28th June 1984
On this day, Mark Hateley, the son of former Liverpool and Chelsea player Tony Hateley, made a significant career move by transferring to AC Milan for a fee of around £1 million. Prior to this transfer, Hateley had spent five years with Coventry City in the top flight before joining Portsmouth at the start of the 1983/84 season. Despite Portsmouth’s struggles in the Second Division during that season, Hateley emerged as a standout player, finishing as the club’s top scorer with 22 league goals. His impressive performances earned him a call-up to the England national team, making him the first Portsmouth player to be capped by England since Jimmy Dickinson in 1956. In his second appearance for England, Hateley scored in a memorable 2-0 victory over Brazil at the Maracana Stadium, a performance that elevated his status in the football world. Although his time in Italy with AC Milan was not as successful as hoped, Hateley later joined Monaco under Arsene Wenger before moving on to Rangers and eventually returning to England with QPR, Leeds, and Hull, where he had a brief and unsuccessful stint as manager. Hateley earned a total of 32 caps for England, with his goal against Brazil remaining a highlight of his international career.
28th June 1994
The 1994 USA World Cup witnessed a historic match on this day as Russia faced Cameroon in a group stage encounter. Russia triumphed with a resounding 6-1 victory, setting two remarkable goalscoring records in the process. Oleg Salenko etched his name into the World Cup history books by becoming the first player to score five goals in a single World Cup finals match. Meanwhile, Cameroon’s Rogers Milla also made history by becoming the oldest goalscorer in World Cup history at the age of 42. This match remains a significant moment in World Cup lore, showcasing both individual brilliance and the enduring spirit of the game.