On This Day – Manchester United Play Home Game at Anfield

20-8-1971 Manchester United played their first home match of the 1971-72 season at Anfield in Liverpool. United had to play their first two matches away from Old Trafford due to hooliganism at the end of the previous season. The league game at
Anfield was played on a Friday evening in front of a crowd of 27,649. United won the game against Arsenal 3-1. The Gunners took an early lead through Frank McLintock, but goals by Gowling, Kidd and Charlton secured a home win.

The next morning The Guardian reported these scenes before the game:

“As soon as the teams arrived on the field the Kop vomited scores of young ‘supporters’ of both sexes who ran down the field to the end where United were warming up. The police, although hopelessly outnumbered, did their best and removed as many as they could capture. When the invaders discovered that United would attack the Kop end they retraced their steps and suffered further losses.”

Photo: Joffley

Source:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2010/mar/17/manchester-united-home-anfield-1971

 

 

 

On This Day – United and Liverpool, the Fixed Game

2-4-1915 Manchester United beat Liverpool 2-0 at Old Trafford in front of a crowd of 18,000 on this day in 1915. George Anderson scored both of United’s goals in a end of the season mid-table match. A large amount of the money had been placed on United winning 2-0 at 7/1 and the FA investigated the game for match fixing. Three United and four Liverpool players where banned for life for match fixing. One of the players, Sandy Turnbull, was killed in the First World War and five of the others received a reduced ban due their service in the War, but Enoch ‘Knocker’ West, served a ban of thirty years, the longest ban in the history of the Football League.

West played for Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest before moving to Old Trafford in 1910.  He won a league winners’ medal in 1911 for United and scored 80 goals for the Reds before he was banned in 1915.

Graham Sharp wrote ‘Free the Manchester United One‘ about West’s campaign to prove his innocence. West had sued the FA for libel, a case which he lost.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1915_British_football_betting_scandal

On This Day – One Game, Five Penalties

27-3-1989 On this day in 1989 Brighton took the short trip to Selhurst Park in South London for the Division Two game against Crystal Palace. The Eagles, with the deadly duo of Bright and Wright, where too strong for the Seagulls and won the game 2-1. The star of the show was referee Kelvin Morton who had a busy day at the office, awarding five penalties, one red card and numerous yellows.

You can watch 16 minutes of great 80’s action, including inflatable bananas, here:

http://www.viddler.com/explore/seagullstv/videos/23/

On This Day – Fowler Supports Striking Dockers

20-3-1997 Robbie Fowler showed his support for striking Liverpool dockers after scoring against Norwegian club Brann in European Cup Winners’ Cup match on this day in 1997. Fowler removed his shirt to reveal a t-shirt that had ‘Support The 500 Sacked Dockers‘ printed on it. The Liverpool born striker was fined 2,000 Swiss Francs by UEFA for the action.

Liverpool won the match 3-0 thanks to two goals by Fowler and one from Stan Collymore. The Liverpool line-up was James, Wright, Harkness, Bjørnebye, Matteo, McAteer, McManaman, Barnes, Redknapp, Fowler and Berger.

Fowler had scored this memorable goal in the first leg in Norway that had ended 1-1.

On This Day – Robert Earnshaw Scores A Special Hat-Trick

19-3-2005 Nottingham Forest and Wales striker Robert Earnshaw became the first player to score hat-tricks in all four English professional leagues, the League and FA Cup and at international level when he netted three times for West Brom in a Premier League match against Charlton on this day in 2005.

FA Cup: Cardiff versus Bristol Rovers, November 2000.

League Cup: Cardiff versus Boston United, September 2002 and Cardiff versus Leyton Orient, August 2003

Division 3:  Cardiff versus Torquay, December 2000

Division 2: Cardiff versus QPR, November 2002 and Cardiff versus Tranmere Rovers March 2003

Division 1: Cardiff versus Gillingham, September 2003 and for Nottingham Forest versus Leicester, December 2009

International: Wales versus Scotland, February 2004

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Earnshaw

Photo: Bronski Beat

On This Day – Ajax Founded

18-3-1900 Dutch giants Ajax of Amsterdam where founded on this day 111 years ago in 1900.

Ajax have a record 21 Dutch league titles, PSV have 18 and Feyenoord have nine. Ajax have also had considerable success in Europe winning the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1987, the UEFA Cup in 1992 and the European Cup / Champions League four times. Only Real Madrid (9), AC Milan (7) and Liverpool (5)  have more wins. Ajax won a hat trick of trophies in 1971, 1972 and 1973 with the ‘total football’ team that starred Cruyff, Rep and Neeskens. The fourth victory came in 1995 when they defeated AC Milan 1-0 in Vienna. Patrick Kluivert scored for Ajax. Other notable players where Edwin van der Sar, Frank Rijkaard, Clarence Seedorf, Edgar Davids, Marc Overmars and the de Boer twins Frank and Ronald. Ajax where managed by current Bayern Munich boss Louis van Gaal.

Photo: Samuca

On This Day – William Kenyon-Slaney Scores First International Goal

8-3-1873 On this day in 1873 the second ever international football match was played. The first match, also between England and Scotland, had been played in 1872, but ended goalless. The game was played at the Surrey cricket ground, The Oval, in front of approximately 4,000 spectators. England won the match 4-2 and William Kenyon-Slaney opened the scoring, Alexander Bonsor scored the second, before Kenyon-Slaney scored his second. Charley Chenery scored the final England goal. Henry Renny-Tailyour and William Gibb scored for Scotland.

Kenyon-Slaney was educated at Eton, played cricket for the MCC and football for the Wanderers and was decorated for his exploits in the Battle of Tel el-Kebir. After leaving the armed forces he represented the Conservative Party in the House of Commons.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Kenyon-Slaney

http://www.englandfootballonline.com/Seas1872-00/1872-73/M0002Sco1873.html

Photo: VictoriaPeckham

On This Day – Record Premier League Win

4-3-1995 Manchester United hammer Ipswich Town 9-0 on this day to record the biggest win in the history of the Premier League. Andy Cole scored five goals for United, a Premier League record he holds together with Alan Shearer (Newcastle vs Sheffied Wednesday, 1999), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham vs Wigan, 2009) and Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United vs Blackburn, 2010). The other United goals where scored by Mark Hughes (2), Paul Ince and Roy Keane.

United line-up: Schmeichel, Keane, Irwin, Bruce, Kanchelskis, Pallister, Cole, Ince, McClair, Hughes and Giggs.

Ipswich keeper, Canadian Craig Forrest, returned to Old Trafford this time in goal for West Ham, in April 2000. West Ham where defeated 7-1. This time it was Paul Scholes who scored a hat-trick.

Photo: Giampaolo Squarcina

On This Day – Dixie Dean Dies At Merseyside Derby

1-3-1980 On this day in 1980 Everton’s goalscoring hero Dixie Dean dies while attending the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park. 73 year old Dean had joined Bill Shankly and Billy Liddell at a lunch before the game.

Liverpool won the game 2-1 in front of a crowd of 53,013. Johnson and Neal (pen.) scored for Liverpool and Everton substitute Peter Eastoe reduced for the Toffees.

Everton: Wood, Gidman, Bailey, Nulty, Lyons, Ross, Hartford, Wright, King, Kidd, McBride

Liverpool: Clemence, Neal, A. Kennedy, Thompson, R. Kennedy, Hansen, Dalglish, Case, Johnson, McDermott, Souness

Dixie Dean scored 349 goals in 399 games for Everton and 18 in 16 games for England. His most prolific season was 1927-28 when he netted an incredible 100 times including 60 league goals. He won two league championships with Everton in 1927-28 and 1931-32.

Shankly described Dean with these words at the dinner before the game:

“Dixie was the greatest centre-forward there will ever be. He belongs to the company of the supremely great, like Beethoven, Shakespeare and Rembrandt.”

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixie_Dean

Photo: TommyPatto

On This Day – Cup Tie Played After 29 Postponements

22-2-1979 On this day in 1979 the Second Round Scottish FA Cup tie between Iverness Thistle and Falkirk was finally played after 29 postponements. The match was originally scheduled for the 6th January, but was delayed for 47 days due to the severe winter. The match was played at 1.30 on a Thursday at Iverness’ Kings Mill ground in front of a crowd of 1,543.

Falkirk won the game comfortably thanks to four first half goals by McRoberts, Brown, McCallan and Perry.

Due to the delay Falkirk had to play the Third Round match three days later. Falkirk traveled to Dundee where they lost to a late penalty.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Source:

http://www.onefinfalkirk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=24207&start=0

Photo: Taivasalla