ON THIS DAY

Valentine’s Day 2014 saw Premier League bottom club Fulham change managers, René Meulensteen being replaced by Felix Magath. Magath was the first German to manage in the Premier League and his sides had won 3 Bundesliga titles in his native Germany. But in England his Fulham side managed just three wins in his 19 League matches in charge before he was sacked in September after relegated Fulham found themselves bottom of the Championship with just a single point from their first seven League fixtures of the season. But that dismal record isn’t what Magath was best remembered for – his main claim for fame was the treatment he ordered when Brede Hangeland suffered a thigh injury. He over-ruled the traditional treatment and ordered that the club captain place a slab of cheese soaked in alcohol over the injured thigh!

Bobby Moore won his 100th England cap and Willie Ormond took charge for the first time as Scotland’s manager in the friendly international at Hampden Park. England came out on top with a 5-0 victory which equalled Scotland’s worst ever home defeat.

What a contrast! In only their eleventh season as a League club Watford reached the last 16 of the FA Cup for the first time in their history. That 5th Round tie against Birmingham at St Andrews attracted the highest attendance ever to watch Watford up to that date - 49,757. Just two days later - Monday February 16th - Watford were back in League action (Division 3 South) playing Thames at the vast 100,000+ capacity West Ham Stadium ( not where WHU played)- in front of a crowd of just 853 fans! The Hornets lost both matches.

Well, there wasn’t much love around when Liverpool played Newcastle in a First Division fixture on Valentines Day 1925. A century or so ago sendings-off were very rare with Liverpool only having two players dismissed in their first 1000 League matches. But that figure was then doubled in the match against Newcastle at Anfield with Newcastle seeing one of their own players also receiving marching orders. First to go was Liverpool’s Jock McNab for kicking an opposition player and he was followed a few minutes later by team-mate Walter Wadsworth and Newcastle’s Tommy Urwin. A hard challenge on Urwin by Wadsworth was followed by Wadsworth throwing a lump of mud at Urwin and then Urwin punching Wadsworth in the face! Legend has it that the two Liverpool players were having a moan about the events in the dressing room when a director came to see them there and McNab quipped ‘Bloody hell, has the ref started to send the directors off now?’