ON THIS DAY

The day before they were due to play AC Milan in the Champions League the main talking point in the Arsenal camp seemed to be why their goalkeeper, Manuel Almunia, had been special permission to go home at lunch-times to see his wife. The Daily Mail reported that she thought that the house was haunted and didn't like being left alone in it. The house was built on the site of a former psychiatric hospital and she claimed to have seen a ghost - a monk carrying a candle - by their bed. The following day Arsenal - without Almunia - drew 0-0 with defending champions AC Milan at the Emirates but a couple of weeks later - with Almunia - they became the first English club to beat AC Milan in the San Siro to earn a quarter-final tie with Liverpool.

On Saturday 19 February 1910 Old Trafford staged its first match when Manchester United met Liverpool in a First Division match. Not that it was called Old Trafford in those days but the ‘United Football Ground’ which just hasn’t got the same ring about it has it! Originally planned as a 100,000 capacity stadium by the time it was built the capacity of the vast terraces had been reduced to 80,000 with about 45,000 present at that match against Liverpool. United’s Sandy Turnbull scored the first goal at the new ground but visitors Liverpool spoiled the party, winning 4-3.