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It Was 42 Footballing Years Ago Today...

...That the friendly rivalry between England and Argentina was started by a stroppy Argie skipper, who even sat on the Queen's carpet. Also, a rather less glorious era starts, and Freddie makes a fool of himself...

Last Updated: 23/07/08 at 11:21 Post Comment

July 23, 1966: Before England strolled their way to that comfortable World Cup win against West Germany, they first had to get past Argentina in the quarter-finals. And get past them they did, just about, but not before a bout of what Brian Moore might've called 'disgraceful scenes from Argie skipper Antonio Rattin. Rattin was sent from the field by German ref Rudolf Kreitlein for 'violence of the tongue' (we think that means swearing), despite speaking no Spanish. Rattin initially refused to leave the field, then sulked on the red carpet usually reserved for the Queen, before he was finally persuaded to make himself scarse. Alf Ramsey famously forbade the England players from swapping shirts with the Argentinians, branding them 'animals', beginning years of friendly and cordial relations.


July 23, 1990: After Bobby Robson took England to their best World Cup since '66, a rather less glorious era began 18 years ago. People forget that Graham Taylor was a pretty decent club manager before the national debacle, taking Aston Villa to second place in the league and before that the most successful period in Watford's history. However, you all know what came next. Three and a half years, one turnip, a number of bizarre team selections and one of the most unintentionally hilarious football documentaries of all time later, Taylor was out on his arse and his reputation all but ruined.


July23, 1995: You may think Newcastle are the footballing equivalent of a clown school now, but cast your minds back to when Freddie Shepherd and Douglas Hall were in charge. A few years before their whorehouse indiscretions in The News Of The World, Hall and Shepherd decided that Newcastle were in need of a star signing, so travelled to Italy with the intention of bringing either the unsettled Roberto Baggio or Dennis Bergkamp back with them. Unfortunately, they were made to wait outside the Juve offices like naughty schoolboys, and came back empty handed. Of course, they did do rather better a year later by bringing Alan Shearer to the club, but again took the shine off that one by calling him Mary Poppins. What a duo.


And On This Day In Real History
776 BC: Officially recorded date of first Olympic Games at Olympia, coincidentally. Disappointing British medal haul.

1955: Donald Campbell breaks the world water speed record in his boat 'Bluebird K7', recording a pretty rapid 202.32mph. He met a slightly sticky end 12 years later when trying to break the 300mph barrier on Coniston Water. His body wasn't recovered until 2001.

1997: Slobodan Milosevic is sworn in as president of Yugoslavia. The mad bastard was charged with assorted war crimes and arrested in 2001, but died in prison in 2006 before he could be convicted.


At Number One...while Freddie and Doug were making fools of themselves was 'Boom Boom Boom' by the Outhere Brothers.

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