Trivia and Facts-Part 36

1- Before England’s World Cup qualifier vs. Norway in Oslo on September 9, 1981,  the English Football League had proposed to cancel the weekend League fixtures so that England could prepare.

However , England Manager Ron Greenwood asked the League matches to go ahead so that the players would get competitive match practice.

After the matches, three of his key players Trevor Brooking, Dave Watson and Steve Coppell had to withdraw due to injuries.

England lost the match vs. Norway (1-2).

Photo From: Foot Magazine, Issue 12, April 1982

(Ron Greenwood)

2-Before a wartime International between England and Scotland in 1942, due to lack of funds the Scottish National team did not have enough jerseys.

As a result Scotland’s Thomas Walker gave his teammates all the Scotland jerseys that he had worn in his career (20 or so).

Photo From: Scotland, The Team, Author Andrew Ward, 1987

(Thomas Walker)

3- After the First Round of Matches during the 1982 World Cup, as group winners Belgium were to be playing their matches at Barcelona’s Camp Nou.

The organizers had assumed that Argentina would have won that group, instead Belgium came ahead.

Argentina were to be play at Barcelona’s Sarria stadium, home of RCD Espanol, with Brazil and Italy. This was a much smaller stadium.

The Authorities attempted to switch the venues and move Belgium/Poland/USSR at Sarria and move Brazil/Aregntina/Italy to Camp Nou for better receipts.

However, the Belgium Federation President Louis Wouters would have none of it. He even threatened that if they were forced to play at Sarria, Belgium would wear black uniforms as a sign of protest.

Photo From: Foot Magazine, Issue 17, October 1982

(Belgium Federation president Louis Wouters)

Photo From: Onze, July 1982

(Oleg Blokhin between Frankie Vercauteren and Ludo Coeck, July 1, 1982, World Cup, USSR 1-Belgium 0)

Photo From: Onze, August 1982

(Ludo Coeck between Władysław Żmuda and Paweł Janas, June 28, 1982, World Cup, Poland 3-Belgium 0)

4- Before the Portugal and Austria European Championship Qualifier on November 21, 1979 (Portugal 1-Asutria 2), the West German national anthem was mistakingly played instead of Austria’s.

Also before the West Germany and Yugoslavia friendly on June 7, 1983 (West Germany 4-Yugoslavia 2), the band initially played Yugoslavia’s pre-war anthem, which was then corrected.

Photo From: Österreichs Fußball Länderspiele Chronik 1902 – 1993, Author: Anton Egger

(Austria Squad, Top, Left to right: Robert Sara, Friedrich Koncilia, Bruno Pezzey, Dietmar Mirnegg, Herbert Prohaska, Wilhelm Kreuz, Kurt Welzel, Roland Hattenberger, Kurt Jara, Erich Obermayer, Walter Schachner , November 21, 1979, EC Qualifier, Portugal 1-Austria 2)

Photo From: 90 Joer Letzebuerger Footballfederatioun / 90 ans Federation Luxembourgeoise de Football

(The Yugoslavian and West German squad, June 7, 1983, Luxembourg Association’s 75^thAnniversary, West Germany 4-Yugoslavia 2)

5- During the Belgium and France Friendly match on April 14, 1935 (1 to 1 tie), France’s Etienne Mattler felt groggy and asked to be replaced, he was replaced in the 43^rd minute by Jules Vandooren.

The rules at the time stipulated that a player could be replaced for injury up to the 40^th minute.  At halftime, Belgian officials protested and Mattler was forced to come back in to retake his position for the second half.

Vandooren’s two minutes have been stricken from the record books and he was never officially recognized to have a cap.

This is the only instance of such an event. 

Photo From L’Equipe: L’Equipe de France de Football, La Belle Histoire, 2004

(April 14, 1935, Belgium 1-France 1)

Photo From Capitaines des bleus depuis 1904, Author Vincent Duluc

(Jules Vandooren in military uniform, having been mobilized in 1940)

Photo From: Les Bleus, Le livre official de l'equipe de France, Author: Dominique Grimault, 1997

(Etienne Mattler)