It was about a month ago now that I posted 40 Amazing Football Facts. If you haven’t read that yet, it’s worth a few minutes of your time. Last week I presented you with 50 Random Yet Amazing Facts about the English Premier League. Today, I’m doing it again, bringing you another edition of Completely Random Yet Amazing Football Facts. I’m sure you will be familiar with some of these, but I’m equally sure there will be some that are sure to surprise.
1. The first set of rules for football were made by the London Football Association in 1863.
2. West Ham defender Alvin Martin scored a hat-trick against three different goalkeepers in the 8-1 win over Newcastle in 1986. The injured Martin Thomas was replaced in the Newcastle goal first by Chris Hedworth, then by Peter Beardsley.
3. Maradona played his 1st International game for Argentina at the tender age of 16.
4. A Manchester City fan was banned in 1995 from bringing dead chickens into City’s Maine Road ground. He used to celebrate City goals by swinging the birds around his head.
5. Until 1913, goalkeepers wore the same colored jerseys as their teammates.
6. Sheffield United once made a bid of 180 grand to Argentinos Juniors to sign Diego Maradona.
7. Juventus is recognized to have won the Italian Serie “A” a record 28 times. They have 2 additional wins that were vacated due to the Calciopoli match fixing scandal.
8. Ferenc Puskas scored a staggering 616goals in just 620 appearances.
9. Zinedine Zidane famous Head-butt of Italian Marco Materazzi was in the 2006 World cup final.
10. Red and Yellow began to be used at the 1970 World Cup.
11. UEFA stands for Union of European Football Associations.
12. The 2010 World Cup finals was the first played in the continent of Africa: played in South Africa
13. The Women’s first World cup was in 1991.
14. Bayern Munich has won the German title 22 times.
15. Mexico is the latest country to hold the World Cup twice.
16. 20 red cards were shown during a 1993 game between Sportivo Ameliano and General Caballero in Paraguay.
17. Carlos Caszely of Chile was the first red carded player in a World Cup tournament on June 14, 1974
18. Barcelona’s Hristo Stoichkov was banned for six months in 1990 for stomping on the referee’s foot after being sent off in a Cup tie against Real Madrid.
19. The Scottish Cup tie between Falkirk and Inverness Thistle in 1979 was postponed no fewer than 29 times because of bad weather.
20. In 1998, English team Macclesfield had their mascot sent off for making obscene gestures during a players’ brawl in the match with Lincoln City.
21. Romanian midfielder Ion Radu was sold by Second Division Jiul Petrosani to Valcea in 1998 for 500kg of pork (worth about £1750).
22. Fans of Gillingham FC were subjected to celery searches in 1996. A craze had started for waving sticks of celery while chanting an obscene song. So anyone caught in possession of the vegetable was threatened with a life ban.
23. A footy match in Tanzania was postponed in 1978 because the referee was arrested on the pitch and accused of smoking marijuana. I know people often want the referee to relax, but this guy took it a bit too far!
24. Goalkeeper Arthur Wharton was the first black professional football player. He was born in Ghana (then Gold Coast) and played for English League team Rotherham United in 1889.
25. In 1997 Nigerian International Celestine Babayaro broke his leg while celebrating a goal in his Chelsea debut during a preseason game.
26. In the 1970’s, legendary coaches Jock Stein and Brian Clough both had 44 day stints at Leeds United.
27. Non Flying Dutchman Dennis Bergkamp’s fear of flying caused him to miss many international and European games for Arsenal.
28. Lucien Laurent scored the first ever goal in the World Cup after just 19th minutes.
29. El Salvador beat Honduras to qualify for the World Cup 1970, and soon after a war broke out between these two countries and it was known as soccer war.
30. ASEC Abidjan of Ivory Coast went unbeaten for 108 games between 1989 and 1994.
31. Around 7miles is the average distance covered by a player in a 90minute game
32. In 1980, the Liberian soccer team escaped imprisonment by holding opponent Gambia to a goal-less tie. The team had been threatened by their own government with jail if they lost.
33.Rio Ferdinard once was banned 8 months for a missed drug test.
34.”The Busby Babes” was the nickname for players who died in the Munich Air Disaster in 6th Feb 1958.
35. AC Milan has won the Italian title 18times.
36. Paolo Maldini made 902 appearances for AC Milan, the only club side he played for in his career.
37.Leo Messi is 5’ 7” tall…err, short
38.”You’ll never walk alone” has been sung around Anfield by Liverpool fans since the 60s.
39. Barcelona have won the title 21times and counting
40. Jose Mourinho known as “the Special one”, has won titles in four different countries with Porto-Chelsea-Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
