16 January 2002 - Zola's Magical Mystery Goal

On 16 January 2002, Gianfranco Zola scored a remarkable back-heeled goal as Chelsea rolled over Norwich City in the FA Cup, 4-0.

The Third Round match was a replay, with the two sides having drawn 0-0 at Norwich's Carrow Road ground 11 days earlier. Back at Stamford Bridge, the hosts wasted little time, taking the lead in the 11th minute with a header from Mario Stanić. Norwich tried to rally with a strong push around both sides of halftime, but Chelsea weathered the challenge, then extended their lead with a goal from Frank Lampard (56').

Zola's moment of brilliance arrived in the 63rd minute, as he met a corner from teammate Graeme Le Saux. As the ball dropped outside the near post, the 35-year old striker met it in midair with his right foot and back-heeled it behind his body. It skimmed just inside the post past the outstretched arms of Norwich keeper Rob Green. Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri later described the goal as "fantasy" and "magic," while referring to Zola as a "wizard." Zola himself said "Don't ask me how I did it, because I don't know."

Chelsea proceeded to win the match 4-0 with the last goal coming from Mikael Forssell (89') and eventually reached the FA Cup Final where they lost to Arsenal.

10 October 1999 - So, That's One Big Fish And One Little One

On 10 October 1999, two players got their first caps for England, but went on to very different international careers.

The occasion was a friendly against Belgium, played at Sunderland's Stadium of Light. National team boss Kevin Keegan, then in his first year as manager, collected a team of veterans, including goalkeeper David Seaman, defender Tony Adams, and forward and captain Alan Shearer, each of whom had more than 50 England appearances at the time. But Keegan also included a couple of new faces in the midfield--West Ham's Frank Lampard and Leicester City's Stephen Guppy (pictured). Between the two, Guppy received the lion's share of pre-match attention, with one commentator calling him "one of the country's most gifted left-sided midfielders."

The 30-year old Guppy played all 90 minutes as England won 2-1 with goals from Shearer (6') and Jamie Redknapp (66') (Belgium's lone strike was scored by Branko Strupar (14')). Lampard, who was 21, gave way to Dennis Wise in the 76th minute. The match turned out to be Guppy's only appearance for the England senior side, while Lampard went on to earn a current total of 89 caps and counting.

The match did provide one unique distinction for Guppy, making him the only player to appear for England's U-21, semi-pro, B team and full side.

27 July 1984 - Clearly, I Am In The Wrong Business

On 27 July 2007, Chelsea captain John Terry became the highest-paid player in Premier League history. For a while, anyway.

The Blues had just completed a three-year run in which they won the league twice (2005, 2006), then finished as runners-up to Manchester United (2007). They also won the FA Cup and the League Cup in 2007. Terry, who was also the England captain at the time, had two years remaining on his existing contract that paid him a reported £67,000 per week, well behind teammates Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko, who were both earning close to £120,000.

Terry's contract negotiations dragged out over a couple of months, but the defender maintained throughout that he had no intention of leaving the club. In July, Chelsea rewarded his loyalty with a new five-year deal that paid him close to £135,000 per week to surpass the record previously held by Ballack and Shevchenko. But Terry's status as the league's best-paid player did not last long. In August 2008, Chelsea signed midfielder Frank Lampard to a new deal worth £140,000 per week (which triggered an increase in Terry's pay to the same level). Even then, they both were well behind AC Milan midfielder Kaká and Inter striker Zlatan Ibrahimović, both of earned close to £166,000 per week.

In 2010, Manchester United smashed the Premier League record by signing Wayne Rooney to a 5-year deal worth a reported £250,000 per week.

5 July 1900 - A Club Reforged

On 5 July 1900, a new club rose from the ashes of Thames Ironworks FC. Calling themselves West Ham United, the new club went on to win three FA Cups and two international trophies while launching the careers of some of football's biggest stars.

Built from the remains of Old Castle Swifts FC, Thames Ironworks served as the works team for the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Co. The team was successful, winning the London League in 1898 and the Southern League's second division in 1899, but disbanded in June 1900 over disputes about the club's administration and financing. On 5 June 1900, the club was relaunched as West Ham United.

West Ham were elected to the Football League in 1919 and rose to the top tier in 1923. That year, they reached the FA Cup Final, but lost to Bolton Wanderers 2-0. They eventually won their first FA Cup in 1964, led by Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst. That team went on to win the Cup Winners' Cup in 1965, while Moore and Hurst helped England to World Cup glory in 1966.

Two more FA Cups followed in 1975 and 1980, and they were one of the three winning finalists in the 1999 Intertoto Cup. Meanwhile, they launched the careers of such luminaries as Trevor Brooking, Paul Ince, Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, and Frank Lampard.

Since their election to the Football League in 1919, West Ham have moved regularly between the top two tiers of English football. They were recently relegated from the Premier League and will play in the Championship for the 2011-12 season.

13 January 1999 - Swansea's Shock Of The Season

On 13 January 1999, Swansea City upset West Ham in a Third Round FA Cup Replay despite being separated by 73 places in the English football pyramid.

The two sides met at Upton Park 11 days earlier, where Swansea were denied a victory by a late West Ham equalizer three minutes from time. For the replay at Swansea's Vetch Field, the hosts were sitting in 14th place in Division Three, while West Ham were holding down the 8th position in the Premier League, three levels higher.

The Hammers created a handful of early chances, thanks in part to the return of midfielder Frank Lampard, who had missed the previous match. But they were unable to convert, with Lampard's 11th-minute header falling just inches wide of the post. Swansea keeper Roger Freestone then made a brilliant save to deny another shot from the midfielder.

Swansea nearly claimed the lead in the 21st minute when midfielder Martin Thomas beat West Ham keeper Shaka Hislop, but his shot struck the bar. Thomas was not to be denied, however, and 8 minutes later he fired a 25-yarder that curled into the bottom corner of the net. Several home supporters rushed onto the pitch, forcing a few minutes' delay while officials restored order.

West Ham pressed forward, but were repeatedly denied by Freestone as Swansea reaped a deserved 1-0 win.

Swansea City 1 - 0 West Ham FA Cup 3rd Round Replay 1999 from Skip The Jack on Vimeo.

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.

4 December 2009 - Maybe The Goalkeepers Spoke A Bit Too Soon

On 4 December 2009, Adidas introduced their controversial new match ball for the 2010 World Cup, the Jabulani.

Named after the Zulu word for "celebrate," the ball was made from eight spherically molded panels and had a textured surface designed to improve its aerodynamics. The result was unpredictable flight behavior which drew heavy criticism from several players. Goalkeepers were particularly unhappy, including Brazil's Julio Cesar, who called it a "supermarket ball," Spain's Iker Casillas, who said it was "horrible," and Italy's Gianluigi Buffon, who said it was "absolutely inadequate."

Predictably, players contracted to Adidas provided more favorable reviews, including such high-profile stars as Kaká ("just great"), Michael Ballack ("fantastic"), and Frank Lampard ("very strong").

The overall effect appeared to be a reduction in goalscoring, as the tournament had only 145 goals, the fewest of any World Cup since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1998.

21 November 2007 - Croatia Rains On England's Parade

On 21 November 2007, the final day of qualification for Euro 2008, Croatia defeated England, 2-3, before a rain-soaked crowd of 88,000 in London's Wembley Stadium. The loss eliminated England from the tournament and sealed the fate of England manager Steve McClaren.

England started the day in second place in Group E on 23 points. They were three points behind leaders Croatia, who had already booked their place in the tournament, and two points ahead of third-place Russia, who were facing last-place Andorra.

England had lost to Croatia 2-0 in Zagreb, but were hoping for a better result at home, despite missing several key players, including forward Wayne Rooney and all four players from their preferred back line. The available personnel forced McLaren to change the formation from a 4-4-2 to a 4-1-4-1, with Peter Crouch playing as the lone striker.

England's hopes took a blow in the 8th minute, as Croatian midfielder Niko Kranjčar found the back of the net with a 25-yard shot that was helped past keeper Scott Carson by a tricky bounce off the wet pitch. Ivica Olić doubled the visitors' lead in the 14th minute as a precision pass by forward Eduardo da Silva beat the English defense and allowed Olić to walk the ball into an open goal.

England entered the second half to a chorus of boos and jeers from the home fans, but soon gave them something to cheer when Jermain Defoe won a penalty which Frank Lampard converted in the 56th minute. Peter Crouch equalized nine minutes later with a goal from a David Beckham pass.

As it turned out, a draw would have been enough to see England through on goal differential, but it did not last. Croatian substitute forward Mladen Petrić (pictured), who had replaced Eduardo in the 69th minute, beat Carson with a 25-yard stunner in the 77th minute. England were unable to find another equalizer and conceded all three points to Croatia.

Russia, as expected, beat Andorra and moved into second place in the group, dropping England into third and out of the tournament. The FA terminated McClaren's contract the next day after only 18 matches in 16 months, making his time in charge of the national team the shortest of any England manager.

21 May 2008 - Chelsea's Trophy Slipped Away

On 21 May 2008, Manchester United defeated Chelsea in the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow before a crowd of over 67,000. The match was the first all-English European Cup final as well as the first one held in Russia.

The two teams entered the Final having finished the English Premier League season in the top two spots. United won the league, only two points ahead of the Blues.

United winger Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring with a header in the 26th minute. Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard then equalized in the 45th minute.

Chelsea carried the momentum into the second half, in which they continually pressured United. Michael Essien, Michael Ballack, and Didier Drogba all had good chances to put Chelsea ahead, but their shots just missed the goal. The teams ended the second half still tied at 1-1 and went into extra time, where Drogba received a red card in the 116th minute for hitting United defender Nemanja Vidić. The teams finished extra time still at 1-1 and advanced to penalty kicks.

United went first and, through nine kicks, the teams were tied at 4-4, with Chelsea keeper Petr Cech having made a diving save to keep Ronaldo's shot out. Chelsea defender and captain John Terry then stepped up to take what would have been the winning kick, but he slipped and sent his shot wide.

On the fourth kick of sudden death, United keeper Edwin Van der Sar saved Nicolas Anelka's kick, giving United a 6-5 win on penalties and the club's third European Cup trophy.