AUGUST 21st; AN ANNIVERSARY

It's the anniversary of the first use of a substitute in Association Football somebody cried. Well yes, there is a well known anniversary which was on the 21st August 1965 , when Keith Peacock of Charlton Athletic, playing in one of his 532 appearances, was used as a sub in the Second Division of the football league, when he came on to replace his goalkeeper, Mike Rose after 11 minutes at Bolton, he made history.

On the same day, Bobby Knox scored the first goal as a substitute for Barrow against Wrexham; the Welsh club came bottom in Division 4. This was the year that the use of subs was confirmed by the Football League.

Of course football has many answers to the pub quiz question; "When were substitutes first used in a football match?"
At Eton College in the 1850s the word "emergencies" was used when a player took the place of another in one of the school's matches. This would normally be for an injury but.....
in the 1860s, a "sub" described the replacement of a player who failed to turn up for a match.
In 1863 the Charterhouse School XI played a match against their Old Boys (the Old Carthusians) and it was reported that "in the consequence of the non-appearance of some of these who were expected, it was necessary to provide three substitutes." (probably "down  the pub"!!)

On the 15th April 1889, John Trainer, a Welsh international goalkeeper, failed to turn up for a match against Scotland at Wrexham, so a local amateur Alf Pugh played for the first 20 minutes of the match until Sam Gillam (a proper replacement) arrived. This was a substitution apparently; fascinating.

During the World Cup qualifications for the 1954 finals, on the 11th October 1953, Horst Eckel of Germany was used as a sub in a match against Saarland (a region in central Europe). (Germans quite handy with subs you know).

The FA Cup Final was jinxed with injuries, into the 1960s and future Wigan Chairman, Dave Whelan broke a leg in the 1960 FA Cup Final playing for Blackburn Rovers against the Wolves. In the next year, Leicester City right back, Len Chalmers, picked up an injury within 18 minutes of the Wembley Final against Spurs (I watched it on TV). AND there were no subs available at this time. Spurs went on to win a do the first "Double" in the 20th Century. This was the seventh final in nine seasons that a serious injury left a team "one down". Subs were still SIX years away.

By 1965-6 one sub was used only for injury in the league and cup. In 1967-8, the law changed to one tactical sub also. During the 1970 World Cup tournament, subs were allowed in the finals.

1988 saw two subs used out of five on the bench, then in 1994 two subs and a goalie could be used. In 1995 three subs were used. Eventually, in 2008-9, 5-7 subs were named and three used and in 2017 a 4th sub could be used in EFL cup ties in extra time.

In the 2002 World Cup, Claudio Caniggia of Italy was red cared from the bench. And who was super sub? David Fairclough of Liverpool??
A worthwhile link to the anniversary...for Pocock read Peacock.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/when-saturday-comes-blog/2015/sep/18/fifty-years-substitutions-football-sport