The Raven Hotel in Shrewsbury was the setting for a unique moment in football history. The FA Cup 1st Round tie between Sheffield FC and Shropshire Wanderers had ended in 0-0 draws at both the Bramall Lane cricket ground and the Shrewsbury Race Course. To avoid a second replay, the teams decided to settle the outcome with a coin toss during an after-match meal. Sheffield called correctly and advanced to the Second Round. This remains the only instance of an FA Cup tie being decided by a coin toss.
17th November 1945
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Moscow Dynamo’s tour of Britain in November 1945 included a memorable friendly against Cardiff City at Ninian Park. The match, played in front of a packed stadium, saw Moscow Dynamo deliver a stunning performance, defeating Cardiff City 10-1. This match was part of a series of four friendlies against British teams, including Arsenal, Chelsea, and Rangers, where the Russian team remained unbeaten and drew massive crowds.
17th November 1992
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Vinnie Jones faced disciplinary action from the Football Association for his video, “Soccer’s Hard Men,” which was deemed to glorify violence in football. On this day, he was found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute, resulting in a record £20,000 fine and a six-month playing ban, which was suspended for three years.
17th November 1993
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England’s hopes of qualifying for the 1994 World Cup were dashed in a match against San Marino in Bologna. England needed a significant victory to keep their qualification hopes alive, but Davide Gualtieri scored for San Marino just 8 seconds into the match. Although England won 7-1, they failed to qualify, finishing third in their group behind Norway and the Netherlands. This result led to Graham Taylor’s resignation as manager within a week.
On the same day, Roy Hodgson’s Switzerland secured their place in the 1994 World Cup finals by defeating Estonia in their final qualifier. Switzerland finished second in their group behind Italy, ensuring Hodgson’s presence in the USA as an English-born manager.
Tragedy struck during the Wales v Romania World Cup qualifier at Cardiff Arms Park when a distress rocket was fired, resulting in the death of a spectator. The individuals responsible were later convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to three years in prison, with the judge condemning their actions as “mindless and crass stupidity.”
17th November 1998
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Geoff Hurst was honoured with a knighthood from the Queen for his contributions to football. He became the third person associated with England’s 1966 World Cup victory to receive this honour, following Bobby Charlton in 1994 and manager Alf Ramsey in 1967. Hurst remarked that the ceremony at Buckingham Palace held more significance for him than his World Cup final hat-trick against West Germany.
17th November 1999
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John Toshack was dismissed as Real Madrid manager for the second time. Having rejoined the club in February 1999, his tenure ended after 11 matches of the new season with the team languishing in 8th place. Toshack’s first dismissal from the Spanish giants occurred almost exactly nine years earlier, despite leading the club to a La Liga title and losing only 8 of the 64 matches he managed.