latest news
It was 34 Football Years Ago Today...
July 12, 1930: Remember the name of Lucien Laurent - he could come in handy in a pub quiz as the answer to the question 'who scored the first World Cup finals goal?' He scored that goal for France in their opening game against Mexico in the inaugural World Cup in Uruguay. France went on to beat Mexico 4-1 and the USA beat Belgium 3-0.
July 12, 1962: ManYoo bought a legend in Denis Law from Torino for a British record £115,000. He went on to score 237 goals in 409 appearances in 11 years for United, winning two league titles, an FA Cup and becoming the only Scotsman to be named European Footballer Of The Year.
In a story that echoes down the ages, four years after arriving at United, Law asked manager Matt Busby for a pay rise (with the threat that he would leave if denied) and was promptly put on the transfer list, with Busby announcing that "no player will hold this club to ransom, no player".
Law had to make a public apology to United fans but later claimed that it was just a ploy to prevent other players holding the club to ransom, and that he had in fact been given the pay rise he wanted.
July 12, 1966: Day two of the World Cup and Switzerland paid a heavy price for the lure of Sheffield nightlife as two of their star players broke a curfew and were benched for the game against West Germany at Hillsborough, which the Germans won 5-0. Meanwhile, Brazil beat Bulgaria at Goodison Park and Russia beat North Korea at Middlesbrough's Ayresome Park. Now that sounds grim.
July 12, 1974: Liverpool's switchboards were jammed as fans learned that Bill Shankly had retired from the manager's job after 15 years, winning three league titles along the way. He had transformed Liverpool and the fans were distraught at his departure, with one factory's workers threatening a strike unless he was reinstated.
Shankly apparently immediately regretted his decision to retire and would still turn up at Melwood to watch the team train, making life awkward for new boss Bob Paisley. Kevin Keegan later said that Liverpool "didn't get it wrong very often but they did that time", as they failed to give Shankly a place on the board at the club.
July 12, 1984: Franz Beckenbauer became the new boss of West Germany and within six years he had won them the World Cup, though we can't remember who they beat on the way to the final.
July 12, 1998: France became the world champions with a 3-0 win over Brazil that was overshadowed by rumours that Ronaldo had suffered a fit before the game, with conspiracy theories involving sponsors, the French hosts and aliens. In the actual game, Zinedine Zidane dominated - scoring twice - and the French became champions of the world for the first time.
On This Day In Real History...
100BC: Julius Caesar is born.
1543: Henry VIII marries his sixth and final wife, Catherine Parr at Hampton Court Palace and they really were together until death parted them.
1794: Nelson loses his eye in Corsica. Clumsy.
1941: Russia and Great Britain sign a treaty that makes it clear that neither are friends with Germany.
1996: Prince Charles and Princess Diana divorce.
And at number one when...Shankly was handing in his resignation was 'She' by Charles Aznavour.
