October 24 - Pizzagate!

OVER the sixteen seasons since the inception of the Premier League one clash has regularly stood above the rest. Whether it’s tunnel bust-ups, on-the-pitch brawls or Martin Keown’s goading, Manchester United and Arsenal clashes are always entertaining.

Today in 2004 the two rivals served up another tasty clash that took the animosity between them to new, evermore amusing levels: a food fight!

By the mid-noughties Sky Sports were really getting the hang of this over-hyping business, dubbing this the ‘match of century’. Arsenal were coming off the back of their unbeaten 2003/04 season and had not lost in 49 games having played some of the best football ever seen in the British game.

United meanwhile had just splashed the cash on Wayne Rooney as they were forced to take on the challenge of not only Wenger’s Invincibles but also the now super-rich Chelsea that had shaken up the Premiership thanks to Roman Abramovich’s billions.

The match itself was full of the usual controversy and bad blood. There was yellow cards, diving, arguing with the ref, but no goals until the 72nd minute, when Rooney won a dodgy-looking penalty after he was felled by Sol Campbell. With no Martin Keown around to put him off, Ruud van Nistelrooy slotted home. Rooney would add a second in the last minute and Arsenal had lost a Premier League game for the first time in 17 months.

It was the explosive aftermath where it all kicked off though, as Campbell refused to shake Rooney’s hand when the teams were leaving the pitch. Tempers boiled over in the tunnel and the “battle of the buffet” began. Players and staff from both teams broke into a scuffle and various foodstuffs such as pea soup, coffee and the infamous slice of pizza went flying.

Ashley Cole described the incident in his autobiography: “This slice of pizza came flying over my head and hit Fergie straight in the mush… all mouths gawped to see this pizza slip off this famous, puce face and roll down his nice black suit.”

Now there’s some CCTV footage we’d love to see. Disciplinary charges fired out from the FA over the next few days, with Ruud van Nistelrooy being censured for a challenge on Cole and Arsene Wenger for his post match comments about the referee. For once, Wenger did see what went on and damned Mike Riley’s performance: “Riley decided the game, like we know he can do at Old Trafford.”

This game proved to be a turning point in Arsenal’s season, as they aura of invincibility was cracked and Chelsea would romp to the title. United meanwhile, would finish third as both sides struggled to cope with the Special One’s revolution at Stamford Bridge.

Sadly we can’t show you Fergie being slapped in the face by a meat feast, so you’ll have to make do with Ruud exorcising his demons from a year earlier at Old Trafford. See what else was going down today here and come back tomorrow for more footballing tales from days gone by.

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