8 September 1969 - Wales Adds Some Speed

On 8 September 1969, former Welsh national team captain and current manager Gary Speed was born in Mancot, Wales. With 85 appearances for the national team, he remains the most-capped outfield player for Wales and the second most-capped player overall.

In 1990, while playing for Leeds United, Speed earned his first cap in friendly against Costa Rica, which Wales won 1-0. He retired from international play after a 3-2 loss to Poland in an October 2004 World Cup qualifier. It was his 85th cap, just seven shy of goalkeeper Neville Southall's all-time record, but ten more than the next highest outfield player, striker Dean Saunders.

He continued his club career for another six years, with spells at Everton (1996-98), Newcastle (1998-2004), Bolton (2004-08), and Sheffield United (2008-10). He moved directly into coaching with Sheffield United, taking over as manager in August 2010.

Although he had signed a three-year contract with Sheffield United, Wales lured him away in December 2010. Since then, he has guided the Dragons to a record of 2 wins and 5 losses, including a close 1-0 defeat to England at Wembley earlier this week.

4 May 1966 - Shilton Robs Banks

On 4 May 1966, goalkeeper Peter Shilton made the first of his Football League record 1,005 appearances, starting for Leicester in a 3-0 win over Everton.

Shilton joined Leicester's youth academy in 1963 at the age of 13, then moved up to the first team in 1966 at the insistence of their starting goalkeeper, Gordon Banks. He was only 16 when he got his first start, replacing Banks for a home match against Everton and keeping a clean sheet in the 3-0 victory.

Banks went on to win the World Cup with England the following summer, but Leicester traded him away to Stoke soon after, preferring to stick with Shilton for the 1967-68 season. Shilton made 286 league appearances for Leicester before following in Banks's footsteps and moving to Stoke in 1974. After three seasons with Stoke, he moved again, and spent time at Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Derby County, Plymouth Argyle, Wimbledon, Bolton, Coventry, West Ham, and Leyton Orient before retiring in 1997 at the age of 47.

He also holds the appearance record for England, with 125 caps between 1970 and 1990.

19 April 1957 - Chelsea Hits New Heights

On 19 April 1957, Chelsea set an English record by becoming the first team to travel by plane for a domestic away match.

The decision was one of necessity, not extravagance. The Blues played that day against Newcastle, whose St. James Park is just over 280 miles away from Stamford Bridge. Chelsea won that match, then needed to return home to host Everton the very next day.

While Chelsea would ordinarily return by bus, the club decided that time was more important than money and chartered a flight back to London. The plan worked, as they defeated Everton 5-1.

3 April 1999 - Somebody Was On Drugs, But It Wasn't Fowler

On 3 April 1999, Liverpool won the Merseyside derby over Everton 3-2 in a match best remembered for a provocative goal celebration.

Although Everton were sitting seven spots below Liverpool in the table and the two teams had played to a scoreless draw earlier that season at Goodison Park, the visitors stunned the home crowd with a goal from midfielder Olivier Dacourt after only 41 seconds. He unleashed a powerful volley from 30 yards out that skimmed the head of defender Steve Staunton and beat keeper David James.

But the lead did not last long. A trip by Everton's Marco Materazzi on Paul Ince led to a 15th-minute penalty kick, which Robbie Fowler converted with ease. Fowler, who previously had been accused of drug abuse by the Everton supporters, then raced to the goal line, dropped to his knees, and pretended to snort the white line in front of the visiting fans. Police soon stepped into the area to quiet the ensuing uproar.

Liverpool proceeded to win 3-2 after another goal from Fowler (21') and a one from Patrik Berger (82'), while Everton's Francis Jeffers (84') provided the day's last goal.

Afterward, Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier attempted to explain Fowler's celebration by saying the striker was really pretending to eat the grass, claiming it was a Cameroonian tradition learned from teammate Rigobert Song. The FA clearly disagreed, suspended Fowler for six matches (including time for another incident) and fining him £32,000. Liverpool also fined him an additional £60,000 for bringing the game into disrepute.

10 February 2002 - The Gunners Launch Their Title Assault

On 10 February 2002, Arsenal won away at Everton, 0-1, in Arsène Wenger's 300th match in charge. The match kick-started an English record 14 straight league wins that lifted the Gunners to that season's title and carried over into the following season.

Arsenal began the day in fourth, behind Liverpool, Newcastle, and Manchester United, but with games in hand on all of them. The Toffees, meanwhile, were 20 points back in 15th. But the match, played before a crowd of almost 31,000 at Goodison Park, was much closer than the table would have suggested.

It was a scrappy affair that would end with five yellow cards, all to Arsenal players. The visitors could not find their form in the first half, appearing sluggish and heavy-footed. It finally took a lucky break for them to take the lead, with striker Sylvain Wiltord (pictured) somehow volleying a Patrick Vieira cross off his shin and into the goal in the 62nd minute.

To the irritation of Everton manager Walter Smith, the referee denied two late penalty shouts from the Toffees and the match ended 0-1. Arsenal proceeded to win all of their remaining 12 league matches en route to the title and did not drop another point until their second match of the 2002-03 season, when they were held to 2-2 at West Ham.

10 January 2007 - Apparently, You Can Go Home Again

On 10 January 2007, Rangers confirmed the return of manager Walter Smith, who had previously led the club to a massive haul of silverware from 1991 to 1998.

Smith originally joined the Glasgow club in 1986 as an assistant to Graeme Souness. The pair provided immediate rewards, delivering the league title in their first season. When Souness left in 1991 for Liverpool, Smith stayed to take the reins and proceeded to win the league for 7 consecutive seasons, including a treble win in 1993. That success came at a price, however--in his 6 seasons in charge at Ibrox, Rangers spent £50m in transfer fees, the most of any UK club over that period.

Smith retired in May 1998, but not for long; he became Everton's manager the next month. But the successes did not follow and he was sacked after three seasons. After a brief spell as an assistant at Manchester United, the Scottish FA tapped him to lead the national team.

Meanwhile, Rangers found it difficult to fill Smith's shoes. His two immediate successors, Dick Advocaat (1998-2001) and Alex McLeish (2001-2006), both started well but soon faltered. And McLeish's replacement, Paul Le Guen, lasted only 10 months, prompting the club to send the distress call to Smith. He repaid them by returning Rangers to the top of the league in 2009 and 2010.

17 December 2006 - Lampard Is Wiser Than Wise

On 17 December 2006, Chelsea's Frank Lampard netted an 80th-minute equalizer against Everton to become the club's best midfield goalscorer. Chelsea went on to win the match 2-3.

The previous record of 76 goals had been set by former captain Dennis Wise, who played at Stamford Bridge from 1990 to 2001. Lampard joined the club in June 2001 from West Ham, with Wise moving on to Leicester just over one week later.

In his first season with the Blues, Lampard scored only 7 goals in all competitions, but by his third seasons, he had found his shooting form, providing 15 goals. He has remained in double-digits ever since, with a career-high 27 goals in Chelsea's Double-winning 2009-10 season.

In the 2006 match against Everton, the Toffees were leading 2-1 late in the match when Lampard unleashed a right-footed rocket into the top corner of the net. It was his 77th goal for Chelsea and one of his most impressive. Didier Drogba then delivered the killing blow, taking the ball off the foot of an Everton defender to score in the 86th minute.

Lampard currently stands on 158 goals, more than doubling Wise's former record tally.

20 August 1960 - Spurs' Journey Of A Thousand Miles Starts Here

On 20 August 1960, Tottenham Hotspur opened their season with a 2-0 win over Everton, starting the journey that would end with a League and FA Cup double.



Playing before a home crowd of 50,393 at White Hart Lane, Spurs - who had finished the previous season in third place, only two points behind League winners Burnley - created a handful of early chances, but were denied by Everton's goalkeeper, Albert Dunlop. The teams were evenly matched and appeared to be headed for a draw when Spurs center forward Bobby Smith was brought down in the Everton box. The referee played the advantage, however, as Tottenham inside forward Les Allen was in a scoring position and his ensuing shot put the hosts up, 1-0.



Two minutes later, Smith doubled the lead with a low header and the game ended 2-0. The win sent Spurs to the top of the table, where they remained for the rest of the season to claim their second League title, ten years after their first. They capped the season with a 2-0 win over Leicester in the FA Cup Final at Wembley.

20 April 1895 - Villa Wins The Cup, Then Loses It

On 20 April 1895, Aston Villa (pictured) scored what was at the time the fastest goal in FA Cup Final history to beat West Bromwich Albion 1-0 before a crowd of 42,560 at London's Crystal Palace. Because many of those attendees were slow entering the stadium, they missed the record-setting goal.

There is some dispute about who actually scored the goal. According to post-match reports, Villa center forward John Devey started the match, kicking the ball to inside-left Dennis Hodgetts, who then sent it to winger Charlie Athersmith on the right. Athersmith then crossed it to the goalmouth, where it fell to inside forward Bob Chatt, who then half-volleyed it toward the goal. The ball entered the goal sometime between the 30th and 39th second of the match.

Press reports credited the goal to Chatt, but some Villa players said later that West Brom keeper Joe Reader deflected Chatt's shot into the path of Devey, who fired it into the net. In any event, the FA still lists Chatt as the goalscorer on the 30th second. It turned out to be the match-winner, as neither team was able to penetrate the other's defense for the remainder of the match.

It was the second FA Cup title for Villa, who had won it in 1887 by beating West Brom 2-0. Villa didn't get to hold on to it for very long, though, as the 1895 Cup itself was stolen shortly after the Final and has never been recovered.

Villa's record goal stood for 114 years until it was overtaken in 2009 when Everton's Louis Saha scored at the 25-second mark in their 2-1 loss to Chelsea.

15 March 1892 - Their Mascot Should Have Been A Phoenix

On 15 March 1892, former Everton FC chairman John Houlding, who had left the Toffees over issues related to his ownership of their Anfield Road ground, founded a new club to use the ground. Originally named Everton Athletic, the club soon took a new name - Liverpool FC.

A brewer by trade, Houlton negotiated the lease of the Anfield Road ground for Everton in 1884, after they had been asked to leave their previous ground by the ground's owner, who was unhappy with the crowd noise on matchdays. A year later, Houlton bought Anfield outright, placing the club in the awkward position of having to pay rent to their president.

Nevertheless, the move was successful for Everton, who became one of the Football League's founding clubs in 1888 and won their first League title in 1891. But tensions between the club and Houlding continued, due largely to Houlding's decision to raise the rent on Anfield by 150% in 1890. The club grew increasingly convinced that Houlding was placing his personal financial interest over the interests of the club and, on 18 April 1892, Everton played their last match at Anfield.

By that point, Anfield was an international-class ground, accommodating over 20,000 people. In order to create some leverage against Everton, as well as provide an additional tenant for his ground, Houlding, on 15 March 1892, created Everton Athletic. His original intention was to replace the existing Everton with his newly-created Everton Athletic, taking over his old club's fixtures and League position, but the Football League rejected his attempt and forced him to rename the club. He eventually settled on Liverpool FC.

Since then, Liverpool has become one of the most successful clubs in English football, winning a record 18 League titles (a record shared with Manchester United). They have also won the European Cup/Champions League title five times, the most of any English club.

12 March 2009 - The Ukraine Is Not Weak!

On 12 March 2009, Dynamo Kyiv and Metalist Kharkiv became the first Ukranian sides to meet in a UEFA competition. Their historic meeting came in the Round of 16 of that season's UEFA Cup.

One of the most successful clubs in Ukraine, Kyiv entered the competition with an established European pedigree, having previously participated in numerous Champions League/European Cup and UEFA Cup matches, as well as winning the 1975 and 1986 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups and the 1975 UEFA Super Cup. They had qualified for the 2008-09 Champions League, but their third-place finish in that competition's group stage sent them into the UEFA Cup Round of 32. There, they advanced over Valencia on away goals to set up the meeting with Metalist in the Round of 16.

Metalist, on the other hand, was a relative novice. The 2008-09 UEFA Cup was only their second time in European competition, with the first being the previous season's UEFA Cup (where they were eliminated in the first round by Everton). They got off to a much stronger start in 2009-10, opening their campaign with a 4-2 aggregate win over Besitkas to advance to the group stage. There, they finished at the top of their group, over more experienced European sides Galatasaray, Olympiacos, Hertha Berlin, and Benfica, then rolled over Sampdoria 3-0 in the Round of 32.

The Round of 16 match-up was held in Kiev, where the home side staked their claim with a 1-0 win thanks to a 54th-minute header from midfielder Ognjen Vukojevic (pictured). Metalist battled back to win the second leg 3-2, but Kyiv again advanced thanks to their two away goals.

Kyiv advanced all the way to the semifinals where they ran into yet another Ukrainian side, Shakhtar Donetsk who beat Kyiv 3-2 on aggregate and went on to win the title with a 2-1 win over Werder Bremen.

2 March 1991 - Giggs' Proverbial First Step In His Record-Long Journey

On 2 March 1991, 17-year old midfielder Ryan Giggs made his first appearance for Manchester United in a 2-0 home league loss to Everton. Although he played in only one other match that season, the young Welsh left winger would later become United's appearances leader on his way to becoming the most decorated player in English football history.

Born in Cardiff, Wales, Giggs moved with his family to Salford, Greater Manchester, in 1980. He started his career as a youth player with Manchester City in 1985 before moving to United's youth program in 1987. He turned professional on his 17th birthday, 29 November 1990. For his first appearance against Everton, Giggs came on as a substitute, replacing fullback Denis Irwin. His other appearance that season was a 1-0 over Manchester City on 4 May, in which Giggs started and scored the matchwinner - his first goal for United.

He became a regular starter in the 1991-92 season, helping lead the club to a second-place League finish and the League Cup title, his first piece of silverware. Since then, he has added 11 League titles, four FA Cup trophies, two more League Cup trophies, seven Community Shields, and two UEFA Champions League trophies to his silverware cabinet, as well as one Super Cup title, one Intercontinental Cup trophy, and one Club World Cup trophy.

In 2008, Giggs memorably broke Bobby Charlton's previous record of 758 Manchester United appearances by coming on as an 87th-minute substitute in the Champions League Final against Chelsea and scoring the winning goal in the penalty shootout. Giggs is still playing for United and has made more than 820 total appearances.

1 March 1980 - Look Away, Dixie

On 1 March 1980, Everton's greatest goalscorer Dixie Dean died of a heart attack at Goodison Park while watching his former club battle to a 2-2 draw with Merseyside rivals Liverpool. He was described by Bill Shankly as "the greatest center forward there will ever be."

Born William Dean in Birkenhead, across the Mersey River from Liverpool, in 1907, Dixie got his professional start in 1923 with Birkenhead club Tranmere Rovers, then in the Third Division. He stayed with Tranmere less than two seasons before moving to the First Division with Everton in 1924. Dominating in the air, he was an instant success for the Toffees, scoring 33 goals in his first full season.

Dean, however, was just warming up. Sidelined briefly in the 1926-27 season due to a skull fracture caused by a motorcycle accident, he still managed to find the back of the net 36 times, including twelve in five appearances for the English national team. In 1927-28, he scored an English record 60 league goals for Everton, including a hat-trick in the final match of the season to push him past the previous record of 59, set by Middlesbrough's George Camsell the previous season. He stayed with Everton until 1937, by which time he had scored a total of 383 goals for Everton in all competitions and helped them to two League titles (1928, 1932) and one FA Cup (1933).

After leaving Everton, Dean played briefly for Notts County (1938-39) and Sligo Rovers (1939). Although injuries had taken their toll on his form, he still managed to net 10 times for Sligo in seven appearances, including five in one match.

In 2001, Everton erected a statue of Dean outside the stadium. His number 9 shirt is regarded with honor by the club, having been worn subsequently by Toffee greats Tommy Lawson and Dave Hickson. It is currently worn by Landon Donovan, on loan from the LA Galaxy.

6 December 1979 - The Wizard of Oz

On 6 December 1979, future Australian international and Oceania Player of the Year Tim Cahill was born in Sydney.

The midfielder signed his first professional contract at the age of 18 with English Division Two side Millwall FC. His time with the Lions coincided with one of the club's most successful periods, with the club earning promotion to Division One for the 2001-02 season and advancing to the FA Cup Final in 2004. In all, Cahill made 241 appearances for the Lions in all competitions, scoring 58 goals.

2004 also saw Cahill earn his first cap for Australia, despite having played for Samoa at the u-17 level. He was a key member of Australia's campaign in the 2004 Summer Olympics, which, along with his performances for Millwall, earned him the 2004 Oceania Footballer of the Year award.

He transferred to Everton for the 2004-05 season in which the club finished in the top four at the expense of crosstown rivals Liverpool. The following season, he was named one of the 50 finalists for the 2006 Ballon d'Or (and was the only finalist named from the Asian Football Confederation and Oceania).

On 12 June 2006, Cahill came on as 53rd-minute substitute in Australia's opening 2006 World Cup group stage match against Japan. The Socceroos were down 0-1, but Cahill scored an equalizer in the 84th minute -- Australia's first-ever World Cup goal. He added another in the 89th minute before teammate John Aloisi contributed a third in stoppage time to claim the country's first World Cup win.

The Socceroos finished second in their group to advance to the Round of 16, where they lost to eventual winners Italy, 1-0.

Cahill recently signed a contract extension to keep him at Everton until 2012.

11 October 1958 - "Now Out Of This Nettle, Danger, Did He Pluck The Flower, Safety."

On 11 October 1958, Tottenham Hotspur defeated Everton 10-4 at White Hart Lane. It was the first match in charge for new manager Bill Nicholson, who had just been appointed that afternoon.

Nicholson got his start with Spurs in 1936 working for the grounds staff. In 1938, he signed a professional contract with them and spent his entire career with the London club, making 214 league appearances before hanging up his boots in 1955.

He joined the Tottenham coaching staff in 1955 and was the first-team coach in 1958 when then-manager Jimmy Anderson was sacked. At the time, Spurs were sixth from bottom of the First Division table. They finished the season at fifth from bottom, but Nicholson eventually turned the club around, winning the Double in 1961.

Nicholson went on to become one of Tottenham's most successful managers, winning two more FA Cups (1962, 1967), two League Cups (1971, 1973), the European Cup Winners' Cup (1963), and the UEFA Cup (1972). He took Spurs to the 1974 UEFA Cup Final, where they lost to Feyenoord, and resigned shortly afterward.

He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2003 and passed away the following year.

Nicholson's 10-4 debut victory over Everton was a club record at the time, but was broken the next season when Spurs defeated Crewe Alexandra 13-2 in the FA Cup on 3 February 1960.

30 September 2006 - This Time, Barton Shows His Backside Figuratively AND Literally

On 30 September 2006, Manchester City drew with Everton 1-1 before a crowd of 38,250 at Goodison Park with an equalizer from defender Micah Richards in the fourth minute of stoppage time. City midfielder Joey Barton celebrated the draw by dropping his shorts and exposing his bare bottom to the home fans.

Barton, who played youth football for City, signed with the club as a professional in 2002 and, by 2006, was already in the process of developing a reputation for trouble. At the City Christmas Party in 2004, youth player Jamie Tandy--himself no stranger to trouble--attempted to set fire to Barton's shirt. Barton responded by sticking a lit cigar in Tandy's eye. Although Tandy's injuries were limited to a burnt eyelid, City issued Barton a club-record fine of £60,000.

In the summer of 2005, City were participating in a preseason tournament in Thailand when a 15-year old Everton supporter verbally insulted Barton and kicked him in the shin. Barton responded by attacking the boy and had to be pulled away by teammate Richard Dunne. Afterward, City manager Stuart Pearce ordered Barton to take anger management classes and also fined him £120,000.

By contrast, Barton's backside-baring earned him a paltry £2,000 fine and a caution from the Football Association.

Barton was not through making headlines for off-the-pitch behavior, however. On 27 December 2007, he was caught on video fighting on the streets of Liverpool. He attacked a 16-year old boy, breaking several teeth, and punched another man at least 20 times. He was sentenced to six months in jail, but was released after spending only two months behind bars.

Barton currently plays for Newcastle in the Championship, England's second tier.

[Note: The clip below shows the incident in question and may be considered NSFW.]

3 September 1906 - Now At 103 Years And Counting

On 3 September 1906, Everton pummeled Manchester City 9-1 at Goodison Park, setting a record scoreline for both sides.

It was only the second match of the season in Division One and City must have hoped for an improvement over their 1-4 home loss to Arsenal in the first week. Everton, meanwhile, had drawn 2-2 away to Middlesbrough in their first match, thus giving no indication of the juggernaut side that was to face City on the second matchday.

Still, Everton were a known quality side as the reigning FA Cup champions, having defeated Newcastle 1-0 in April 1906 (Everton's Cup-winning side is pictured). And the win over City was no fluke for the Toffees, who went on to finish in Division One's third place. City ended the season fourth from the bottom.

The 9-1 result remains Everton's largest margin of victory in the League and City's most lopsided League defeat.

17 July 1991 - From The Seeds Of Dissention, A Great League Is Born

On 17 July 1991, the 22 clubs in England's First Division executed the Founder Members Agreement, in which they each agreed to set up a new league that would be separate and apart from the existing Football League. The new league, called the Premier League, replaced the First Division as the top tier of English football.

The move was driven by five clubs in particular—Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur—amid concerns about the organization of the 90-member Football League. In particular, the breakaway clubs were unhappy with the fact that each of the 90 clubs in the First through Fourth Divisions of the League had an equal voice in League decisions. They also believed that the League was not taking full advantage of the revenue available from television contracts. Indeed, one of the "basic principles" set forth in the Founder Member Agreement concerned the division of television revenue, with 50% divided equally among the member clubs, 25% shared among the on the basis of league position at the end of the season, and the remaining 25% to be divided equally between the home and visiting teams of each televised match.

The agreement also provided that the system of relegation and promotion would continue as if the new Premier League were the top tier of the Football League, with Premier League teams also eligible to participate in the League Cup and FA Cup competitions. The split has led to some confusion in naming, however, as the former Second through Fourth Divisions are now known as the Championship, League One, and League Two, respectively.

While the founders' original intent was to operate the new Premier League under the authority of the English Football Association, they soon decided to break from the FA as well and, on 22 May 1992, formed a new company as the Football Association Premier League Limited.

The new Premier League began play with the start of the 1992-93 season with 22 members: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Coventry City, Crystal Palace, Everton, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Norwich City, Nottingham Forest, Oldham Athletic, Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, and Wimbledon.

Manchester United claimed the first Premier League title. Since then, only four clubs have won it: Manchester United (11 titles total), Arsenal (3), Chelsea (2), and Blackburn Rovers (1).