“What is the furthest distance a player has scored from without using their head or foot, disregarding deflections?” wonders Michael Hargreaves.
The answer to this question depends on how you define ‘deflection’. “I’m sure there are longer-range examples from others, but maybe none so entertaining as Ben Williamson’s ‘butt goal’ for Cambridge against Notts County,” offers Miles Fenton. “It wasn’t intentional, but can’t be called a deflection either,” he adds, challenging anyone – anyone – to dispute his definition.
There are a few others worth mentioning, though some will regard them as deflections. Adam Czerkas’s block-lob and Chris Brass’s coupon-buster were scored from a fair way out with body parts other than the foot or the head. (Yes, yes, we know the face is technically part of the head, but we just wanted an excuse to show that Brass goal again.)
As for deliberate goals with other body parts, Marco Reus’s effort against Sweden at last year’s World Cup, when he kneed the ball into the net from about eight yards, is worth a mention, Mario Balotelli shouldered one home against Norwich, Javier Hernández clattered the ball into his own face to score against Chelsea in the Community Shield and Bayern’s Sandro Wagner used his genitals effectively against Hoffenheim. “My best part might have been involved,” he said after the 5-2 win in January 2018. But the best we can find is Teemu Pukki’s winner for Norwich at QPR earlier this season. Pukki was maybe nine or 10 yards from goal when he chested the ball past the keeper.
The most foreign managers from a single nationality
“Chelsea are currently on their sixth Italian manager,” begins Danyal Dhondy. “Can any non-Italian clubs boast more? And which club has had the most foreign managers of a single nationality?”
Roman Abramovich may have sacked Claudio Ranieri at the end of his first season as Chelsea owner, but he didn’t hold it against Italians. Since then, he has also sacked Carlo Ancelotti, Roberto Di Matteo and Antonio Conte, and will probably do the same to Maurizio Sarri in the next couple of years. Those five join Gianluca Vialli, manager of that superb Chelsea team of the late 1990s, on the list of Chelsea’s Italian gaffers.
But six is nowhere near the record. Christian Serena points out that FC Sion have had seven Italian managers, including Gennaro Gattuso. Switzerland is the place to be, it seems, if you want an answer to this question. “Some teams from Ticino, the Italian speaking part of Switzerland, used to (and still) have a lot of Italian managers on the payroll,” notes Dirk Maas. “If you include double nationalities, FC Lugano (13 managers) and FC Chiasso (15 managers) reach double figures regarding Italian managers.”
As for the most foreign managers of a single nationality, Chelsea don’t even come close. “Many of the major worldwide clubs looked to Britain for coaching in the days when the game was an international export,” mails Robs2020. “These include Milan and Real Madrid, who had English managers before the first world war. Athletic Bilbao have had 10 English managers, the most recent being Howard Kendall from 1987-89. In the Netherlands, Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven have had five and six English managers, respectively, while in Belgium Anderlecht have also had six English managers. However, in the low countries Ajax have had the most English managers with seven, including Jack Reynolds, who was in charge for 24 years in three periods from 1915 to 1947, winning the Eredivisie eight times.”
Finally, the nature of Great Britain means there have been many foreign managers, as Kevin Wooldridge points out: “Cardiff have had 28 English managers, Swansea 27 English managers, Sunderland 12 Scottish managers, Plymouth Argyle 12 Scottish managers and Carlisle eight Irish managers.”
More substituted goalkeepers
We asked you for further examples of goalkeepers who have been hauled off based on their performance. You didn’t disappoint …
“During a Scotland match when managed by Jock Stein and assisted by Alex Ferguson, Jim Leighton was substituted at the break after a nightmare half, which was blamed on Leighton losing a contact lens,” begins John Atherton. “Apparently he did not have any spare lenses. A disgusted Stein complained to Ferguson (then Leighton’s manager at Aberdeen), only for Ferguson to say he had no idea Leighton wore contact lenses.”
Here’s Rune Kjempenes: “The question fades into insignificance when one ponders the rarer, but ultimately more intriguing occurrences of goalkeepers substituted for playing too well. To my knowledge (and if readers know otherwise, I would like to be corrected) this is a field of one: step forward Frode Olsen, a Norwegian playing two seasons for Sevilla in La Liga. Toward the end of the 1999-2000 season, Sevilla (who were hopelessly adrift at the bottom), hosted fellow strugglers Real Oviedo.
“Olsen played a blinder but was less than impressed with his teammates’ efforts and demanded to be substituted at half-time with the home team a goal down. Circumstances dictated that if Real Oviedo won, they would climb out of the relegation zone and be replaced by Real Betis, Sevilla’s eternal city rivals. Real Oviedo won 3-2, Real Betis ended up relegated and Olsen left at the end of the season. The story doesn’t end there, though. Olsen was so sure Sevilla would lose the game that he allegedly suggested to fellow Norwegian international Martin Andersen to bet on it.”
Knowledge archive
“My team Pumas Unam are the current champions in Mexico, yet have started the defence of their title with six defeats in seven games,” wrote Chris Wood in September 2009. “Is this the worst start for a team defending their league championship?”
The hapless Pumas extended their stuttering start to seven defeats in eight, though they picked up their first win soon after which is more than poor old Barry managed in 2003. “I would think Barry Town should have a good shout,” wrote Martin Jonas. “They were Welsh champions in 2002-03 and started the 2003-04 season with five straight defeats and one point from the first 12 games. Their first win came in the 21st game on 21 February 2004.”
Can you help?
“Have there been any recorded instances of a penalty being awarded straight after a penalty is saved?” asks Danny Treanor.
“Derby’s on-loan Harry Wilson has scored five direct free-kicks this season, putting him possibly on track to hit double figures by the end of the campaign. Has this been achieved before by one player in a season, and what is the record?” wonders Richard Cutcher.
“Dutch-Cape Verdian footballer Garry Rodrigues recently got himself sent off while warming up for his debut at new club Al-Ittihad. Supposedly, he was warming up somewhere he shouldn’t have, got booked and received a second yellow while arguing with the referee. Any other footballers who got sent off before making their debut?” enquires Bas Vlaming.
I swear I remember a story about Gianluca Pagliuca kissing a post after someone hit it in a penalty shootout. Am I dreaming? And are there any other such post-kissing events?
— Liquid 🏴 (@GTPLiquid) January 22, 2019
Not sure if it's been asked before but has any club sacked their manager after losing to the same team on more than one occasion in the same season? Both times this season Billericay have lost to Chippenham the coach has got the boot straight after.
— Jack Tanner (@mrjacktanner) January 18, 2019
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