“Arsenal have signed a brand new keeper, Kepa,” famous John Marsden final week. “Are there another examples of gamers with a reputation so just like their place?”
Whereas we will't discover a participant named Left Again, there's a former Anderlecht defender by the title of Mark De Man (which, admittedly, is an on-pitch instruction not a job). The Belgium worldwide earned 5 caps for his nation and retired in 2012 with a spell at third-division KSK Hasselt, having rejected the possibility to make the transfer to Kilmarnock. “I've two youngsters and my spouse has a very good job. I didn't need to transfer to Scotland alone,” stated De Man.
It's not an excessive amount of of a stretch to say that legendary Italian midfielders Sandro Mazzola and his father, Valentino Mazzola, have been each mezzalas. Valentino is regarded by some as the perfect Italian participant of all time. Captain of the Azzurri and Torino – and the image of the Grande Torino facet that dominated Serie A within the late Forties, Valentino died at 30 within the Superga air catastrophe in 1949. His son, Sandro was a one-club man with Inter and was a key a part of the Grande Internazionale workforce that appeared unbeatable within the Nineteen Sixties.
The story of how Sandro signed with Inter is instantly linked to his father's demise. “In the future Benito Lorenzi, the Inter ahead who performed with my father within the Italy workforce and was a really shut pal of his, got here to my home,” Sandro instructed Gazzetta Dello Sport. “He requested my mom to let me go to Milan to turn out to be the workforce's mascot. Giuseppe Meazza was additionally tremendously affected by the Superga catastrophe and went out of his method to assist my brother and me. The 2 of us would placed on the total Inter equipment, stroll out with the gamers and keep by the facet of the pitch in the course of the matches. At the same time as mascots we have been on bonuses and we used to get 10,000 lire for a win and 5,000 for a draw. It was some huge cash for our household.” The gesture later satisfied Sandro that Inter have been the workforce for him. With almost 500 membership appearances for the Nerazzurri between 1963-74, Sandro – often known as ‘Il Baffo' owing to his trademark moustache – was an attacking artistic midfielder linking the wingers and forwards and performed in three World Cups for Italy, received the 1968 European Championship and completed second within the 1971 Ballon d'Or rankings.
Dave Adams reminds us of former Portsmouth attacker John Utaka, the membership's document signing when he joined from Rennes in July 2007 for £7m. The striker did little to justify his £80,000-a-week wage, which was an enormous burden for a debt-ridden membership that was threatened with administration and positioned below a switch embargo.
“Lennart Wing, the nice Swedish wing-half as an apparent start line alongside the Wycombe full-back Fin Again (who will get additional factors for his initials matching his function),” suggests Richard Wilson. “A far much less apparent participant can be Vuk Strikovic, who nominative determinism after all calls for that he play up entrance. At 23, he has 36 targets in 131 Montenegrin league video games.”
“Buried in a Reddit thread, we discovered this post by somebody named ZedGenius. In Greek the syllables ‘-akis' are an endearing method of claiming a reputation and it has the that means of ‘small', like ‘-inho' does in Portuguese, with which I assume extra individuals are acquainted with. For instance, Giorgos, turns into Giorgakis, and is normally a reputation that's used for teenagers named Giorgos. Equally, Giannis would turn out to be Giannakis. Now that that is out of the best way, the participant I wished to say is Michalis Bakakis, who performs for granted again (Again-akis, which for those who have been to translate it might provide you with one thing of the types of' ‘small again man').”
“The most effective I can provide is my workforce Farnborough, previously Farnborough City, having a winger referred to as Phil Wingfield,” emails Matthew Wilkie. “Additionally taking part in at Kingstonian, he actually took to the sector on the wing.”
“Michael Wright performed at proper again for Villa, primarily within the 70s,” writes Glyn Berrington. We end with a quick segue into the world of American Soccer, courtesy of David Dyte: “It's the improper sort of soccer, however Chuck Lengthy performed quarterback for the College of Iowa, then for the Lions and Rams within the NFL. I can't consider a greater match of title and place.”
Champion of future champions
“A earlier Data famous that Liverpool's 2004-05 facet beat the joint-fewest reigning league champions en path to successful the Champions League. One factor that struck me, although, was that they did beat three champions-to-be: Olympiakos, Juventus and Chelsea. What's the most a workforce has managed on the best way to turning into champions of Europe?” asks Ravi Hiranand.
“Actual Madrid, 5 in 1999-00”, succinctly solutions Data common Dirk Maas. “They beat 1999-00 Greek champions Olympiakos within the first group stage, 1999-00 Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kyiv and 2000 Norwegian champions Rosenborg within the second group stage, 1999-00 English champions Manchester United within the quarter-finals and 1999-00 German champions Bayern Munich within the semi-finals.
“In 1975-76, Bayern Munich nearly had an ideal document in beating 1975-76 champions on their strategy to their 1975-76 European Cup triumph. They beat Jeunesse Esch within the first spherical, Benfica within the quarter-finals, Actual Madrid within the semi-finals and Saint-Étienne within the closing. Bayern eradicated Malmö FF within the spherical of 16, because of a 2-0 victory on 5 November 1975. Malmö grew to become 1975 Allsvenskan champions a month earlier, on 5 October, so Bayern simply missed out on beating solely 1975 and 1975-76 champions.”
Data archive
“What's the hottest English league or cup recreation on document?” requested Mike Dunn in 2018.
“In our period of local weather change, the reply might be final week, however I believe I do know the sport that was most affected,” perspires Andy Wright, earlier than letting us in on a outstanding saga of woe. “Bizarrely, it befell in Manchester.
“On 1 September 1906, in Metropolis's first recreation of the season (dwelling to Woolwich Arsenal), the temperature was reported as being ‘over 90F within the shade and too sizzling for sunbathing'. How a lot above 90F is anybody's guess, however even that's 32.2C in at present's cash. On 35 minutes, Metropolis's Irvine Thornley left the pitch with sunstroke. Earlier than half-time, he was joined by teammate Jimmy Conlin, who had began the sport with a handkerchief tied on his head. Metropolis started the second half 0-2 down and with 9 males, however within the fiftieth minute Conlin, plus handkerchief, returned to arrange George Dorsett to make it 1-2. That was pretty much as good because it acquired for Metropolis, and earlier than lengthy they have been lowered to eight males, dropping their scorer and Bob Grieve to warmth exhaustion.
after publication promotion
“The ref consulted his linesmen, however they agreed there was no simply trigger for abandoning the sport. Woolwich scored two extra to win 4-1, by which era Metropolis's Tommy Kelso and James Buchan had additionally retired, in order that they completed the sport with 5 match males and the plucky Conlin. The Day by day Mail reported that Arsenal have been clearly the fitter and better-prepared workforce, and selected to not make the most of their opponents' misfortune.”
UPDATE: Brentford's 4-0 win over Manchester United in August 2022 is actually a contender to beat that day in 1906. On a sweltering day on which Thomas Frank remarkably opted for darkish trousers, temperatures soared to 35C as Erik ten Hag's facet wilted in west London.
Are you able to assist?
“5 golf equipment from the Premier League received main competitions in 2024-25; Liverpool (Premier League), Crystal Palace (FA Cup), Newcastle United (League Cup), Tottenham (Europa League), Chelsea (Convention League and Membership World Cup). Has this ever occurred earlier than in England or certainly elsewhere in Europe?” asks Dan Almond.
“Paris FC's promotion signifies that Paris could have its first Ligue 1 derby since 1978-79. Is there any European metropolis that has had an extended hole between top-flight derbies?” queries Steve Whittaker from Frankfurt (which hasn't had a top-flight derby within the Bundesliga period).
“I got here throughout a state of affairs for European qualification after I was taking part in an previous Soccer Supervisor recreation. Managing a mid-table facet, I used to be going to the FA Cup closing towards Manchester United, who have been vying for European competition. I used to be additionally going through them on the final matchday of the league season, the place I realised that it was higher for me to deliberately lose to assist them qualify for Europe, guaranteeing me a European place whatever the Cup closing consequence. Has such a state of affairs ever occurred, the place a workforce deliberately dropping would assure them continental qualification?” writes Luke Levy.
“In commentary for the England Euro 2025 recreation it was talked about that Vivianne Miedema has now scored 100 targets for the Netherlands, none of which have come from the penalty spot,” notes Tim Spargo. “Who're the best scorers (internationally, domestically, Premier League and many others) whose tally consists of no penalties?”
