“What’s the fastest debut goal from signing to scoring? Has anyone ever joined a club at midnight on transfer deadline day and scored the next day?” asks Harry Turner.
Opta don’t keep data for this sort of thing, but thankfully the memory banks of our readers are full of the stuff. “Luis Suárez signed for Liverpool in the afternoon of 31 January 2011,” writes Ruaraidh Gillies. “He scored against Stoke on his debut two days later, on 2 February, and was only officially unveiled to the press the following day.”
Impressive stuff, but there are some examples of players who have signed and scored on the same day. Richard Slater highlights the Italian striker Marco Branca, who scored a vital goal in the fourth minute of his debut for Middlesbrough against Liverpool in the 1998 League Cup semi-final. “According to the commentary on the YouTube clip, he signed four hours earlier,” writes Richard. “The goal was the winning goal in the tie so this could also qualify as the high point of his brief Boro career.”
Scott Sinclair did something similar when he joined Celtic from Aston Villa in 2016. Nicholas Moore points out that he signed on 7 August and scored the winner against Hearts on the same day after coming off the bench.
From Scotland to the president of Liberia. “It was announced on 11 January 2000 that George Weah would be joining Chelsea on loan from Milan until the end of the season,” writes Kraig Dixon. “However, he did not receive international clearance until just before 5pm the following day, meaning he stepped off a plane from Italy and made his way straight to Stamford Bridge for the game against Spurs. He came off the bench just before the hour and scored a fairytale 87th-minute winner.”
Though Branca, Sinclair and Weah all troubled the onion bag on the same day they joined a new club, none of them did so as quickly as Wigan’s Callum Connolly. “On 14 January 2017, Wigan announced their starting XI to face Burton at 2pm – without mentioning it had new loan signing Callum Connolly in it,” mails Danny Jamieson. “They then announced Connolly’s signing from Everton at 2.03pm. And of course he scored on his debut at 3.48pm, so officially that’s less than two hours between signing and scoring.”
Can anyone top that? If so, you know what to do: email knowledge@theguardian.com or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU.
Touchline tyros
“Examples of games turned on their head by particularly smart/proactive ball boys/girls,” tweets Andy Lawn.
There is an example from the 1990-91 FA Cup and English champions Liverpool escaping a scalping by Second Division Blackburn Rovers, although the ballgirl’s allegiance may define how smart they were. In this 2009 Joy of Six, Scott Murray takes up the story:
Rovers had deserved to win the game. Kevin Moran was unjustly sent off for the home side – even Ian Rush, who Moran sent tumbling to the ground as they both chased a long ball, thought the decision harsh. Rovers were still a goal to the good, but the minutes added for Moran’s red card would prove costly. Deep into injury-time, Ray Houghton flung in a ball from the right, Gary Gillespie failed to connect, and the unsighted Mark Atkins deflected the ball into his own net.
Liverpool had escaped with a draw – but only, as Jimmy Hill noted on BBC television after the final whistle, because an over-eager Ewood Park ballgirl had returned the ball to the visitors with indecent haste, allowing Houghton to quickly instigate the move which did for Rovers. Hill was, of course, technically right – but in the final analysis, blaming unpaid workers for the failings of professional footballers is a bit off. And Hill a union man as well. For shame.
Reader Stu Farr has generously sent a link to the same incident. Meanwhile, Steve Hyde flags up an example from China v Saudi Arabia in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. “Read the top-rated comment for additional context,” he tweets.
And who can forget this sly young dog?
Stadiums and their views of famous landmarks (2)
Last week we looked into nice views from grounds. Inevitably, there are lots more …
“Anyone mention the view of Mount Fuji from Nihondaira stadium, home of the mighty Shimizu S-Pulse?” emails Kenneth Bruhn. They have now, Kenneth.
Here’s Miki Racz: “You mention that the Space Needle can be seen from CenturyLink Field in Seattle. However, the really stunning views of the Space Needle are from Memorial Stadium, home of Seattle Reign FC.”
Next up is Chris Ledsham. “St Pauli’s Millerntor Stadium still has a view of the famous St Pauli Flak Towers left over from the war (still visible behind the redeveloped North End),” he explains. “Notably put to effect for a pyro display a few years ago to circumvent a stadium ban on flares.”
And then there are your tweeted offerings …
The Remarkables mountain range, in Queenstown, New Zealand.
— Lewis Walters (@LewisWalters3) November 23, 2018
Home of Queenstown AFC @guardian_sport @TheKnowledge_GU pic.twitter.com/HDXrysCW8k
You get a pretty cool view of Volcan Agua in the background of Antigua GFC’s Estadio Pensativo in Guatemala! pic.twitter.com/k20o4VzECk
— Ryan Kennedy (@lifeofryank) November 21, 2018
You can see the leaning tower of Pisa from the Stadio Arena Garibaldi pic.twitter.com/EJApXteHZg
— Gordon McNab (@gmac1875) November 21, 2018
but you can still see the Christ very clearly from the stands of Estádio da Gávea pic.twitter.com/TIbt5Knude
— hermes e renato advocacia (@ZemaVieira) November 21, 2018
and here's the statue (top right corner) from Laranjeiras, beautifully preserved stadium from the 1910's pic.twitter.com/bTGYKprX4q
— hermes e renato advocacia (@ZemaVieira) November 21, 2018
@TheKnowledge_GU In re: stadiums & famous landmarks, DC United’s Audi Field has a partial view of the Washington Monument (peeking over the stand at left) and the U.S. Capitol, Library of Congress, and House office buildings (between stands at right) pic.twitter.com/AMb8yUTPD5
— Craig Sallinger (@yobigc) November 21, 2018
@TheKnowledge_GU Central Coast Stadium (home of @CCMariners) is a three sided stadium w/ stunning views over the Brisbane Water (https://t.co/r2FXnucz8s). Amazing at sunset. pic.twitter.com/ET8qIYfLCj
— Fergal F Davis (@Fergal_Davis) November 21, 2018
@TheKnowledge_GU Landmarks visible from the stands? Olympiastadium München has a view of the Olympiaturm, the BMW headquarters ("Vierzylinder") and, duh, the world famous Olympiadach. pic.twitter.com/P2IT8ui5D2
— mucradblogger (@mucradblog) November 21, 2018
@TheKnowledge_GU here’s a nice backdrop for Harlech FC in Wales. Harlech Castle setting the scene nicely. #harlech #harlechfc @Harlech_Castle pic.twitter.com/a34bPHU9a7
— Benedict (@Trojans_Ramos) November 22, 2018
@TheKnowledge_GU amazed no-one mentioned Fisher Athletic’s new ground at Rotherhithe, St Paul’s Sports Ground. Brilliant views of the City of London pic.twitter.com/435MSlh1Ng
— Chris Waters (@Clapham_Grand) November 21, 2018
@TheKnowledge_GU Ramsbottom Utd with Peel Tower in background. pic.twitter.com/aobilPI8QT
— eps (@epsenvUK) November 23, 2018
At Granada v Rayo Vallecano. Some view of the Sierra Nevada here. pic.twitter.com/IOQUPP25pz
— John Brewin (@JohnBrewin_) March 19, 2016
Knowledge archive
“Did the father of Gil Scott-Heron, jazz radical, play for Celtic in the fifties (maybe sixties) and, if so, for how long and to what effect?” asked Greig Aitken back in 2000.
Gilbert Heron began his footballing career in the Canadian Air Force and went on to play for the Detroit Wolverines, Chicago Sting and Detroit Corinthians. He signed for Celtic in 1951 after scoring twice in an open trial. Heron would play only one league game for the Hoops, however, although he would make four appearances in the Scottish League Cup, scoring two goals. He was released by the club in 1952 and went on to enjoy short spells with Third Lanark and Kidderminster Harriers.
His son – who made his name in 1970 with the superb jazz-funk polemic The Revolution Will Not Be Televised – was recently asked about his father’s exploits by Scottish magazine One: “It’s a blessing from the spirits. Like that’s the two things that Scottish folks love the most; music and football, and they got one representative from each of those from my family. Personally I support Rangers and I’m going to wear my Celtic scarf and Rangers hat when I come over.”
• For thousands more questions and answers look through our archive.
Can you help?
“What is the highest-placed team in any major league never to have had a player capped by an international team?” wonders Stuart McLagan.
“I have a vague memory of catching some South American highlights in 2012 and seeing a player celebrate a goal by running to a payphone and pretending to make a call. Did this really happen? Is there a payphone at a pitch somewhere?” asks Dax Williams.
How long is the longest delay for a football stadium to open after its original published opening date, and how does the new Spurs stadium compare?
— Dave Waghorn (@waggers5) November 27, 2018
Well away from start-of-season free-for-alls, what’s the biggest leap up a league table the last-placed club has enjoyed after winning a game? After, say, at least a third of the season has been played?
— stuart goodwin (@stuartgoodwin) November 27, 2018
“Which top-division team (thinking mainly of long-established leagues) has the lowest-scoring all-time record scorer?” muses James McKenna.
Institute FC (in the NIFL Premiership) and Derry City (in the League of Ireland Premier Division) both currently play at the same ground. Are there any other examples of clubs sharing a stadium while playing in the leagues of two different country FAs?
— Ryan Sandrey (@RLSandrey) November 27, 2018
Thinking about Copa Libertadores final, which other cases have there been of suspended or postponed Continental finals? At National or club level.
— Pablo Miguez (@pablomiguezdm) November 27, 2018
Excluding cases where weather was the reason.
Email your questions and answers to knowledge@theguardian.com or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU.
