the organ. "Ol' Big 'Ead", as he was known, will be remembered for his staggering achievements in taking two small provincial clubs from the depths of the second division to the league championship. Who agrees with this highlighted description??
After a fine career as a predatory striker, a truly remarkable Number 9, in which he scored 251 goals in 274 matches for Middlesbrough and Sunderland and won ONLY two England caps, Clough took up the managerial reins at Hartlepool in 1965.
Two years later he was appointed boss at Derby County and he soon let his players know it. Asked how he dealt with a player who disagreed with his tactics, Clough said: "We talk about it for 20 minutes and then we decide I was right."
Here was a true character, the likes of which we have never seen again (so far?). He had minimal resources in terms of playing staff, but his sheer personality was enough to convert those at his disposal into world-beaters.
Promotion was followed by a phenomenal triumph in taking little Derby to the championship and the European Cup semi-finals. Brief spells at Brighton and Leeds United - just 44 days at Elland Road - were less successful, but they brought him to Nottingham Forest, where he was to become an all-time legend.
Within three years of his appointment, Clough had led Forest to the League Championship (then the top division); a season later, in 1979, his team were champions of Europe after Trevor Francis's header secured victory against Malmo.
His success lay in his ability to transform players such as Tony Woodcock and Martin O'Neill into household names by instilling his passion and know-how into them. He kept his messages to his players simple, and in their simplicity they found their effectiveness. "If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he'd have put grass up there," Clough famously said, demanding a passing game.
He was also forthright enough to let his players know who was in charge in no uncertain terms. "The ugliest player I ever signed was Kenny Burns," Clough said about his talented new purchase, who he thought was getting too big for his boots.
Such charisma maintained his position at the City Ground for 18 years. The fearful respect he instilled in all he met - footballers, fans or journalists - is well documented, and summed up perfectly by the episode in which he decked midfield aggressor Roy Keane. "I only ever hit Roy the once," he explained. "He got up so I couldn't have hit him very hard."
His rule over the City Ground extended to the stands. When fans overstepped the mark, they, too, felt the brunt of the boss. Following a convincing League Cup victory over QPR in 1989, Forest supporters invaded the pitch, much to the chagrin of Clough. He stormed out and his fists were far more potent than nearby police officers in quickly removing the trespassers.
At Forest, Clough won the European Cup a second time - in 1980, thanks to a John Robertson winner against Hamburg - the European Super Cup and three League Cups.
The only honour missing was the FA Cup. The closest he came was in 1991 when his team reached the final. Clough dispensed with the traditional jacket-and-tie dresswear managers normally adopt, emerging with his lucky green jumper. With Paul Gascoigne injured and Forest one-up thanks to a thunderbolt from Stuart Pearce, that elusive medal was surely Clough's. But an equaliser from Paul Stewart and an own goal from Des Walker put an end to his hopes.
Two years later, Clough's reign finished in sad circumstances. His team was a fragile version of the all-conquering squad a decade before, and despite Clough's genius off the pitch, and his son Nigel's on it, Forest were relegated when they were beaten at home by Sheffield United.
The biggest regret in his career, though, was that he was never offered the England job. Clough would have been perfect for such a role but his unique methods of extracting the best from his men were too revolutionary for the conservative suits at the FA!! Clough would have got it right!
Newcastle United are back in European competition and tonight they play away at AC Milan. The Magpies' last fixture was at home v Brentford, a 1-0 win..... There are plenty of iconic football stadia in the world...........
this is the spectacular San Siro, Milan. The first game played here was in September 19th 1926, when AC Milan played rivals Inter Milan(Internazionale) and lost 3-6. On September 16th 2023, Inter-Milan hosted the Milan Derby and won by a 5-1 margin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsZ5HJY5n80
In 1947Inter moved in to share the stadium, which was renamed Stadio Giuseppi Meazza, after a player who had played for both clubs. He played during the 1920-1940s and was later Inter manager.
Here is more recent player, Sanchez, wearing the new kit zig-zaggy Inter kit.
AC Milan, founded in 1899, stands for Associazione Calcio (calcio-is the Italian name for football in its historic form). AC Milan are known as the Rossoneri-red and blacks.
Here is Kaka in the kit.
The stadium holds 80,000. It hosted the World Cup in 1934 and 1990 and many Euro Finals including those of 1965 won by Inter, 1970 won by Feyenoord, 2001 won by Bayern M and 2016 won by Real Madrid.
The San Siro has also hosted boxing, rugby union (Italy v New Zealand in 2009) and concerts including Ed Sheeren in June 2019
Inter, founded in 1908, has never been relegated for the top Italian division.
The derby between the two Milan clubs, is known as the "Della Madonnina", named after the statue of the Virgin Mary on the Duomo, the Little Madonna.
The derby was first played on January 10th 1909, which AC Milan won 3-2. In total there have been 237 matches, with Inter winning 89 and AC 79. 69 matches have been drawn
The largest gap between the two was a 0-6 victory for Milan on May 11th 2001 in Serie A.
The latest fixture was on September 16th at Inter with a home victory of 5-1.
On this day 1926, the first match to be played in one of the iconic stadiums in Europe, was at the San Siro in Milan. Originally, solely the home of AC Milan, they played a friendly against great rivals Inter Milan in the first match at the ground. Inter won with a very un-Italian scoreline – 6-3. In 1947, Inter moved in to share the ground with AC Milan while in March 1980, the stadium was officially renamed the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in honour of a former player of both Milan clubs – although it is still generally known as the San Siro. It currently has a capacity of 80,000 and has hosted matches at the 1934 and 1990 World Cup finals as well as numerous European finals.
19th September 2015
The biggest news in world sport that day came from the Community Stadium in Brighton although the storyline wasn't generated by the football club who played there. Brighton & Hove's home ground was used for a couple of matches in the 2015 Rugby Union World Cup finals and in the first of those Japan played South Africa. In a result that was widely described as the biggest shock in the history of the game the minnows of Japan beat the mighty Springboks 34-32.Amazingly though the Japanese were to create another bit of World Cup history - they became the first side ever to win 3 of their 4 group matches but fail to progress to the knockout stages of the competition.
Tuesday September 18th 1990: When you think of European nights, you think of big crowds, plenty of atmosphere, a special occasion. Not always so!! When Dundee United visitedFH Hafnarfjörður in Iceland, for a UEFA Cup First Round tie, on this day in 1990, the attendance was a mahoosive......395. Ref: Patrick Kelly of Ireland.
After 2 minutes Bjorn Johnsson scored for the home team and Darren Jackson replied after 32. Alec Cleland put Utd ahead at 77' and sadly, Bjorn Jonsson notched his second on 89 minutes-an own goal. Final score 1-3.
The First Round Second Leg on October 2nd 1990, at Tannadice Park, attracted nearly a 5,500 crowd. Norman Loghins of Northern Ireland reffed. It ended 2-0.s
In 1991 on this day, Liverpool played their first European competition following the tragic events at the Heysel Stadium in 1985. After a five year ban on English clubs in Europe and further one year on Liverpool alone the Merseysiders beat Finnish side Kuusysi Lahti 6-1 at Anfield in a UEFA Cup tie.
Tuesday 18 September 1990 - (HafnarfjördurLiverpool played their first match back in European competition following the tragic events at the Heysel Stadium in 1985. After a five year ban on English clubs in Europe and further one year on Liverpool alone the Merseysiders beat Finnish side Kuusysi Lahti 6-1 at Anfield in a UEFA Cup tie.
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. 
