FOOTY FAIR

Throwback Thursdays: The FC Schalke 04 Scandal

2016-08-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

FC Schalke 04, one of the more famous names in German football, were involved in a scandal nearly ninety years ago that for a brief moment looked to have put the club's existence in jeopardy.

Prior to the start of the Bundesliga in 1963-1964, German football was comprised of a collection of sub-regional and part-time leagues.

In the late 1920's the regional Western German league saw the emergence of a powerful side from Gelsenkirchen who at that stage called themselves FC Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04.

The club won the title in 1929 and 1930, but on 25 August 1930, the league banned fourteen players of their players for receiving illegal payments.

After an investigation by German football authorities, it turned out that the club had paid the players ten Reichsmarks instead of the maximum five for away matches.

In an era of strict amateurism in German sport, along with economic hardship in the country, this was considered an outrage and the league had no choice but to come down heavy on Schalke.

The players, including star striker Ernst Kuzorra, were banned for the entire 1930-31 season. In addition to this, eight members of the Schalke board were suspended and sadly club treasurer Willie Nier committed suicide by drowning himself in the midst of the scandal.

It was a dark period for the club, but they would return with a vengeance by winning the 1932 and 1933 titles after the ban had run it's course.

Although Schalke have had their ups and downs in the decades since, in terms of membership they are still the second largest club in Germany behind Bayern Munich.

Throwback Thursdays: Beckham Announces Himself to the World (1996)

2016-08-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

On the 17th of August 1996, Manchester United kicked off the defense of their English Premier League title with a 3-0 away win over Wimbledon at Selhurst Park.

A fairly routine sounding win over a side that would be uprooted to Milton Keynes within a few years may seem to the average reader like a pretty nondescript article for a Throwback Thursday piece, but the third goal in this contest changed the life of one of United's players and catapulted him to stardom few footballers have experienced before or since.

Before that 90th minute strike though, Eric Cantona the mercurial Frenchman who had led United to the league and cup double in 1995-1996 opened the scoring with a well struck effort in the 25th minute.

The always reliable Irish left-back Denis Irwin then doubled the Reds advantage on 58 minutes.

With the points already in the bag, and the match almost at it's conclusion, David Beckham received the ball just inside his own half and spotted Neil Sullivan off his line.

Beckham, at that point had made 42 league appearances for the club and was recognized as a key piece of the young side that had taken the club to such unexpected heights the previous season. He was about to become a superstar though.

Moving up towards the halfway line, Beckham hammered a hard, looping shot towards Sullivan's goal.

Racing back to try and keep it out, the helpless Sullivan could only look on as the ball sailed past him and into the net.

Beckham would then find himself on the cover of all the major British sports pages the next day and the boy from Leytonstone would quickly become a household name.

The United winger would later say of that goal: "It changed my life. The ball seemed to be in the air for hours and it all went quiet. Then the ball went in and it just erupted. I was on cloud nine. I just wanted to shake everybody's hand and be out on the pitch for an hour."

Beckham would go from strength to strength as he helped United defend their league title that season.

Success on the pitch also led to much attention off of it, and when he started dating Spice Girl singer Victoria Adams in 1997 the famous couple came to be dubbed "Posh and Becks" by the British Press.

David Beckham the footballer, almost overnight, became Brand Beckham.

Throwback Thursdays: The 1996 Summer Olympic Games - When The Super Eagles Soared

2016-08-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

What do Jay-Jay Okocha, Kanu, Javier Zanetti, Hernan Crespo, Rivaldo and the original Ronaldo all have in common?

The answer is that they all took part in a terrific Olympic football tournament in the United States in 1996, that would see Nigeria walk away with the gold twenty years ago this week.

Football has a long, but somewhat strained, history in the Summer Olympic with early battles over whether or not professionals should be allowed to participate in the games and what in fact defined a footballer as a professional.

The timing of the Olympics also doesn't sit well with clubs in Europe in particular, as it clashes with either their preseason training or the early part of their schedules.

The importance that nations place on the Olympic football tournament also varies from country to country.

But in 1996 a talented group of youngsters from Nigeria, led by Dutch coach Jo Bonfrere, took their place in America as one of the 16 nations vying for a gold medal. They would show the world that football at an Olympic Games can be every bit as exciting as that which is played at other more prestigious tournaments.

Drawn in a opening group containing Hungary, Japan and a star studded Brazilian side, Nigeria saw off the Hungarians with a goal from Ajax star Kanu, and then crucially defeated a Japanese side who had stunned Brazil in their opener with goals from Tijani Babangida and Okocha.

Brazil, with a goal from Ronaldo, stopped Nigeria from obtaining maximum points when they defeated them 1-0 in Miami.

With Brazil, Nigeria and Japan all tied at six points at the end of the group stage, it was goal difference that saw Brazil and Nigeria advance to the Quarter-Finals at the expense of the Asian side.

A fine victory over Mexico, with goals by Okocha and future Chelsea defender Celestine Babayaro, eased the Super Eagles into a return engagement with Brazil in the Semi-Final.

Facing a Brazilian side that contained the likes of Bebeto, Juninho, Dida, Roberto Carlos and Rivaldo, to go along with "The Phenomenon" himself Ronaldo, the odds were definitely stacked against the West Africans.

When Flávio Conceição put Brazil up 1-0 with only a minute played, Nigeria's fans surely feared the worst. But with the Super Eagles playing their way back into it, they forced Roberto Carlos to slice the ball into his own net on 20 minutes to draw level.

Unbowed, Brazil's 1994 World Cup winning striker Bebeto fired the South Americans back in front on 28 minutes before Conceição doubled their advantage ten minutes later. Up 3-1 at half-time, Nigeria's dream of Olympic gold seemed to be over.

As the minutes ticked away in the second half, Brazil confidentially controlled the ball and seemed to be conserving themselves for an eventual final against their old rivals Argentina.

With just over ten minutes to play though, Monaco's Victor Ikpeba found the net from 20 metres to give his team a bit of life and then on 90 minutes the impossible happened. Kanu took advantage of a mad scramble in the box to force an equalizer and send the match into extra-time.

The 78,587 fans in Athens, Georgia had been treated to a wonderful spectacle and they were in for an incredible conclusion. Only three minutes into extra-time that man Kanu picked up the ball outside the box, dribbled around a hapless Brazil defender before dispatching the golden goal winner. It was truly one of the greatest football matches seen at an Olympic Games.

Standing in Nigeria's way in the final though was another glittering side in Argentina that contained players such as Claudio Lopez, Ariel Ortega, Roberto Ayala, Diego Simeone, Hernan Crespo and Jose Chamot in their squad.

Again, Nigeria would find themselves down early as Lopez found the net on three minutes to put the South Americans in front. Celestine Babayaro responded for the Super Eagles on 28 minutes and the sides went in at the half deadlocked at one apiece.

Hernan Crespo, who would later become the most expensive player in the world, fired Argentina ahead again from the spot on 50 minutes.

Taribo West, who would enjoy a fine career at clubs such as Auxerre, Inter and AC Milan, was devastated after allowing himself to get drawn into fouling Ortega in the box.

At that point even the most ardent Nigerian supporter could have been forgiven for thinking that their wonderful run was about to come to a disappointing conclusion.

But proving that their heroics against Brazil weren't a fluke, Nigeria kept going at their illustrious opponents and on 74 minutes Daniel Amokachi looped in an equalizer over the head of Argentine keeper Pablo Cavallero.

Deadlocked at 2-2, Argentina nearly found themselves ahead again soon after Amokachi's equalizer, when Lopez forced a fine save out of Joseph Dosu in the Nigerian goal.

Then with only a minute remaining Emmanuel Amunike beat an terribly botched offside trap by the South Americans to seal an unlikely win for the Super Eagles and an Olympic gold medal.

Throwback Thursdays: Brazil 1970 - The Greatest World Cup Side of Them All

2016-07-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

On 21 June 1970, the side who are often cited as the greatest team to ever grace a World Cup, Mario Zagallo's Brazil, defeated Italy 4-1 in Mexico City.

The flowing football played by the Brazilians in the final, was encapsulated by Carlos Alberto's wondrous team goal that rounded off the scoring.

With Tostão picking up the ball in his own half with five minutes to play, he casually rolled the ball back to Brito who then moved it on to Clodoaldo who rather brilliantly dribbled past four Italian players. Pele, Gérson and Clodoaldo then played played the ball around in an intricate triangle, toying with their opponents in an embarrassingly easy manner. Clodoaldo then sent the ball wide left to Rivelino who found Jairzinho streaking down the line. Brazil's leading scorer then clipped the ball to Pele who rolled a perfect pass out to Carlos Alberto, who lashed the ball home.

In the forty-six years since this final, it's hard to recall a better team goal. This was Joga Bonito at it's finest.

It was also a crowning achievement for Pele after he had vowed to never play in the World Cup again after being kicked off the pitch by Bulgarian and Portuguese defenders in 1966 and missing most of Brazil's 1962 campaign with injury.

Going back on that decision in 1969, he became the centerpiece for a rebuilt Brazilian side that featured legends such as Rivelino, Jairzinho, Gérson, Carlos Alberto Torres, Tostão and Clodoaldo.

It has been forgotten in the dusty pages of history though that it was not a dead certainty that they would lift the Jules Rimet Trophy for a third time that summer.

Brazil had changed managers before the finals, and many observers felt that there were simply too many artists and not enough workers in their squad. Zagallo, who had won the World Cup twice as a player (1958 and 1962), would go some way in proving any of the doubters wrong.

Paired with England, Romania and Czechoslovakia in the opening group stage, they kicked off their campaign with a thumping 4-1 win over the Czechs.

In perhaps their toughest match of the finals, they saw off the reigning champions from England 1-0 in their second opening group match to effectively secure their place in the Quarter-Finals. They would edge past Romania 3-2 to take the top spot in the group.

In the first knockout round, they would coast past Peru 4-2, with Tostão scoring a couple of terrific goals.

A 3-1 victory over Uruguay in the Semi-Finals saw Brazil through to the final, where they would brush aside a talented Italian squad.

In summarizing the Seleção's triumph, sports writer Jeff Powell commented: "Brazil '70 were a team of superstars dedicated not just to a cause but an ideal, a dream of what football should be."

A fitting tribute to a wonderful side.

Throwback Thursdays: How Greece Shocked the World and Won Euro 2004

2016-07-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

Whenever an underdog upsets the odds by coming out of nowhere to achieve victory in a prestigious competition, like this past seasons English Premier League champions Leicester City, it's typically celebrated by neutrals and perceived as a feel good story for the ages.

Greece's unlikely triumph at the 2004 UEFA European Championships, although an absolutely incredible achievement, isn't quite viewed in the same rose tinted light as other David toppling Goliath stories though.

For a nation that hadn't qualified for a European finals since 1980 and had been dumped out of their only World Cup appearance in 1994 at the group stage, scoring zero goals while allowing ten, very little was expected of them heading into Euro 2004 in Portugal.

After failing to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, the Greek Football Association handed the managerial reigns over to the experienced German manager Otto Rehhagel and immediately he began to exert his will on the squad.

A strict disciplinarian, who favours a rigid defensive style, Rehhagel reshaped the Greek setup by devising a tactical system to fit their squad that emphasized strict man marking and defensive approach that made them very difficult to break down.

Greece qualified for Euro 2004 on the back of six wins out of eight in their qualifying group, including a key victory in Spain which propelled them ahead of La Roja as the top placed finishers in the group.

They appeared to have their work cut out for them at the finals though when they were placed in a group with Spain (again), hosts Portugal, and Russia.

With expectations in check, their campaign got off to a flying start as goals from Giorgos Karagounis and Angelos Basinas saw them spoil the hosts party with a 2-1 win in the tournament opener and they would then follow that up with a battling 1-1 draw with Spain thanks to a goal from Angelos Charisteas.

Despite a 2-1 loss to Russia in their final group match they edged out Spain for a spot in the Quarter-Finals.

Facing the reigning European Champions France though, few gave Greece much of a hope against the Zinedine Zidane led side that also featured stars such as Robert Pires and Thierry Henry in their ranks.

Another goal from Charisteas gave Greece an unlikely lead, and with Rehhagel's suffocating defensive setup stifled the French attack they were unbelievably through to the Semi-Final.

In their way stood an impressive Czech Republic side who had been, arguably, the best team to watch in the competition. Although, Greece were the definite underdogs their unattractive, defensive style of play had many neutrals hoping that the Czech's would progress at their expense to the final.

Again though, Greece shutdown their opponents much vaunted attack and an extra-time goal from Traianos Dellas sent them through to the final against Portugal.

The Greeks, who were 100 to 1 outsiders before the tournament, had both amazed but also sickened football fans with their progress as they had proven that an unfancied nation could make it to a major final, but they had done so playing extremely negative football.

With the hosts almost certain of their first victory in a major tournament at hand, neutral observers such as myself were caught between wanting to witness the sight of an international footballing minnow such as Greece winning the tournament verses seeing a much more attractive football side like the favourites from Portugal collect the Henri Delaunay trophy.

Prior to the match Barry Glendenning of The Guardian billed Greece as "the only underdogs in history that everyone wants to see get beaten."

Regardless of what anyone thought of them and their supposed anti-football, Greece proceeded to shackle the Portuguese attack in the first half and into the second before some poor marking on a corner by the hosts saw Angelos Charisteas put the underdogs into the lead on 57 minutes.

Despite the efforts of Luis Figo and company, a country that had never won a match a major tournament in it's entire history before 2004 saw out the final 33 minutes plus injury time and completed one of the biggest ever shocks in international football.

Greek fans will be excused for not caring one iota what anyone thinks about their unlikely triumph 12 years ago.

Throwback Thursdays: Ronaldo and Brazil's Redemption in Japan

2016-06-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

Heading into the 1998 World Cup the most famous player on the planet was Brazil's seemingly unstoppable striker Ronaldo.

The star packed Brazilian side heading to France that year, with Ronaldo at the forefront, was widely expected to repeat their Cup winning exploits of USA 94 but to do it with a bit more style than they had four years previous.

Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan and that squad has become better known for a flashy advertisement they did for Nike in an airport and also for their against France in the 1998 World Cup Final. Ronaldo, football's brightest light, had suffered a reported seizure on the eve of the match and was completely ineffective against the hosts.

A determined Brazil, under manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, returned to football's biggest stage in 2002 hoping to go one further though and this time they would not be denied. Although the side under 'Big Phil' was a bit more pragmatic than the "Joga Bonito" side of 1998, any squad featuring the scintillating talents of Ronaldo, Rivaldo and newcomer Ronaldinho was never going to be dull.

After winning all three of their group matches rather handily, Brazil saw off Belgium 2-0 in the Round of 16 before edging out England 2-1 in the Quarter-Final and a surprising Turkey side 1-0 in the Semi-Final.

On 30 June 2002 at the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan, Brazil took on Germany with another chance to capture a record fifth World Cup crown.

Although he was not perhaps the force he had been four years previous, thanks to a series of injuries in the intervening years, Ronaldo had still lit up the tournament in Japan/South Korea with six goals and he wasn't finished.

A mistake by German keeper Oliver Kahn in the 67th-minute let Ronaldo in for the opening goal of the final, and doubled his sides advantage on 79 minutes after beating the Bayern number one from the top of the box.

That was all the scoring Brazil needed as they saw out the match and went on to the lift the World Cup trophy once again.

Throwback Thursdays: Euro '96 - The Year Football Came Home

2016-06-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

Growing up in Canada as a displaced in Brit in the 1980's meant hiding my accent, while also taking special care to not slip up and utter any of the slangs my family still used. Because being different in small town Ontario at that time meant being teased or beaten up.

Besides small town prejudice, the biggest sport in Canada, hockey, had characters like Harold Ballard and Don Cherry mocking Europeans on TV or in print with not even thinly veiled racism about their supposed weak willed character. Simply put, on the school yards and likely elsewhere it wasn't always the most tolerant society back then.

Even though some of us played football, or soccer rather, in the school playground or with local recreational teams no one followed the professional game. I would get funny looks whenever I would wear a English club kit to school and people would poke fun at "that foreign sport with the sponsor's name on the front's of the jerseys".

Besides the World Cup, coverage of football over here was minimal with the FA Cup Final being the only club match broadcast in its entirety. Even that wasn't always shown live, but rather on tape delay.

In high school I met a guy who had just moved over from Scotland and finally I had someone to talk to about football, along with a buddy to swap issues of Shoot, Match and 90 Minutes with.

On a larger scale though, culturally things began to change around that time. Soccer Saturday launched on TSN in Canada and it started exposing more people to the game. Some pubs, which became my Saturday morning havens, started showing full matches on satellite.

Then one day I saw a video on Much Music called "Boys and Girls" by Blur.

Unlike most bands from the UK that appeared in videos over here or on our airwaves at that time, Blur didn't try to disguise their Englishness. They both celebrated it and poked fun at aspects of it. Other British bands with similar attitudes began to break at that time, and then along came the most English band of them all: Oasis.

Suddenly, for the first time in my life it was cool to be English. And I fucking liked being cool for once.

I spent the summer of 1995 in England and you could feel a vibe of optimism in the air that had seemed lacking when I had visited during the 1980's. The Conservatives looked like they were on the way out, British music ruled and the Premier League was on the cusp of becoming the greatest show on earth.

As for the national side, after England's failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup in America there wasn't the expectation that they would do anything that special at the 1996 UEFA European Championships, even though they were hosting the tournament.

But during the long two and half years of friendlies before the tournament, manager Terry Venables had figured out a system to get the best out of the players he had available. He had devised a continental setup utilizing wing backs, as well a deep lying striker in Teddy Sheringham who would brilliantly play off of goalscorer supreme Alan Shearer.

Although none of us knew what to expect, at the height of Britpop anything seemed possible.

A few weeks prior to the tournament, comedians Frank Skinner and David Baddiel, in collaboration with indie pop group The Lightning Seeds, released an official single for the English national side entitled "Three Lions". Not only did the song cheerily mix pessimistic British humour with flashbacks to a glorious past and a dash of optimism for good measure, it was incredibly catchy and it ended up rocketing to number one on the British music charts. It was that sort of summer.

Although England's campaign got off to a slow start with a 1-1 draw with Switzerland, a 2-0 victory over the Auld Enemy (Scotland) seemed to send the hype machine into overdrive.

The match, which featured a penalty save by David Seaman and a goal for the ages from Paul Gascoigne, was capped off by Gazza's cheeky 'dentist chair' celebration which poked fun at the squad's drunken hi-jinks in the Far East prior to the tournament.

But up next came the Netherlands, a real test considering the quality of a squad largely made up of Ajax players who had won the UEFA Champions League a year earlier.

Venables side didn't just beat the Netherlands though, they destroyed them. In brushing aside the Dutch 4-1, they played arguably the best football in a competitive fixture in my lifetime and I'm including the 5-1 win in 2001 in Germany in that assessment.

A quarterfinal win over Spain on penalty kick's setup a meeting with Germany in the semi finals, and of course it would all end in tears when poor Gareth Southgate missed England's final penalty in another shootout.

Germany would go on to defeat the Czech Republic 2-1 in the final.

It had been a wonderful tournament for England though, as they had earned back some respect and had gotten an often divided country behind them.

Unfortunately, we didn't realize at the time that Euro 96 was the end of an era.

England, to date, would never again make it as far as a semi finals in a major tournament, Britpop would destroy itself with cocaine fueled overindulgence, New Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair would turn out to be a fraud for the ages who would toss aside the core values of the labour movement while also plunging Britain into the quagmire of Iraq, the economy would hit the skids, social issues that had probably always existed got a hell of a lot worse, and now Britain stands on the verge of leaving the European Union.

It's an uncertain time, and I guess I can't be blamed for thinking back with rose tinted nostalgia to that warm summer of 1996 when the Three Lions were briefly great and it was cool to be English.

Throwback Thursdays: Ajax Introduce the World to Total Football

2016-06-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

Exactly forty-five years ago today, Amsterdam powerhouse Ajax won the first of their eventual three straight European Cups by defeating Panathinaikos 2-0 at Wembley Stadium in London.

For Ajax it was their second trip to the final, following a 4-1 defeat to AC Milan in 1969.

Throughout much of their history Ajax had a tradition of playing exciting attacking football, but it would be after the appointment of former player Rinus Michels as manager in 1965 that the club would forge the identity that the Dutch giants are known for today.

Building upon Ajax's existing ethos for playing a passing game and adapting the ideas of Gusztáv Sebes, who had managed a flexible and exhilarating Hungarian national side in the 1950's, Michels implemented a system that would come to be coined "Total Football".

Although his side played in a basic 4-3-3 formation, the Ajax players were well drilled in picking up positions left vacated by a teammate making a run. The team shape and the spacing between players was never lost, as players rotated across the pitch.

In order to play this system, the player needed to be exceptionally fit and possess great spatial awareness, so they could easily pickup where they should move and where they should not in relation to their teammates and opponents.

Their opponents in the final were Athens side Panathinaikos, who are still the only Greek club to make it to the final of the European Cup.

Thanks to high scoring forward Antonis Antoniadis and under the watchful eye of manager Ferenc Puskás, the legendary former Hungarian striker, the Greek side had reached the final with impressive aggregate wins over Everton and Red Star Belgrade.

After taking a 5th-minute lead through Dick van Dijk it was Ajax's defense, rather than their much lauded attack, that came to the fore as they completely negated their opponents forwards.

Antoniadis struggled to get into the game, and the gig was up in the 87th minute when Arie Haan added a second for Ajax.

Despite Michels departure for Barcelona following this victory, over the next two seasons the Amsterdam club would go on to win two more European Cups, making it three in succession.

Throwback Thursdays: The Last Time Manchester United Struggled to Replace a Successful Manager

2016-05-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

Spanish philosopher George Santayana famously once said that "Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it". It's a salient point, but one that Manchester United seem to have not heeded.

With Louis van Gaal being relieved of his managerial duties this week, his two years in charge will largely be characterized by some of the worst football seen at Old Trafford in decades despite a £250 million transfer outlay. Regardless of the FA Cup win this past Saturday, the club's first since 2004, there are few Reds that are sorry to see him go.

Van Gaal joins David Moyes as the second manager to fail to carry on the success of Sir Alex Ferguson, who retired after 26 trophy laden seasons in 2013.

For United there is an eerie parallel to the aftermath of Sir Matt Busby calling time on his brilliant managerial career in 1969.

The previous year, Busby's side had become the first English club to capture the European Cup by virtue of a stirring 4-1 extra time win over Benfica at Wembley.

Although Shay Brennan (31), Bobby Charlton (30) and Bill Foulkes (36) were perhaps entering the latter stages of their careers, the majority of the side that defeated the Portuguese champions was in their mid to late 20's. With the mercurial George Best aged only 22, and about to be awarded the Ballon d'Or, there was no reason to believe that United were on the verge of relinquishing their position as one of the best sides in not only England, but Europe.

At the end of the 1968-1969 season though, the recently knighted Busby decided to retire and in his place he led the club towards appointing youth team coach Wilf McGuinness.

The affable McGuinness was a United man through and through, having been with the club since he was a kid before breaking through as a wing half with the famous Busby Babes. He missed the fateful trip to Red Star Belgrade in February 1958 and the subsequent tragedy of the Munich Air Disaster due to being out with an injury.

It was an injury that brought a premature end to his playing career at age 22 in 1959, coming only months after making his England debut.

A successful stint coaching the reserves at the club, following the sad end of his playing career, led to his shock appointment as first team boss following Busby's retirement.

The baffled media had marked down Celtic's Jock Stein or Leeds United's Don Revie as the most likely successors to Busby, so it was a great surprise to all when the 31-year-old was elevated to the Old Trafford hotseat.

In a scenario that would almost be played out again involving Ferguson's anointment of David Moyes in 2013, Busby hadn't even bothered to ask McGuinness if he really wanted the role. He simply told him to show up to work the next day wearing a tie.

Immediately there were problems as the young boss struggled to control a squad with several players his own age and many big personalities who had won everything there is to win in football.

Busby, who was still in charge of recruitment, gave McGuinness further problems with his differing ideas in the transfer market. McGuinness also felt that he wasn't being given adequate support from his predecessor and others within the club hierarchy.

George Best also caused the manager headaches as his off field affairs and long descent into alcoholism began to affect his play. This in turn caused rifts in the dressing room when McGuinness was seen as not dealing firmly enough with the wayward star.

After a season and a half in charge, United cut their losses and relieved McGuinness of his duties. So shocked was he by his dismissal, the former Busby Babe lost his hair overnight.

After Busby briefly returned to the dugout to finish out the 1970-1971 season, Frank O'Farrell, the club's next appointee, also failed to lift United out of the doldrums as several of his signings didn't work out and he struggled to deal with expectations.

Like McGuinness, his reign would last only 18 months.

It would take the appointment of Tommy Docherty, the third man to follow Busby, to eventually get the club back on track, something present day Reds are hoping Jose Mourinho is able to do with the current squad.

Throwback Thursdays - 2001: The Year Boavista Stopped 'The Big Three'

2016-05-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

Since it's founding in 1934, Portugal's Primeira Liga has been absolutely dominated by three clubs: Benfica, Porto and Sporting CP.

In 82 seasons of league play these teams have accounted for 80 league titles with Benfica scooping up 35 championships, Porto winning it 27 times, and Sporting CP finishing on top 18 times.

Even leagues such as the top flight's of Scotland and Spain, which have been dominated by a couple of clubs themselves, have never seen such historical dominance by their country's biggest sides.

While club's like Aberdeen in Scotland or Atletico Madrid in Spain have popped up over the years to win titles in their respective leagues, no club has come close to challenging the supremacy of Benfica, Porto and Sporting CP in Portugal over a sustained period.

Lisbon side Belenenses captured the first title not won by one of "Os Três Grandes" (The Big Three) in 1945-1946, but for more than half a century they stood as an anomaly in the Portuguese footballing record books.

Fifteen years ago this week though, the city of Porto's 'second' club, Boavista F.C. who are perhaps better known for their chequered black and white shirts, and also for being one of the more diverse sporting clubs in the country with teams in 16 different sports, rocked the established order and captured the Primeira Liga title.

Under the inspired management of former Portuguese international Jaime Pacheco, Boavista not only conceded the least amount of goals (22) in the league over the course of the 2000-2001 season but also finished second only to Porto in goals scored (63).

Heading into their final match of the season on 18 May 2001, against the already relegated Desportivo das Aves, a win would hand Boavista the title, but anything less would see Porto claim yet another Portuguese crown.

Any nerves were calmed in the 23rd minute when Aves' defender Jose Soares put one through his own net before Brazilian striker Elpídio Silva put "As Panteras" (The Panthers) two up on 48 minutes.

In the 65th minute a goal from substitute Augusto Silva Wheliton put the match beyond doubt as Boavista became the first side outside of The Big Three in 55 years to capture the title.

Throwback Thursdays: Pascal Chimbonda's Tricky Transfer Request

2016-05-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

Ten years ago this week, Wigan Athletic concluded their successful 2005-2006 campaign finishing in an unexpected tenth place in the Premier League table, while also making it to the League Cup Final.

While a memorable season in itself, the final day of Wigan's campaign was to end in absurdity thanks to defender Pascal Chimbonda.

On 7 May 2006, Wigan finished up their season with a 4-2 loss to Arsenal in the last ever match at the Gunners historic Highbury Stadium.

An entertaining match, that had seen Arsenal storm back from 2-1 down thanks to a Thierry Henry hat-trick, should have been the main story of the day as the grand old ground closed it's doors for good. But the Latics were going to add their own bizarre twist to the proceedings.

As Wigan's players made their way off the pitch, manager Paul Jewell stood on the touch line congratulating each of them for a hard fought season.

When he came to Chimbonda though, instead of the Frenchman offering Jewell his hand he reached into his sock and pulled out a printed transfer request.

Talk about being prepared.

The incensed manager and his boss, club owner Dave Whelan, stuck a price tag of £6 million on his head and refused any offers below that.

On the final day of the following season's transfer window though they finally caved and sold him onto Spurs for £4.5 million.

While some players have a few great tricks up their sleeves, be aware that some may have a few dubious ones down their socks.

Throwback Thursdays: Bert Trautmann's Neck Breaking Heroics

2016-05-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

On 5 May 1956, sixty years ago today, Manchester City won the third FA Cup Final in the club's history by defeating Birmingham City 3-1 at Wembley Stadium.

This particular final is remembered most for the exploits of City goalkeeper Bert Trautmann, a German former POW who had opted to remain in England after the war.

Heading into the final, Trautmann had recently been named Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers' Association, a rare feat for a goalkeeper, but Birmingham were very much the favourites after steamrolling their way to Wembley.

After thrashing Torquay 7-1 in the 3rd round proper, Birmingham then smashed Leyton Orient 4-0, West Bromwich Albion 1-0 and Arsenal 3-1, before easily seeing off Sunderland 3-0 at Hillsborough in the Semi-Final.

The Blues had played every match in their cup run away from home and had scored an impressive 18 goals, while only conceding twice.

Although Manchester City had only edged their way to the final with a succession of one goal victories, they had gotten past Liverpool, Everton and Tottenham on their way to Wembley and were returning to the final after a narrow loss to Newcastle the previous year.

The 100,000 strong crowd in North London for the final saw Manchester City attack Birmingham straight from the kickoff and were quickly rewarded with a goal through Joe Hayes in the third minute.

Deploying forward Don Revie in a withdrawn role that mimicked the tactics of the great Hungarian side that had destroyed England three years before, Man City threatened to further expose the confused Birmingham defense and put the match out of reach in the early going.

Unbowed, the Midlands club dug in and leveled through Noel Kinsey in the 15th minute. Despite chances for either side, the score would stay locked at 1-1 until the hour mark.

As the match edged into the final half hour, some disastrous defending by Birmingham in the 62nd and 64th minute saw Manchester City score through Bobby Johnstone and Jack Dyson.

With Birmingham scrambling to get back into the match, in the 73rd minute a desperate lunge by forward Peter Murphy in the penalty area saw his knee ram straight into Trautmann's neck.

The big German was temporarily knocked unconscious and after being revived by the trainer he was in quite serious pain.

Despite the keeper being unsteady on his feet and clearly dazed, the match was still very much in the days before substitutions so he had no choice but to either leave his side a man short or continue on.

In the final nervy seventeen minutes, Trautmann's defenders did their best to keep Birmingham at bay, but he still had to make a few key saves to maintain his side's lead.

Even with a late aerial collision leaving him prone on the turf for several minutes in agony, Trautmann hung on to see his side through to victory.

After trundling up old Wembley's 39 famous steps to the Royal Box to collect his winner's medal, a concerned Prince Phillip told Trautmann that his neck looked crooked.

Three days later, an x-Ray revealed it turned out that he had dislodged five vertebrae, one of which was broken in two.

It would take almost a year for him to recover, but the brave keeper would play on for City until 1964 and firmly establish himself as a club legend.

Throwback Thursdays: Bolton Overcome West Ham in "The White Horse Final"

2016-04-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

On 21 May 2016, the 135th FA Cup Final will be played at Wembley Stadium in London, England between Manchester United and Crystal Palace.

It's the tenth final of the football world's oldest cup competition to be staged at the new national stadium.

Although the new Wembley saw Chelsea edge out Manchester United in a pretty dull encounter during its maiden season of operation, it's predecessor hosted an altogether more memorable affair when it opened its doors over ninety years ago.

On 28 April 1923, an estimated crowd of 300,000 descended upon Wembley to see West Ham take on Bolton Wanderers for the FA Cup.

The crowd, excited to see the brand new stadium that had cost an estimated £750,000 and in large part to cheer on East London favourites West Ham, were well in excess of the official 125,000 ground capacity.

Crowds surged out from the terraces, and spilled onto the pitch and it took considerable effort from the police to force them back so that the match could be played at all.

In particular, constable George Scorey on his white police horse named Billie did much to clear the pitch and the nickname of "The White Horse Final" was later tacked onto this match by reporters.

The crowds around the pitch still made things interesting for the players, as several were caught up in a tangle of supporters when attempting to take throw-ins or corners and David Jack's thumping second minute goal for Bolton hit a fan standing behind the goal that knocked him unconscious.

Bolton doubled their lead through Jack Smith in the 53rd minute through controversial circumstances, as a pitch side Wanderers supporter appeared to have passed a ball heading into touch up to Ted Vizard, who crossed for Smith to score.

West Ham also protested in vain that the ball hadn't even gone in at all, but had in fact hit the post.

In the midst of the chaos, the Hammers tried to get the match abandoned but the referee waved them away and their opponents hung on to claim the first FA Cup handed out at Wembley.

Following the match, the authorities put in place stricter ticketing and safety restrictions to avoid similar problems at future finals.

Throwback Thursdays: Alvin Martin's Unique Hat-Trick

2016-04-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

Thirty years ago today, West Ham United center back Alvin Martin bagged a rare hat-trick against Newcastle United and it wasn't simply because he was a defender.

At Upton Park, on 21 April 1986, Newcastle keeper Martin Thomas walked onto the pitch nursing a sore shoulder but with the club's reserve keeper out of action the club had few options but to play Thomas.

Martin grabbed the first goal of the day after only four minutes and by halftime, West Ham had grabbed three more to build themselves up a resounding 4-0 lead.

The clearly ailing Thomas was replaced at the half by midfielder Chris Hedworth for the second half and Martin put his second past him.

Unbelievably, Hedworth went down with a damaged collar bone in the 75th minute and he himself was replaced by Peter Beardsley.

The England forward didn't do very well between the sticks either, as he surrendered another three goals to see out a terrible 8-1 thrashing.

Martin scored the final goal of the day, completing a unique hat-trick against three different keepers.

Throwback Thursdays: Luton Town's Joe Payne Hits Rovers for Ten

2016-04-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

Scoring a hattrick in a league match is a great accomplishment, and one that sees you take home the match ball, but what do they give you for scoring ten goals?

On 13 April 1936, eighty years ago this week, Luton Town obliterated Bristol Rovers 12-0 in a Division Three South match with Joe Payne scoring an incredible ten goals.

Payne, who was a reserve team player that only made it into the squad against Rovers due to injuries to Luton's regular strikers, took his chance and scored a record tally for an English League match that still stands to this day.

After his goalscoring exploits against Bristol Rovers, Payne nailed down to a first team spot and would lead Luton to a Third Division title the following season as he found the net an incredible 55 times.

His exploits earned him an England cap, where he scored 2 goals in an 8-0 rout of Finland, and a big money move to Chelsea in 1938.

He continued to find the net with regularity for the West London club, scoring 21 times in 38 appearances, but his career was virtually ended by World War 2 and he would never play for England again following the end of hostilities.

Payne passed away at age 61 in 1975, but his accomplishment of scoring ten goals in one match was honoured with a plaque in front of where his home stood in Chesterfield in 2005 by the Football Association.

Throwback Thursdays: The Start of the MLS

2016-04-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

Twenty years ago this week, the San Jose Clash hosted DC United in Major League Soccer's inaugural match to kickoff the latest chapter in America's difficult, but colourful, relationship with the Beautiful Game.

For over a hundred years football, or soccer as it's referred to in North America, has been played throughout the United States with varying degrees of success.

In fact, the U.S. Open Cup was founded in 1914 making it the third oldest open cup competition in the world. Strong amateur sides such as Bethlehem Steel F.C., who found great success in that competition, were woven into the history of the game in America, as was the occasional shock result by the U.S. National Team like their 1-0 defeat of England in the 1950 World Cup.

Soccer was very much an amateur spectacle in the US though, paling in comparison to the other major North American sports. The professional North American Soccer League, founded in the late 1960's, was the country's first attempt to remedy that.

But like Icarus that league flew too close to the sun with wax wings.

A combination of bringing in overpriced and aging foreign talent, playing in odd markets, a lack of a solid TV deal and an uncomfortable cocktail of an old world sport mixed with American razzle dazzle sunk the league.

The winding up of the NASL in the early 1980's left the state of soccer in America looking grim. Besides a few scattered amateur leagues, indoor tournaments and college soccer, there was much hope for fans of the game in the U.S.

However, FIFA weren't quite willing to abandon this potentially lucrative market just yet and in 1988 the United States was awarded the hosting rights for the 1994 World Cup under the conditions that a Division 1 professional soccer league was established.

The MLS was the result, and the first season would see ten teams compete for American soccer supremacy.

In a break from the traditions of the majority of leagues around the world, the MLS would feature a playoff tournament after the end of the regular league season to determine a champion. The first season also had a countdown clock, which would be paused for stoppages, and drawn matches would be concluded with shootouts.

Fortunately, besides the playoff structure, these bizarre rules would eventually be dropped.

As for that first match, on 6 April 1996, a terrific late goal from U.S. international Eric Wynalda handed the Clash a 1-0 victory over the eventual league champions DC United.

Over 30,000 took in that first match at San Jose's Spartan Stadium, and although the league has had it's stumbles over the years and continues to have it's detractors, it is firmly established on the North American sporting landscape, with most clubs boasting solid attendance figures while the quality of play in the league continuing to improve.

Throwback Thursdays: David "Rocky" Rocastle

2016-03-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

In the early hours of March 31, 2001 former Arsenal hero and England international David "Rocky" Rocastle lost his brave battle with cancer, succumbing to Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma at 33 years of age.

Although there have been more talented and decorated players for Arsenal, there have been few who were as beloved as Rocky.

Born in Lewisham, London to Caribbean parents, Rocastle started his youth career with Arsenal as a 15 year old in 1982. A smooth dribbling but hard working midfielder with an eye for goal, by 1984 he had debuted for the first team squad before eventually becoming a regular during the 1985-1986 season.

In 1987 he forever endeared himself to the Arsenal faithful by scoring a late winner against rivals Tottenham at White Hart Lane in the League Cup semi-final, a competition the Gunners would ultimately win. Believe it or not, Arsenal didn't have the best of records at the Lane during that period, so this was a massive result for the club.

In September of 1988, Rocky made his debut for England which little did he know at the time would kick off a memorable season.

Playing in every match for the Gunners during a memorable 1988-1989 campaign, he would be at the heart of a side involved in one of the greatest title races ever.

Fighting all season long for the league championship with the dominant team of the era, Liverpool, Rocastle and his Arsenal teammates went into a season ending crunch match at Anfield that the Gunners had to win to tie the Merseyside outfit on points at the top of the table.

But a win alone wouldn't be enough, as they had to do it by two clear goals to snatch the title by virtue of more goals scored, as they would also be tied on goals difference if Arsenal won by a two goal margin.

After a scoreless first half, Arsenal took the lead through Alan Smith seven minutes after the break to edge the Gunners close to the title. Liverpool dug in though, and it looked like Arsenal were going to fall agonizingly short before Michael Thomas scored a last gasp goal in injury time to send the title to Highbury for the first time in 18 years.

Rocky and his teammates that he emerged from the youth side with, like Paul Merson and Tony Adams, would lead the Gunners to another title in 1990-1991.

Departing for Leeds in 1992, he spent a lone season at Elland Road before stints with Manchester City and Chelsea. Injury hampered much of his later career, so these clubs never quite saw the best of him.

In total, Rocastle played 14 times for England over a career where he was as popular with fans for his warm personality off the pitch as he was for his skillful play on it.

Retiring at age 31 through injury, within two years he had lost a short but terrible battle with cancer leaving a wife, two young daughters and a son behind.

His passing came just before a North London derby, and despite fears that a moment of silence for Rocky would be interrupted, Spurs fans remained dignified as their tearful rivals paid tribute to one of their departed heroes.

Throwback Thursdays: Johan Cruyff - The Total Footballer

2016-03-24T09:45:00.000-04:00

In the lead up to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, I wrote a short piece on the legendary Johan Cruyff and his impact on the 1974 World Cup. With the sad news this morning that the Dutch maestro has died of cancer at age 68, I thought it appropriate to re-post that article for Throwback Thursday.

Our thoughts are with Mr. Cruyff's family and friends at this time.
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In the long history of football, how many players have had a move named after them and, on top of that, have had their name become synonymous with an entire system of play?

Thanks to the great Johan Cruyff, and the brilliant Dutch side he led to the 1974 World Cup Final, the Cruyff Turn and Total Football are integral parts of the football lexicon.

Prior to the late 1960's, the Netherlands were considered to be minnows of European football, often suffering humiliating defeats in internationals.

With the advent of a professional league in 1954, and the subsequent emergence of Feyenoord and Ajax as top European sides, the Dutch National side began to build some momentum in the early 1970's and would become a surprising major player on the world stage.

Total Football, as it was later coined, involved the flexible movement of players all across the pitch, moving and covering for each other to fill spaces and confuse opposition markers. This system, which was heavily influenced by the great Hungarian side of the 1950's, required players to be comfortable with taking on different roles and to have the intelligence to adapt as the teams shape could change at any time during a match.

In order for this system to truly work, it needed an orchestrator and there was no one better suited to this role than the brilliant Johan Cruyff. Joining Ajax's famous youth academy at the age of ten, Cruyff was already a three time Ballon D'Or and European Cup winner by the time he led the Netherlands into the 1974 World Cup.

A strong, vocal presence on the pitch, Cruyff served as coach Rinus Michels on pitch general, along with effortlessly floating between wings, into a withdrawn midfield role and then upfront to finish off attacks. He was the perfect model of the "Total Footballer", as he was comfortable in taking on different roles during different situations in a match.

Cruyff has often been compared to a dancer in the way he gracefully moved on the pitch, and this was clearly evidenced in Holland's first round match against Sweden when he unveiled the move that still carries his name. Facing defender Jan Ollsson, Cruyff shaped as if he was going to cross the ball, but instead he dragged it behind his planted leg, pivoted 180 degrees and left the defender for dead.

Playing some thrilling football, Holland easily progressed through the first round of the World Cup with wins over Uruguay and Bulgaria, either side of a draw with Sweden.

In the second group stage, Cruyff found the net twice in a thrilling 4-0 demolition of Argentina. After a 2-0 win over East Germany, Holland defeated the defending champion Brazilians 2-0 with Cruyff on target again.

In the World Cup Final against the hosts, West Germany, Cruyff took the ball from the kickoff and displaying the type of football that won this great Dutch side so many fans, the Oranje passed the ball around 13 times, before Cruyff burst into the box and was upended for a penalty. Without a single German player touching the ball, Johan Neeskens scored from the spot to give the Dutch the lead. Unfortunately for Cruyff and company, West Germany got back into the match through Paul Breitner and Gerd Muller, while Berti Vogts and Franz Beckenbauer shackled Cruyff for the remainder of the match.

Despite their loss in the final, and the fact that Johan Cruyff never played in another World Cup, the impact he and his side had in 1974 will never be forgotten.

Throwback Thursdays: India Wins Football Gold at the First Asian Games

2016-03-17T12:00:00.000-04:00

As a sporting nation, India are widely known for their excellence in cricket but football is a distant second love in the country's affections.

But sixty-five years ago this week, as host of the first Asian Games, India stormed to the gold medal in football.

In a straight knockout tournament, India brushed aside Indonesia 3-0 in the Quarter-Final with two goals from Mewalal and a marker from Venkatesh.

They then saw off Afghanistan by the same score in the Semi-Final with goals from Mewalal, Venkatesh and Nandy to earn themselves a place in the Final against an Iranian side who had upset Japan in the other Semi-Final.

In the Final at the National Stadium, Indian goalscoring legend Sahu Mewalal found the net again to lead his country to a 1-0 victory, handing the hosts their first ever winner's medal in an international tournament.

Led by coach Syed Abdul Rahim, who is considered the architect of Indian football, the national side enjoyed a fine period during the 1950's and early 1960's.

After finishing an impressive fourth at the 1956 Olympic Games, India would win gold at the Asian Games again in 1962, seeing off South Korea by a 2-1 score in the final, and two years later the Indian national side would finish second to Israel at the 1964 AFC Asian Cup.

Since that period, India has failed to return to these heights in either continental or global tournaments.

However, strong showings at the regional South Asian Football Federation Cup, which has seen the country capture four of the last six bi-annual tournaments, and an increased interest in football across India could perhaps see this nation of 1.2 billion people one day soon become an emerging force in Asian football.

Throwback Thursdays: The Burnden Park Disaster

2016-03-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

During the six long brutal years of the Second World War, football continued on in England but of course the usual country wide league campaigns weren't feasible and nor was the FA Cup.

With the end of the war a few short months before, the oldest cup competition in the world started up again in 1945/1946, a full season before regular league football resumed.

The interest in the cup that year was greater than usual, as people tried to return to normalcy after years of hardship.

Unusually the rounds leading up to the Semi-Final that year were played across two legs, to help make up for the absence of regular league fixtures, so that clubs would get at least a few additional gates.

Bolton Wanderers, one of the favourites for this first post war cup, went into the second leg of their sixth round tie against Stoke City up 2-0 with a Semi-Final at Villa Park within their sight.

Opponents Stoke had in their ranks the great Stanley Matthews, who drew crowds wherever he played, so it was no surprise when huge numbers descended upon Bolton's Burnden Park on March 9, 1946.

The ground though was woefully unsuitable for the estimated crowd of 85,000 who turned up on the day. With part of the main stand still in use by the Ministry of Supply following the war, many turnstiles still closed and the ramshackle railway side was the only point of entry for much of the crowd. This resulted in absolute chaos outside of the ground.

Twenty minutes before the 3:00pm kickoff the ground was considered over capacity and the turnstiles were closed. Unfortunately supporters continued to force their way in, either going through gaps in the wall or over the turnstiles, and by kickoff the situation was critical.

Several minutes into the game, two metal barriers in one of the overcrowded terraces collapsed sending supporters falling into one another in a sickening crush.

Finally realizing there was a serious problem a police officer ordered the match to be stopped. Although, rather unbelievably the tie would later resume with bodies laid out pitch side, the disaster left 400 injured and 33 dead in what was at the time the worst disaster in the history of British football.

Although an inquiry would take place into the events at Burnden Park, and safety measures for controlling large crowds were hastily implemented, it would take the horror of the Hillsborough Disaster forty-three years later for British football to finally come into the 20th Century when it came to protecting the safety of supporters.

Throwback Thursdays: Luis Figo Returns to the Camp Nou

2016-03-03T08:00:00.001-05:00

With Manchester City's Raheem Sterling returning to Anfield this week, following his acrimonious departure from Liverpool last summer, he was right to expect a hostile reaction from the Merseyside crowd.

Although Liverpool's followers left him in little doubt what they thought of his perceived treachery, his return still pales in comparison to one of the nastiest reunions in European club football.

In 2000, then Barcelona winger Luis Figo was considered one of the best players in the world after he followed up a terrific season for his club by leading Portugal to the European Championship's semi-final.

Later that year he would be awarded the Ballon d’Or for his efforts, but before being handed that prestigious honour his career would take a very decided turn.

After enjoying a wonderful five years with the Catalan side, Figo had become a hero to Barca's fans and was seen as a symbol of the club.

In the summer of 2000 though change was afoot at their great rivals Real Madrid. Despite winning the Champions League in 1998 and 2000, incumbent president Lorenzo Sanz surprisingly lost out to the charismatic Florentino Perez in the the club elections.

Perez won the election, in part, because of his bold claim that he would deliver Luis Figo and that a deal with his agent was already in place. Furthermore he promised to refund Madrid's 70,000 plus members for their season tickets if he didn't bring in the Portuguese maestro.

True to his word, Perez's first act as president was to pony up Figo's 10 billion peseta (£37.5 million) buyout clause which allowed him to join Madrid on a lucrative salary.

Barcelona were incensed and claimed that Figo had gone against his word and betrayed them, with Barcelona president Joan Gaspart calling the deal "immoral".

The fans and local press were also outraged at what they saw as a betrayal by their now former favourite son.

When Figo returned to Camp Nou for the first time with his new side in October 2000, he was showered with debris and vicious insults from many in the partisan 105,000 strong crowd. Many fans later claimed it was the most hostile atmosphere ever dished out at the famous old ground.

One banner famously said, "We hate you because we loved you so much", which is emblematic of the feeling of being stabbed in the heart that many of us feel when a former favourite defects to the enemy.

Other signs and banners directed towards Figo weren't quite as poetic.

Two years later it wasn't any better, as Figo had a pig's head chucked at him while attempting to take a corner at the Camp Nou.

Sterling can count himself lucky.

Throwback Thursdays: When Admiral Ruled the World

2016-02-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

The first proper football I ever owned, not counting the cruddy plastic ones from the grocery store that lost their shape when you kicked them, was an Admiral ball.

Once upon a time Admiral was one of the biggest brands in world football, and while they've been surpassed in recent decades by the likes of Adidas and Nike in their heyday they created some truly iconic gear and kits.

Founded in Leicester in 1914, Admiral spent their first fifty years selling mainly underwear until the 1966 World Cup winning euphoria surrounding the English national side convinced owner Bert Patrick that football kits and sportswear presented a huge opportunity for growth.

Believing that the advent of colour television would allow him to sell customized kits to clubs in England, that he could then produce replicas of to sell to supporters, Patrick first struck up a deal with Don Revie's Leeds United.

Leeds, who were the best team in England in the early 1970's, became the first team in the country to wear visibly branded kits. In addition to this, the club wore distinctive warm-up tracksuits from Admiral as well, and a whole market was opened up.

The jewel in Patrick's crown though came in 1974, when Revie took up the position of England manager and helped negotiate a five year kit deal between the FA and Admiral, so that the National side would wear the company's branded kits that would then be made commercially available.

This exposure led to further club sides in England signing up with Admiral, as well as clubs from Scotland, Switzerland, Sweden, Italy, West Germany, Yugoslavia, and rather memorably the NASL in the United States.

By the end of the 1970's Admiral were one of the biggest football sportswear brands in the world, but by 1982 the company began to see increased competition from the likes of Umbro and Adidas.

After the 1982 World Cup they lost the England contract, as well as several other high profile clubs.

Although their peak is a long way off now, since a major restructuring in 2011 the company has slowly begun to get back into the football sponsorship market and although they may never topple Adidas or Nike, they certainly made their mark with some truly amazing kits.

Throwback Thursdays: Australia Moves Over to the AFC

2016-02-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Ten years ago this week Australia played their first match as a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), having officially left behind the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) on January 1, 2006.

The largest and most successful nation in Oceania, Australia had come to view the conference which is largely made up of small island nations as providing a poor level of competition, which in turn hurt their chances in major tournaments.

Their resounding wins of 11–0, 22–0 and a world record 31–0 pummeling of American Samoa over the course of their 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign did little to change the minds of Australia's Football Association that a move to the AFC was necessary.

Granted no direct qualifying spot for the World Cup, the winners of OFC, invariably Australia, would have to play a two legged qualifier against a side from another region to make through to the finals.

After defeats in 1994 to Argentina, 1998 to Iran and 2002 to Uruguay, the Socceroos finally made it the World Cup in 2006 for the first time since 1974 when they got past Uruguary over two legs.

Determined not to have to go through this arduous qualifying process again, and also seeking to benefit from playing higher quality opposition in meaningful matches more frequently, Australia pressed the matter of switching confederations.

In 2005 the Asian Football Confederation issued a formal invitation them to join their ranks and the OFC gave their blessing.

On 22 February 2006, Australia defeated Bahrain 3-1 in an AFC Asian Cup qualifier. They would make it through to the finals of that tournament with relative ease.

After finishing a disappointing 7th in their AFC tournament in 2007, the Socceroos were runners-up to Japan in 2011 after falling 1-0 in extra time in the final, and then came back to defeat South Korea 2-1 in extra time to claim their first AFC crown a year ago.

As for the World Cup, after making the move to the AFC, Australia have qualified directly for both the 2010 and 2014 editions of the tournament.

Throwback Thursdays: Real Madrid's Record Breaking Run

2016-02-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

They may currently be playing second fiddle in Spain to their hated rivals Barcelona, but there's no denying the incredible history of Real Madrid.

Nearly sixty years ago this week, Madrid went on an incredible 121-match unbeaten league run at home that will likely never be beaten.

On 17 February 1957, Real Madrid beat Deportivo de La Coruña 1-0, with a goal from Enrico Mateos to start their unparalleled run of home dominance.

Madrid wouldn't suffer defeat at home again until 7 March 1965, when they fell to local rivals Atletico 1-0.

This run of dominance at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium saw the club capture seven La Liga titles in eight years.

Of those 121-matches, they won an astounding 113 of them and drew only 8.

It'll take one heck of a run for any club in one of the world's bigger leagues to come anywhere near matching that. It might even be beyond this current Barcelona side.

Throwback Thursdays: Zinedine Zidane Scored His First Goal 25 Years Ago This Month

2016-02-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

Twenty Five years ago this month, the Zinedine Zidane scored his first professional goal to help his then club Cannes beat Nantes.

Born on 23 June 1972 in the notoriously tough La Castellane neighbourhood in Marseille to Algerian parents who had fled their homeland during the bloody Algerian War, Zidane started playing football at age five.

Honing his skills on the concrete plaza in front of his housing complex, by age 14 the future World Footballer of the Year was invited to a training camp at the CREPS (Regional Centre for Sports and Physical Education) in Aix-en-Provence by the French Football Federation. It was there that he came to the attention to Cannes scouts.

At age 16, Zidane made his professional debut with Cannes on 18 May 1989 in a Ligue 1 match against Nantes, but it would take him over a year to lock down a place in their first team squad.

After scoring his first goal on 10 February 1991 against Nantes, club chairman Alain Pedretti made good on his promise to buy the talented young midfielder a car.

Transferring to Girondins de Bordeaux before the 1992–93 season, he went on to become the heart of a talented side which included Bixente Lizarazu and Christophe Dugarry, By 1994, Zidane had debuted for France scoring two goals in a 2-2 draw with the Czech Republic to erase a 2-0 deficit.

Following a successful spell with Bordeaux, the rest as they say is history. Zidane would enjoy five year spells at Juventus (1996-2001) and Real Madrid (2001-06) on the way to becoming recognized as one of the greatest players in the world.

On the international stage he would lead France to victory in the 1998 World Cup, before spurring them on to glory at Euro 2000.

From humble beginnings, the current manager of Real Madrid was the finest player of his generation and he'll be hoping to replicate some of that success in management.