The Russian Goalkeeping Dynasty
One of the stars of Dynamo Moscow’s historic tour of Britain in 1945 was goalkeeper Alexei Khomich. Despite standing at only 5’ 8’’ in height, he had a spectacular leap, and was nicknamed ‘Tiger’ for his bravery between the posts by an admiring British press and public. Khomich was himself the latest in a line…
Dynamo Moscow Tour of Britain, 1945
For decades after the creation of the world’s first professional league in England in 1888, British football remained insular, sure of its superiority over the rest of the world. The arrogance of the game’s authorities and their isolationist stance was perfectly captured by FA committee member, Charles Sutcliffe, in refusing to accept an invitation to…
Tony Ford, Football League Record-Breaker
Tony Ford made his Football League debut as a 16 year-old for his hometown club Grimsby Town in 1975. His final League appearance came 26 years later, on the 3rd November 2001, as a midfielder for Rochdale in their 2-0 Third Division victory over Torquay United at Spotland. In the intervening years Ford played for…
Southampton v Sporting Lisbon, 1981
This 1981-82 UEFA Cup tie brought a familiar face back to English football, as Malcolm Allison took his Sporting Lisbon side to The Dell to face Lawrie McMenemy’s Southampton. Allison had been assistant manager of Manchester City from 1965-71, taking charge of playing matters under Joe Mercer, the club’s veteran manager. This was a highly…
The Football League 1888 – Overview, Part Two
Playing kit, pitch markings and the rules of the game were all evolving, even as the world’s first professional football league came into being. Prior to the advent of the Football League, players had to buy their own kit, consisting of heavy jerseys without any ornament, ‘knickerbockers’ covering the knees, and socks. Each club was…
The Football League 1888 – Overview, Part One
When the fixtures for the first season of the Football League were drawn up at a meeting on 1 May 1888, the registration of players was “fixed for all clubs, so that every club will have equal chances in the kidnapping business”’, as the Accrington Times put it. All players had to register as professionals…
The Football League 1888 – Opening Day
Saturday 8th September is the 130th anniversary of the very first round of Football League fixtures, in 1888. The results on the opening day were: Bolton Wanderers 3 Derby County 6; Everton 2 Accrington 1; Preston North End 5 Burnley 2; Stoke 0 West Bromwich Albion 2; Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 Aston Villa 1 (Blackburn and…
The Football League 1888 – Preview
Football in England grew steadily in popularity over the nineteenth century, from the public schools to the creation of a governing body, the Football Association, in 1863, and the codification of the rules. It continued to expand during the 1870s and 1880s but, while predominantly southern amateur clubs enjoyed success in the FA Cup (inaugurated…
Arsenal v Bristol City, 1976 – Match of the Month
In the record-breaking summer temperatures of 1976, the Football League resumed on 21 August. Arsenal v Bristol City was one of the most intriguing fixtures on the opening day of the 1976-77 season, the Bristol club’s first game in the top division for 65 years, with manager Alan Dicks having built a successful side around…
Freedom of Contract – Gary Collier and the Ashton Gate Eight
In 1978, between the momentous abolition of the maximum wage in 1961 and the present post-Bosman era of player power and unrestricted movement, came a decisive shift in football’s transfer market. Players were entitled to turn down new contract offers at the end of their term, and given the right to negotiate directly with a…
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