August 21 – Vieira Sees Red and Pub Quiz Nirvana

Patrick Vieira’s feeling picked upon and one of football’s great trivia questions answered in today’s round up from the OTFD vault.

2000 – Vieira Sees Red

THE headlines should have been all about Arsenal’s first win over Liverpool for six years today in 2000, but instead it was The Thing From Tring, Graham Poll that took the spotlight as he sent three players off in the Gunner’s 2-0 win at Highbury. Click here for the whole story.

1965 – First Sub Used in a League Match

CLASSIC pub quiz fodder today here at On This Football Day as we ask: who was the first player to come on as a substitute in a league match?

Who was the player that went off? Where was the match and which teams were playing? Find out here…

If only for moments like this, we miss the big man!

August 20 – Woody Signs for Real and Barry’s Bombastic Barnet

Barry Fry gets pulses racing in north London and the most out-there Anglo-Spanish move since El Tel rocked up to Camp Nou.

1991 – Barry’s Bombastic Barnet

AS THE phoenix club Aldershot Town FC are getting used to life as a Football League club, we thought we’d go back to another side that were making their League bow in back in 1991.

Barnet FC were promoted to what was then known as Division 4 after 103 years kicking around in the various Non-League institutions since their formation when they won the Vauxhall Conference with a reputation for fast, attacking football. Read all about them here.

2004 – Woody Signs for Real

It was a transfer that no-one saw coming. What were the most glamorous club in the world doing buying an injury-prone convicted criminal for £13.4 million to marshal their defence? Yes, it was on this day in 2004 that saw Jonathan Woodgate complete his move from Newcastle to Real Madrid. See how it all worked out here.

“F**k me, what a debut!”

August 19 – Keano on the Move and Hansen Tells the World ‘You’ll Never Win Anything With Kids’

The worst prediction ever made and yet more money been paid for Robbie Keane’s services in today’s trip through the OTFD achieves

1999 – Sky Blue Keano

Irishman Robbie Keane’s to and fro from Anfield last season took his combined transfer fees to around £70m, through the course of his career, and today in 1999 he made his first big-money move when he signed for Coventry City from Wolverhampton Wanderers. Read our story from last year here.

1995 – ‘You’ll Never Win Anything With Kids’

We all like to make brash predictions when we’re talking footy with our mates. And more often than not we’re wrong, which leads to a ribbing and possibly the loss of fiver. But none of us here have ever had these predictions broadcasted to millions of football viewers – that would be awfully embarrassing if you got it wrong, wouldn’t it? One man who knows how this feels is Alan Hansen, who on this day in 1995 announced on Match of the Day that “You’ll never win anything with kids” after a young Manchester United side lost the season opener to Aston Villa 3-1. Read on here.

Alan Hansen, again looking foolish on the Beeb.

August 18 – A Tale of Two Chairmen

Other than a shared love of football, these two north east chairmen had very little in common – one a legend, the other a UFO-loving nearly man. Oh how we wish Manchester United had succumbed this man…

1989 – Nutter Knighton Nearly Nabs United

WITH the daft sums of money being branded around the Premiership by Russian oligarchs, Texan bond barons and former Thai despots it seems crazy that Manchester United were hitting the headlines today in 1989 when they accepted a bid of just (!) £20m for the club. Read all about it here.

2000 – Uncle Jack Passes Away

IN the Premiership’s 14 season history, only four different clubs have won the league, but that would have been only three, had it not been for one man: Jack Walker. Click here for the whole story.

Uncle Jack brought the good time to Ewood Park

August 17 – Big Dunc Returns and Becks Announces His Arrival

Everyone’s favourite neighourhood-watch resident is on the move as the David Beckham rollercoaster begins….

1996 – Beckham’s Halfway Line Strike

BACK in the mid 1990s David Beckham was cementing his place as one of English football’s most promising young stars.

In the 1995/96 season he was a regular part of the Manchester United team that did the league and cup double and was already providing assists and goals aplenty.

It was on this day in 1996 that Beckham really became a household name when he scored a long range effort against Wimbledon from just inside his own half. Click here for the whole story.

2000 – Welcome Back Big Dunc

“DUNCAN Ferguson elbowed me in the neck three times and I was beginning to get a bit angry. I swore at him in Austrian and I know he couldn’t possibly have understood it. Even so, he suddenly swung round and thumped me in the stomach. He got sent off, but I began to appreciate how he earned his reputation as a hard man. It was a nice punch, I have to say.” Wigan’s Paul Scharner learns how football is played Big Dunc style. Read on here…

Big Dunc vs JImmy Bullard. We know who our money’s on…

August 16 – Irwin Injured and Macca Gets Us Believing

Dennis Irwin crocked in his own testimonial, as Steve McClaren gives England fans a preview of what wasn’t to come in his first game as England boss.

2000 – Irwin Injured In His Own Testimonial

FOR all the superstars of Alex Ferguson’s all-conquering United team of the 1990s, one of the quieter members of the squad was just as important to the club’s success as Cantona, Beckham and Giggs.

It was on this day in 2000 that full-back Denis Irwin was rewarded for his service to Manchester United with a testimonial match against local rivals Man City. Read all about it here…

2006 – Macca Has Us Believing

AS false dawns go, this one was a belter.

The appointment of Steve McClaren as England manager was the most underwhelming piece of news England fans had had since Michael Rickets was called up to the squad. Click here for the whole story.

After hours of research we managed to find footage of McClaren’s England winning.

August 15 – Premiership Kicks Off and Beardsley’s Reds Bow

The day that all football in England started (according to Sky, that is), and Peter Beardsley makes his Liverpool debut.

1987 – Beardsley’s Reds Debut

IN the 1980s there was only one club in England footballers wanted to play for. Liverpool were still head and shoulders above everybody else in the glory stakes, having been top dog in English club football for years.

In the summer of 1987 Kenny Dalglish was continuing to add to his side, after they had been beaten to the First Division title by cross-city rivals Everton in the 1986/87 season.

As well as buying Watford winger John Barnes, King Kenny also splashed the cash to bring Peter Beardsley to Anfield from his hometown club, Newcastle United. ‘Pedro’ cost Liverpool £1.9m – then a British record fee – but it would turn out to be a bargain for the Merseysiders. Click here for the full story.

1992 – The Premiership Kicks Off

THESE days you can’t move without tripping over a live football match on TV, with Saturday lunchtime and evening kick-offs, ‘Super Sunday’ games, and midweek clashes all over Sky.

But this wasn’t always the case. Before Rupert Murdock came along and revolutionised football on TV, the BBC and ITV showed highlights packages and the odd live game.

It was on this day in 1992 that all that changed, and football changed forever. August 15 was the first day of the newly re-branded Premiership. Read on here.

Beardsley gets the Fantasy Football League treatment

August 14 – Keegan in at ‘Pool and Hoddle Mouths Off

A tale of two England managers today…

1971 – Keegan Signs For Liverpool

WHEN you think of football in the seventies, big hair and Bill Shankly’s great Liverpool side are two of the abiding memories. It was on this day in 1971 that the two of these collided, as Kevin Keegan made his debut for the Reds. Read all about it here.

1998 – Hoddle Strikes Again

JASPER Carrot once famously said: “I hear Glenn Hoddle’s found God . . . that must have been one hell of a pass.”

It really is a pity footballer’s careers only last until their mid-thirties, especially in Hoddle’s case. Where once he simply let his football do the talking and was lauded as a genius, his body eventually forced him to give up playing, and he moved into management where suddenly he had to let his, umm, talking do the talking, and everyone realised any talk of genius was just barking.

Glenn was in trouble again today in 1998 after the serialisation of his ill-advised book Glenn Hoddle: My 1998 World Cup Story was published in The Sun, and he was forced to defend his tome on BBC Five Live. Click here for the whole story.

A 17-year-old KK, rocking a Marty McFly-esque life preserver in training.

August 13 – The Shevy Goes Dry and Hitler Aims for World Domination… Again

Shevchenko makes the wrong career move an Hitler tries to muscle in on the beautiful game.

2006 – The Shevy Went Dry

THE Community Shield is an odd contest. Rarely are they classics, save for the Keegan and Bremner-inspired clash between Liverpool and Leeds in 1974. One thing they are good for though is giving the fans a first glimpse of their team’s big-money summer signings.

Today in 2006 champions Chelsea were parading £30m man Andriy Shevchenko as they took on FA Cup winners Liverpool at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. See how he got on here.

1936 – Hitler Applies for the 1942 World Cup

FOR millions around the world, football is more than just a game. The impact of the world’s most popular sport is not just felt on the pitch, but across the whole of culture and society. It is no surprise therefore, that politicians have always used the game as a way to tap into the psyche of their people, be it Tony Blair playing keepy-uppy with Kevin Keegan or Adolf Hitler applying to host the 1942 World Cup, as he did on this day in 1936. Read on here.

He was good, honest.

August 12 – He Heart Huckerby and Rioch Sacked

The pre-cursor to the Wenger era at Arsenal and a journeyman striker lets us pigeonhole a gag on our favourite existential comedy in.

1996 – Arsenal Sack Rioch

BEFORE Arsene Wenger was appointed Arsenal manager in 1996, George Graham had enjoyed nearly 10 successful years at the Gunners’ helm before he was fired after the bungs scandal.

Often forgotten is another Arsenal manager who’s reign in North London was sandwiched between that of Wenger and Graham: Bruce Rioch. Read on here…

1999 – He Heart Huckerby

TODAY in 1999 David O’Leary was proving that he was getting the hang of this spending money lark, as he signed Coventry City striker Darren Huckerby for £6m. Read all about it here.

Huckerby makes a splash in the MLS