POOLS AND AN "EMPTY" STADIUM

 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 harsher winters to come. In their first Saturday of deliberations, January 26th 1963, the chairman of the Panel, Lord Brabazon, declared seven draws, 23 home wins and eight away wins. Below the named members of the panel.....

and in 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. 

DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE POOLS? 

Try. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_pools

Competition from the National Lottery led to a rapid fall-off in players, from a peak of 10 million in 1994 to 700,000 in 2007. Vernons closed its pools operation in February 1998, and ran a lucky-dip game called Easy Play with the National Lottery during the 1998–99 football season. It resumed its traditional business afterwards.

In 2000, Littlewoods Pools was sold for £161 million. The company became part of Littlewoods Gaming, a division of Sportech. Sportech bought Zetters in 2002 and Vernons (which had previously been acquired by betting company Ladbrokes in 1989) in 2007, and announced plans to rebrand the competition as The New Football Pools, launching online at footballpools.com during summer 2008. The competition became known as The Football Pools and provided classic football pools games alongside other pools variants, with coupons containing a smaller number of football matches. Sportech sold the business to private equity firm OpCapita in 2017.

The Littlewoods Football Pools Collection, which records the history of the pools, is held by the National Football Museum, Manchester.

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JANUARY 25th Sinclair, Simmons, Watkins and Eric...oh and Shaw!

On this day in 1997, Trevor Sinclair produced a moment of brilliance which if any super star pulled this off, they would be chuffed. This was a 35 yard overhead kick for Queen's Park Rangers in an FA Cup tie art Loftus Road against.....you guessed it....Barnsley. The strike was good enough to be made Match of the Day's Goal of the season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MomkYgXPudw 

On the same day two years earlier, Eric Cantona produced another great kick when he launched TWO feet first at a Crystal Palace fan (near the edge of the pitch-see below), Matthew Simmons, whom Cantona claimed had been racially abusing him! As a result, Cantona was banned for 9 months, stripped of his French national captaincy, and initially sentenced to two weeks in prison! This was later reduced to 120 hours community service, which we didn't see much of! Eric then came out with this famous speech; "When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea"...!!!!  Any idea?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbwV5XX6phU  so below......

It was revealed to be the Frenchman’s assessment of the media pack (seagulls) following him around on the hunt for a story. According to Maurice Watkins - who sat next to Cantona during the press conference - the Frenchman knew what he was going to say all along. Maurice Watkins was the United Solicitor during Cantona's trial in 1995. Watkins also helped Cantona write his famous "seagulls and trawlers" speech. 

Maverick: Cantona took the Premier League by storm

'

The whole case had been so big I felt Eric had to say something,' said Watkins, at the time a United director and their legal advisor. 'We started to draft a speech on a piece of paper and he asked what the boat was that catches fish. Then he asked what the birds were that fly over the sea. "Eric went on writing then showed me what he wanted to say."  "Everyone thinks because of the expression on my face that I didn’t know what he was going to say. But I did and I often wonder what happened to that piece of paper." Cantona’s words brought some kind of closure to one of the most infamous chapters in football history. Sent off for a challenge on Palace defender Richard Shaw in January 1995, Cantona was making his way to the dressing rooms in the corner of Selhurst Park when he heard Simmons shout at him. Cantona launched himself at the supporter with a kung-fu kick, before following up with a couple of well-aimed punches.'

Sardines contain healthy nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, calcium and minerals. But they’re also high in salt and calories and have uric acid that isn’t good for people with kidney problems or gout. Here's a hat trick....

FORLAN AND NOT FORGOTTEN

On this day in 2002, Sir Alex Ferguson made one of his great "gaffes", when he signed Diego Forlan, the Uruguayan forward for £7.5 million. Despite being placed in the United first team immediately, United had to wait for 8 months, before his first goal, and a penalty to boot! He is best remembered for taking his shirt off, following scoring and running round the pitch unable to get the shirt back on. Forlan moved to Villarreal after 63 league games and 10 goals.

He made his debut on 29 January as a 76th-minute substitute for Ole Gunnar Solskjær in a 4–0 away win at Bolton Wanderers. He made his first start in 4–0 home victory over Tottenham Hotspur on 6 March. Forlán made 13 Premier League and five UEFA Champions League appearances in the 2001–02 season but did not score.

On 18 September 2002, Forlán came on as a 56th-minute substitute for Ryan Giggs in a Champions League  match versus Maccabi Haifa. He scored his first United goal as an 89th-minute penalty in the 5–2 win. His first Premier League goal was a 77th-minute equaliser in a home 1–1 draw against Aston Villa on 26 October. In Forlán's next Premier League game, at home to Southampton on 2 November, he came on as a 79th-minute substitute for United's goalscorer Phil Nevill with the score at 1–1, and scored the winner with a dipping shot over Southampton goalkeeper Antti Niemi in the 85th minute. The goal also became notable due to his goal celebration, where he ripped off his jersey, but then struggled to put it back on as the game recommenced, with Forlan making a blocked tackle while shirtless!!!

Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1997–2002	Independiente	80	(37)
2002–2004	Manchester United	63	(10)
2004–2007	Villarreal	106	(54)
2007–2011	Atlético Madrid	134	(74)
2011–2012	Inter Milan	18	(2)
2012–2014	Internacional	34	(10)
2014–2015	Cerezo Osaka	42	(17)
2015–2016	Peñarol	30	(8)
2016	Mumbai City	11	(5)
2018	Kitchee	7	(5)
Total		525	(222)
International career
1999	Uruguay U20
2002–2014	Uruguay	112	(36)
Managerial career
2020	Peñarol
2021	Atenas

DEAN/SAMSON/WEAH

Dixie Dean born 22nd January 1907: died on March 1st 1980.

https://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.com/2017/05/hair-grooming.html

Kenny Samson was interviewed by Jeremy Kyle on 22nd Jan 2016 about his alcoholism. He fell on hard times once he stopped playing having turned out for Crystal Palace, Arsenal (300+ times), Newcastle United, Coventry City, QPR, Everton and Watford, becoming the second most capped full back for England, winning 86 caps. From humble beginnings in Camberwell, his father left the family home and his mum was a cleaner. Despite various jobs in the media, gambling and alcohol got him in his spare time, so it was on the Jeremy Kyle programme that he told his story. Book him!(http://www.kennysansom.co.uk/)

Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1975–1980	Crystal Palace	172	(3)
1980–1988	Arsenal	314	(6)
1988–1989	Newcastle United	20	(0)
1989–1991	Queens Park Rangers	64	(0)
1991–1993	Coventry City	51	(0)
1993	Everton	7	(1)
1993	Brentford	8	(0)
1994	Watford	1	(0)
Total		637	(10)
International career
1974	England Schoolboys	7	(0)
1977	England Youth	5	(0)
1978–1980	England U21	8	(0)
1978–1979	England B	2	(0)
1979–1988	England	86	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

George Manneh Oppong Weah, President of Liberia assumed office on this day 2018. He took the Oath of Office and may have reflected on his success in the past, including playing in the Premier League with Chelsea and Manchester City including an FA Cup Final win over Arsenal in 2000. He played for Bong Range United in Liberia to start with and moved clubs in his home country until Arsene Wenger snatched him into Monaco in 1988, then it went PSG 1992, AC Milan 1995 and was voted World Player of the Year in 1995, African Player of the Year 1996.

Signed on loan with Chelsea and then Manchester City 2000, Marseille 2001 and Al Jazira 2003. He made 478 appearances for his various clubs and scored 193 goals.

As well as doing good things politically in the country, he had used football as a way of improving many lives in Liberia, especially for children.

A DAY LATE, ITS A RE-DO: BUT WORTH A READ

 January 19th 1933 (apologies for day late publishing!!)

The club known now as Mansfield Town FC, was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and entered the Mansfield & District Amateur League in 1902, before changing its name to Mansfield Wesley and joining the Notts & District League in 1906. They then finally became Mansfield Town in 1910, and moved from the Notts & Derbyshire League to the Central Alliance the following year. Crowned Alliance champions in 1919–20, they joined the Midland League in 1921 and would win this league on three occasions – 1923–24, 1924–25 and 1928–29 – before they were admitted into the Football League in 1931. 

In only their second Football League season, 1932-33, Mansfield Town suffered what is still their record League defeat, on Thursday 19th January 1933, when losing 8-1 at Walsall in a Third Division (North) encounter. Amazingly just a few matches earlier - on Tuesday 27th December 1932 - Mansfield  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! Mansfield had some more amazing results in 1932/33, with the sequence of League results around those two matches being very strange - 3-6, 0-3, 9-2, 2-5, 0-6, 2-1, 1-8, 1-3, 2-0, 0-7, 2-5. You were never going to get bored watching them, were you! OR perhaps there were other forces playing their part?

NOTE that the Football League divisions lower than Division Two were selected regionally, into Division Three North and Div Three South until 1958.

The Football League Third Division was the third tier of the EFL in 1920-1 and again from 1958-1992. When the FA Premier League was formed, the Third Division became the fourth tier level after the PL, The Championship and The Football League Division One. In 2004, following the formation of the Football League Championship, the division was renamed Football League 2.

The Sky Bet Championship was:

Founded	1892; 131 years ago, as Football League Second Division 1992; 31 years ago, as Football League First Division 2004; 19 years ago, as Football League Championship 2016; 7 years ago, as EFL Championship

and on 19th January 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, having fun-those were the days!

Personal information
Full name	Eric Gemmell
Date of birth	7 April 1921
Place of birth	Manchester, England
Date of death	23 February 2008 (aged 86)
Position	Centre Forward
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1945–1946	Manchester Utd
1946–1947	Manchester City
1946	Ashton Utd
1947–1954	Oldham Athletic	195	(109)
1954	Crewe Alexander	14	(5)
1954–1956	Rochdale	65	(32)
1956	Buxton
1960	Nantile Vale
Total		274	(146)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

His final club was Nantlle Vale, sited at Penygroes in the (Ardal) North-west League of Wales, near Caernarfon. The club was notorious in the early 1970s for its very robust style of play, when the team featured noted hard men such as player-manager Orig Williams – a professional wrestler by trade, who fought under the stage name El Bandito – and defender Idris Evans, better known by his nickname of Tarw Nefyn (the Nefyn Bull). 

Williams was once famously sent off in only the third minute of a match at Bangor City. Williams spent his National Service with the RAF; and on discharge he became a professional footballer. He played for several notable teams around North Wales and the north of England, including Bangor City, Shrewsbury Town, Oldham Athletic and Pwllheli. He later became the player-manager of Welsh team, Nantlle Vale and the club, under his mentoring, became known as a very dirty and overly violent team. Williams himself was one of the worst members of his team, and would often be sent off for his repeated fouling. After a particularly rough game, he received an injury, which forced his retirement from football

A SAVAGE PANTOMIMER

Robbie Savage might have been a "pantomime villain" of football, but he has probably never had a dead cat thrown at him. On this day in 2005 he managed to get a transfer from Birmingham City to Blackburn Rovers to hook up with his old international manager, Mark Hughes. Rob claimed he wanted to be nearer to his parents in Wales, despite the fact that Blackburn is just five minutes closer to Wrexham than Birmingham! Birmingham managing director Karren Brady said, "If Robbie has come close to that decision because of the distance between Blackburn and Wrexham, then he should take a look at a map!"

Robbie is now a football pundit and head coach at Northern Premier Division club Macclesfield.

During his career he played predominantly as a midfielder, starting off as a youth player with Manchester United before joining Crewe Alexander, when released by the Old Trafford club. He became a regular for Leicester City in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and performed a similar role for Birmingham and Blackburn Rovers. In 2008, he joined Derby County after a short loan spell with Brighton and Hove Albion later that year, he returned to captain Derby, with whom he finished his full time playing career. He played for Wales 39 times.

On 24 November 2019, Savage came out of retirement to join Stockport Town of the North West Counties League. He made his league debut for the club the following evening, as an 80th-minute substitute in a 3–2 victory over FC Oswestry Town. That was his only appearance. He is now a pundit for the BBC and regularly presents 606 on BBC Radio 5 on Sunday evenings. He also co-presents Early Kick Off on BT Sports.

Full name	Robert William Savage
Date of birth	18 October 1974 (age 50)
Place of birth	Wrexham Wales
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.82 m)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Macclefield (head coach)
Youth career
	Brickfield Rangers
1990	Lex XI
1991–1993	Manchester Utd
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1993–1994	Man U	0	(0)
1994–1997	Crewe Alexander	77	(10)
1997–2002	Leicester City	172	(8)
2002–2005	Birmingham City	82	(11)
2005–2008	Blackburn Rovers	76	(1)
2008–2011	Derby County	124	(7)
2008	→ Brighton and Hove (loan)	6	(0)
2019–2020	Stockport Town	1	(0)
Total		538	(37)
International career
1992	Wales U18	2	(0)
1995	Wales U21	5	(1)
1995–2004	Wales	39	(2)
Managerial career
2024–	Macclesfield
*Club domestic league appearances and goals