I SHOULDN'T REALLY KNOW THIS BUT...
|
No.1 AFC BOURNEMOUTH
Former Manchester Legend, George Best made five appearances for the Dean Court club towards the end of the 82/ 83 season. Best then agreed to sign for Middlesbrough at the beginning of the 1983-84 campaign but never played a game and retired from football. No.2 ACCRINGTON STANLEY Accrington Stanley were promoted back into the Football League in 2006. With a name synonymous with obscurity thanks to a certain milk advert in the late 1980s their first League Cup opponents were twice European Champions, Nottingham Forest. Stanley won by one goal to nil. Who are they? Exactly! No.3 ALDERSHOT TOWN When Aldershot Town were formed out of the ashes of Aldershot FC in 1992 their badge of a Phoenix rising was designed by actor Arthur English who was also the club President. Arthur English was mainly known as Mr Harmen, a bolshy maintenance man in the sitcom 'Are You Being Served?' No.4 ARSENAL Back in 1919, following the end of the First World War, Second Division Arsenal were invited to join a new and expanded First Division. This was despite having finished 5th in the previous campaign of 1914-15. Controversially this was at the expense of their new, local rivals, Tottenham who were kept in Division Two as a result of their promotion. The reason? The Gunners were deemed by the Football League as being a more 'attractive proposition', although there were strong suspicions of underhand methods used by Chairman Henry Norris. Arsenal have never been relegated from the top-flight since. No.5 ASTON VILLA Aston Villa were the most succesful club of the Victorian era. They helped themselves to five League titles and three FA Cups from their formation in 1897 until Queen Victoria's death in 1901. This haul included a League and Cup 'Double' in 1897, a feat not equalled until Tottenham Hotspur did it in 1961. The 2010-2011 season is also Villa's one hundreth in the top flight. Only Everton have managed more (107). It is, therefore the most played fixture in English football, numbering some 191 clashes and counting! No.6 BARNET When Barnet were originally promoted to the Football League in 1991 their first two games saw them beaten 7-4 by Crewe then followed that up with a 5-5 draw with Brentford in the League Cup! They are known as the Bees because in the early 20th Century Barnet's Underhill home was located near to local apiaries. (An apiary is where the hives of honey bees are kept.) No.7 BARNSLEY Barnsley have spent more seasons in the second tier than any other club. (69 seasons at the time of writing. Their one and only appearance in the top flight happened during the 1997-1998 season when despite a shock 1-0 victory at Anfield of all places they were relegated. NO.8 BIRMINGHAM CITY Birmingham City were the first British club to reach the Final of a European Cup Competition. In1960 and 1961 City competed in the 'Inter Cities Fairs Cup' but were beaten in both finals; firstly by Barcelona and then by Roma the following year. NO.9 BLACKBURN ROVERS Blackburn Rovers are one of only three clubs who were founder members of both the Football League and the Premier League, the others being Everton and Aston Villa. NO.10 BLACKPOOL The 1953 FA Cup Final is often referred to as 'the Matthews Final' after the ever-green Stanley Matthews who tormented the Bolton defence as the Seasiders came from 3-1 down to win 4-3. However, it was a different Stanley who truly stole the show. Forward, Stanley Mortensen scored a hat-trick in the same game, the last time it has happened in an FA Cup Final. After Mortensen died in 1991 someone cruelly suggested, "They'll probably call it the Matthews funeral!" NO.11 BOLTON WANDERERS Bolton Wanderers have spent the most seasons in the top division of English football without ever winning the League title. (The 20010-2011 season is their 72nd non-consecutive year in the top flight). Bolton's David Jack was the first player to score at the old Wembley Stadium. The goal came after only two minutes of the 'white horse' final of 1923 against West Ham United. NO.12 BRADFORD CITY In July 1910 the FA Cup was withdrawn from the competition and a new Cup offered, having been duplicated without the consent of the Association. This third trophy was the work of Fattorini & Sons of Bradford. On April 26th 1911 after a replay at Old Trafford it was appropriate that its first winners should be Bradford City thanks to a 1-0 victory over Newcastle United. Bradford City have never been managed by anyone born outside of the British Isles. They are also the only club in English League football who's kit is made up of the colours claret and amber. NO.13 BRENTFORD There have been many rumours that Rod Stewart turned out for the Bees in the early 1960s but that it seems is a myth. Stewart senior encouraged his son's sporting talent and a flirtation with professional football ensued. The year was 1961 and Rod fancied his chances with third division Brentford, perhaps unaware that a rigorous apprenticeship always preceded the real thing. "He trained with us for a week or two," recalls Brentford Deputy President Eric White, "and he may even have kicked a ball around with the juniors, but there is no record of Rod Stewart ever having signed to Brentford. Unfortunately, nobody at the club remembers his time here." One 'celeb' who did pull on the red and white shirt was actor and comedian Bradley Walsh, although he never quite made the first team due to injury. However, in a somewhat ironic twist he now occasionally turns out for Rod Stewart's team, 'The Vagabonds' down in Surrey. NO.14 BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION Do you remember those crappy premium rate football team phone lines around in the 80's & 90's?...You know, Team-Talk, Club-Call, etc which were a fortune to call and never gave you any decent info...Well the Albion were the first team to have ever have one! It was called the Seagull Line and created by local media guy, Tony Millard, who has been working for Sky Sports for quite a while now. The Seagull Line was, unsurprisingly, crap as you had to listen to about 30 seconds of a bad recording of Sussex-By-Sea and then Millard droning on and on...All while you were paying through the nose for the privilege!! (Many thanks to Kevin Smith. No, not that one!) NO.15 BURNLEY Burnley began life as a Rugby Club as Burnley Rovers. However, they switched codes and became Burnley Football Club in 1882. They moved to Turf Moor shortly afterwards at the invitation of the town's cricket club, which is still situated next to the stadium. Burnley changed their colours to from what was perceived to be an unlucky green to claret and Blue, mimicking Aston Villa who were very successful in the early 1900s. (Burnley went on to win the FA Cup in 1914 and their first League title in 1921). They are also one of the few clubs to have won all four top divisions. The others are Wolves and Preston North End. (Many thanks to Neil Cozzi) NO.16 BURTON ALBION Burton Albion were formed in 1950 and take their nickname 'The Brewers' from the town's brewing heritage. As a Conference side Burton drew 0–0 in the FA Cup third round, against Manchester United on January 8th 2006. For the replay at Old Trafford, which Burton lost 5-0, 11,000 Albion fans attended, a record number of away fans seen at United's home ground.  Bury's successful 1903 FA Cup Winning team who defeated Derby County 6-0 in the Final. A record that still remains to this day. NO.17 BURY Bury's two FA Cup Final appearances ended in glorious triumph. In 1900 they defeated Southampton 4-0 at Crystal Palace and then three years later they were back at the same venue. Their victims in 1903 were Derby County who were pounded by an even more impressive six goals to nil. This score-line remains a record to this day. Bury earned their nickname 'The Shakers' just before the 1892 Lancashire Cup Final. Their Chairman-cum-Manager, JT Ingham was questioned about his team's ability to beat the supposedly stronger opponents that day. Ingham retorted "We shall shake 'em. In fact we are the Shakers!" Press and supporters alike seized on the phrase and it has been the club's nickname ever since. NO.18 CARDIFF CITYCardiff are the only the only side to have taken the FA Cup out of England when they defeated Arsenal by a single goal in the 1927 Final. This came only seven years after they first entered the Football League. It was also the first game to be broadcast live by BBC radio. In 1971 the Bluebirds beat the mighty Real Madrid 1-0 in the first leg of the Quarter-Finals of the Cup Winners Cup. The game was played in front of 47,000 fans at Ninian Park and despite losing the second leg 2-0 the match has gone down in club history.  Jimmy! Jimmy! NO.19 CARLISLE UNITEDThe City of Carlisle is the smallest location, by population, to have had a resident top flight English football club since they were first promoted to the League in 1928. Carlisle United were also the first club on legendary Liverpool boss Bill Shankly's managerial CV before leaving them to join rivals Workington Town. They were promoted to the top flight of English football in 1974, replacing amongst others Manchester United. Three games into the season and they hit the summit with a hat-trick of victories. Despite that and a home win over future Champions Derby County they finished bottom and were relegated to be replaced by Second Division champions Manchester United. In 1999 emergency on-loan Swindon goalkeeper Jimmy Glass scored the winning injury-time goal against Plymouth Argyle to keep United in the Football League. 
Rodney Charlton Trotter
NO.20 CHARLTON ATHLETIC Charlton revel in not just one but three nicknames: The Robins,The Valiants and The Addicks. No one is exactly sure as to where the "Addicks" nickname came from but it is thought to have originated from the word "Haddocks" named after a local fishmongers. There is a cartoon in the now defunct Kentish Independent, dating back to 1908, in which Charlton are indeed referred to as "The Haddocks". The original Valley was constructed in 1919 from an old chalk pit and was once one of the biggest football ground in the country. In 1938 over 75,000 people attended a FA Cup match between the home side and Aston Villa. In the sitcom 'Only Fools and Horses...' it is discovered that Rodney Trotter's middle name is 'Charlton'. It is presumed that he was named after Charlton Heston but in fact it was after the football club of which his late mother, Joan was a fan. |
|
YOUR POINTLESS FOOTBALL FACTS
Iain Brentford is the only league club to have a pub on all four corners of the ground... apparently.
Iain Brentford is the only league club to have a pub on all four corners of the ground... apparently.
