17th August 1964
Liverpool won 5-0 away to KR Reykjavik in a European Cup Preliminary Round tie - nothing new then?? IT WAS Liverpool's first match in a European competition.
Those were the days before clubs chartered aircraft for away European ties and Liverpool's squad had a long-winded journey to Iceland. They flew from Liverpool to London, then from London to Prestwick in Scotland. Having a few hours to spare manager Bill Shankly put the players on a bus to show them the area he grew up in - and that included a visit to the Butlins holiday camp! And then more excitement with a flight from Prestwick to Iceland.
ON this day in 1996, David Beckham...remember him? at 21 years old, in his second full season with ManUtd... on the opening of the new Premiership League season, United were playing out time against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park (remember why The Dons played there?)... United, already two up and just before the final whistle, Neil Sullivan, The Dons' keeper...remember him? .....was casually off his line......and so Becks, about 40 yards away, with a swing of his trusty right boot, sent the ball towards the Dons' goal, over Sullivan's head, who was "back tracking", but to no avail, as he ended up in a heap, with the ball nestling into the back of the Wimbledon net! Final score 0-3.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raLRd9Z6SrQ
Beckham, arms spread wide, Sullivan sprawling!! Poor old Neil...what is often forgotten, is that United's Jordi Cruyff playing in his debut match, had tried exactly the same cheeky lob with Sullivan having gone "walkabout" ten minutes before! The two careers went in different directions BUT who knows what Cruyff might have achieved had that lob gone in??!!
FOR in the next game he was lobbed from another 40 yards by Newcastle Utd's David Batty......
| Full name | David Batty | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 2 December 1968 | ||
| Place of birth | Leeds, West Yorkshire, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||
| Position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1987 | Leeds United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1987–1993 | Leeds United | 211 | (4) |
| 1993–1996 | Blackburn Rovers | 54 | (1) |
| 1996–1998 | Newcastle United | 83 | (3) |
| 1998–2004 | Leeds United | 90 | (0) |
| Total | 438 | (8) | |
| International career | |||
| 1988–1989 | England U21 | 7 | (1) |
| 1989–1992 | England B | 5 | (0) |
| 1991–1999 | England | 42 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
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