ON THIS DAY

1904 121 years ago today, Bayer 04 Leverkusen was formed. The German club has won ONE domestic championship title. Also, they were the winner of UEFA Cup in 1987/88.

On this day in 1906, is the Foundation day of Sporting CP Lisboa. They were winners of Portugal football championship 20 times. Also the club won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1963/64.

On the 1st of July 1965, Dutch football club, Twent Enschede was formed.

AND Patrick Kluivert was born in 1976 in the Netherlands. He played 79 matches for the Netherlands and scored 40 international goals.

Another Dutch man, Ruud van Nistelrooy, was born on this day also. He made his debut for the Dutch national team in 1998 and earned 70 caps, scoring 35 goals. Most recently he has been manager of then Premier League club, Leicester City. Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation, Van Nistelrooy has been the top scorer in three UEFA Champions' League seasons, and is the sixth-highest goalscorer in the competition's history, with 56 goals. He has also been the top scorer in three European domestic leagues. In 2004, he was listed in the FIFA 100, of the world's greatest living players. 

The two Dutchmen were born about 50 miles apart.

In 1974 former Netherlands international, aptly named, Kick Smith, died on this day aged 62. He won 29 caps and scored 40 goals.

In 1976 on this day, it was the birthday of Hannu Tihinen, a Finnish international playing from 1999-2009, who won 76 caps and scored 5 goals for his country!!  

In 2001	he went on loan to West Ham United played	8 matches	(0 goals)

Birmingham City will be celebrating its 150th anniversary during the 2025-26 season, with the unveiling of their new home kit on July 3rd. 

To kick off their 150th Anniversary celebration this summer, Hibernian FC will be hosting German club Rot-Weiss Essen on July 9th, recreating the inaugural European Cup fixture from 1955!

1st July 2015 Some own goals are farcical and some are tragic and one of the tragic ones came on 1st July 2015 at the Women's World Cup Finals played in Canada. In the 92nd minute of the semi-final between England and Japan, England's Laura Bassett scored an own-goal which gave holders Japan a place in the final. To be fair though she had the courage (and skill) to make the interception and that ball could have gone anywhere - but sadly it went into the net.....