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I posted this elsewhere on here recently, but its natural home is probably here.
The 1981 European Cup Winners' Cup final was a highly unusual event. It was held in Duesseldorf, West Germany, but the attendance was just 4,750.
That was because the finalists were Dinamo Tbilisi of the Soviet Union and Carl Zeiss Jena of....East Germany .
If you study the action 41-45 seconds in, you can see vast, unoccupied areas of the huge stadium.
The second Tbilisi goal is a beauty, the sort of goal Chair might score.
It's worth watching the very end of the video to see the unusual fate of the match ball
"Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1."
Only four countries entered the Asia-Oceania qualifying group for the 1966 World Cup: North Korea, South Korea (who withdrew rather than play the North), Australia and South Africa, who were expelled. Thus qualification came down to a two match series between the DPRK and Australia, played three days apart in … Phnom Penh, Cambodia! Australia played one warm up against a club side in Cairns, their first game in 6 months since a friendly against a touring Ch*ls** team. By contrast, the Koreans had played 35 internationals in the previous three years.
In front of 60,000 spectators, the Koreans crushed Australia 6-1. In the rematch, Australia took an early lead but the Koreans won 3-1 to qualify. Oddly, if the Aussies had held onto their early lead, their would have been a third game as aggregate hadn’t reached Asia. Probably a coin toss afterwards too.
[Post edited 3 Jun 17:02]
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Mad Football Stats & Facts on 18:48 - Jun 3 with 823 views
Mad Football Stats & Facts on 09:37 - May 28 by TheChef
Kin ell didn't realise he was such an old b'stard.
Wasn't he the RB who got booked in 2nd minute for his 3rd foul on Dave Thomas? Best's last game for United. I think we won 3-0 or 3-1.
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one's lifetime." (Mark Twain)
Find me on twitter @derbyhoop and now on Bluesky
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Mad Football Stats & Facts on 19:50 - Jun 3 with 763 views
Mad Football Stats & Facts on 17:00 - Jun 3 by MrSheen
Only four countries entered the Asia-Oceania qualifying group for the 1966 World Cup: North Korea, South Korea (who withdrew rather than play the North), Australia and South Africa, who were expelled. Thus qualification came down to a two match series between the DPRK and Australia, played three days apart in … Phnom Penh, Cambodia! Australia played one warm up against a club side in Cairns, their first game in 6 months since a friendly against a touring Ch*ls** team. By contrast, the Koreans had played 35 internationals in the previous three years.
In front of 60,000 spectators, the Koreans crushed Australia 6-1. In the rematch, Australia took an early lead but the Koreans won 3-1 to qualify. Oddly, if the Aussies had held onto their early lead, their would have been a third game as aggregate hadn’t reached Asia. Probably a coin toss afterwards too.
[Post edited 3 Jun 17:02]
Reminds me of the story of Wales qualifying for the 1958 World Cup Finals.
In those days, the 27 European teams were organised into 9 groups, with the winner (only) going through to the Finals. Wales avoided a big name, drawing Czechoslovakia and East Germany.
They won their two home games, but lost their two aways, thus finishing second and out.
Or so we thought. For Israel* were in the Asian Confederation in those days, with Asia and Africa combining Qualifying games to produce one Finalist. Anyhow, Israel got a succession of Walkovers in qualifying, as 6 successive opponents (i.e. 12 games) refused to play them for political reasons, and so got the single Finals spot.
FIFA then decided Israel could not be permitted to get to the Finals without playing a single game, so a special play-off was created between Israel and the runner-up of one of the UEFA/CONMEBOL/CCCF/NAFC Groups, where the teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis, with the winner qualifying. Two-time champions Uruguay withdrew, while Northern Ireland and Italy had one final match yet to play, so all three were left out. Belgium, Bulgaria, Wales, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Peru, Bolivia and Costa Rica were left to draw. Belgium came out of the hat first, but their FA decided that qualifying through sheer luck was beneath them, and so declined.
Another draw was held and this time Wales defied odds of 8/1 against to get picked out. They then beat a poor, undercooked Israel 2-0, home and away.
So the next time some Taff bore starts droning on about the glories of 1958 etc, just remind them how stuffy they were even to get there!
* - Also Cyprus and Turkey!
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Mad Football Stats & Facts on 22:01 - Jun 3 with 690 views
Mad Football Stats & Facts on 19:50 - Jun 3 by NewBee
Reminds me of the story of Wales qualifying for the 1958 World Cup Finals.
In those days, the 27 European teams were organised into 9 groups, with the winner (only) going through to the Finals. Wales avoided a big name, drawing Czechoslovakia and East Germany.
They won their two home games, but lost their two aways, thus finishing second and out.
Or so we thought. For Israel* were in the Asian Confederation in those days, with Asia and Africa combining Qualifying games to produce one Finalist. Anyhow, Israel got a succession of Walkovers in qualifying, as 6 successive opponents (i.e. 12 games) refused to play them for political reasons, and so got the single Finals spot.
FIFA then decided Israel could not be permitted to get to the Finals without playing a single game, so a special play-off was created between Israel and the runner-up of one of the UEFA/CONMEBOL/CCCF/NAFC Groups, where the teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis, with the winner qualifying. Two-time champions Uruguay withdrew, while Northern Ireland and Italy had one final match yet to play, so all three were left out. Belgium, Bulgaria, Wales, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Peru, Bolivia and Costa Rica were left to draw. Belgium came out of the hat first, but their FA decided that qualifying through sheer luck was beneath them, and so declined.
Another draw was held and this time Wales defied odds of 8/1 against to get picked out. They then beat a poor, undercooked Israel 2-0, home and away.
So the next time some Taff bore starts droning on about the glories of 1958 etc, just remind them how stuffy they were even to get there!
* - Also Cyprus and Turkey!
That makes no sense at all. Oh for the days when governing bodies could impose crazy plans without hundreds of law suits getting in the way.
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