On this day in 1935, Aston Villa faced a formidable Arsenal side at Villa Park in a match that would go down in history. In front of a crowd of 60,891 spectators, Arsenal’s Ted Drake delivered a performance for the ages, scoring all seven goals in Arsenal’s 7-1 victory over Aston Villa. This remarkable feat set the record for the most goals scored by a single player in a top division match and remains the most goals scored in any competitive match by an Arsenal player. The match was part of the 1935/36 Division 1 season, and Drake’s extraordinary achievement is still remembered as one of the most prolific individual performances in English football history.
14th December 2008
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Fast forward to 2008, and the football world witnessed a poignant moment at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards ceremony. Sir Bobby Charlton, one of England’s most revered footballers, was honoured with a lifetime achievement award. The event, held at the Liverpool Echo Arena, became particularly memorable due to the presence of Bobby’s brother, Jack Charlton. The two brothers, both legends in their own right, had been estranged for years, with public criticisms of each other in their autobiographies. However, the awards ceremony marked a turning point in their relationship. Jack presented the award to Bobby, declaring, “Bobby Charlton is the greatest player I’ve ever seen – and he’s my brother.” The brothers embraced on stage, signalling the end of their long-standing feud and rekindling the bond they shared during England’s 1966 World Cup triumph.
14th December 2019
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In 2019, Derby County’s match against Millwall in the Championship was notable for an unusual reason. While Derby suffered a disappointing defeat at home, the Sunday Times reported a world record attendance at Pride Park for the match, claiming a staggering 262,072 spectators were present. This figure would have surpassed the previous record set at the Maracana Stadium in Brazil during the 1950 World Cup Final by over 60,000. However, the reported attendance was later revealed to be a misprint, with the actual number being 26,272. Despite the error, the incident drew attention and added a humorous twist to the day’s events, though it did not make it into The Guinness Book of Records.