On this day, a tragic event unfolded in the world of football involving Woolwich Arsenal, a club that would later become known simply as Arsenal in 1914. During a United League match at Kettering Town’s North Park ground, full-back Joe Powell suffered a severe broken arm. Unfortunately, dirt entered the wound, leading to blood poisoning and tetanus. Despite efforts to save him, Powell’s arm was amputated, but he succumbed to his injuries on 29th November at the age of 26, passing away at his home in Plumstead. Powell had been a significant figure at Woolwich Arsenal, having joined the club in 1892 after being bought out of the army. He captained the team in their inaugural Football League match against Newcastle in September 1893 and played in 86 of the 98 Football League matches the club had participated in before the ill-fated Kettering fixture.
23rd November 1978
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In a notable incident involving match officials, Scotland’s top referee John Gordon, along with linesmen Rollo Kyle and David McCartney, faced suspension by the Scottish FA. The suspension came after they admitted to accepting ‘excessive hospitality’ from AC Milan prior to their UEFA Cup tie against Levski Spartak. The officials were taken on a shopping trip in Milan to purchase gifts the day before the match. As a consequence of this breach, AC Milan was fined £8,000 by UEFA.
23rd November 2002
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Joey Barton, a name that would become well-known in football circles, made headlines for an unusual reason before even making his senior debut. During a Premier League match between Manchester City and Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium, City manager Kevin Keegan intended to bring on the 20-year-old Barton as a substitute. However, Barton discovered that his shirt was missing, having left it in the dugout at half-time. It appeared that a Middlesbrough fan had taken it, and with no spare shirt available, Barton could not play. The rules required him to wear a shirt with his squad number, 41, to participate. Consequently, Ali Benarbia was brought on as the substitute instead. Barton eventually made his first-team debut on 5th April 2003 against Bolton in the Premier League.
23rd November 2014
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England’s women’s football team marked a significant milestone by playing their first match at the revamped Wembley Stadium. The friendly match against Germany drew a crowd of 45,619, surpassing the attendance of England men’s last friendly at the venue by over 5,000, despite transport issues in London. However, the day was marred by a 3-0 defeat to the German team.