WAYNE, TWO ARGIES AND MILNER

On the final day of August, the transfer "window" shuts and the day is always a frantic one for football clubs to finalise their player deals. The administrators go into "melt down", as they try to secure last minute "big-name" transfers. In 2004, on this day, Wayne Rooney made a mockery of the "Once a Blue, always a Blue" T-shirt, that he showed off to the footballing World at Goodison Park, 'Once a Blue, always a Blue'. Wayne Rooney's infamous t-shirt was supposed to declare his love for Everton but later fuelled the feeling of betrayal felt by some Everton supporters after his transfer to Manchester United. The boos rang out as loud as ever when "Rooney and co." took on Everton at Goodison Park. On 50 minutes, with Everton 2–0 up, it seemed the home fans would have the last laugh. However, United fought back and levelled before Rooney tapped in at the far post with 11 minutes to go – and promptly kissed the badge of his United shirt!!!

He became a RED, signing for Manchester United! recently the head coach of EFL Championship club Plymouth Argyle. Widely considered one of the best players of his generation and one of the greatest British players of all time, Rooney is Manchester United's  all time goalscorer with 253 goals and was the record goalscorer for the England team from 2015 to 2023. He ranks second for the all-time English top goalscorers in the UEFA Champions (34). He has also made more appearances for England than any other outfield player.

Just to add to this "historic footballing transfer" on this day, Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano arrived at West Ham in 2006. There two Argentinan "stars" had been courted by some of Europe's biggest clubs, but had left Corinthians for the Boleyn Ground in mysterious circumstances.This led to one of football's most tiresome legal battles, as questions were raised over the third-party ownership of the "pair", boring the "pants of everyone".

Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano were two of the hottest prospects in football after the 2006 World Cup. The two players had been a part of the Argentina squad that had progressed to the quarter-finals in Germany. They would inevitably make their move from Corinthians to one of the big boys in Europe, but which would it be? Barcelona? Real Madrid? Juventus? No, West Ham!!AND TODAY......

The Top 20 Oldest Premier League Scorers INCLUDING JAMES MILNER

1. Teddy Sheringham (West Ham vs Portsmouth, 26 December 2006) – 40 years, 268 days old
2. James Milner (BELOW) (Brighton vs Manchester City, 31 August 2025) 39 years, 239 days
3. Dean Windass (Hull City vs Portsmouth, 22 November 2008) – 39 years, 235 days old
4. Thiago Silva (Chelsea vs Sheffield United, 7 April 2024) – 39 years, 198 days old
5. Ashley Young (Everton vs Wolves, 4 December 2024) – 39 years, 148 days old
6. Ryan Giggs (Man Utd vs Queens Park Rangers, 23 February 2013) – 39 years, 86 days old
7. Stuart Pearce (West Ham vs Southampton, 25 November 2000) – 38 years, 215 days old
8. Graham Alexander (Burnley vs Hull City, 10 April 2010) – 38 years 182 days old
9. Mark Hughes (Blackburn Rovers vs Leicester City, 30 March 2002) – 38 years, 149 days old
10. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City vs Ipswich Town, 18 May 2025) – 38 years, 127 days old
11. Tugay (Blackburn Rovers vs Portsmouth, 30 November 2008) – 38 years, 98 days old
12. Mick Harford (Wimbledon vs West Ham, 18 March 1997) – 38 years, 34 days old
13. Gary Speed (Bolton Wanderers vs Reading, 25 August 2007) – 37 years, 351 days old
14. Peter Schmeichel (Aston Villa vs Everton, 20 October 1999) – 37 years, 336 days old
15. Paul Scholes (Man Utd vs Wigan Athletic, 15 September 2012) – 37 years, 304 days old
16. Les Ferdinand (Bolton Wanderers vs Man Utd, 11 September 2004) – 37 years, 278 days old
17. Kevin Phillips (Birmingham City vs Bolton Wanderers, 27 March 2011) – 37 years, 251 days old
18. Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd vs Everton, 9 October 2022) – 37 years, 246 days old
19. Gudni Bergsson (Bolton Wanderers vs Everton, 28 January 2003) – 37 years, 191 days old
20. John Wark (Ipswich Town vs Blackburn Rovers, 28 January 1995) – 37 years, 177 days old
    
    
    

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IT WOULD BE "RUUD" NOT TO!

Ruud Gullit mad one of his most foolish decisions on this day when as Newcastle United Manager in 1999 when he decided to leave Alan Shearer on the bench for the Magpies' home fixture against local rivals Sunderland. Newcastle United was not enjoying a good start to the 1999-20 season and they went down "again" 1-2 to The Mackens. Realising that he was losing popularity with the home crowd, he was sensible enough to "quit" three days later. Bright boy!

Gullit was born as Rudi Dil, in Amsterdam to George Gullit, a Surinamese, who arrived in the Netherlands with Herman Rijkaard (father of Frank Rijkaard), and Dutch mistress Ria Dil, from Amsterdam. The Gullit family lived in one split level room on the top floor of a small apartment building. Gullit's father worked as an economics teacher at a local school, his mother as a custodian at the Rijksmuseum.

Gullit developed his football skills in the confines of the Rozendwarsstraat, and street football was instrumental in his formative years. Gullit's first team were the Meerboys, where he joined as a junior in 1970. At the age of ten, however, Gullit moved from the Jordaan to Amsterdam Old West where he played street football alongside Frank Rijkaard. Gullit joined the DWS club after his move, and came to the attention of the Dutch Youth team, where he played alongside future full international teammates, Erwin Koeman, Ronald Koeman and Wim Kieft.

It was during his time at DWS that Gullit first took to using his father's surname, rather than his registered surname (from his mother), as he thought Gullit sounded more like a football player.

In 1995, as a player, he signed for Chelsea and a year later was appointed the club's player-manager. In his debut season, he led Chelsea to FA Cup success, the club's first major title for 26 years, and in doing so became the first overseas manager to win the FA Cup. Gullit captained the Dutch National team that was victorious at the UEFA Euro Cup 1988 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup and at Euro 1992.

Gullit won the Ballon d'Or in 1987 and was named the World Soccer Player of the Year in 1987 and 1989. In 2004, he was named one of the Top 125 Greatest Living Footballers as part of FIFA 100th Year Anniversary.

In the summer of 1996, when Glenn Hoddle left Chelsea to become manager of the England, Gullit was appointed as a player-manager becoming the first Dutch manager in the Premier League. Gullit made a promising start to his managerial career when in the first season as a player-manager he guided Chelsea to an FA Cup triumph in 1997, the club's first major trophy in 26 years. In doing so he became the first manager from outside the British Isles and the first Black Manager to win a major British football trophy. The club also finished at a creditable sixth place in the Premiership.

The following season, with Chelsea in second place in the Premiership and proceeding to the quarter-finals in two cup competitions, he was sacked, allegedly for a disagreement with the club's board over compensation, though Gullit himself disputed this.

Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1979–1982	HFC Haarlem	91	(32)
1982–1985	Feyenoord	85	(30)
1985–1987	PSV	68	(46)
1987–1994	AC Milan	125	(38)
1993–1994	→ Sampdoria (loan)	31	(15)
1994–1995	Sampdoria	22	(9)
1995–1998	Chelsea	48	(4)
Total		470	(174)
International career
1979	Netherlands U-21	4	(1)
1981–1994	Netherlands	66	(17)
Managerial career
1996–1998	Chelsea
1998–1999	Newcastle United
2004–2005	Feyenoord
2007–2008	LA Galaxy
2011	Terek Grozny*

*Republican Football Club Akhmat commonly known as Akhmat Grozny, and formerly as Terek Grozny from 1958 to 2017, is a Russian professional football club based in Grozny that plays in the Russian Premier League.

AND FINALLY....Gullit was married to Yvonne de Vries from 1984 to 1991, with whom he had two daughters. 

From 1994 to 2000 he was married to Italian, Christina Pensa, with whom he also had two children. 

From 2000 to 2012 he was married to Estelle Cruyff, a niece of Johan Cruyff. He also had two children with her. Their son Maxim played professional football and had a contract with SC Camburr, a Dutch club from Leeuwarden.

 

TOUGHER THATCHER?

Remember Ben Thatcher? The Manchester City player tried hard to take the "Crown" from Margaret Thatcher as the "Toughest Thatcher in Town"! when on this date in 2006, he threw his "iron" elbow at Portsmouth midfielder Pedro Mendes, leaving him out cold and in need of Oxygen treatment and then hospital. After the Welsh international was only given a "yellow card" for this blatant attack on Mendes, Pompey manager, Harry Redknapp pondered, "What do you need to do to get a Red Card? Kill somebody?" The FA typically, did see sense in the end and gave Harry an eight (yes 8) match ban! 

The details were; Whilst challenging with Pedro Mendes for a loose ball, Thatcher viciously, led with his elbow, knocking Mendes into the advertising hoardings, rendering him unconscious. Mendes required oxygen at pitchside and suffered a seizure while being transferred to hospital, where he spent the night. Mendes was discharged from hospital the next day, but remained under medical supervision. 

Thatcher was not sent off by referee Dermot Gallagher, but given just a yellow card. He was investigated by the FA as a result of the challenge and disciplined. His barrister, Rupert Bowers KC, read a written apology following the hearing. Greater Manchester Police noted receipt of many "statements of complaint" and also chose to investigate the matter. 

On 30 August, Manchester City announced that Thatcher would be banned for six matches, two of which would be suspended, and fined six weeks' wages for the challenge. This punishment is separate from the sanctions made by the FA, who suspended Thatcher for eight matches, with a further fifteen game suspended ban for two years. Mendes shook hands with Thatcher pre-match when they next faced one another in January 2007, despite claiming beforehand that he would not do so. Thatcher also faced possible action from Lancashire over a clash with ex-Blackburn Rovers player Ralph Welch during a reserve game at Ewood Park in February 2006.

Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1992–1996	Millwall	90	(1)
1996–2000	Wimbledon	86	(0)
2000–2003	Tottenham Hotspur	36	(0)
2003–2004	Leicester City	29	(1)
2004–2007	Manchester City	47	(0)
2007–2008	Charlton Athletic	22	(0)
2008–2010	Ipswich Town	20	(0)
Total		330	(2)
International career
1995–1997	England U21	4	(0)
2004–2005	Wales	7	(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

MOTD E1 22.8.1964

Match of the Day Season 1 Episode 1 The first regular football programme on television, Match of the Day, began on August 22 1964, at the start of the 1964-65 season. The identity of the match – Liverpool v Arsenal - was kept secret until 4.00pm, by agreement with the Football League, who feared crowds would stay at home to watch it.Match of the Day is one of the BBC's longest-running shows, having been on air since 22 August 1964. In 2015, Guiness World Record recognised it "as the longest-running football television programme in the world." Analysis is provided by Danny Murphy, Micah Richards and Alan Shearer, among others. Former England international striker Gary Lineker was the series' longest-serving presenter (1999—2025). Since the 2004-5 Season, a second programme, Match of the Day 2, has usually aired on the following Sunday and features highlights of all the day's games, whilst showing the goals from the previous days' action. The show's theme tune was voted the most recognised television theme in a 2010 poll conducted by the PRS.

Although the title was first used by the BBC for its Tennis highlights highlights programme in June 1964, the first football-related edition of Match of the Day was screened on BBC2 on 22 August 1964, and showed highlights of a game between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield. The programme's audience was estimated at only 20,000, less than half of the attendance at the ground.

Match of the Day was not universally welcomed in the football world; in 1965 several clubs attempted to block a renewed deal with the BBC in fear of a drop in gate attendances at matches. Eventually, a compromise was reached where the BBC agreed not to reveal which match was to be shown until after the day's play had concluded. Following the success of the England team at the 1966 FIFA World Cup the programme was moved from BBC2 to BBC1 for the start of the 1966–1967 season. The first colour edition was shown on 2 November 1968, when the programme moved back to BBC2 for one week, and a game between Chelsea and Manchester City was featured (BBC 2 was transmitted on 625 lines capable of showing colour). Two other First Division games from the 1968-69 season were also broadcast on BBC2 in colour. The first colour edition of Match of the Day on BBC1 was shown on 15 November 1969, where it featured a game between Liverpool; and West Ham United.

Bryan Cowgill (27 May 1927 – 14 July 2008) was a British TV executive. He was Head of Sport for BBC Television from 1963 to 1973, Controller of BBC 1 from 1973 to 1977, and Managing Director of Thames Television from 1977 to 1985. Born in Clitheror, Lancashire, Cowgill attended Clitheroe Royal GS. After leaving school he became a copy boy with the Lancashire Evening Post, where his father was a printer. In 1943, he joined the Royal Marines, and during the next four years he saw service in Southeast Asia.

In 1958, Cowgill devised the Saturday afternoon sports showcase Grandstand, which was an immediate success and ran for nearly half a century. In 1963, he was promoted to Head of Sport. In this capacity, he introduced the football highlights programme Match of the Day in 1964. During his tenure the BBC covered an increasing number of ambitious sporting events, including organising extensive coverage as host broadcaster of the 1966 World Cup and showing coverage live by satellite from Mexico of both the 1968 Summer Olympics and 1970 World Cup.

In 1973, after a decade in charge of the sports department of BBC TV, Cowgill was promoted to Controller of BBC1, the corporation's premier television network.

In 1977, Cowgill accepted an offer to leave the BBC after over twenty years to join Thames televsion as Managing Director. In 1984, Cowgill, in a foretaste of changes to come within the industry, successfully resisted demands by the ACTT union for additional payments to use new technology, by maintaining a reduced service while the other ITV contractors met demands for a 20% rise in pay.

During Cowgill's tenure at Thames he tried to acquire the popular 1980s soap opera "Dallas", which had previously been associated with the BBC, abandoning a gentleman's agreement not to poach purchased programming. Other ITV companies refused to show Dallas if Thames retained it, and this led to Cowgill's resignation in 1985 at the age of 58.

Towards the end of his life, Cowgill argued for the abolition of the TV Licence that finances the BBC, asking "in the context of more than 200 channels how can little green vans going up and down the country saying effectively: 'What are you watching and have you got a licence to watch it?' survive?" Cowgill's autobiography, Mr Action Replay, was published in 2006.

FIRST SUB

 It's the anniversary "season" of the first use of a substitute in THE Football League. The 21st August 1965 (ok a day late), was when Keith Peacock of Charlton Athletic, playing in one of his 532 appearances from 1959-62, was used as a sub in the Second Division of the Football League. He came on to replace his goalkeeper, Mike Rose, after 11 minutes at Bolton Wanderers. Another claim to fame for Keith, is in May 1963, when he scored in the 2-1 last day of season victory at Walsall, that kept Charlton in the second tier and relegated Walsall. 

From 1979, Keith played for Columbus Magic of the ASL, before joining his old friend Gordon Jago, as his assistant manager and player, at the Tampa Bay Rowdie in the NASL until 1982. Peacock's last appearance as a player for the Rowdies was during the 1980-1 indoor season. He later went on to manage at Tampa BR, Gillingham, Maidstone and Charlton as a caretaker manager in 2011. 

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. 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."On 7 November 1885,

Local firm, Lockwood Brothers from Sheffield, used a substitute in an FA Cup First Round replay against Notts Rangers, after F. Brears suffered a broken leg.

The first use of a substitute in international football was on 15 April 1889, in the match between Wales and Scotland at Wrexham Wales's original goalkeeper, Jim Trainer, failed to arrive; local amateur player, Alf Pugh, started the match and played for some 20 minutes until the arrival of Sam Gillam, who took over from him. The first time this happened in international football.

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. A substitution apparently.

In 1940, in a match between Mandatory Palestine and Lebanon, Mandatory's centre-half Zvi Fuchs was replaced at half-time by Lonia Dvorin following an injury. 

During the World Cup qualifications for the 1954 finals, on the 11th October 1953, Horst Eckel of Germany was used as a substitute in a match against Saarland (a region in central Europe). (Germans quite handy with subs you know).He was the last surviving player of the 1954 World Cup Final. Died 3/12/2021

By 1965-6 one sub was allowed in Association Football, but only for injury and in 1967-8 the law changed to one tactical sub. During the 1970 World Cup tournament subs were allowed in the finals. The FIRST substitute in World Cup finals was Soviet player, Anatoly Puzach, who replaced Serebrannikov in the 1970 opening match against Mexico on 31 May 1970.

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. AND MOST RECENTLY

The English Football League has followed the Premier League's lead in re-introducing the five substitutes rule as of the 2022-23 campaign meaning clubs have more freedom to make changes within games.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/when-saturday-comes-blog/2015/sep/18/fifty-years-substitutions-football-sport