4th February 1948
On this day in 1948, the football world witnessed a new record transfer fee when Len Shackleton moved from Newcastle United to Sunderland. The transfer fee of £20,050 was £50 more than the previous record, making it a significant event in football history. Shackleton had made a memorable debut for Newcastle in 1946, scoring six goals in their 13-0 victory over Newport County. Known for his wit, Shackleton later included a chapter in his autobiography titled ‘What the average director knows about football’, which was left blank.
4th February 2017
Fast forward to 2017, Sunderland secured a crucial 4-0 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in a Premier League relegation battle. This match was particularly significant for Sunderland’s Jack Rodwell, who had not started in a Premier League match that ended in a victory for his side since 7th May 2013. This win ended a 39-match streak without a victory in his starts, which included two matches for Manchester City and his first 37 league starts for Sunderland. However, Rodwell’s relief was short-lived as he was substituted early in the second half due to an injury.
On the same day, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger experienced the challenges of a touchline ban during a match at Stamford Bridge. Serving a four-match ban for abusing a fourth official, Wenger found himself sitting among the paying spectators. In an amusing twist, he ended up sitting next to an Arsenal fan who happened to be his gardener, though Wenger was unaware of this connection at the time. Wenger humorously remarked, “But I do have a big garden,” when he realised the coincidence.