ON THIS DAY

The postponement of the League 1 match between Southend United and Bolton Wanderers because of a frozen pitch was to prove a reminder to us all that it takes a team of people to put on a football match. At Southend one of that team, groundsman Ken Hare, was sacked and effectively blamed for the postponement. Head groundsman Ken Hare had been at Southend for 27 years with his efforts being rewarded with a club statement saying ‘ People generally lose their position as a result of not doing their job .’ A nationwide campaign failed to get him his job back although part of the ‘mutually acceptable’ settlement reached four months later included a pair of Southend season tickets for him!

Watch a recording of a goal being scored in the 1950s or 60s and it is interesting to see the goal celebrations - usually just a handshake or perhaps a pat on the back if feelings are really high. Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger must have wished the same was still true in 2007. Shortly after coming on as a sub for Arsenal against Manchester United at the Emirates Robin van Persie scored and in the celebrations that followed he broke a bone in his foot. He was Arsenal’s leading scorer in the Premier League at the time and despite not making another League appearance that season because of the injury he still finished as the Gunners League leading scorer. Deprived of his goals Arsenal finished a distant fourth in the Premier League that season. If only he had just shook hands!

Obviously missing football after selling Chelsea to Roman Abramovich in 2003 Ken Bates announced that he had bought a new £10m toy - Leeds United!

Peter Shilton played his 1005th and last match in the Football League for Leyton Orient against Wigan Athletic. The 9 matches he had played for the O's had seen him become the first person ever to play in 1000 League matches. Wigan won 2-1 and went on the win the Division 3 title.

Fulham's Alan Mullery did something a tad unusual - he scored an own-goal just 30 seconds after the kick off before the opposition had even touched the ball! Yep, Sheffield Wednesday made the perfect start without trying in the First Division match at Craven Cottage and it didn't get much better for the Londoners - they lost 6-1.