Soccer Nostalgia: Trivia and Facts-Part 34

1- The following Scottish players scored Hat Tricks in their International debuts, yet they were never called up again afterwards.

Alexander F. Higgins (March 14, 1885, Scotland 8-Ireland 2)

William Alexander Dickson (March 24, 1888, Ireland 2-Scotland 10)

James Gillespie (March 19, 1898, Scotland 5-Wales 2)

Henry Miller Morris (October 1, 1949, Northern Ireland 2-Scotland 8)

2-In the months leading up to the 1978 World Cup, there were attempts by French left-leaning intellectuals to pressure the National team to boycott the event.

This was at the height of General Jorge Videla’s ‘Dirty War.’

French National Team Manager Michel Hidalgo was a victim of an attempted kidnapping near his home at Saint Sauvin-Gironde that many felt was related to these protests.

Photo From: La Merveilleuse aventure des bleus avec Michel Hidalgo, Authors: Roland Phillipe Chatard and Claude Goherel

(An illustration of Hidalgo’s kidnapping attempt)

Photo From: Mondial, old series, issue 25, December 1978

(Michel Hidalgo)

3- Raymond Braine, a Belgian International from 1920s and 30s, was suspended from the National Team for ‘professionalism’ after he opened up a Restaurant at Antwerp.

In those days, the players were considered amateurs and the Federation forbade any commercial activity.

As a result he was deprived of participating in the 1930 World Cup.

He did not appear for the National Team until 1935.

As a result of this commercial activity he was also forbidden to play for his club Beerschot.

He outright became a full professional and joined Czechoslovakia’s Sparta Prague and became the second ever full time professional of Belgium.

Incidentally his older brother and fellow International Pierre Braine purchased a sports shop, but he put it in his wife’s name and the Federation never found out.

Photo From: Le Siecle des Diables Rouges, Author: Christian Hubert

(Raymond Braine with Sparta Prague)

Photo From: Le Dictionnaire des Diables Rouges

(Raymond Braine)

4- 1970s and 80s Portuguese Midfielder Joao Alves always wore black gloves while playing. This was in homage to his grandfather Carlos Alves, a defender for Portugal from the 1920s and 30s.

He also always wore black gloves while playing.

Photo From: Onze, Issue 60, December 1980

(Joao Alves with the black gloves playing for Benfica)

Photo From: Onze, Issue 60, December 1980

(Joao Alves with the first of pair of black gloves he wore)

5- When the England National Team arrived to Belgrade in June 1974 for a Friendly vs. Yugoslavia, Kevin Keegan was roughed up by the airport security.

It all started when teammate Alec Lindsay, as a practical joke jumped on the luggage conveyor and started walking backwards.

A security guard threw Lindsay against the wall. Keegan had found this incident as funny and started laughing.

The security apprehended Keegan and took him to another room. He was forced to kneel and according to the player he was ‘punched, clubbed, and kicked’.

Sports Journalist Bob Harris had witnessed Keegan being taken away and alerted the FA Secretary, Ted Croker.

The security notified Mr. Croker that Keegan was facing many charges which included: sexually assaulting an air hostess, assaulting security guard and disturbing peace and obstruction.

After an hour of pleading from Croker Keegan was released.

It later turned out the security did not know it was Keegan since he was not wearing the Official England Team suit/blazer.