3rd July 2001
On this day in 2001, one of the most controversial transfers in English football history took place. Sol Campbell, whose full name is Sulzeer Jeremiah Campbell, made a highly contentious move from Tottenham Hotspur to their fierce rivals Arsenal. The transfer was executed on a Bosman free transfer, a mechanism that allows players to move clubs without a transfer fee at the end of their contract. This move left Tottenham fans deeply upset, as Campbell had been a key player for Spurs. His decision to join Arsenal, a club located just a few miles away, intensified the rivalry between the two North London clubs.
3rd July 2018
Fast forward to 2018, and England achieved a significant milestone in their footballing history. On this day, England finally broke their World Cup penalty shoot-out curse. In a Round of Last 16 match against Colombia at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow, the game ended 1-1 after extra time. England had previously suffered penalty shoot-out defeats in World Cup history against West Germany in 1990, Argentina in 1998, and Portugal in 2006. The shoot-out against Colombia began with a setback for England as Jordan Henderson became the first player to miss from the spot. However, Colombia’s Uribe and Bacca both failed to convert their penalties, paving the way for Eric Dier to score the decisive penalty. Dier’s successful spot-kick secured a 4-3 victory for England, marking their first-ever World Cup penalty shoot-out win.