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It Was 30 Footballing Years Ago Today...
July 10, 1978: It's difficult to express what a coup signing Ossie Ardiles and Ricardo Villa was for Spurs, which they did on this day in 1978. Fresh from winning the World Cup on home turf, Ardiles was regarded by many as the best player in the world, so it's rather like Kaka or Leo Messi rocking up at White Hart Lane today. Villa was included in the £1.025million deal almost as an afterthought, but of course went on to score one of the most memorable goals in Cup Final history back in 1981.
July 10, 1989: P***ing off both sides of the Old Firm at the same time is quite a feat, but that's exactly what Mo Johnston managed on this day 19 years ago. A lifelong Celtic fan, Johnston spent three years at Parkhead before moving to Nantes in 1987. Then two years later he agreed to re-join Celtic, even annoucing as much at a press conference, but changed his mind very, very, very late on and was next seen parading around Ibrox in a blue shirt. Johnston became the first openly Catholic (and the openly is an important word) to play for Rangers, fulfilling a Graeme Souness prophecy that he would indeed sign a Papist when he took over as manager in 1986.
July 10, 2002: On this day six years ago Terry Venables, perhaps the most inexplicably admired manager in football, was effectively duped into taking the Leeds job by Peter Ridsdale after David O'Leary had shuffled off earlier that summer. Venables said afterwards that the perilous financial state of the club had not been made clear to him when he signed up, the first indication of which came with the sale of Rio Ferdinand to Manchester United a couple of weeks after El Tel arrived. After Robbie Keane and Jonathan Woodgate were also sold that January, Leeds were heading for relegation when Venables was shown the door in March 2003, only to be saved by new Thailand manager Peter Reid. Now that's embarrassing.
And On This Day In Real History...
138: Roman Emperor Hadrian, he of wall fame, dies.
1553: Queen for a week and a day and a day, Lady Jane Grey is crowned in London. It didn't last long. Just over a week, in fact.
1962: Telstar, the world's first TV satellite is launched, allowing live pictures to be beamed from America to Europe.
And At Number One... while Johnston was causing a ruckus in Glasgow was 'Back To Life (How Ever Do You Want Me) by Soul II Soul, featuring Caron Wheeler.
