ON THIS DAY

Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny didn't enjoy the best of starts to 2015. The Pole was at fault for both Southampton goals in the Gunners 2-0 defeat at St Mary's in the Premier League and after the match he was caught smoking in the showers for which he was fined £20,000. Ouch!

It was not a Happy New Year for Chester when they entertained Aldershot in a Division 4 match at Sealand Road on 1st January 1966. Both their full-backs - Ray Jones and Bryn Jones (they were not related) - ended up in hospital having both suffered broken legs in separate incidents. Chester won 3-2 though!

In the New Year Honours list Stanley Matthews became the first professional footballer to be awarded a knighthood while still a player. His only League appearance in 1964/65 was also his last, against Fulham on 6th February 1965, shortly after his 50th birthday. He had made his League debut in 1932 but in later years said that he regretted retiring so early, believing he could have played on for another couple of years!

George Camsell of Second Division Middlesbrough scored in his 12th consecutive League match, a 5-2 defeat of Port Vale at Ayresome Park.. That's an achievement in itself but what was even more remarkable was that in those 12 matches he scored 29 goals with a goalscoring run of 1, 1, 1, 4, 1, 4, 1, 2, 4, 5, 2, and 3. The 1926/27 season saw Middlesbrough score 122 League goals with Camsell scoring 59 of them - both were new records but both records only lasted a season before being bettered.

It was certainly a case of 'Happy New Year' for Sheffield United, although perhaps not for Cardiff City. Less than two years since those two clubs had meet in only the third Wembley FA Cup Final - United won 1-0 - a few more goals were scored in the First Division match between the clubs at Bramall Lane. Sheffield United beat Cardiff City 11-2. It was - and still is - the highest score Sheffield United have recorded in the League and the most Cardiff have conceded in the competition. For the first and only time in 1925/26 Sheffield United scored a century of League goals but they let in a few as well. Apart from the victory over the Welshmen Sheffield United defeated Burnley 6-1 and Manchester City 8-3 but they also lost 6-1 to Sunderland and 7-4 to Bury. Those were the days!