July 21 – The Unfortunate Tale of John White

PERHAPS fittingly for a man nicknamed ‘The Ghost’, not many people will remember John White. An inside right, the Scotsman started his career at Alloa Athletic in the mid 1950s and after a spell at Falkirk, he was brought to Tottenham Hotspur by Bill Nicholson in 1959.

White was not an unknown but many scouts were put off by his weak physical appearance and managers worried about his stamina. Joe Mercer, who was Sheffield United boss at the time said: “John had it all, so I thought I’d go for him. My chief scout was adamant the lad wasn’t strong enough. Like a fool, I listened.”

Bill Nic was not put off though and checked with White’s former army instructor who told him his stamina was fine and he had been a cross country race winner during his national service. With that and the nod from his captain Danny Blanchflower, Nicholson signed him up for £22,000.

White became an established player in the famous League and Cup double winning side of 1961 and had helped the club win the 1963 Cup Winners’ Cup – the first European trophy to be won by any British club. It was at White Hart Lane that he picked up his nickname as the fans said he would often appear unexpectedly in the opposition’s penalty area. The Evening Times of the day said: “His very unobtrusiveness is one of his strong points. Like some Merlin he can fade from the scene only to reappear in positions that confound defences.”

Between 1959 and 1964 White missed only 15 games for Spurs. Without him, they won just one of those. He was central to Nicholson’s team and had the world at his feet when tragedy struck today in 1964.

He was at Crews Hill golf course in Enfield sheltering from a thunderstorm under a tree when he was struck by lightning and killed instantly, aged just 27. He was found with scorch marks on his hair, back and on the heels of his feet.

His friend and teammate Dave MacKay rushed to the scene. He recalled afterwards: “I got there as fast as I could. I don’t know, I think I just wanted to see him before they took him away. Just to be with him before he went off to the mortuary. I sat down by the tree and I was very upset. I looked at it and there were these two burns in a kind of a circle on the bark, about two foot off the ground. It was just unbelievable. It was very, very sad.”

Bill Nicholson gathered the Spurs team together before the funeral. Pat Jennings remembers that difficult day: “We all gathered at White Hart Lane before going on to the crematorium. Bill started to talk to us about John. He had been speaking for only a couple of minutes when he was so overcome that he excused himself and disappeared into a washroom to hide his tears.”

The club held a testimonial for White later in the year with a Spurs XI taking on a Scottish XI. He has also been included in the Spurs Opus book brought out in 2007 to celebrate the club’s 125th anniversary. We will leave the last word to White’s former Tottenham teammate Jimmy Greaves who said simply: “Had John lived, he could have been one of the greatest footballers of all time.”

More from us tomorrow as usual but before you go, click here to see what we were up to last year.

July 20 – Sven The Womaniser

IS THERE a more popular ex-England manager than Sven-Goran Eriksson? Once the dust had settled on second-choice Steve’s regime it was clear that he left the England team in a pretty decent shape as he played Pinocchio to Thaksin Shinawatra’s Geppetto.

Another reason Sven is so highly regarded by England fans is due to his legendary status among the fairer sex. The Swede was frankly batting above his average when he snagged Nancy Dell’Olio and Ulrika-ka-ka Johnson and another notch on his bedpost emerged today in 2004 when details of Sven’s affair with FA secretary Faria Alam came out in the press.

This latest scandal came out just after England’s penalty shoot-out loss to Portugal in Euro 2004. While Sven was trying to smooth talk Nancy, the FA had more egg on their face as more allegations came out of Soho Square that Chief Executive Mark Palios had also got his end away with Faria.

While the rest of the nation wondered if working for the FA was like starring in a Carry On film, Sven got on with his job and ensured that England qualified for the 2006 World Cup. Back at the FA Palios fell on his sword and Brian Barwick was appointed Chief Executive. Faria somehow managed to resist the new head honcho in the FA, concentrating on a media career that saw a somewhat predictable turn in Celebrity Big Brother.

See one of Sven’s best moments during his tenure in charge of England – on the pitch that is – and if you can’t wait until tomorrows instalment of footballing history then check out what we were on about this time last year here.

July 19 – Barnes hits the ‘Pool

IMAGINE if you will, that you’re 10 years old. You don’t have a care in the world and you think that the credit crunch is a breakfast cereal. You broke up from school yesterday, so you’ve got six weeks off to play football in the park, jumpers for goalposts.

However, the youth of today also think that John Barnes is merely a poor Channel 5 pundit and an even worse ballroom dancer. Today in 1987 Barnes was at the peak of his powers and left Watford to join Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool side.

Barnes had joined Watford as a fresh-faced 17-year-old from non-league Sudbury Court for the grand fee of a set of kit. As the decade went on it proved to be an investment to rank with shares in shoulder pads and synthesisers, as Barnes became a regular in the England team two years later.

In 1984 Barnes scored one of the greatest ever England goals when he slalomed through the Brazilian defence at the Maracana, alerting the rest of the world to his talents and placing a huge level of expectation on his shoulders.

During his international career Barnes never quite hit the heights of that night in Rio, despite winning 79 caps and scoring 12 goals. His domestic form, however, was devastating as he helped Graham Taylor’s overachieving Watford side win a place in the Uefa Cup in 1983 and to the 1984 FA Cup final.

After 292 appearances for the Hornets Barnes joined Liverpool for £900,000. Kenny Dalglish was on a recruitment drive that summer, also snapping up Peter Beardsley as he joined the pair with John Aldridge to give the ‘Pool a formidable front line.

Barnes was a success from the get-go, as Liverpool remained undefeated for the first 29 games of the season as they cantered to the title. The only blight that season was a shock defeat to Wimbledon in the FA Cup final, but at least that cup run realised another of Barnes’ many talents.

In the run-up to final Liverpool released their traditional cup final song. Instead of a traditional sing-along, they thought it was time to get down with the kids and gave us the Anfield Rap, with ‘Digger’ Barnes taking a leading role. Three years later he repeated the trick on New Order’s England anthem ‘World In Motion.’ Pure class.

Barnes continued to devastate defences across the country, managing to score 22 league goals in the 1989/90 season, but Liverpool began to wane following the resignation of Dalglish. By the mid-1990s Barnes’ powers were fading, so he moved into the centre of midfield and stated that he would stay at the club to nurture Liverpool’s next generation of talent, such as Steve McManaman, Jamie Redknapp and Robbie Fowler.

Barnes’ playing career ended with short stints at Newcastle and Charlton, which he followed up with a disastrous spell in charge of Celtic. See Barnsey’s wonder goal against Brazil below and check out what we were telling you this time last year here.

July 18 – Anfield Welcomes Incey

AS the public relations exercise that is rehabilitating Paul Ince’s image from that of a player too big for his boots who went around making up nicknames for himself into the very model of a modern young manager is currently in full swing, we thought we would delve into the Guv’nor’s past.

Today in 1997 Incey made the move few players dare when the former Manchester United star joined arch rivals Liverpool in a £4.2m deal. He did not jump straight between the two as Alex Ferguson had sold him to Internazionale for £8m in 1995 as part of his strategy to clear out the established pros like Ince, Mark Hughes and Andrei Kanchelskis to make way for the golden generation of kids.

Still one of few Englishmen to try his luck abroad, Ince got stuck in at Inter with his usual verve and had a largely successful spell in Italian football with family pressures, rather than football reasons behind his decision to move back to England after two years on the continent.

His decision to join Liverpool raised eyebrows with many fans who were surprised he wanted to make such a controversial switch. Ince seemed to relish this and revelled in winding up the Manchester United fans in a match between the two clubs when he celebrated wildly in front of the Kop after scoring an equaliser against the Red Devils – even kissing the Liverpool badge.

Ince was at Liverpool at the wrong time and the club failed to win any trophies in his time there and in 1999 he left for Bryan Robson’s Middlesbrough, before winding down his career with Wolves and Swindon.

Now he is being extolled as one of the best young managers in the game having served his apprenticeship with lowly Macclesfield, and gaining promotion with MK Dons. Now Blackburn boss Incey has taken over from former Old Trafford teammate Mark Hughes at Ewood park where he now as the frankly impossible task of taking the club on to the mythical ‘next level’ that all football fans dream of for their team.

He has said his dream is to return to Inter as manager and at the rate he has been rising through the ranks you wouldn’t bet against him doing just that, or one day even leading the Three Lions.

Managerial hot stuff he may be, but his general knowledge leaves a bit to be desired as the pointless quiz below demonstrates.

Last year. Us. Click here.

July 17 – Baggio’s Penalty Pain

IS there a more cruel invention than the penalty shoot out? England fans would struggle to think of anything worse, and so would Italian forward Robert Baggio.

The Iti front man had arrived at the 1994 World Cup in the USA with massive expectations on his shoulders but this seemed to weigh on him and he struggled in the group matches with his teammates carrying the burden of getting Italy through to the knock out phase.

In the round of 16 the Italians were drawn against Nigeria and after going down to an early Emmanuel Amuneke goal, they toiled and toiled trying to unlock the Africans’ defence. It was Baggio who finally found the key when he scored with just one minute to go.

He said in his autobiography ‘Una Porta Nel Cielo’ (A Goal In The Sky): “But everything changed from the moment I equalised in the final minutes against Nigeria. I got the ball, kicked it and it went through the defender’s legs and landed on the right post. It was impossible to save. Many people called it lucky, and when you score in the 90th minute there’s always a little bit of luck, but then again… maybe there was something special in that moment.

“After that goal I stopped feeling so anxious. I started playing with ease. I freed myself once again. It was a fundamental moment. From then on my World Cup got a lot better.”

It got a lot better almost immediately and he went on to score the winning goal in the match with Nigeria – ironically a penalty – which sent them through to the quarter-finals. There they met Spain with Baggio again scoring a late winner on 87 minutes.

He continued his hot streak in the semi-final with Bulgaria, bagging a brace in a 2-1 win, but picking up an injury in the process.

He said: “It wasn’t anything serious, just a tired muscle, but it affected my preparation for the final. What would have been a minor injury in any other situation was more serious because of the situation. But I was desperate to play. I would have played even if they’d cut off my leg. My appearance in that game still causes controversy but I felt OK, otherwise I wouldn’t have played.”

He did play in the final which was held on this day in 1994, but not well, and the match was a stalemate and went to penalties. Baggio takes up the story: “As for the penalty, I don’t want to brag but I’ve only ever missed a couple of penalties in my career. And they were because the goalkeeper saved them not because I shot wide. That’s just so you understand that there is no easy explanation for what happened at Pasadena. When I went up to the spot I was pretty lucid, as much as one can be in that kind of situation. I knew Taffarel always dived so I decided to shoot for the middle, about halfway up, so he couldn’t get it with his feet. It was an intelligent decision because Taffarel did go to his left, and he would never have got to the shot I planned.

“Unfortunately, and I don’t know how, the ball went up three metres and flew over the crossbar. As for taking the penalty in the first place, I was knackered, but I was the team’s penalty taker. I’ve never run away from my responsibilities. Only those who have the courage to take a penalty miss them. I failed that time. Period. And it affected me for years. It the worst moment of my career. I still dream about it. If I could erase a moment from my career, it would be that one.

“What is sometimes forgotten is that even if I had scored, Brazil could still have won with the last penalty because before me Baresi and Massaro had both missed. That’s part of the game. I missed the last penalty, thereby ‘cancelling out’ those by Baresi and Massaro. They had to chose one image from the finals and they chose my mistake. For a change. They wanted a lamb to slaughter and chose me. Forgetting that without me we would never have reached those finals. After my miss I looked stunned, and that look stayed with me for a long time. I just couldn’t accept how it had ended.”

Unsurprisingly Baggio is still not keen on the concept of penalty shootouts. He said: “Looking back I have to say that losing a World Cup final on penalties is something that I’ll never agree with. If you lose on the pitch, that’s fine, it’s right. Even if you deserved something different. But with penalties, no, that’s not right. Is it right that four years of sacrifice are decided by three minutes of penalties? I don’t think so. Losing that way isn’t right, and neither is winning that way.”

Have a look at the fateful miss below and click here if you want to know what was happening in football three years before Baggio skied his spot kick.

July 16 – Brazil End Their Wait

Following Spain’s Euro 2008 win and end to their 44-year trophy drought, England now have the honour of the most impressive dry-spell among the world’s major footballing nations. But, hey, it happens to the best of them. Today in 1989 Brazil were celebrating their first trophy since Pele and co lifted the 1970 World Cup, when the won the Copa America.

When the dust settled on the Selecao’s glorious 1970 win Brazil faced a bit of a problem. A number of key players such as Pele saw the win as an opportunity to bow out at the top whilst over in Europe the Netherlands’ Total Football and Germany’s steely determination saw the European game evolve to the detriment of Brazil’s silky samba styling’s.

The 1978 World Cup in Argentina saw the hosts progress to the final at Brazil’s expense following a very dodgy 6-0 win over Chile, as we’ve told you before. Bad luck struck again in 1982, as perhaps the greatest side never to win the World Cup fell short to Paolo Rossi’s Italy in a match known as the “Sarrias Disaster”.

After the 1986 World Cup again proved futile, Brazil started to get a bit of complex, so they even began to take the Copa America seriously, a tournament that they hadn’t won since 1949.

Lead by the prolific Bebeto, who would later go on to pioneer the much-overused baby-rocking celebration, Brazil progressed to the final round, where they joined Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay in a mini-league to determine the champion.

A 2-0 win over rivals Argentina went down very well and helped set up a winner takes all clash with Uruguay in the final game. Remarkably, this fell on the anniversary of their 1950 World Cup final clash, a game that left a permanent scar on the Brazilian national psyche, and one we told you about this time last year.

In front of a Copa America record crowd of around 170,000 the final was a tight affair, but Romario did what he used to do best and struck the winner just after half-time. Brazil picked up their first trophy for 19 years and got a nice slice of revenge over Uruguay in the process.

Over the tournament’s seven games Bebeto and Romario forged a potent strikeforce, bagging nine goals between them as Brazil entered the 1990 on a high. However, they would only reach the second round of Italia 90, as Argentina dumped them out in the second round.

We’ve got some cracking South American footage from the final below – but if anyone speaks the lingo and know why lots of people with big hair turn up and start talking on telephones periodically through the highlight reel, do let us know. We’ll be back tomorrow for a look at the most high-pressure penalty in the history of the game.

July 15 – Italy Get Lippi

THE Italian’s were not a happy bunch after their first round Euro 2004 exit. Denmark and Sweden met in their final Group C clash knowing that a 2-2 draw would send Italy crashing out, regardless of what the Azzurri did against Bulgaria, and lo and behold, Sweden bagged a last minute equaliser to send the 2000 beaten finalists home.

While players such as Gianluigi Buffon cried fix, the suits of the Italian Football Federation got on with finding a replacement for Giovanni Trapattoni. They found their man today, as Marcello Lippi took over in what proved to be an inspired appointment.

Trapattoni had spent four years in charge of the national team and had overseen a disappointing 2002 World Cup going out, albeit in controversial circumstance, to South Korea in the second round.

Two years later Il Trap had even worse luck, but refused to fall on his sword, instead waiting until his contract expired before leaving for Benfica.

Marcello Lippi had risen through the managerial ranks steadily over the previous two decades. Hie really began to make a name for himself at Juventus, leading the Old Lady to five Scudettos during his two spells at the club.

With a contract that only ran until the end of the 2006 World Cup Lippi wasted no time in getting Italy to the finals in Germany and after convincing friendly wins over the Netherlands and Germany in the run-up to the tournament all was looking good.

However, as the team gathered for their pre-tournament training camp, a bomb was dropped, as the Calciopoli scandal exploded all over the world’s press. Several of the team had to make frequent trips to Rome, Milan and Naples to be questioned and Lippi was particularly in the spotlight due to his close links to Luciano Moggi, the mastermind behind the scandal.

As if that wasn’t enough the team were shocked to hear that Gianluca Pessotto, the former Juve right-back who had played with much of the squad and just take over as Juve’s team manager had attempted suicide, throwing himself off a building and sustaining horrific, but not life-threatening injuries.

Lippi’s Italian squad went into siege mentality mode, much like their predecessors had in 1982 when they had their own match-fixing crisis. They were crucified and given no hope by the Italian press, but Lippi got on with the job and brought the World Cup back to Italy.

Lippi stated that this was his “most satisfying moment as a coach” and sensibly got the hell out, as the proverbial hit the fan when the Calciopoli trial was over. After a two-year sabbatical Lippi is back in the hotseat following Roberto Donadoni’s disappointing tenure.

Check out a dramatic clip following Italy’s World Cup campaign below and also have a gander at what we were on about this time last year. Until tomorrow football fans…

July 14 – Burkinshaw Gets His Spurs

BILL Nicholson will forever be remembered as the managerial titan of White Hart Lane and indeed he is still the most successful Tottenham boss ever having won trophies galore in his 16 year tenure at the north London club.

Today we are remembering the man who stands second only to Bill Nic in his achievements with Spurs, and it was on this day in 1976 that Keith Burkinshaw was appointed as the new manager of the club.

After Nicholson had retired in 1974 former Arsenal player Terry Neill had come in as boss but he was left with an ageing squad and struggled to continue the success the club had become used to. With echoes of George Graham’s tenure, Spurs fans never felt at ease with Neill’s Arsenal heritage and after nearly overseeing the club’s relegation in 1975, when the Gunner’s came-a-calling for their former player to take up the manager’s job at Highbury, Neill did not hesitate.

One thing he did get right in his two-year spell as boss was to bring in Burkinshaw as his assistant. Despite spending four years at Anfield, Burkinshaw managed only one appearance for Liverpool and played out the rest of his career at Workington and Scunthorpe United before taking up a job as a coach at Newcastle.

A quiet and unassuming man, many questioned whether he was right for the top job at Spurs, especially when the team was relegated in his first season in charge. In a show of loyalty not since seen at White Hart Lane or indeed many other clubs, the board kept faith with the man they had appointed and allowed Burkinshaw the time to make his mark. And make it he did, winning promotion at the first attempt.

Not content with achieving promotion, Burkinshaw then pulled off the most dramatic of coups when he signed Argentine World Cup winners Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa, fresh from their triumph in the 1978 World Cup held in their homeland.

The dual transfer shocked the football establishment in England, with foreign players not the commonplace feature of the game that they are today. They were the first Argentinians to play in England and people were quick to question the wisdom in bringing them to London.

Burkinshaw himself recounted years later: “I remember Tommy Docherty saying they wouldn’t last more than six months once the English winter set in.

“But neither of them had any problems adapting. One of the reasons is that they were happy from the word go.”

The two players settled straight in and both would help Spurs become a top trophy winning club under Burkinshaw’s management, with Ricky Villa’s stunning solo goal in the 3-2 FA Cup Final replay win over Manchester City in 1981 a particular highlight.

They retained the Cup in 1982, this time without the help of Ardiles and Villa who had returned home after England and Argentina went to war over the Falkland Islands.

In 1984 Spurs turned their attention to Europe and went on a great run to win the Uefa Cup, beating Anderlecht on penalties at White Hart Lane. It was to be Burkinshaw’s final match in charge as disagreements with the board led to him resigning.

Such was his disillusionment with the club that as he left White Hart Lane he pointed over his shoulder to the stadium and said: “There used to be a football club there.”

Take 11 seconds to have a look at Villa’s most famous goal below, and check this out for another event from this day when things were getting a bit out of hand.

We will be back tomorrow pop pickers to keep it OTFD.

July 13 – Soccerball! Yeehaw!

Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Geoge Best and Johan Cruyff. Four of the best players the world has ever seen who all did their bit trying to bring the beauty of the beautiful game to the American folk. Y’all.

Despite their best efforts, the North American Soccer League (NASL) folded in 1985 with the yeehawing, flag waving, oil consuming yanks seemingly not bothered enough by the stars of the world playing out their dotage in the States.

Never one to shirk a challenge, David Beckham decided he could succeed were Pele et al had failed and on this day in 2007 Becks was officially unveiled as LA Galaxy’s new showpiece signing. He would be swapping the Bernabeu for the Home Depot Center but the massive amount of wonga involved probably helped him over that.

Typically for Beckham, the move caused quite a stir when it was announced in January 2007. He was at the time part of Fabio Capello’s Real Madrid squad but the club had decided not to offer him a new contract and Becks eyes were turned by the yankee dollar.

Beckham said he had rejected offers from “major British and European teams” to sign for the Galaxy with media reports claiming his five year contract with the American club was worth up to £128m with add ons and sponsorship deals.

Stern old Fabio Capello was not so impressed with the announcement of the deal however and told Becks he would never play for the Real first team again. The Italian manager had not reckoned on Beckham’s speciality prove-everyone-wrong mindset however and by the end of the season Becks had not only won his place back in the team, but had helped the club to win their first La Liga title for four years.

With the cheers of the Bernabeu crowd still ringing in his ears Becks touched down in LA with his arrival more like a Hollywood movie premiere than a footballer’s unveiling and in the year he has spent in with the club he has helped them to the top of the MLS Western Standing and even managed to better his memorable half-way line strike against Wimbledon for his new employers, scoring a 70 yarder against Kansas City Wizards.

Have a look at the goal below and pop back here tomorrow to banish those Monday blues with another tidbit from us.

This time last year, OTFD was talking about this.

July 12 – Ronaldo-Gate

IT’S one of football’s biggest ever mysteries: what happened to Ronaldo today in 1998 before the World Cup final? The world’s most deadly striker was supposed to land Brazil their second consecutive title, but instead wandered around the pitch looking like he had no idea what was going on as France romped to their first World Cup win.

The tournament in France had been a lively affair, with Zinedine Zidane lighting up the competition and the home nations sticking to tradition with heart-breaking penalty losses or limp group stage exits.

Defending champions Brazil meanwhile, had reached the final after two close contests against Denmark and the Netherlands, with Ronaldo scoring four times on the way to the Golden Ball trophy for best player in the tournament.

Aime Jacquet’s French team had won praise for it’s multi-cultural roots, as his side that featured players from all across the French colonies joining together to provide Les Blues’ fans with some of the best football they had ever seen.

Shortly before the kick-off in the Stade de France confusing messages began to emerge from the Brazilian dressing room. Ronaldo was initially left out of the starting XI, only for his name to reappear on the teamsheet just before the two sides emerged onto the field following Brazil’s failure to warm-up on the pitch.

Rumours spread around the stadium like wildfire, as conspiracy theorists had a field day. Early reports suggested an ankle injury, the next that he had an upset stomach. Those with a more active imagination suggested the player had been poisoned, but eventually the team doctor Lidio Toledo revealed that Ronaldo had suffered a convulsion in his sleep.

Toledo claimed that he performed neurological and cardiac tests that passed the striker fit to play, but many believed that team sponsors Nike had leaned on the Selecao and forced them to play their star man in an argument that even reached the Brazilian parliament.

Lead by an inspired performance from Zidane, who bagged a brace, France won 3-0 sparking scenes of celebration across the nation. Whether a fully-fit Ronaldo, who was undoubtedly the best striker in the world at the time, would have made the difference we’ll never know, but the man himself was felling pretty philosophical about the whole affair. “We lost the World Cup, but I won another cup – my life,” he would later say.

See the highlights from the final below and why not have a gander at what we were up to last year, when one of the biggest names of English football bowed out.