July 29 – Victory for Iraq and Happy Birthday Graham Poll

Here’s what we were bringing you back in ‘07 and ‘08

IF YOU were unlucky enough to have been an Iraqi international footballer during the Saddam Hussein era then a bad performance meant a whole lot more than a slating in the press. Under the auspices of Saddam’s eldest son Uday, who was the head of Iraq’s national Olympic Association, poor performances were punished by lashings, being pushed into vats of sewage or even spells in a prison that would make Midnight Express look like a stroll in the park. We wouldn’t even wish that on Joey Barton.

Today in 2007 the Iraqi side gave their fans something to smile about, as they beat Saudi Arabia to win the Asian Cup as their nation struggled to rebound from the American-led invasion four years earlier. Read the full story here.

Happy Birthday Graham Poll

Bad news for football fans everywhere. Graham Poll’s going to have cards in his hands again today. But don’t worry, they’ll only be birthday cards from the two (or maybe three – it’s so hard to keep count sometimes) people that the Thing from Tring didn’t annoy during his 26-year refereeing career. Read all about it…