United we stand or perhaps sit?

When Alex Ferguson was caught driving on the hard shoulder of the M602 in February 1999, his defence in court was perhaps a tad more embarrassing than if he had just taken a fine and penalty points - he had to get to the toilet! The Manchester United manager was suffering from acute gastroenteritis which caused severe diarrhoea and as his doctor explained in court when he was stuck in a traffic jam and had an urgent need to visit a toilet he had one of two choices - 'One is unthinkable and one is to take evasive action'. He added 'It's not easy for someone in his position to come into court and, with respect, explain his toilet difficulties on that day.' Very true, but it makes a great story. Bury Magistrates found him not guilty.

Sir Alex Ferguson has been found not guilty of illegally driving on a motorway hard shoulder after he told a court he was rushing to get to a lavatory. Magistrates agreed with the Manchester United manager's defence that it was an "emergency," and they cleared the 57-year-old.

Bury Magistrates Court had been told that Sir Alex was suffering from severe diarrhoea when the incident took place on 26th February on the M602, in Eccles, Greater Manchester. He said his symptoms had begun at home the previous day. He had been to see the club doctor, Mike Stone, the following morning at Old Trafford, and felt much better after taking Imodium tablets. But on his journey home, he was struck by stomach cramps and the urgent need to visit the lavatory. The M602 at Eccles was congested, he told the court and to avoid queuing, he drove his BMW onto the hard shoulder. He was followed by a police vehicle, stopped and cautioned. He told the court that he was too embarrassed to explain his predicament to the police officer. Sir Alex told the court.

"When I got into the snarl-up of traffic, I started to feel cramps again. I took another [Imodium] tablet. I stayed there for about four or five minutes. I then decided to try and get back to Old Trafford." Nicholas Freeman, defending, said: "Putting it bluntly, did you need to go to the toilet?" Sir Alex said: "That was very much the case. I had to go somewhere quickly." After giving his details to the police, Sir Alex returned to Old Trafford to use its facilities. "I was in a rush," he told the court. In a statement to the court, Dr Stone said: "I saw Sir Alex at 9am on 26 February when he complained of suffering from severe diarrhoea.

"I examined him and diagnosed acute gastroenteritis." Mr Freeman said, "his client had had two options while in the traffic jam. One is unthinkable and one is to take evasive action." "It's not easy for someone in his position to come into court and, with respect, explain his toilet difficulties on that day," he added.

Outside court Sir Alex signed autographs for fans before leaving in a chauffeur-driven car without making a comment. Though he looked as if he had "got away with it!!"

Later in 1999 one of Ferguson's players, David Beckham, won an appeal against an eight month driving ban after being found guilty of driving his Ferrari - sorry, as every proper journalist would say - driving his £150,000 Ferrari at 76mph in a 50 mph zone. He explained to the court that he was trying to escape a paparazzi photographer who had been chasing him for 10 miles. 'The man was leaning over taking photos. He was definitely not in control of the car and he nearly caused me to crash. I thought if I didn't put my foot down it would cause an accident' he explained in court. Those 'special circumstances' saw him escape the ban although his conviction for speeding stood. His lawyer was quick thinking!

26/01 BILL NICHOLSON/JOSE/FROZEN POOLS/LOW CROWD

Football On This Day - In 1919, Bill Nicholson was born-who's he?? How dare you!! A Yorkshireman,  he joined Spurs aged 16?? and served there for 40 years (around the World War 2!) as player, coach and famously as manager, seeing Spurs win the Double in 1960-1, as well as the European Cup Winners Cup in 1963-2...Spurs became the first British winner of a European trophy.

AND do you know Jose Mourinho?!!! Jose joined the World in Portugal on this day and later became translator for Sir Bobby Robson at Barcelona, then later managed Porto, winning the European Cup Winners' Cup. Jose then went to Chelsea winning their first League Trophy for 50 years but could not carry that through into Europe.

26th January 1963 The Football Pools were a far more important part of life in the 1960s than they are now and the postponements caused by the freezing winter weather from December 1962 caused havoc with the Pools in the 1962/63 season. After three Saturdays in succession when the coupons were declared void the 'Pools Panel' came into being. The first panel of experts consisted of four former players (Ted Drake, Tom Finney, Tommy Lawton and George Young) and a former ref (Arthur Ellis) and determined the results for four more Saturdays and became a regular feature in the winters to come.  

Context: Formed during the 1962/63 winter, which saw massive match cancellations. Members: The panel included famous former players, Tom Finney, Tommy Lawton, Ted Drake, and George Young, along with referee, Arthur Ellis. Non-Footballers: The original panel also included Captain Douglas Bader (RAF hero), Conservative MP Gerald Nabarro, and Lord Brabazon of Tara as Chairman. Initial Action: Their first meeting was held at the Connaught Rooms in London on January 26th 1963, declared seven draws, 23 home wins and eight away wins. Originally, the panel met only when 25 or more matches were postponed. From 1988, they began ruling on all postponed games. The panel eventually became a three-man group, including figures like Tony Green, Ian Callaghan, and David Sadler. 

26th January 1993 A Tuesday night in January is probably never going to be the easiest date to fill a football ground but on Tuesday 26th January 1993 one of those did-it-really-happen records was set. Just 3,039 turned up at Selhurst Park for the Premier League match between Wimbledon and Everton - the lowest ever Premier crowd.

ITS THAT TIME AGAIN! yep...it's the seagulls

The "Eric Cantona kick" refers to his infamous kung-fu style kick delivered to a Crystal Palace fan, Matthew Simmons, during a match at Selhurst Park on January 25, 1995, after being sent off for a foul on Richard Shaw; the incident led to Cantona's ban, a jail sentence (later community service), and his cryptic "seagull" press statement, forever marking his rebellious football persona. What Happened:

• The Match: Manchester United vs. Crystal Palace, January 25, 1995. Yep...11 years ago!!
• The Foul: Cantona was shown a red card for kicking Palace defender Richard Shaw.
• The Incident: As Cantona walked off, he confronted Matthew Simmons, a fan in the front row who was reportedly shouting abuse,  
  And then—like something out of a martial arts film—he launched himself into the stands, foot first....... A flying Kung Fu kick, followed by a flurry of punches. Pandemonium erupted. 
  Football had never seen anything like it. Fans, players, stewards—everyone was stunned. In that split-second, Cantona turned a red card incident into an international scandal.
• The match itself was tight and goalless, a simmering contest with tension bubbling under the surface. United were pushing, but Palace were proving stubborn. Cantona, known for his sublime skill and simmering temper, was already a focal point. Then came the turning point—Cantona was shown a red card for kicking out at Palace defender Richard Shaw. A typical flash of Cantona’s fiery temperament? Perhaps. But no one could have predicted what would happen next.
• Aftermath: Suspension & Jail: Manchester United suspended Cantona for the season, and he received a two-week jail sentence for assault, which was later overturned on appeal, replaced by 150 hours of community service. Matthew Simmons: The fan was later fined and banned for threatening behaviour, even assaulting a prosecutor in court. 
• Cantona's Statement: Cantona famously told reporters, "When seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea," before leaving!!! Significance: The kick solidified Cantona's image as a rebellious, passionate, and unpredictable football icon, often called "The King" by United's fans https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=758442633008312

Cantona married Isabelle Ferrer in 1987. They have two children together. They divorced in 2003. He married actress Rachida Brakni in 2007, below. They have two children together. Cantona's brother, Joel, is a former footballer who retired at a young age and went into acting. His cousin, Sacha Opinel, is a footballer.

THE PAPER MAN FOUND DEAD

Matthias Sindelar, "der Papierene", the Paper Man, was the cutting edge of the greatest international team in the World, in the 1930s: Austria's "Wunderteam". They announced themselves in 1931 May, before going on to  beat a highly regarded Scottish team 5-0, before going on to cut a swathe through Europe over the next year, beating arch-rivals, Germany 6-0 and 5-0; Switzerland 2-0 and 8-1, Hungary 8-2 after a 2-2 draw and Italy 2-1.

Sidelar was the star of the side, a wiry striker who score 27 goals in 43 matches. The 1934 World Cup came too late of the aptly named "Wunderteam", although pre-tournament friendlies recorded wins over Switzerland 3-2, Hungary 5-2 and Italy 4-2. At the World Cup, Austria made the Semi-finals but Sindelar was overpowered by Italian midfielder Luis Monti and they lost by a single goal. A bitter third place play off against Germany was lost, with defender Karl Sesta, showboating by sitting on the ball, only to be robbed of it and forced to watch in horror as the decisive goal flew into his net.

By the time the next World Cup came round, Austria had been "swallowed up" by the Anschluss and Sindelar had reportedly refused to play for the new "Greater Germany" team. Germany were eliminated in the first round by Switzerland, without being able to benefit from the talents of the Austrian star, who became the target of hate. 

But Matthias Sindelar was not forgotten: the funeral of the footballer who said no to Nazism drew 15,000 people and, since then, every 23 January, a tribute has been paid at his grave.                            His final game for Austria was against Germany in the infamous April 1938 "Alliance Game" in a 2-0 win, in which he scored the first and if some sources are to be believed, celebrated the other goal by dancing round the Nazi dignitaries watching the game! This was not reported in the Nazi paper, Volkischer Beobachter.               

Less than a year after the game, Sindelar was found dead, gassed in his flat alongside his girlfriend of ten days! Did the Nazis punish him for his defiance? Possibly, but neither he nor his companion was Jewish and his refusal to play for Germany, claiming an injury, which could have meant little anyway as he was 35 and essentially "finished" by then and the flats he lived in were known to have deffective chimneys. We shall never know! In the summer of 1938, he was hunted down and forced to go into hiding, especially as his partner was a Jewish Italian. They were both found suffocated to death on 23 January 1939: although there was never an official version, there were strong suspicions that the Gestapo had murdered them. Other theories suggest suicide. 

Germany was eliminated in the first round by Switzerland, without being able to benefit from the talents of the Austrian star, who became the target of hate. although there was never an official version, there were strong suspicions that the Gestapo had murdered them. Other theories suggest suicide. But Matthias Sindelar was not forgotten: the funeral of the footballer who said "no" to Nazism drew 15,000 people and, since then, every 23rd January, a tribute has been paid at his grave.

BACK TO SQUARE ONE

George Allison (below) is remembered for managing Arsenal to two League Championships (known then as the First Division) and an FA Cup in the 1930s. 
He began his career as a journalist, initially joining Arsenal as the editor of the club's matchday programme before becoming a club director. It was in the media rather than management that Allison made his mark, however and in 1927 he became one of the first ever sports' commentators. 

The BBC had just become a public corporation, at the beginning of the year and with their Royal Charter, the club had the right to cover major sporting events. Allison became aware of the opportunity to commentate as the BBC (in its infancy!) use planned to use Highbury, only a couple of miles away from their Alexander Palace Headquarters-the venue of its first historic trial broadcast. Allison, however, did not have the honour of getting behind the "mike" to deliver the first ever commentary. The former Harlequins rugby player, Henry "Teddy" Wakeham, had that privilege!

To accompany the broadcast, that week's Radio Times, along with other newspapers, printed a plan of the pitch divided into 8 numbered squares (example below) and Wakeham described the action, joined by C.A.Lewis, whose job was the call out the pitch numbers where the ball "happened" to be! This system, devised by ground breaking BBC producer, Lance Sieveking, is believed to be the origin of the phrase, "back to square one"! http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/1760579.stm     should tell you more about Lance.

The match commentary was only heard by a select few people in the London region, as was the first FA Cup commentary, delivered a week later between Corinthians (the famed "amateur club") and Newcastle United.  But that season's FA Cup Final was delivered to the entire nation and by then George Allison  was behind the mic, presumably reporting through gritted teeth, as Arsenal were shocked by the underdogs, Cardiff City. Look it up!

JANUARY 19th PLENTY OF GOALS

19th January 1933: In their second Football League season, Mansfield Town suffered what is still their record League defeat on Thursday 19th January 1933, when losing 1-8 at Walsall in a Third Division (North) encounter. Amazingly just a few matches earlier - on Tuesday 27th December 1932 - they beat Rotherham 9-2 at Field Mill, to record what is still their record League victory. A month between a club recording their long-standing record League win and record League defeat is very much unique! I have to say though, Mansfield had some amazing results in 1932/33 with the sequence of League results around those two matches being very strange : 

11 matches: 3-6, 0-3, 9-2, 2-5, 0-6, 2-1, 1-8, 1-3, 2-0, 0-7, 2-5. (F22 A46) You were never going to get bored watching them were you! In 1933, Mansfield Town FC was in its second Football League season (1932-33), becoming the first club to offer installment payments for season tickets, in the Summer 1933; the following 1933-34 season saw the club have a 17th-place finish and a manager change from Jack Hickling to Harry Martin in December 1933.

• FA Cup (1933-34): Lost in the first round replay to New Brighton.
• Players: Notable players included centre-half Leslie Butler, who joined in 1932 and played two seasons, and goalscorer, Harry Johnson.
• In essence, 1933 was a year of mixed results, record-setting highs and lows, and pioneering financial initiatives for Mansfield Town as they established themselves in the Football League's northern section.  
  

On This Same Day - 19th January but in 1952, Oldham Athletic beat Chester 11-2 at Boundary Park in a Football League Division 3 (North) match, Eric Gemmell scoring seven of them, which remains a club scoring record. Amazingly though Oldham weren't good enough to win promotion that season and Chester weren't bad enough to have to seek re-election. Just two run-of-the-mill teams, sharing 13 goals - those were the days!

LAZIO-WRONG SHOTS, NO JEWELS

The Italian, Lazio club in the 1970s, had a notorious bunch of players and at a post-match banquet in Rome, on this day in 1977, following a Fairs Cup tie against Arsenal, a brawl broke out between the teams when the Gunners' players took offence to leather purses gifted to them by their Lazio  opposite numbers! 

Three years later, after being knocked out of the UEFA Cup by Ipswich Town, Lazio players threw punches and any objects that they could lay their hands on, at Bobby Robson's players, before chasing them down the corridor to the changing rooms. The Ipswich players barricaded themselves into the changing rooms for over an hour before being made safe to exit and leave the stadium.

This debacle led to Lazio being banned from the European matches for three years, which proved costly. After landing the Scudetto at the end of the 1973/4 season, they deservably, were unable to compete in the European Cup and then after this set back, a tragic event followed a year later, as title-winning coach Tomasso Maestrelli, was diagnosed with stomach cancer and in 1976 caused his death.

Following that, a self-inflicted and tragic set back occurred when Luciano Re Cecconi, the club's midfield star went into a Rome jewellery shop with Pietro Ghedin and decided to play a practical joke as they entered, with haces covered, shouting "Stop, this is a robbery!!" 

Ghedin were unaware that Giuliano Tabochini's shop had been robbed just a few weeks earlier and Tabochini was prepared for another potential break-in. This was the last sentence Ghedin was able to utter, as the shop owner, standing with his back to the entry door, spun round and used his gun to shoot Cecconi..."It's a joke, it's a joke," gasped Re Cecconi, as he slumped to the floor and within half an hour he was dead, along with the Lazio dream, gone with him! He pulled out a shotgun, and Ghedin quickly raised his hands in an attempt to calm him down. However, Re Cecconi failed to realize the danger and continued with the prank. Tabochini opened fire and shot Re Cecconi in the chest. Re Cecconi was rushed to the hospital, but he died about 30 minutes later.

Re Cecconi died aged 28 and left behind his wife and two children. As he lay on the floor dying, it is believed his last words were: "It's a joke! It's just a joke!"

Tabochini wasn’t a sports fan, nor did he often buy a newspaper, so he didn’t recognise Ghedin’s face or those rare luscious blonde locks of Re Cecconi. He also, crucially in this story, was robbed ten nights prior on January 8th 1977. Understandably concerned, paranoid and jumpy, the jeweller began keeping a firearm behind his counter for self defense.

ON THIS DAY KEVIN RESIGNS

8th January 1997

Such is the turnover of managers, it is rarely a shock when a manager leaves a club but there was widespread and genuine shock on Tyneside when Kevin Keegan resigned as Newcastle United manager on this day in 1997. Former Newcastle player Keegan had taken up his first managerial post at St James’ Park in 1992 when the club was in great danger of suffering relegation to the third tier. But at the start of 1997 his Newcastle side were fourth in the Premier League, had just beaten Tottenham 7-1 in the League and had recorded a 5-0 victory over Manchester United earlier in the season. In their playing ranks they had Alan Shearer who Newcastle had bought six months earlier for a world record £15m fee, and he was scoring regularly. The club and their fans were on a high but Kevin Keegan believed he had taken the club as far as he could, and so resigned.

Former player & manager, Kevin Keegan will undergo treatment after being diagnosed with cancer having been admitted to hospital for further evaluation of ongoing abdominal symptoms.

King Kev. We're with you every step of the way. Hoping for a full and speedy recovery.

Joseph Kevin Keegan OBE, is an English former footballer and manager. Nicknamed "King Kev" or "Mighty Mouse", Keegan was recognised for his dribbling ability, as well as his finishing and presence in the air, and is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. 

Born: 14 February 1951 (age 74 years), Armthorpe Doncaster, Kevin Keegan made his professional debut for nearby Scunthorpe in 1968, aged 17. The skilful forward caught the eye of Liverpool’s Bill Shankly and made the move to Anfield in 1971. At Liverpool, Keegan won three Division One Championships, two UEFA Cups, one FA Cup and the European Cup.

After 323 appearances and 100 goals, Keegan left Liverpool in 1977 to join Hamburg SV in West Germany, where he became the highest paid player in the country. Here, the 5ft 8in superstar earned the nickname Mighty Mouse and won European Footballer of the Year twice.

Keegan left for Southampton in the summer of 1980 and in 1982, he was awarded PFA Player of the Year and the OBE for services to Association Football. In 1982 he surprised and delighted fans by signing for Newcastle United where he helped get them promoted to the top flight in 1984. Keegan retired from playing that same year. His final appearance for Newcastle came in a friendly against Liverpool where he left the ground in a helicopter, still dressed in his kit. 

Keegan won a total of 63 England caps, scoring 21 goals and captaining the side 31 times.

In 1992, Keegan took his first managerial role at Newcastle United where he achieved promotion to the Premier League in 1993. He briefly managed Fulham before becoming England manager in 1999. Keegan was manager of Manchester City between 2001 and 2005 and returned for a short spell as Newcastle United manager in 2008. Principle English Clubs: Scunthorpe United, Liverpool, Southampton, Newcastle United Caps: 63 (21 goals) Honours: 1 European Cup, 2 UEFA Cups, 3 Division One Championships, 1 FA Cup. Inducted Football Hall of Fame: 2002

FOUR JANUARY 6ths

 6th January 1954: Bill Shankly took another step on his managerial path to Liverpool when he was appointed boss of Workington, then in Division 3 North of the Football League. Life was very different at Borough Park than he would later find at Anfield. At Workington he was expected to do his share of answering the phone and doing the banking but his biggest shock came on his first day at the club when he discovered there was no electricity at the Workington ground. In those pre-internet, pre-floodlight days all the lighting and heating at Borough Park was gas-powered! Bill Shankly managed Workington Town (now AFC) from January 1954 to November 1955, transforming the struggling Third Division North club by instilling discipline, handling admin duties himself (even the payroll!), and leading them to safety and a respectable 8th-place finish, boosting attendances before moving to Huddersfield and then Liverpool, leaving a lasting positive impact on the Cumbrian club. 

6th January 1974: A war in the Middle East causing a three-day working week in this country led to the first senior Sunday matches being played in England. Four FA Cup Third Round ties were played on Sunday 6th January 1974, the first that kicked off was between Cambridge United and Oldham Athletic. Two weeks later Football League matches were played for the first time on a Sunday and football on the Sabbath was here to stay. 

6th January 1975:

A home League defeat to Notts County over the Christmas period saw Nottingham Forest sack their manager Allan Brown and on 6th January 1975 they appointed his successor....Brian Clough. After his failures at Brighton and Leeds, few would have expected great things at the City Ground but he turned a mid-table Second Division side into League champions in 1978 and European Cup winners in 1979 and 1980. Amazing or what! 

6th January 1990: A memorable day for Cardiff City. Their FA Cup Third Round tie against Queens Park Rangers saw them bank record club receipts for a match at their former Ninian Park home - £50,517.75. Well, they would have banked it on Monday but sadly for Cardiff's bank balance, thieves broke into the safe over the weekend and pinched the lot!

POOL, CUP, DONNY, DRAW, REPLAY, WOODWORK, WIN...TROPHY AND.....

Liverpool 1974? Quite a good club then? but on this day (Jan 5th) in an FA Cup Third Round tie, "Pool" had a scare, when Doncaster Rovers from the Football League Third Division, held "Pool" to a 2-2 draw. Over 22,000 watched Kevin Keegan score both Pool's goals against his home town team and Donny nearly score a winner in the final minutes when they hit to woodwork and then lost the replay at theirs. Liverpool needless to say, won the replay 2-0 and continued their success in the Cup winning the Final.

Liverpool Starting lineup:

Ray ClemenceGoalkeeper

Larry LloydDefender

Phil ThompsonDefender

Emlyn HughesDefender/Midfielder

Alec LindsayDefender/Left back

Ian CallaghanMidfielder

Peter CormackMidfielder

Brian HallMidfielder

Steve HeighwayMidfielder

Kevin KeeganForward

Alan WaddleForward

Kevin Keegan resigned from his managership at Newcastle on this day in 1997. He had been lured back to Newcastle from the Spanish golf courses in 1992 to help the Magpies save themselves from relegation to the Third Division. Kevin got the club promotion and nearly took the club to the brink of the Premier League title in 1995/6, then decided to leave St James' Park, not for the first time!

First meeting of two clubs:11 Mar 1905 Division 2: Doncaster Rovers v Liverpool Score: 1-4.

REED "SLOTS" TO UPSET SLOTT

https://x.com/TheAthleticFC/status/2007863938717991179?s=20 

Today, Harrison Reed scored for Fulham with an absolute pile driver to snatch a point from Liverpool in the Premier League. A delayed 15 minute kick off, due to a "medical emergency" at Craven Cottage, left the result from Craven Cottage hanging, while many clubs had already met their "fate". Liverpool had 58% of possession and 10 shots on goal against Fulham's 8. Liverpool had 559 passes to Fulham's 380...so Reed's crucial pass into the Liverpool goal came as a special New Year's present!

With a "depleted squad" due to injuries, Arne Slott made eight of his outfield starters play the full 90 minutes and he did not put a lot of trust into his "reserves".

On 8 August 2019, Reed was loaned out to Fulham for the 2019–20 season, and helped the team to promotion from the Championship. He made his debut in a 2–0 win against his former side Blackburn Rovers on 10 August 2019.

On 30 August 2020, Reed joined Fulham on a permanent basis for an undisclosed fee until the summer of 2024, with an option to extend by a further year. The transfer fee was reported to be £6million. On 16 September 2022, Reed scored his first goal for Fulham in a 3–2 victory over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. This was Fulham's first away victory of the season.

On 4 January 2026, Reed scored his first goal since April 2023, scoring a long-distance injury time goal at home against Liverpool; equalising the game 2-2.

Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2013–2020	Southampton	17	(0)
2017–2018	→ Norwich City (loan)	39	(1)
2018–2019	→ Blackburn Rovers (loan)	33	(3)
2019–2020	→ Fulham (loan)	25	(0)
2020–	Fulham	148	(4)
International career
2014	England U19	3	(0)
2014–2015	England U20	13	(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17:05, 22 November 2025 (UTC)