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.