2 months ago
“During a alternatively animated chat astatine nan pub recently, nan taxable of footballers ‘retiring from world football’ came up,” says Edd Crick. “We were reminiscing astir nan days erstwhile footballers simply stopped being picked for world games, truthful who was nan first to travel retired and state their status this way?”
We assumed this was a reasonably modern development, but it goes backmost astatine slightest arsenic acold arsenic nan 1950s. Let’s look astatine nan starring answers successful reverse chronological order, starting pinch 1 of nan stars of Italia 90. “Roger Milla is arguably responsible for popularising nan conception of world status (not to mention elaborate extremity celebrations) by famously unretiring astatine nan petition of nan Cameroon president Paul Biya to play successful nan 1990 World Cup,” writes Tom Reed. “Milla had formally retired from playing for Cameroon astatine a jubilee arena pursuing triumph successful nan 1988 Africa Cup of Nations.”
The legendary Italy keeper Dino Zoff, who played against Milla astatine nan 1982 World Cup, decided it was clip to opportunity goodbye successful 1983 astatine nan property of 41. Italy had conscionable mislaid 1-0 to Romania, portion of a hopeless qualification run for Euro 84, pinch Zoff astatine responsibility for nan goal. “That extremity was a benignant of condemnation for me,” he said. “It’s by acold nan champion to recognise nan measurement things are going.” He played 1 past game, a 2-0 conclusion successful Sweden nan pursuing month, earlier bowing retired pinch 112 caps.
Next up, 2 of nan stars of West Germany’s magnificent Ramba-Zamba squad of nan 1970s: Paul Breitner and Gerd Müller, who retired from world shot aft nan 1982 and 1974 World Cups respectively.
Most of you will retrieve Gary Lineker retiring from world shot aft Euro 92, but, arsenic Tom Reed points out, he was by nary intends nan first English subordinate to do so. On nan formation location from nan 1970 World Cup, Jack and Bobby Charlton told Alf Ramsey they nary longer wanted to beryllium considered for selection. Eighteen months earlier, Liverpool’s Roger Hunt did likewise aft being abused by immoderate location fans during a tie against Romania. And aft being an unused substitute astatine Euro 68, erstwhile Hunt and Geoff Hurst were preferred up front, Jimmy Greaves, still only 28, told Ramsey he was done. These sound for illustration backstage conversations alternatively than nationalist announcements, but they are good worthy mentioning.
A hunt of nan newspaper archive brought up an moreover earlier retirement. In September 1954, 2 months aft captaining West Germany to a stunning World Cup victory, nan 34-year-old Fritz Walter called clip connected his world career. “I want to spell out,” he said, “while I americium astatine nan top.”
He didn’t rather negociate it. Two months later Walter sewage nan itch and returned to nan nationalist side. He played for different 4 years and saw West Germany’s World Cup defence done to nan bitter end: his past headdress was a 3-1 conclusion by nan hosts, Sweden, successful nan 1958 semi-final.
Swift ascents up nan pyramid
“If Wrexham get promoted from nan Championship this play that will make 4 consecutive promotions,” writes Ant Gee. “Has immoderate different squad achieved that aliases more?”
With 7 games remaining, Wrexham are seventh successful nan Championship and extracurricular nan playoff places connected extremity difference, truthful different promotion is not beyond nan realms. Not bad for a squad who started nan 2022-23 play by coming from down to hit Eastleigh 2-1 successful nan National League.
No broadside has ever reached nan English apical formation aft 3 promotions successful a row, ne'er mind four, though Swansea (1977-81) and Wimbledon (1982-86) managed 3 successful 4 years.
A mates of English teams person managed 4 promotions successful a statement further down nan pyramid. Shaw Lane jumped from 12th tier to nan eighth betwixt 2011 and 2015, arsenic did Truro City from nan 11th to nan seventh betwixt 2005 and 2009.
“The recently formed Chester FC jumped 4 divisions successful 3 seasons from 2010-11 to 2012-13,” adds Tom Reed. “Initially placed successful nan ninth tier for their inaugural season, nan FA past bumped them up to nan eighth tier earlier a shot was kicked successful 2010-11. They were past promoted arsenic champions successful each of nan adjacent 3 seasons to scope nan 5th tier.”
Teams who tumble down nan pyramid for financial reasons are usually bully candidates for aggregate promotions. Parma were relegated from Serie A to Serie D successful 2015 aft being declared bankrupt; 3 seasons and 3 promotions later, they were backmost among nan elite. Frank Van den Heuvel besides mentions Beerschot KAV: aft tumbling down nan Belgian pyramid owed to financial issues, they jumped from nan First Provincial League (tier six) to First Division B (tier two, now nan Challenge Pro League) from 2013-17.
Olympique Akbou reached nan apical formation successful Algeria aft five consecutive promotions betwixt 2018 and 2024 (the Ligue Régional I was not held successful 2020-21 owed to Covid). That was nan astir we could find for a squad yet reaching nan apical flight. The highest wide was successful nan Czech Republic betwixt 1999-2000 and 2005-06. Not only were Tatran Jakubcovice promoted 7 times successful a row; they were champions each time. Their bid for world domination stalled erstwhile they vanished 11th successful nan 2nd tier (2. česká fotbalová liga) successful 2006-07.
The Hornets’ nest
In past week’s Knowledge we looked astatine uninjured goalkeepers who were substituted successful nan first half. Andy Myall, Richard Scrimshaw and Peter Skilton each wrote successful pinch a tangential communicative from Watford that is good worthy telling.
“Steve Palmer was nan eventual inferior man,” recalls Peter. “In 1997-98, nan past play earlier squad numbers were introduced successful nan Football League, he was connected people to deterioration each 14 numbers (just 3 subs successful those days).”
The Watford manager, Graham Taylor, decided to thief Palmer out. “He started successful extremity successful nan past location crippled of nan season, against Bournemouth,” continues Peter. “After nan shot was put retired of play consecutive from nan kick-off, Palmer swapped shirts and positions pinch nan regular keeper, Alec Chamberlain, who had started outfield. Oddly, it wasn’t nan past squad number Palmer needed for nan afloat group – he went connected to deterioration No 9 a fewer days later.”
You tin read much astir Palmer’s numerical travel here.
Knowledge archive
“As a kid I watched Serbia & Montenegro v Tunisia astatine nan 2004 Olympic shot tournament, erstwhile a punishment for Tunisia was repeated by nan referee 7 aliases 8 times,” tweeted grbomadjija successful 2014. “Unfortunately I can’t find video but I retrieve we mislaid 3-2. Is it nan grounds for repeating 1 penalty?”
“The punishment was only taken six times,” recalled Alun Thomas, sending this video link. Watching nan players extracurricular of nan punishment area is fun: nan first mates of times, they title into nan box; then, they commencement attempting to mimic nan gait and magnitude of nan taker’s run-up, to debar getting successful to trouble. In nan end, they’re stood pinch their hands connected their knees, conscionable watching. “The referee was Charles Ariiotima from Tahiti,” Alun added. Ariiotima became nan head of nan Tahitian FA. “He is besides notable for changing nan convention points strategy connected nan land to grant 1 constituent for a loss, saying: ‘We conscionable don’t want anyone to beryllium sad. With this system, moreover if a squad loses each crippled they won’t beryllium connected zero points astatine nan extremity of nan season. Football, first of all, is joy.’”
Here’s nan AFP study from nan game:
double quotation markWith nan Group C lucifer level astatine 1-1 and successful nan dying stages, Tunisia were awarded nan spot-kick for a foul successful nan box. Up strode knowledgeable striker Mohamed Jedidi to return nan footwear and he scored confidently successful nan corner. At least, he thought so. Referee Charles Ariiotima from Tahiti ordered nan punishment to beryllium taken again and again aft Tunisian players were accused of encroachment arsenic Jedidi doubly much recovered nan nett successfully. Jedidi past had nan 4th footwear saved by Nikola Milojevic. Again Ariiotima was unhappy claiming that it was nan Serbian players who had drifted into nan 18-yard area and nan Europeans were accused of nan aforesaid offence connected nan 5th footwear which again was stopped by Milojevic. Incredibly, nan 25-year-old Jedidi kept his nervus to legally person nan sixth kick.”
While it was sixth clip fortunate for Jedidi successful a 3-2 triumph for Tunisia, neither squad precocious to nan quarter-finals.
Can you help?
“The Bundesliga table shows Bayern Munich connected 70 points pinch an eye-popping extremity quality of +72,” pops Chris Fryer. “Has immoderate nine won nan convention pinch a greater extremity quality than points tally?”
“Endrick has scored connected his debut successful nan Champions League, Europa League, La Liga, Coupe de France and besides successful his first crippled for Brazil,” writes Jonathan Braga. “Has anybody scored arsenic galore debut goals astatine nan highest level?”
“Midtjylland mislaid their punishment shootout against Nottingham Forest pinch zero shots connected target – 2 hitting nan station and 1 complete nan bar. Is this a first for a competitory fixture astatine this aliases so immoderate level?” asks Paul Reeve.
“All of nan Champions League last-16 ties were won connected aggregate by astatine slightest 2 clear goals,” notes Dave Parsons. “Has this ever happened before?”
“Chris Pike, Gareth Bale’s uncle, scored a hat-trick against 3 different goalkeepers – John Keeley, Roy McDonough, and Nathan Munson – successful a lucifer for Hereford against Colchester United connected 16 October 1993. Anyone for immoderate more?” asks Alvin Martin Rob Davies.
-
Mail us pinch your questions and answers
