Trivia and Facts-Part 40

1- When Bill Nicholson signed Jimmy Greaves for Tottenham Hotspur in December 1961 he paid £99,999.

He felt this would help Greaves in not feeling the pressure of being the first 6-figure transfer.

Photo From: England, Player by Player, Author: Graham Betts

(Jimmy Greaves)

2-Following Tottenham’s win over Gornik Zabrze in the Preliminary Round of Champions Cup on September 13, 1961 (4-2 Gornik win) and September 20, 1961 (8-1 Tottenham win), Gornik officials accused them of winning through brutality on the field.

Three Tottenham supporters (Peter Casey, David Kirby and Michael Curley) took offense to that. For them Tottenham were anything but savages and were angellic. To drive the point and they started dressing up with sandals, long white robes and fake beard (just like angels).

They traveled from field to field for two seasons to rally fans.

After pressure and complaint from local Church Authorities, the trio disbanded in 1963.

Photo From: Football Magazine, Issue 44, September 1963

(Angels of Tottenham)

3- Bordeaux teammates Alain Giresse and Bernard Lacombe had made a pledge that if Bordeaux won the French League title for the 1983/84 season, they would bicycle from Bordeaux to Lourdes to commemorate the triumph.

After winning the title they were unable to honor that pledge, as they were part of the French squad for the 1984 Euros at the conclusion of that season.

When Bordeaux won the League title again the following season (1984/85), they carried out their pledge.

Photo From: Onze, Issue 115, July 1985

(Alain Giresse and Bernard Lacombe)

Photo From: Onze, Issue 115, July 1985

(Alain Giresse and Bernard Lacombe)

4- Norway and Lillestrøm’s Tom Lund had a fear of flying. For Norway’s World Cup Qualifier in Budapest vs. Hungary (October 31, 1981, Hungary 4-Norway 1), Lund traveled by car a distance of 1200 miles.

 Photo From: Landslaget, Det Norske Fotballandslagets Historie, 1997

(Tom Lund, September 9, 1981, World Cup Qualifier, Norway 2-England 1)

5- France were schedule to play Switzerland in Berne on March 20, 1932 (3-3 tie).

On the trip to Switzerland, the French Technical Commission’s leading member Gaston Barreau, along with players: Manuel Anatol, Brothers Jean and Lucien Laurent and Ernest Liberati were left behind on the docks at Belfort and missed the train.

Barreau had the entire delegation’s passports in his possession.

Barreau and the four players had to take a taxi and drive all the way to Berne (it was snowing as well). They finally arrived at their hotel at nighttime.

It is unclear how the rest of the delegation were able to pass through without passports.

Trivia and Facts-Part 38

1- Eighteen year old Wolfgang Boehni played his first match in the Bundesliga on December 21, 1966 with Karlsruhe vs Duisburg.

He had to wait 16 years, 8 months and  2 days for his second match. This time with Waldorf Mannheim vs. Stuttgart on August 23, 1983.

2-For France’s match vs. Northern Ireland on November 11, 1952 at Paris’s Stade de Colombes (3-1 France win), France made a substitution that was against the regulations of the time (or anytime).

France’s Thadée Cisowski was injured in the 22^nd minute and replaced be Jean Baratte. A few minutes later teammate Antoine Bonifaci was also injured and had to leave the field. Given the regulations of the time, France could not make a substitution and had to play with ten men.  Specifically an already replaced player could not re-enter.

However, in the 31^st minute, Cisowski re-entered into the match to replace ‘himself’. The referee did not notice as play was not stopped to make the substitution, nor did the Irish.

In fact the Irish only protested the fact that Jean Baratte’s jersey did not have a number.

Photo From: Les Bleus Author Denis Chaumier, 2004

(Thadée Cisowski)

3- Prior to the opening match of the 1982 World Cup between Belgium and Argentina on June 13, 1982 (1-0 Belgium win), Belgium’s Ludo Coeck realized in the dressing room that he had forgotten his playing boots back in their hotel.

He had to go back to the hotel with police escort to retrieve his boots and play.

Photo From: Onze, Hors Serie 14, 1982

(Ludo Coeck and Imre Garaba, June 22, 1982, World Cup, Belgium 1-Hungary 1)

4- In the fall of 1983, Rolando Molina of the Chilean Federation caused a scandal when he decided to hold onto the bonuses of the national team players following their elimination in the Copa America after a scoreless tie vs. Venezuela on September 21, 1983.

The players had earned their bonuses after wins vs. Venezuela (September 8, 1983, 5-0 win) and Uruguay (September 11, 1983, 2-0 win).

Rolando Molina felt all the players except goalkeeper Roberto Antonio Rojas had played indifferently.

Needless to say, this action caused an uproar and appeals had to be made for organisms outside of football.

5- During the World Cup match between Brazil and England on June 10, 1962,  play was held up when a black dog ran onto the field.

The dog was eventually caught by England’s Jimmy Greaves and was taken off.

Photo From: Football Magazine, Issue 30, July 1962

(Garrincha and Jimmy Greaves with the dog, June 10, 1962, World Cup, Brazil 3-England 1)

Photo From: Football Magazine, Issue 30, July 1962

(England goalkeeper Ronald Springett with the dog, June 10, 1962, World Cup, Brazil 3-England 1)