November 23 - Ali the Saint

TODAY we are remembering one of those events that has passed into football folklore.

It was on this day in 1996 that Ali Dia, easily the worst player to have ever graced the Premiership made his first, and last, top-flight appearance for Southampton.

The story of Dia’s short-lived Premier League career is as unlikely as it is funny. Graeme Souness was managing the Saints at the time and legend has it that big Graeme took a call one day from somebody purporting to be former world player of the year George Weah, who told him to have a look at his ‘cousin’ Ali Dia.

‘Weah’ told Souness that Dia had played for Paris Saint-Germain and had represented his country 13 times.

This was a load of old cobblers and Dia was just an amatuer player, and the man on the phone was not Weah but Dia’s agent doing his best Liberian accent.

Always on the look out for a bargain to bolster his cash-strapped squad, Souness signed Dia up on a one month contract without bothering to check any of the tedious little details ‘Weah’ had told him.

So old Graeme had been hoodwinked by Dia’s agent on the phone, but surely he would be found out as soon as he played a reserve game? Alas (for Souness) no, for a waterlogged pitch scuppered Saints next scheduled ressies match with Arsenal.

Saints next match was at home to Leeds and Souness took one hell of a punt by naming Dia on the bench. Half an hour into the game Matt le Tissier had to come off injured and Souness threw on the man he had never ever seen play to replace him.

Instantly it was obvious Dia was hopelessly out of his depth as he ran around the pitch pointlessly. Realising he had been had, Souness must have been hoping Dia would take off his mask, whip a microphone from under his shirt and reveal himself to be Jeremy Beadle.

However, Beadle was not about and Souness was forced to haul Dia off after 50 minutes of play and admit he had been done up like a kipper.

Dia’s contract was torn up and he played briefly for non-league Gateshead before disappearing entirely into the annals of football history. He couldn’t play for toffee but he made Souness look like a right berk so he can’t be all bad.

Here’s genuine Saints legend Matt le Tissier recalling the whole saga, an come back tomorrow for more football fun and games.

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