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You are > Home > It’s a funny ol’ game, isn’t it?
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Wednesday, March 17, 2010
It’s a funny ol’ game, isn’t it?
BY ANTHONY HENNIGAN
YOU just had to love the headline. ‘Liverpool winning race for seventh.’
Was ever a more dubious accolade bestowed upon The Reds? It came in the days between the Anfield club last week suffering its first ever defeat at the hands of Wigan Athletic and losing to Lille in the Europa Cup last Thursday. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
I had taken a phone-call in the lead up to that Wigan game from someone anxious to correct a rare untruth that appeared in this newspaper the previous week (not in the sports pages I hasten to add!). “United aren’t looking to match Liverpool’s record of league titles this season, they’re looking to beat it,” I was informed. Of course, this Red Devil needed no telling that. But it got me searching the records all the same – just in case. And it’s a fascinating place you know, that dusty old record book.
Manchester United and Liverpool, at 18 apiece, are indeed joint holders of the most English League titles won. In fact, along with two other clubs, United and the ‘Pool are also inseparable as having won the most consecutive league titles. Manchester United, however, have won three titles in succession twice in their history (1998-99 to 2000-01 and 2006-07 to 2008-09), unlike Liverpool (1981-82 to 1983-84), Arsenal (1931-32 to 193334) and Huddersfield Town who are the only other teams to have achieved that top-flight feat even once.
I can hear the questioning cries already. “Huddersfield?” Yes, Huddersfield. They pulled off the three-in-a-row from 1923-24 to 1925-26. And another interesting fact, the Terriers also hold the record for scoring the most goals by a losing side when beaten 7-6 by Charlton Athletic.
Chances are if you knew that, then it’s bread and butter to you that Carlos Tevez signed for Manchester City from Manchester United. Except you’d be wrong!
Unlike Christiano Ronaldo last summer signing for Real Madrid from Manchester United for more money than ever before was paid for an English based player (£80m), when City parted with the most money ever paid by an English club for a player (£49m), it was actually Media Sports Investment from whom they acquired the services of Carlos Tevez – not their Manchester rivals. Now there’s one for the pub quiz!
But drifting back over to Merseyside, there’s a fascinating set of statistics that surround Everton Football Club. It’s quite well known that they have spent more seasons in top-flight football than any other club. The exact number stands at 107.
It’s probably explainable then why the Toffees hold both the records for most top-flight games drawn (1018) and lost (1432). However, even when dealing only with the life-span of the Premier League, again it’s they from the blue half of Merseyside who have lost more games (258) than any other club since the league’s inception in 1992. More than that, they’ve also lost more FA Cup finals (8) than anyone else. Mayo, with all their All-Ireland senior final defeats, can’t even match that!
What’s interesting, I find, about scanning through the records is that so many polar angles of statistics can link one club. For example, Doncaster Rovers for some reason hold the record for most games won in a season (33, in Division 3 North 1946-47) and most games lost in a season (34, Division 3 1997-98).
Incidently, they’re also one of the five teams beaten by Birmingham City who hold the record for most double figure wins. Interestingly, the Brummies doled out all five hidings as a second division team.
And why is it that Stoke City were involved both times where one game played the longest first half additional time (8m26s v Chelsea November ‘09) and the other the longest ever additional time (11m02s v Tottenham Hotspur October ’08)?
Similarly, there are only two examples of teams scoring seven goals in a game and failing to win – and both strangely involve the mighty Dulwich Hamlet.
They beat St Alban’s City 8-7 in an FA Cup fourth qualifying round replay in 1922 and amazingly, at the same stage almost seven years to the day later, they drew 7-7 with Wealdstone, the club who much later in its existence would kick-start the careers of Stuart Pearce and Vinnie Jones.
And take Bolton Wanderers. They were among the three promoted teams who all managed to avoid relegation from the Premier League in 2001-02. It’s the only time that has ever happened.
But so too were Bolton among three promoted clubs who, in 1997-98, were all relegated at the first attempt. It’s the only time that has ever happened too.
Something that has happened 1312 times more is for a top-flight game to end 1-0. It’s the most popular scoreline in English football records. And after Liverpool’s mishaps at Wigan and Lille last week, it’s the most popular score-line in Manchester too, and at Stamford Bridge, The Emirates, White Hart Lane, Villa Park and Goodison Park, all homes of clubs who could quite easily force Rafa Benitez’s team out of the European positions altogether.
Something tells me there wouldn’t be a whole pile of tears shed were that to happen and that something might just be about to give at Anfield.
The end, you feel, is nigh, notwithstanding anything that might have happened against Portsmouth after we went to press last night.
Now, I’m off to see have I an Editor who’s still speaking to me.
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