15 January 1958 - Northern Ireland's Italian Take-Out

On 15 January 1958, Northern Ireland qualified for their first World Cup by beating Italy 2-1 in Belfast and eliminating the two-time champions from the tournament.

It was the last match day for the three-team qualification group. Italy started the day at the top of the group on four points, having beaten Northern Ireland in Italy and split their home-and-away series with Portugal. The two other teams were level on three points each, with Portugal having completed all of their matches.

The Italians' visit to Belfast had been scheduled for the previous December, but the referee assigned to the match--Hungarian István Zsolt--failed to arrive on time. With both teams present, they went ahead and played the match as a friendly, resulting in a 2-2 draw.

Zsolt made it to Windsor Park in time for the rematch on 15 January and the hosts jumped to a 2-0 first-half lead with goals from Burnley midfielder Jimmy McIlroy (13') and Leeds United captain Wilbur Cush (28'). Italy got a second-half goal from AS Roma striker Dino da Costa (56') in his only national team appearance, but they couldn't find another and the match ended as a Northern Ireland win. That summer's tournament remains the only World Cup for which Italy failed to qualify.

Northern Ireland did well with the opportunity, advancing to the quarterfinals before falling to eventual third-place finisher France, 4-0.

4 November 1933 - Don't These Things Usually Go In The Other Direction?

On 4 November 1933, winger Alf Day earned his first (and last) cap for Wales, despite never having made a league appearance for his club.

Born in the Welsh town of Ebbw Vale in 1907, Day began his career with non-league sides Cheshunt and Northfleet United before moving to Tottenham in 1931. By 1933, he was toiling in the Spurs reserves when the club's secretary, Arthur Turner, received a call from Ted Robbins, his counterpart at the Football Association of Wales. Robbins asked Turner if he could recommend anyone to help fill out a depleted Welsh side for an upcoming match against Northern Ireland.

Turner recommended Day despite the fact that the 26-year old had yet to break into the Spurs first team. His word was good enough for Robbins, though, and he called Day up as a starter for the match. It ended as a 1-1 draw.

Day remained with Spurs until 1936, then spent time with Millwall, Southampton, Tranmere Rovers, and Swindon Town before World War II interrupted his career in 1940. He continued to play unofficially for Swindon during the war, but retired before league play resumed.

25 November 2005 - Best In Peace

On 25 November 2005, former Northern Ireland international and Manchester United superstar George Best died in London. His death was caused by complications related to a liver transplant required after years of alocohol abuse.

Best was born and raised in Belfast where, at the age of 15, he was discovered by a Manchester United scout. He joined United's youth academy, then signed a professional contract with them in 1963. He soon became a crowd favorite, with his flashy playing style and long-haired good looks earning him the nickname "the Fifth Beatle" and making him one of football's first international superstars. He helped United to several honors, including the European Cup in 1968, the same year he was named European Footballer of the Year.

Unfortunately, Best's playing career began to suffer as he battled with his alcoholism. He left United in 1974 and started a journey that saw him play for a number of different clubs, including the Los Angeles Aztecs (1976, 1977-78), Fulham (1976-77), Ft. Lauderdale Strikers (1978-79), Hibernian (1979-80), and the San Jose Earthquakes (1980-81). He last played for Tobermore United in the Northern Irish league, for whom he made a single appearance in 1984.

He also earned 37 caps for Northern Ireland between 1964 and 1977, but the side did not qualify for the World Cup during that time.

29 March 1884 - They Played Like Warrior-Poets

On 29 March 1884, the Scottish national team beat Wales at Caithkin Park in Glasgow by the score of 4-1 to claim the inaugural British Home Championship. John Kay scored two goals for the Scottish side, while Joseph Lindsay and Francis Shaw added one more each.

The British Home Championship was contested annually between the four national teams within the United Kingdom - England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland (Northern Ireland after the Irish partition in 1922). The Championship used a standard table format where each of the four teams played the other three teams once, earning two points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. The title went to the team with the highest number of points at the conclusion.

Scotland finished the 1883-84 Championship at the top of the table with maximum points. They beat Ireland away 5-0 in the first ever BHC match on 26 January 1884, then beat England 1-0 in Glasgow, before completing their title with the victory over Wales.

The British Home Championship was canceled between 1914-19 due to World War I and again during 1939-46 due to World War II. It was also canceled in 1980-81 due to the civil unrest in Northern Ireland that year. It was last played in 1984, when it was won by Northern Ireland.