February 22 – Take Your Pick | On This Football Day

February 22 – Take Your Pick

DUE to popular demand and after being inundated by literally one request to reprise the Pic ‘n’ Mix selection we offered you back in January, we’ve decided to revisit the format and offer you a round up of the stories that were making the news on this day in football history.

First up we travel back to 1958 when British football was reeling in the wake of the Munich air crash. Today Manchester United had to play their first league game since the crash. The team, being led by assistant manager Jimmy Murphy while Sir Matt Busby was recovering, had taken on Sheffield Wednesday in the Cup two days before which they won 3-0. The programme for the match declared “United will go on”, and they did. A goal from Scottish centre-forward Alex Dawson meant United drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford. Duncan Edwards had finally succumbed to his injuries and died the day before.

We’ve already told you about the day when the weather put paid to more fixtures than any other but today in 1979 the most-delayed ever fixture in British football was finally played.

Falkirk were due to host Inverness Caledonian Thistle on January 6 for a Scottish Cup second-round tie at their Kings Mill ground. Unfortunately the pitch was declared unplayable, as it was on a further 28 – yes 28! – occasions before eventually the playing surface was deemed suitable for a game, on this day. Caley Thistle were probably wishing it had been postponed again when four first half goals helped Falkirk progress to the next round. After all that, they were then beaten three days later by a late penalty at Dundee to end one of the longest and most pointless cup campaigns in history.

We’re shooting forward to 1997 in the OTFD DeLorean now as we look at two records of very different kinds. The first involves a controversial game between Plymouth Argyle and Chesterfield. If we tell you that one Bruce Grobbelaar was keeping goal for Plymouth you’re probably expecting us to follow that up by telling you about a betting scandal at the match, but we’re not going to do that. No, the game is record breaking simply for the number of red cards brandished: five in all, making it the red-cardiest match in English football history. It all kicked off after a mass brawl which was instigated by Grobelaar claiming to have been injured.

The Guinness Book of Record pisses all over those chips though with a match between Sportivo Ameliano and General Caballero in Paraguay which saw a crazy 20 players sent off. Barmy.

On the very same day David Beckham was setting a record of his own when he scored the fastest goal in British football ever recorded as Manchester United took on Chelsea. Becks goal was clocked at 97.9mph which is pretty damn quick.

This day in 2004 was described by Arsene Wenger as “one of the most important dates in our history.” The reason he was was so cock-a-hoop (why does no one use that phrase anymore?) is that the Gunners had secured the bucket loads of cash they needed to build their shiny new stadium.

“It has been a big target of mine to participate in pushing the club forward and relocating to a new stadium is a necessity as it will enable us to become of one the biggest clubs in the world,” said the famously short-sighted Frenchman. “I love the fact that the new site is so close to Highbury,” he addeed. The new Emirates Stadium opened in 2006 – amazingly right on schedule.

To finish we are remembering a player who was in large part responsible for one of the biggest world cup shocks of all time. Uruguayan goalkeeper Roque Maspoli was net-tending at the 1950 World Cup and managed to keep the celebrated Brazilian team at bay in the final and thus help Uruguay to win the Cup. Maspoli passed away on this day in 2004 but he will never be forgotten for his part in what is still remembered as The Fateful Final in Brazil.

We’ll leave you with some footage of Maspoli’s finest hour and the story of a dramatic resignation, also from this day in football’s history. More tomorrow pop pickers so keep it OTFD.