IT'S WIMBLEDON SEASON!!

Fair enough, not tennis today, of course, but instead, here's the history of AFC Wimbledon. Did you know that that the Old Carthusians FC has a close connection with Wimbledon and football? Indeed, Old Carthusians formed the original club and shares the history of winning both the FA Amateur Cup in 1963 and the FA Cup in 1988, as the modern Wimbledon club has done, in 1963 and 1988. The modern Wimbledon club does not claim the coincidence but for me it's "newsworthy"...so here goes.

AFC Wimbledon was formed in 2002 by fans of the existing Wimbledon FC after the club officials decided to relocate the club to Milton Keynes, hence the renaming of Milton Keynes Dons. Back "home", the new club, AFC Wimbledon, started in the Combined Counties League and achieved six promotions in 13 seasons to reach League One. They returned to Plough Lane, their spiritual home, in 2020. 

The club crest, which is based on the coat of arms of the Municiple Borough of Wimbldeon features a black double headed eagle in reference to a local legend that Julius Caesar once made camp on Wimbledon Common, this symbol being his own attributed coat of arms.

The colours that were chosen for the AFC Wimbledon kit were the royal blue and yellow traditionally associated with the rise of the original Wimbledon to the top of the Football League (rather than the darker navy bliue and yellow that Wimbledon were wearing at the time, which had been a recent adaptation in 1993). The first ever kit, which was used only during the pre-season friendlies of 2002, consisted of a royal blue shirt, white shorts and white socks. Since then, the home kit has always been predominantly all royal blue with yellow detailing. The away kit used between 2002 and 2004 was white, however since then it has usually been predominantly yellow with blue detailing.

To mark their first game in the Football League on 6 August 2011 against Bristol Rovers, the team wore a white and blue commemorative kit which was based on that worn by the original Wimbledon during 1977-8 in order to remember their own first season as a member of the Football League in the old Fourth Division (now League Two). To prevent copyright infringement, a single blue stripe replaced the three trade mark stripes of the Adidas original and the shirts were emblazoned with a modified crest for the occasion.

On 14 May 2020, the club released a new, slightly modified, official club crest to mark 32 years since Wimbledon's 1988 FA Cup victory, as well as the forthcoming opening of the new stadium at Plough Lane.

Any excuse for a news' worthy feature!

DON'T REMIND ME!!

In 1950, England eventually decided to join in the rest of the footballing World, by gracing the other nations with their presence in the World Cup. The nation that organised World Football decided to qualify for the great international tournament. Heaven knows why the stiff shirts at the FA did not do what other nations did, but by 1950, post War, England entered their first ever World Cup qualification. Inevitably, England had to make their supporters at home squirm, as they failed to beat the USA, entering their first World Cup tournament and who had lost their previous seven matches with a combined score of 2-45 goals!! Yes, on June 29th, England lost 0-1 to the "part timers", the USA in what was regarded as the "Miracle on the Grass" Stateside. A crowd of 10,000 witnessed this!

USA coach, Bill Jeffrey knew his team had a "hope in hell", as England was one of the favourites to win the Jules Rimet. England had just beaten Chile 2-0, unconvincingly!! and the Yanks had lost 1-3 to Spain. Heat could be blamed and maybe the squad had not been given time to climatise and super star, Stanley Matthews had been left on the bench, behind Jimmy Mullen and Tom Finney, both decent players but not in Stan's class. Had he started the Americans would have had to "change their game plan"! England team selector, Arthur Drewry was confident that Billy Wright, Tom Finney, Stan Mortenson, Alf Ramsey and Wilf Mannion had enough in "the tank" to beat a team of amateurs!

TEAM: GK: Bert Williams, DEF: Alf Ramsey, Billy Wright, Jack Aston, Jimmy Dickinson, Laurie Hughes, ATT: Tom Finney, Stan Mortenson, Roy Bentley, Wilf Mannion, Jimmy Mullen 

On this day 1950, in the 38th minute, USA's, Haitian born, Joe Gaetjens headed home a goal which proved to be the winner! England had travelled 300 miles north to Belo Horizonte for their second match, having beaten Chile 2-0 in Rio in the 25th of June. On that day, England had played "at altitude" and in "thin air" but goals from Mortenson and Mannion quelled the 29,000 crowd in the Maracana. The USA had lost to Spain previously 1-3 but had been up 1-0 at half time. The final Group tie was against Spain at the Maracana and it was a 0-1 defeat, watched by 74,462 people. Yes, TWO goals in three matches, So the Group was topped by Spain winning 3 out of three-6 points....England runners up with 2 points on goal "ratio" (2:2), and not qualifying. Chile beat the US 5-2.

An English newspaper, published the England score as 10-1 to England, assuming the news from abroad had been misprinted!! The goalscorer was Joe Gaetjens, a Haitian amateur. England, wearing blue shirts, also lost to Spain and went home, promising never to wear blue shirts again. 

Arthur Drewry, was he the FA man behind this "shambles"??

Drewry played a significant role in the 1950 game between England and the United States in which the English lost 1–0 to the rank outsiders in the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Belo Horizonte. The English national coach, Walter Winterbottom, had wanted to rest some players for the next game against Spain, but was over-ruled by Drewry, acting as sole selector, who chose an unchanged team from their last game, a 2–0 win against Chile. Stanley Rous, Drewry's secretary at the FA, visited him and urged him to include Stanley Matthews and make other changes to the team, but Drewry was adamant in his desire to keep an unchanged team. After the loss against the United States, Drewry acquiesced to four changes to the team, but England lost their next game to Spain 1–0, and as a result were eliminated from the tournament. As chair of the FA, Drewry once proposed awarding a point in the Football League for every goal scored to encourage offensive football. This was rejected by the clubs!

 

 

THANK HEAVEN FOR KEVIN

Today is the Birthday of Kevin De Bruyne, of Manchester City, who played for Belgium national team in period 2010-2025 (109 caps and 30 goals).

Other silly incidents have occurred like this coming together (see below) with Kevin de Bruyne, the Belgian international, who sustained midrift pain during a league game for Wolfsburg against Augsburg in October 2014. His team did win in the end, but fancy being hit in the crown jewels by a pink boot.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2781418/Kevin-Bruyne-gets-boot-flung-private-parts-Wolfsburg-win.html

Personal information
Full name	Kevin De Bruyne
Date of birth	28 June 1991 (age 34)
Place of birth	Drongen, Belgium
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Napoli
Youth career
1997–1999	KVV Drongen
1999–2005	Gent
2005–2008	Genk
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008–2012	Genk	97	(16)
2012–2014	Chelsea	3	(0)
2012–2013	→ Werder Bremen (loan)	33	(10)
2014–2015	VfL Wolfsburg	52	(13)
2015–2025	Manchester City	285	(72)
2025–	Napoli	0	(0)
International career‡
2008–2009	Belgium U18	7	(1)
2009	Belgium U19	10	(1)
2011	Belgium U21	2	(0)
2010–	Belgium	111	(31)

ENGLAND'S 400th INTERNATIONAL

England Internationals: 400th match on Sunday 26th June 1966 

Finland 0 - 3 England Friendly Olympiastadion, Helsinki

ELO Ranking: England - 3rd  v Finland - 83rd

• Squad NumbersEngland wore their World Cup squad numbers.
• Missed Penalty: Alan Ball1st miss from 1st taken (0.0%). England's 45th overall. Martti Halme saved Alan Ball penalty.
• Match MilestoneEngland's 400th Match and England ranked at the time 3rd in Europe, Finland 83rd.
• Player MilestoneJimmy Armfield's Last Cap
• Player MilestoneIan Callaghan's 1st Cap
• Goal MilestoneMartin Peters' 1st Goal for England
• Goal MilestoneJack Charlton's 1st Goal
• England Manager Alf Ramsey. Iceland:  Olavi Laaksonen

• 1
• Gordon Banks
  
  
• 14
• Jimmy Armfield
  
   (c)
• 3
• Ray Wilson
  
  
• 16
• Martin Peters
  
  
• 5
• Jack Charlton
  
  
• 18
• Norman Hunter
  
  
• 20
• Ian Callaghan
  
  
• 21
• Roger Hunt
  
  
• 9
• Bobby Charlton
  
  
• 10
• Geoff Hurst
  
  
• 7
• Alan Ball

•  Martin Peters, 42'
•  Roger Hunt, 44'
•  Jack Charlton, 89'
• Referee: Frede Hansen, Norway

INDIA GET THE BOOT-THEY HAD TO!

In the 1950 World Cup Finals, after last minute complications, FIFA was in a position that as organisers, nations were "begging"  to join the tournament, to fill the last THREE places on the fixture card. Keen to involve British nations that had been absent since the 1920s (that's another story), FIFA offered places to the winners and runners-up of the Home Championship......that is (was) the annual competition played by the "Home" nations.

England (team left) and Scotland qualified but the Scottish FA decided not to take part because they did not WIN the British tournament! 

Scotland's captain, George Young and England captain, Billy Wright (back row in photo, second from right as you face it) pleaded with the Scottish FA to change its mind but this remarkable show of British solidarity did not have its effect. As it was England went to the Finals, lost to the USA  0-1(very much a "minnow" at the time) and wished perhaps that they had stayed at home as well!! 

Spot any other England players? Alf Ramsey? Tom Finney, Gill Merrick..goalie!

FIFA had other problems, with Argentina pulling out due to the problems they were having with matches against neighbours, Brazil, in the 1940s. Czechoslovakia decline an invitation too and the French noted that their tournament matches were 2,000 miles apart and Brazil refused to help, so were "out" too.                  

Post-war Germany was banned and only 13 teams competed, creating a problematic "draw" for the organisers. There were two groups of 4 and one of 3 and one of 2!! Curious? This annoyed India, who having qualified for the tournament Finals for the first time, showed their prowess with a competent 1-2 defeat by France in the 1948 Olympics. 

Several Asian nations had "dropped out" also, but the India squad had its bags packed and were ready to travel. However, FIFA dropped a bombshell stating that the Indians were not allowed to be involved because their players didn't wear boots but played bare foot! (sort of fair enough??)

Indian midfielder, Venkatesh Shanmugham (try saying that in commentary!) said " Sadly, we did not know then that barefoot was not allowed in the World Cup. We got to know this very late and had been to Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and played a Chinese team, in Hong Kong, as part of our preparation." There was disappointment but they played eventually. 

The 1948 London Olympics marked the first time an Indian football team participated in the Olympics after India's independence. Led by captain, Talimeren Ao, and coached by Balaidas Chatterjee, the team made its debut against France at the Cricklefield Stadium. Though they lost to France, the match was significant as it was the first time the Indian tricolor was represented in an international football

competition. 8 players were bare footed!!

India did invest in boots eventually and played and won the first Asian Games in 1951 and finished fourth in the 1956 Olympics. 

TRAGEDY, ZINEDINE AND VIERA

23rd June 1968
On this day, a tragedy occurred in Argentina at the end of a local derby between River Plate and Boca Juniors, played at the El Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. As the fans left the ground after the 0-0 draw, one of the exit gates was found to be closed, trapping those at the front of the growing queue from behind. Fans further back weren’t aware of the problem at the gate and continued to push towards the exit, crushing those fans at the front. Tragically 71 fans died and over 150 others suffered injury in the ‘Tragedy of Gate 12’. It all sounds very familiar doesn’t it – if only lessons could have been learned! 

On this day, in 1972, Zinedine Zidane was born, 53 years ago. He played 108 times for France and scored 31 international goals. 

Zinedine Zidane

Zidane in 2017
Personal information
Full name	Zinedine Yazid Zidane
Date of birth	23 June 1972 (age 53)
Place of birth	Marseille, France
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Youth career
1981–1982	AS Foresta
1982–1983	US Saint-Henri
1983–1987	SO Septèmes-les-Vallons
1987–1989	Cannes
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1989–1992	Cannes	61	(6)
1992–1996	Bordeaux	139	(28)
1996–2001	Juventus	151	(24)
2001–2006	Real Madrid	155	(37)
Total		506	(95)
International career
1987–1988	France U16
1988–1989	France U17	4	(1)
1989–1990	France U18	6	(0)
1990–1994	France U21	20	(3)
1994–2006	France	108	(31)
Managerial career
2014–2016	Real Madrid Castilla
2016–2018	Real Madrid
2019–2021	Real Madrid
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Zinedine Yazid Zidane was born on 23 June 1972 in La Castellane, Marseille. He is the youngest of five siblings. Zidane is of Algerian descent, and his parents, Smaïl and Malika, immigrated to Paris from the village in northern Algeria in 1953 before the start of the Algerian War. The family, which had settled in the city's tough northern districts, found little work in the region, and in the mid-1960s moved to the northern Marseille suburb of La Castellane. In an interview with Esquire magazine, he stated:

I have an affinity with the Arabic world. I have it in my blood, via my parents. I'm very proud of being French, but also very proud of having these roots and this diversity.

His father worked as a warehouseman and security guard at a department store, often on the night shift, while his mother was a housewife. The family lived a reasonably comfortable life by the standards of the neighbourhood, which was notorious throughout Marseille for its high crime and unemployment rates. Zidane credits his strict upbringing and his father as the "guiding light" in his career.

It was in Castellane where Zidane had his earliest introduction in football, joining in at the age of five in football games that the neighbourhood's children played on the Place Tartane, an 80-by-12-yard plaza that served as the main square of the housing complex. At the age of ten, Zidane got his first player's licence after joining the junior team of a local club from Castellane by the name of US Saint-Henri. After spending a year and a half at US Saint-Henri, Zidane joined SO Septèmes-les-Vallons when the Septèmes coach Robert Centenero convinced the club's Director to get Zidane. Zidane stayed with Septèmes until the age of 14, at which time he was selected to attend a three-day training camp at the CREPS (Regional Centre for Sports and Physical Education) in Aix-en-Provence, one of several such footballing institutes run by the French Football Federation. It was here that Zidane was spotted by an AS Cannes scout and former player Jean Varraud, who recommended him to the training centre director of the club. As a 14-year-old watching the 1986 World Cup, the performance of Maradona left an indelible mark on him, with Zidane stating Maradona "was on another level".

Patrick Viera was also born on this day in 1976.

JUNE 22 1986

Two of football's most famous World Cup goals were scored in a five minute spell on this day in 1986, when Maradona showed the World both sides of his personality in the World Cup quarter-final in Mexico City. Maradona claimed his first goal which was helped by the "hand of God", whereas the English Press saw it as "the hand of the Devil" as post-Falklands relations were a little "gritty" at the time. Just to rub it in, Maradona then skipped past five England players, scoring one of the greatest goal ever seen. Video Below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da_CDPRG2j0 and more fun......

In the 1974 World Cup, the first rounds of qualifying were from Groups of four. Zaire was the first black African nation to qualify for the tournament and had lost 0-2 to Scotland in their group on June 14th and then 0-9 to Yugoslavia on June 18th. Their final group game was against holders, Brazil on June 22nd!! Zaire defender, Mwepu Llunga, got a little excited in this memorable match (for him!) when waiting for a Brazilian free-kick and this happened...see below!

http://whoateallthepies.tv/videos/213108/rip-mwepu-ilunga-zaire-1974-world-cup-sides-maverick-free-kick-vigilante-passes-away-aged-66.html

Brazil, having drawn with Yugoslavia 0-0 and Scotland 0-0, needed to beat Zaire by 3 clear goals to qualify and Brazil scored after 12 minutes, surprisingly their first of the tournament having drawn 0-0 with Yugoslavia and 0-0 with Scotland. Indeed, Brazil did win 3-0 in Gelsenkirchen. Goals from Jairzinho, then Rivelino gave them hope and with 11 minutes to go a speculative shot from Valdormio seemed to be covered by the keeper, who jersey was obviously slippy and the ball squirted into the net. 

Brazil then did get through the next qualification, in Group A, beating East Germany and Argentina 2-1, but lost to Cruyff's Holland 0-2. 

In Group B West Germany qualified with three wins against Poland, Sweden and Yugoslavia and beat Holland in the Final 2-1. Brazil lost the Third Place play off 1-0 to Poland in front of 79,000 at the Olympic Stadium, Munich. 

West Germany beat Holland 2-1 in the Final, played at the Olympic Stadium, Munich. A crowd of nearly 78,000 saw this live and reputedly, a 1000 million viewed it on TV. England's Jack Taylor was the referee, who awarded Holland a penalty after less than a minute without a German player touching the ball!!! when Cruyff was brought down by Hoeness. Neeskens scored, the first successful penalty in a World Cup Final! There was second penalty awarded to the Germans  after 25 minutes, following a poor tackle by Jansen on Holzenbein. Breitner scored. It was, the German centre-forward, Gerhard Muller's last international match.

Wolfgang Overath added the Winners' medal to his collection of a Runners-up medal and a Third Place medal! The only man to have collected all three!

FRANCO TO ARTHUR HOLLAND

General Francisco Franco forbade his national football team, Spain, to play a match against USSR in the first ever European Championship in 1960. The Soviets went on to win the tournament, beating Yugoslavia (on the 21st day of June) 2-1.

The tournament in 1964 was marred by political tension, Greece withdrew without playing a match after refusing to take the field against Albania. This time Spain, as hosts of the tournament, would not back out and the reached the Final, where they found the USSR opponents. Franco was there to witness the clash.  

Spain were not allowed to field their great, naturalised Hungarian players, Laszlo Kubala and the very famous Ferenc Puskas, but they did have midfielder Luis Suarez, who in 1960 was the first and only player at the time, to win the European Footballer of the Year award. 

Spain's route to the final

Round	Opposition	Score
Preliminary round	Romania	6–0 (h), 1–3 (a)
Round of 16	Northern Ireland	1–1 (h), 1–0 (a)
Quarter-final	Republic of Ireland	5–1 (h), 2–0 (a)
Semi-final	Hungary	2–1 (aet) (neutral)

In the quarter-finals, Spain beat the Republic of Ireland 7-1 on aggregate over two  legs and then won the semi-final with an extra time goal from Amaro against the very talented Hungary, which later would be a bit "special" in the 1966 World Cup.

75,000 watched in the pouring rain at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium for the match they might have played four years previously. Spain went on to beat the Russians 2-1 to win their first European trophy. Jesus Maria Pereda, scored after six minutes to make it 1-0 but Khusainov equalised soon after and Spain hung on till the 83rd minute when Martinez headed a winner past the very famous Russian, keeper, Lev Yashin. Of course, Franco used the victory as a symbol of his Fascist Regime's superiority over Communism!

En route to the final, Spain defeated Romania, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland over two legged ties, before beating Hungary in the semi-finals. The Soviet Union received a bye in the qualifying round, before beating Italy, Sweden and Denmark en route to the final. Spain won the Final, 2–1 to earn their first European Championship title.

The Referee for the Final, played in front of an attendance of 79,115 spectators, was Arthur Holland from England. 

Below, Referee, Arthur Holland (1916 - 1987) looks on as West Ham United Football Club team captain Bobby Moore (1941 - 1993) and Nobby Lawton (1940 - 2006), team captain for Preston North End Football Club shake hands before the kick off of their FA Cup Final match on 2nd May 1964 at Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom. West Ham United won the game 3 - 2.

Referee	Arthur Holland
Born	26 November 1916 Barnsley
Died	March 1987 Barnsley He worked as a miner from 1935 and after his refereeing retirement as a publican, running The Paddy public house in Kendray, Barnsley.
International FIFA Referee 1959-64