Topic: Football facts that don’t seem real

[Kekule]

I always found it hard to believe Alan Hansen only has 26 Scottish caps, it should be over a hundred.

Steve Nicol only got 27.

The Scotland team must have had one hell of a defence to have kept those two out of the side.

[Qston]

Shanks, Busby and Stein all grew up within 20 miles of each other

[has gone odd]

Great thread.

Simon Mignolet speaks 5 languages and has a degree in politics. (everyone probably knew this but I didnt  )
 
In 1982, Tony Cascarino was bought to Gillingham for a transfer fee of tracksuits and training equipment.

He is also the oldest player to ever have scored a hatrick in France's Ligue 1.

[Jingle wils 21 thrills]

Liverpool can name a half decent starting XI using players not born when Everton last won a trophy...

Kelleher
Alexander-Arnold
Gomez
R.Williams
N.Williams
Phillips
Tsimikas
Jones
Keita
Jota
Origi
Minamino

Not sure of the formation and you'd need to leave one of them on the bench, but they'd still give the blues a game 

[Drinks Sangria]

Marco Baldevieso is a 24 year old Bolivian midfielder, who made his professional debut in 2009.

Harvey Elliott is currently the youngest ever Premier League debutant - The previous holder of the title, Fulham's Matthew Briggs, was playing Premier League football at 16 and non-league within 3 years (with spells at lower-football league clubs interspersed).

Reuben Noble-Lazarus played for Barnsley only a few weeks after his 15th Birthday - in 2008 - and he is still the youngest ever player to play in the football league. Like Briggs, he also now plays non-league football.

Neither managed 100 league appearances.

[an fear dearg]

Liverpool can name a half decent starting XI using players not born when Everton last won a trophy...

Kelleher
Alexander-Arnold
Gomez
R.Williams
N.Williams
Phillips
Tsimikas
Jones
Keita
Jota
Origi
Minamino

Not sure of the formation and you'd need to leave one of them on the bench, but they'd still give the blues a game 

Kelleher

Williams, Gomez, Williams, Tsmiskas

Trent, Jones, Naby

Minamino, Jota, Origi,

Sub Phillips.

Reckon that team would beat Everton more often than not

[LanceLink!!!!!]

Harry Kane's top lip has never touched his bottom lip.

[Jingle wils 21 thrills]

Jurgen Klopp is older than PSG

[Qston]

Jurgen Klopp is older than PSG

...and before Qatar became an independent country

[keyop]

This won't be popular, but it's a surprising fact nonetheless:

When Ferguson took over at Utd, Aston Villa were a more successful club and had won more trophies.

[aw1991]

This won't be popular, but it's a surprising fact nonetheless:

When Ferguson took over at Utd, Aston Villa were a more successful club and had won more trophies.

And it took him six and a half seasons to win his first PL.

[disgraced figgy pudding]

Wanderers, who won the first FA Cup Final in 1872, reached TWO finals having only won 1 previous round.

In the first year of the competition 1871-72:
1st round - given a walk-over as their opponents, Harrow Chequers, withdrew
2nd round - beat Clapham Rovers 1-0
Quarter-final - drew with Crystal Palace (not that one) 0-0 and both teams advanced to semi-final at discretion of FA!!
Semi-final -  drew 0-0 with Queens Park who then couldn't afford to travel for the replay, giving Wanderers a walk-over to the final

The cup was originally intended as a 'challenge' cup where teams fought it out to play the previous years winners in the final ('winner stays on' kind of concept!). The holders could also choose the venue! So, as winners in 1872, Wanderers were automatically in the 1873 final. Today's trophy is STILL engraved with the words 'The Football Association Challenge Cup' although the 1872-73 season was the only time the compeition actually followed this format.

Some serious asterisks, here

[WEST HAM PAUL]

West Ham hold the record for a British club in Europe for scoring in consecutive games

From 1964-1980 , West Ham scored in 27 consecutive games in Europe. 

This was over 4 ECWC campaigns which resulted in once winning, one runners up a semi & a quarter final

This was a European record until 2011 beaten by Barcelona who eventually scored in 30 consecutive games

Also as it was West Ham’s first games in Europe I doubt any club will enter European competition and score in all of their first 27 games these days


West Ham in 1975 were the last team to win the FA Cup with a team full of Englishman

West Ham in 1980 were the last non top flight team to win the FA Cup

[A weatherfield winter wonderland]

Cup Winners Cup always was the weakest tournament Doubly annoying that we never won it.

1975 is a long way back to go to find a team with eleven Englishmen. On the opposite scale I think our FA Cuo winning eleven was the first to not have a single Englishman (I think McMahon was in the bench).

[Max_powers]

West Ham in 1980 were the last non top flight team to win the FA Cup

But what about the Magic?

[WEST HAM PAUL]

Cup Winners Cup always was the weakest tournament Doubly annoying that we never won it.

1975 is a long way back to go to find a team with eleven Englishmen. On the opposite scale I think our FA Cuo winning eleven was the first to not have a single Englishman (I think McMahon was in the bench).

You had to win a trophy to get into it Nick   

Shame it was disbanded really

[WEST HAM PAUL]

But what about the Magic?

Ended in 1980 

[A weatherfield winter wonderland]

You had to win a trophy to get into it Nick   

Shame it was disbanded really

Of the European trophies I mean! UEFA Cup was absolutely loaded with strong sides back then. Check out United’s route to the final when they won it (I know I’m digressing!):

Pecsi Mecsek
Wrexham
Montpellier
Legia Warsaw

Incredible!

[Lidls Christmas Reserve Port]

One of my favourites, and one of the most incident packed games in history -

In 1986 defender Alvin Martin scored a hat-trick for West Ham against 3 different Newcastle goalkeepers in the same match.

The starting keeper was taken off through injury and replaced with a defender, who then got injured and was replaced in goal by none other than...........Peter Beardsley

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/apr/21/alvin-martin-hat-trick-past-three-goalkeepers-west-ham-newcastle-forgotten-story

Those keepers must have been out of their tiny minds.

[Always in a pub barney on christmas eve]

Great thread....don't know the full facts, but one team got beat 149-0, haha, all of them own goals! They where 'protest' oggies because the ref in charge had previously pissed them off in a important game, so this was their way of getting back at him!

Think it was about 20 years ago.

I was about to say it was only about 5 years ago, but just looked it up and it was October 2002. Fuck I am old.

[Statto Red]

Of the European trophies I mean! UEFA Cup was absolutely loaded with strong sides back then. Check out United’s route to the final when they won it (I know I’m digressing!):

Pecsi Mecsek
Wrexham
Montpellier
Legia Warsaw

Incredible!

When Everton won the cup winners cup in 85 they played the might of

University College Dublin   
Inter Bratislava   
Fortuna Sittard   
Bayern Munich
Rapid Vienna


Apart from Bayern, [even at the time] they were hardly european elite level opposition Everton faced.

[disgraced figgy pudding]

When Everton won the cup winners cup in 85 they played the might of

University College Dublin   
Inter Bratislava   
Fortuna Sittard   
Bayern Munich
Rapid Vienna


Apart from Bayern, [even at the time] they were hardly european elite level opposition Everton faced.

Bring on yerrrr Inter Bratislavaaaaa, bring on yer University College of Dublin by the scorrreeeeee

[Cesar]

Yeah but Blackburn went through after Renton failed a doping test.

Underrated post 👌🏼

[Statto Red]

Yeah but Blackburn went through after Renton failed a doping test.

 

The score some would love to see, Forfar 5 East Fife 4 actually happened in July 2018, annoyingly it was after a penalty shootout rather than in regulation 90/120 minutes.

[rodderzzz]

haha . .  funnily enough i was outside the stadium trying to pick up tickets with him!!!

From memory I always thought them calling Pennant's uncle was well into the second half? That final was mayhem though

[LFCobsessive]

What a great thread, thanks everyone, sorry I've got nothing to add, some of these facts have blew my mind a bit.

[Jingle wils 21 thrills]

Martin Skrtel scored more goals for Liverpool than Maxi Rodriguez, and as many as Craig Bellamy.

Ryan Babel made more Liverpool appearances than Fernando Torres.

Simon Mignolet made more penalty saves for Liverpool than Pepe Reina.

Amongst others, Jari Litmanen, Joe Cole, Bolo Zenden & Joe Allen only registered one assist each for Liverpool. David James has two.

Jordan Henderson has captained Liverpool more times than Phil Thompson, Tommy Smith and Graeme Souness.

[The North Bank]

"Bruno" Fernandez has never won the ballon dor... Mind boggling, had to double check it. Surely cant be real.

[A weatherfield winter wonderland]

I can think of a few Litmanen assists but maybe that stat is for League games only.

Funny one about Skrtel scoring more than Maxi and Bellamy, especially because I think it took him the best part of 2 years til he scored. Loved a goal against City.

Maxi must have the lowest total number of goals for Liverpool for someone who has scored 2 or more hat tricks (very niche!).

[Jingle wils 21 thrills]

Maxi must have the lowest total number of goals for Liverpool for someone who has scored 2 or more hat tricks (very niche!).

Just looked it up, he has the lowest total post-war but managed two more goals than Willie Devlin (yes, him). Devlin scored 15 goals in just 19 games - his hattricks were both part of four goal hauls.

[Santas robbed me shorts]

Richard Dunne holds the record for own goals in the Premier League at 10.

Jamie Carragher scored more own goals against Liverpool (7) than he scored for the club (3)

[TheMissionary]

The Liverpool team that won the European Cup in 77 was made up of 9 Englishmen, a Welshman, and an Irishman.  The Irishman grew up in England and the Welshman could see England from Llandudno.

Of course one better, the Celtic team that won it in 67 were all born with in 30 miles of Celtic Park. 

[tray fenny]

Richard Dunne holds the record for own goals in the Premier League at 10.

Jamie Carragher scored more own goals against Liverpool (7) than he scored for the club (3)

hasnt Carra scored more goals for spurs than liverpool? might be wrong

[Macphisto80]

The current league table.

[Only Me]

In 1982, Southampton fielded a team that had seven different past or future England captains playing in it.

[A weatherfield winter wonderland]

In 1982, Southampton fielded a team that had seven different past or future England captains playing in it.

Blimey, and they were still shit. Who were they?

Shilton?
Keegan?
Channon?
Mick Mills?

[Nitramdorf]

Blimey, and they were still shit. Who were they?

Shilton?
Keegan?
Channon?
Mick Mills?

Maybe Dave Watson and Alan Ball?

[Only Me]

Maybe Dave Watson and Alan Ball?

Yep one to go.

Clue- he was the future one.

And he’s the one you should all get 

[Nitramdorf]

Yep one to go.

Clue- he was the future one.

And he’s the one you should all get 

Mark Wright

[A weatherfield winter wonderland]

Mark Wright

Now at Crawley Town of course.