Trivia and Facts-Part 22

1-Before Republic of Ireland’s match vs. Denmark in November 1985, Irish Journalist, John O’Shea of the Evening Press, questioned the inclusion of Mick McCarthy ahead of Kevin Moran and Paul McGrath. He made a bet 50 Pounds wager with Irish Manager Eion Hand that he was faster than Mick McCarthy.

Hand accepted and McCarthy raced and won. McCarthy then suggested best out of three and raced again. The following morning in training he pulled his hamstring and missed the game vs. Denmark.

Photo from: Onze, July 1988

(Mick McCarthy and Oleg Protasov, June 15, 1988, UEFA European Championships, Republic of Ireland 1-USSR 1)

  

2- Scottish goalkeeper Joe Kennaway who was capped by Scotland in 1934 was Canadian born. He was in fact capped by both Canada in 1928 (vs. USA) and USA (vs. Canada) in 1930.

He is the only Scottish player to have been capped by 3 nations, much like Hungary’s Ladislao Kubala who was capped by Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Spain.

Photo From: Todo Sobre La Seleccion Espanola, Felix Martialay, 2006

(Ladislao Kubala with Alfredo Di Stefano and Luis Suarez, October 15, 1958, Spain 6-Northern Ireland 2)

3- Luis Suarez, Internazionale Milano’s Spanish star of the 1960s, only learned of his transfer to Sampdoria in 1970 by reading about it in the newspaper.

Photo : from World Soccer, March 1961

(Luis Suarez exchanging Pennants with England captain Johnny Haynes, October 26, 1960, England 4-Spain 2)

4- During the 1994/95 season, Eintracht Frankfurt’s International trio of Ghanaian Anthony Yeboah, German Maurizio Gaudino and Nigerian Jay-Jay Okocha were suspended by Manager Juup Heynckes for refusing to play for the reserve team and in general were accused of unprofessional attitude in training.

They were shortly all transferred out. Yeboah and Gaudino joined Leeds United and Manchester City respectively in the midseason.

While Okocha was transferred at the end of the season.

Photo From: World Soccer, September 1996

(Anthony Yeboah in action for Ghana)

Photo From: World Soccer, February 1995

(Eintracht Frankfurt’s Maurizio Gaudino)

5-Italy and Cagliari striker Luigi Riva once struck the ball so hard in a League match during 1970/71 that it broke the arm of a spectator, 9 year old Danilo Piroddi.

Photo From: World Soccer, January 1971

(Luigi Riva visiting 9 year old Danilo Piroddi in a Roman Hospital, a few days after this photograph, Riva himself was injured with a broken leg in an international match vs. Austria)