4 March 1995 - That 8-2 Result Doesn't Seem Quite So Bad Now

On 4 March 1995, Manchester United striker Andy Cole netted a record 5 times against Ipswich en route to a 9-0 win. It remains the largest margin of victory in Premier League history.

United were the two-time defending champions, having won both titles since the Premier League's creation in 1992, and were challenging for a third. Ipswich, meanwhile, were in the relegation zone, just one spot off the table's bottom. But they had beaten United earlier in the season, claiming a 3-2 win at Portman Road back in September.

Playing before a crowd of almost 44,000 at Old Trafford, United showed early on that they were not expecting a repeat of the previous match. In just the 16th minute, Roy Keane put them up 1-0 with a blast from outside the box, then Cole struck twice from close range (23', 37') to set the margin at 3-0 by the break.

Things only got worse for Ipswich in the second half, as Cole scored twice more (53', 65') around a pair of goals from Mark Hughes (54', 59'). Paul Ince added an eighth in the 72nd minute, then Cole struck again in the 88th, making him the first player to score five teams in a Premier League match (though the overall top-flight record remains 7, scored by Arsenal's Ted Drake in 1935). The 9-0 result is also the Premier League's record margin (though the overall top-flight record is 12, set by West Brom in 1892 and matched by Nottingham Forest in 1909).

Cole's tally has since been matched by Alan Shearer, Jermain Defoe, and Dimitar Berbatov, but has not been exceeded in a Premier League contest.

10 August 1971 - The Coming Of Keane

On 10 August 1971, future Manchester United and Republic of Ireland captain Roy Keane was born in Cork. A tenacious central midfielder, he was known for his competitive spirit both on and off the pitch.



He began his career with Cobh Ramblers (1989-90) and Nottingham Forest (1990-93), but spent the majority of his career at Manchester United where he played from 1993 to 2005. United paid a then-record British transfer fee of £3.75 million to sign him from Forest and Keane delivered instantly, scoring a brace in his Old Trafford debut, a 3-0 victory over Sheffield United. That first season, United went on their first league and FA Cup double.



He would go on to win seven league titles, four FA Cups, and the Champions League with United, but his success on the pitch was often overshadowed by his temper, with Keane receiving a total of 11 red cards during his time with United, often for violent conduct. In a 2001 match against Manchester City, Keane was ejected for brutally tackling Alf-Inge Haaland. He later revealed in his autobiography that the challenge had been an intentional retaliation for a dust-up the two had had in a previous match. The admission resulted in a further 5-match ban and a fine of £150,000.



Keane left United in 2005 after several public disagreements with his teammates and manager Alex Ferguson. He moved to Celtic, but made only 13 appearances for them before retiring in 2006.



He turned to management later that year and has helmed Sunderland (2006-08) and Ipswich Town (2009-11). Although he was sacked from Ipswich in January 2011, he still lives nearby with his wife and five kids.

16 October 1878 - Town Hits The Switch

On 16 October 1878, a group of amateur footballers in Ipswich founded a new club they named Ipswich AFC. Now known as Ipswich Town FC, the club would go on to earn domestic and European titles, as well as provide two of the most successful managers to the English national team.

Ipswich remained an amateur side until 1936, when they turned professional and joined the Southern League. They joined the Football League two seasons later, starting in the Third Division. In 1955, they hired former Tottenham star Alf Ramsey as manager. It proved to be a brilliant hire, as Ramsey proceeded to lead them to the Second Division in 1957, then to the First Division in 1961. Ipswich won the League in 1962, at the end of their first season in the top flight.

Ramsey left in 1963 to manage England. Ipswich dropped back into the Second Division for the 1964-65 season. But Ipswich enjoyed another period of success after hiring Bobby Robson in 1969. Under Robson, Ipswich won the FA Cup in 1978 and the UEFA Cup in 1981. In 1982, Robson followed the path of Ramsey and left to manage the national team.

They have spent the intervening years moving back and forth between the top two divisions. They currently play in the Championship under manager Roy Keane.