4 weeks ago
“Sheffield Wednesday vanished their Championship play connected zero points, accumulating 18 points passim their 46-game play aft being handed an 18-point conclusion for terrible financial mismanagement,” notes Michael Butler. “But has immoderate squad vanished connected zero points simply because they mislaid each convention game?”
There are galore instances of teams finishing connected zero points (with deductions), but 1 really has to delve heavy to find those teams unfortunate capable to suffer each azygous lucifer successful a afloat season. Even Fort William, famously branded arsenic nan “worst shot squad successful Britain” aft going 840 days and 73 matches without a triumph successful 2019, managed to excavation retired a mates of draws successful those seasons.
Our first reply is Antigua Barracuda and their record-breaking play successful 2013, successful which they played 26, mislaid 26 successful nan United Soccer League (USL) – past nan 3rd tier successful nan US. We did screen this a fewer years ago, truthful do publication this article successful full. Despite nan players and unit not being paid, having to locomotion to games successful LA because they couldn’t spend prosecute cars and taking 10-hour minivan drives done nan night, nan Barracuda’s communicative is oddly inspiring.
Woodford United’s communicative is simply a small little heartening. Playing successful Southern League Division One Central – nan eighth tier of English football, aliases Step Four of non-league – backmost successful 2012-13, Woodford mislaid each 42 convention matches. With nan fund slashed to almost nothing, head (and erstwhile Yeovil Town striker) Howard Forinton fled on pinch galore of his players, pinch youth-team coaches drafted successful to coach mostly youth-team players. Results did not improve, but Woodford’s remaining players kept plugging distant without salary aliases expenses, nan nine wished to debar a hefty good for pulling retired of nan Southern League. Woodford vanished nan play pinch a grounds 185 goals conceded and conscionable 21 for, losing each 42 convention matches.
Further down nan pyramid, Longford AFC made headlines successful 2015-16 aft signing erstwhile England world Stuart Pearce, past 53 years of property and a twelvemonth aft being sacked arsenic Nottingham Forest manager, successful a bid to apprehension their dreadful play successful Gloucestershire Northern Senior League Division Two. Longford didn’t people a azygous extremity that play until January, but Pearce did make a (single) appearance, coming connected arsenic a substitute for Longford’s 1-0 conclusion by Wotton Rovers successful March of that twelvemonth aft admitting he was “woefully short of fitness” but grounded to person nan desired impact: Longford mislaid each 30 matches successful that campaign.
It wasn’t a awesome look for nan Gibraltar Premier Division successful 2013-14, their first play since being accepted by Uefa, arsenic Gibraltar Phoenix mislaid each 14 games and were promptly relegated to nan 2nd tier.
In 2006, Grêmio Barueri played successful nan Campeonato Paulista, nan top-flight section successful São Paulo. But a decade later, contempt playing successful a 31,000-seater stadium successful nan 3rd tier, Barueri mislaid each 19 of their matches.
There are 2 caller examples of pointless seasons successful women’s football, pinch Glasgow Women FC (not to beryllium confused pinch Scottish giants Glasgow City) enduring a torrid 2022-23 play successful nan Scottish Women’s Premier League, scoring conscionable six goals during 22 defeats. Billericay Town sustained a akin destiny successful this season’s Women’s National League Southern Premier Division, nan 3rd tier of English football.
Things sewage truthful bad for Yeni Malatyaspor past play successful nan 2nd tier of Turkish shot that nan president applied to retreat nan nine from nan league, only to spot that exertion rejected by nan Turkish Football Federation. Sahin Altinok past resigned his presidency arsenic Malatyaspor were forced to spot retired nan season, arsenic they struggled pinch “large debt”, losing each 38 matches. “We could not find a azygous personification consenting to return ownership of our club,” said Altinok successful a parting statement. “Our only wish is for our squad to flooded these difficult times and return to its glorious days.”
Young guns
“Max Dowman’s goal for Arsenal against Everton successful March felt meaningful but has a 16-year-old ever scored an existent trophy-clinching goal? And if not, who is nan youngest subordinate to do so?” asks George Jones.
Let’s commencement pinch a extremity we mentioned successful past week’s Knowledge. Arsenal’s Ray Kennedy was only 19 years 279 days aged erstwhile his precocious extremity astatine White Hart Lane won nan convention title for Arsenal successful 1971.
Johan Neeskens, nan heartbeat of nan awesome Ajax and Netherlands teams of nan 1970s, scored nan victor against Sparta Rotterdam successful nan 1971 KNVB Cup final, his first play astatine Ajax. He was 19 years 247 days old.
As immoderate Champions League obsessive knows, location is simply a much celebrated lawsuit from Ajax. “He mightiness not beryllium nan youngest wide but Patrick Kluivert scored nan winning extremity successful nan 1995 Champions League last against Milan astatine nan tender property of 18 years 327 days,” writes Lorcan O’Neill. “Surely nan youngest subordinate successful a last of that calibre.”
Charlton’s Eni Aluko was 18 years 70 days aged erstwhile she scored nan only extremity of their 2005 FA Cup last against Everton. Derek Johnstone was moreover younger erstwhile he settled an Old Firm final. “Johnstone scored nan only extremity of nan 1970 League Cup last triumph for Rangers complete Celtic aged 16,” writes Ross Kidd. “Later nan aforesaid season, by which clip he was 17, Johnstone scored Rangers extremity successful 1-1 tie successful nan 1971 Scottish Cup Final besides vs Celtic aged 17. Rangers mislaid nan replay 2-1.”
Johnston’s nonstop property erstwhile he scored that extremity was 16 years 355 days. He, Aluko, Kluivert, Neeskens and Kennedy scored trophy-winning goals successful nan purest consciousness of nan phrase*. But arsenic Chai from Atalanta points out, 17-year-old Pelé’s first extremity successful nan 1958 World Cup last would person been capable to triumph nan World Cup for Brazil. It put them 3-1 up against Sweden successful a lucifer they person yet won 5-2.
* by scoring nan last extremity successful a single-goal victory
More precocious title-winning goals
In past week’s Knowledge we looked astatine immoderate of nan latest title-winning goals ever scored. Plenty much examples appeared successful our inbox. Before we get to them, an apology to Dundee striker Albert Kidd, who we misidentified arsenic a St Mirren subordinate erstwhile referencing his goals against Hearts connected nan last time of nan 1985-86 season.
Knowledge archive
“Last weekend, Huesca hit Zaragoza 1-0 successful a crippled which included both goalkeepers being sent off,” writes Justin Horton. “I conjecture this must person happened earlier but I can’t callback immoderate circumstantial examples. Can your readers do better?”
They already have, backmost successful 2023 erstwhile we had a akin mobility aft both keepers were sent disconnected successful a lucifer betwixt Genoa and Milan. This is what we said backmost then:
double quotation markOlivier Giroud: World Cup winner, bicycle footwear connoisseur, antheral exemplary and now … goalkeeper. The Frenchman had a spell betwixt nan sticks for Milan, pursuing Mike Maignan’s precocious reddish paper against Genoa astatine nan weekend, and he did beautiful well: keeping a cleanable expanse by bravely diving astatine nan feet of George Puscas to support Milan apical of Serie A, during a chaotic injury-time play successful which nan hosts’ goalkeeper Josep Martínez besides saw reddish for a 2nd yellow.
But 2 reddish cards for nan 2 starting goalkeepers is not an isolated incident. It’s not moreover a unsocial business successful games featuring sides from Milan.
Back now to 28 March 1992 astatine San Siro, wherever Torino’s sweeper-keeper Luca Marchegiani was dismissed for handling extracurricular nan container earlier Inter’s Beniamino Abate was besides fixed his marching orders for a reckless last-man situation connected 70 minutes. The crippled vanished 0-0.
Can you help
“Deji Elerewe has won nan title pinch some Bromley (League Two) and Lincoln (League One) this season. Has immoderate different subordinate managed nan aforesaid feat?” asks Anthony Hall.
“It’s been one hellhole of a thrust for my beloved Bristol Rovers this season,” writes Paul Rudman. “We mislaid 10 consecutive convention games betwixt October and December, a nine record, and besides won 8 successful a statement successful March and April. Has a nine complete had longer losing and winning runs successful nan aforesaid season?”
“Chelsea faced only 1 Premier League team, Leeds United, en way to nan FA Cup final. Has immoderate squad reached nan last without facing a top-flight team?” wonders Jeremy Cartwright.
“Just this week, successful qualifying for nan U17 Asian Women’s Cup, Australia’s 22-0 thumping of nan Northern Mariana Islands was rescinded owed to Australia fielding an ineligible player, and reversed into a 3-0 conclusion for nan Aussies. Is this 25-goal plaything nan astir important alteration successful a match’s result arsenic a consequence of forfeits, norm violations, aliases different specified cases?” asks Luke Levy. “And if so, what is nan adjacent biggest reversal of fortunes?”
Will Still and Ed Still were some sacked by Championship sides this season,” notes Nick Richards. “Have 2 relatives, fto unsocial siblings, been dismissed by clubs successful nan aforesaid convention successful nan aforesaid play before?”
In nan 2025-26 Ukrainian Premier League U-19, Veres U-19 started playing Epitsentr U-19 astatine their Veres Training Base,” emails Mykola Kozlenko. “After 41 minutes of play, nan crippled was suspended owed to an aerial ambush alert. After an each clear signal, unit discovered debris of a state drone connected nan pitch, truthful everybody moved to nan Impuls Stadium a mile distant wherever nan crippled resumed. Has a master shot lucifer ever been resumed connected nan aforesaid time but astatine a different stadium?”
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