4 December 1965 - Spurs See Red (For The First Time In 37 Years)

On 4 December 1965, Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur drew 1-1 in a league match at Turf Moor. The match was notable for the sending off of Spurs forward Frank Saul, which ended the club's 37-year streak without a dismissal in a league match.

Saul played his youth football for his hometown club of Canvey Island, then signed his first professional contract with Tottenham in 1960, in time to play for the Double-winning side of 1960-61. He stayed at White Hart Lane for eight seasons, scoring 37 goals in 116 league appearances. In 1968, he transferred to Southampton and later played for Queens Park Rangers, Millwall, and Dagenham before retiring in the late 1970s.

Prior to Saul's dismissal, the last Spurs player to be sent off in a league match was full back Cecil Poynton, who was ejected in a 2-0 loss to Stoke on 27 October 1928.

3 December 2004 - Marks Ups The Ante

On 3 December 2004, MSV Duisburg secured a 0-3 away victory over Karlsruher SC in a second division league match. Refereed by Dominik Marks (right), the match was the last of thirteen that year which were later investigated by the DFB in response to allegations of match-fixing.

The investigation focused on referee Robert Hoyzer and included matches from the 2.Bundesliga, the third-division Regionalliga Nord, and the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) going back to 30 May 2004. Investigators determined that Hoyzer and Marks met regularly with members of a Croatian gambling syndicate run by three brothers, Ante, Filip, and Milan Sapina.

Hoyzer's fellow referees reported him to the DFB after he raised suspicion by making a series of questionable decisions in a German Cup match on 21 August 2004. Upon learning of the investigation, Hoyzer resigned. He later testified that he and Marks had received payment in order to influence the outcome of certain matches. Both Hoyzer and Marks received lifetime bans, with Hoyzer also receiving a 29-month prison sentence and Marks an 18-month prison sentence.

Reportedly, Ante Sapina placed a €240,000 bet on the Karlsruher/Duisburg match and won €870,000. Investigators, however, concluded that while Marks was guilty of attempting to manipulate the match, the attempt did not affect the outcome and the DSB allowed the result to stand.

Duisburg finished in second place that season, earning promotion to the 1.Bundesliga for 2005-06, but returned to the second division the following season.

2 December 1907 - Manchester Unites

On 2 December 1907, a group of professional footballers including Manchester United's Charlie Roberts and Billy Meredith (pictured) organized the first meeting of the Association of Football Players' and Trainers' Union at the Imperial Hotel in Manchester. Operating today as the Professional Footballers' Association, it is the oldest professional players association in the world.

The group was motivated in opposition to the Football League's setting of a £4 per week maximum wage for players. Although the group successfully negotiated bonus payments to supplement the wage, the Football League continued to impose a maximum wage until the 1960s.

Today, the PFA supports community outreach, scholarship, and education programs. It also awards three yearly honors - the Players' Player of the Year, the Young Player of the Year, and the Fans' Player of the Year.