August 5 – Penalty Shoot-Outs and Russian Oligarchs Hit English Football

Today saw two of the most exciting/depressing developments in English football. The test of nerve/lottery of the penalty shoot-out and mega investment/financial doping of foreign big-wigs in the game.

2003 – Red Rom Flexes His Muscles

WHEN news came out of Roman Abramovich’s takeover of Chelsea in July 2003 no one really knew what to expect. Would this mysterious billionaire Russian splash the cash and bring in the world’s best players or was the whole thing part of a bigger Hank Scorpio-esque plan centring on world domination?

Today in 2003 Abramovich showed he meant business when he got the chequebook out and signed the midfield pairing of Joe Cole and Juan Sebastian Veron for £6.6m and £15m respectively. What could go wrong? Click here to find out.

1970 – First British Match Decided By Penalty Shoot-out

IF there is one thing England fans dread at every major tournament, it is a penalty shoot-out.
Including the 1990 World Cup, England have exited three world cups and two European Championships thanks to profligacy from the spot, losing out to Germany and Portugal (both twice), and Argentina.

Even when they did win one in the quarter final against Spain in Euro 96, it was only to prolong the agony as Germany eliminated the team on penalties in the semi.

Penalties have always been a cruel way to decide a match, and it was on this day in 1970 that Hull City became the first British casualty of the shoot-out as they lost at home to Manchester United in the long-forgotten Watney Mann Invitation Cup. Click here for some pub quiz trivia fodder.