19th February 1910
On this day in 1910, Manchester United played their first match at what is now known as Old Trafford, facing Liverpool in a First Division clash. At the time, the venue was referred to as the ‘United Football Ground’. Originally intended to accommodate 100,000 spectators, the stadium’s capacity was reduced to 80,000 by the time of its completion. Approximately 45,000 fans attended the inaugural match. Sandy Turnbull had the honour of scoring the first goal at the new ground for Manchester United. However, Liverpool emerged victorious, spoiling the occasion with a 4-3 win.
19th February 2008
On 19th February 2008, the Arsenal camp was abuzz with an unusual story involving their goalkeeper, Manuel Almunia. Ahead of their Champions League fixture against AC Milan, it was reported that Almunia had been granted special permission to return home during lunch breaks. The reason? His wife was reportedly uncomfortable being alone in their house, which was built on the site of a former psychiatric hospital. She claimed to have seen a ghostly figure of a monk carrying a candle by their bed. Despite the off-field distractions, Arsenal managed a 0-0 draw against the defending champions AC Milan at the Emirates Stadium the following day, albeit without Almunia. A few weeks later, with Almunia back in the squad, Arsenal made history by becoming the first English club to defeat AC Milan at the San Siro, securing a quarter-final tie with Liverpool.