On this day in 1905, Chelsea Football Club faced a unique challenge during their inaugural season in the Football League. Due to fixture congestion, Chelsea were compelled to play two matches on the same day. The first team secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Burnley at Stamford Bridge in the Second Division. Meanwhile, the reserve team suffered a heavy 7-1 defeat against Southern League side Crystal Palace in the 3rd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup. This remains the worst defeat experienced by a League side against a non-league team in the history of the FA Cup.
18th November 1995
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Fast forward to 1995, Nottingham Forest’s impressive unbeaten streak in the Premier League came to a dramatic end. Having gone 25 matches without defeat, including 13 at the end of the 1994/95 season and 12 at the start of the 1995/96 season, Forest were hopeful of continuing their successful run. However, they were handed a crushing 7-0 defeat by Blackburn Rovers, the reigning Premier League champions, at Ewood Park.
18th November 2009
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The 2009 World Cup play-off between the Republic of Ireland and France ended in controversy on this day. During extra time of the second leg in Paris, Thierry Henry handled the ball twice before setting up William Gallas, who scored the decisive goal. The goal was allowed to stand, securing France’s place in the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa. Despite widespread criticism of Henry’s actions and calls for a replay, FIFA rejected any such attempts. In June 2015, it was revealed that FIFA had made a €5 million payment to the Football Association of Ireland to prevent legal action over the incident.
18th November 2017
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In 2017, Scunthorpe United supporters Richard and Tracey Bailey reached a remarkable milestone. The couple attended their 1000th consecutive match involving Scunthorpe United, a streak that began on 13th February 1999, during a 3rd Division match against Cambridge United. On this day, they witnessed Scunthorpe’s 3-0 victory over Northampton in a League 1 match. Despite living 75 miles away in Derby, the Baileys travelled approximately 70,000 miles to attend home matches over the course of their 1000-game run. To commemorate their dedication, they were presented with special ‘1000’ club shirts.