On this day in 1930, the old First Division witnessed two remarkable high-scoring matches. Huddersfield Town delivered a resounding 10-1 victory over Blackpool, showcasing their offensive prowess. Meanwhile, Sheffield Wednesday matched this feat with a dominant 9-1 win against Birmingham City. These matches remain memorable for their extraordinary goal tallies, highlighting a day of prolific scoring in English football history.
13th December 1981
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The Intercontinental Cup, a competition between the champions of Europe and South America, took place on this day in 1981. Liverpool, having triumphed over Real Madrid in the European Cup final earlier that year, faced Brazil’s Flamengo at the National Stadium in Tokyo. Despite the anticipation, Liverpool’s performance fell short, and Flamengo emerged victorious with a convincing 3-0 win in front of a crowd of 62,000. This match underscored the challenges English clubs faced in prioritising the Intercontinental Cup during that era. Interestingly, Liverpool and Flamengo would meet again in 2019 in the final of the expanded and official World Club Cup competition, where Liverpool secured a 1-0 victory.
13th December 1998
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The Premier League match between Aston Villa and Arsenal at Villa Park on this day in 1998 was marked by a tragic incident during the half-time entertainment. As part of the festive celebrations, an RAF parachutist, Nigel Rogoff, was scheduled to parachute onto the pitch dressed as Santa. However, a gust of wind caused him to clip the edge of the Trinity Road stand, resulting in a fall of approximately 80 feet onto the side of the pitch. Despite the immediate medical attention from two surgeons present in the crowd, Rogoff sustained severe injuries, leading to the amputation of a leg. Remarkably, in February 2016, Nigel Rogoff was part of a team of four rowers who became the first amputees to row across the Atlantic Ocean, covering a distance of 3,000 miles.
13th December 2014
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Morecambe Football Club made history on this day in 2014 by becoming the first winners of the Eric Morecambe Trophy. The League 2 match at the Globe Arena saw Morecambe secure a 3-0 victory over Luton Town. The trophy was named in honour of comedian Eric Morecambe, born Eric Bartholomew in 1926, who adopted the surname of his birthplace. Morecambe was a devoted fan and director of Luton Town. Following his death, a statue of him was unveiled by the Queen in Morecambe in 1999. After being vandalised in 2014, the statue was repaired and restored to its original location on the sea-front just two days before the match. The Eric Morecambe Trophy, a miniature version of the statue, was created to commemorate future encounters between Morecambe and Luton Town, with Morecambe claiming the inaugural victory.