On this day in 1955, a significant milestone in football history was achieved as two Football League sides played an FA Cup tie under floodlights for the first time. The match was the second replay of a First Round tie between Carlisle United and Darlington, held at St James’ Park, Newcastle. Darlington emerged victorious with a 3-1 win. This event marked a new era in football, showcasing the potential for evening matches under artificial lighting.
28th November 1970
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In a Fourth Division fixture between Brentford and Colchester United at Layer Road, an unusual incident occurred involving goalkeeper Chic Brodie. During the match, a dog ran onto the pitch and collided with Brodie, resulting in a broken kneecap for the goalkeeper. Despite having made over 400 Football League appearances, Brodie is perhaps best remembered for this incident, which effectively ended his Football League career. He later remarked on the incident, noting that the dog “may have been small – but it just happened to be solid.”
28th November 1975
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George Best, the legendary footballer, made his League debut for Stockport County on this day in 1975. Following his departure from Manchester United in 1974, Best returned to League football at Edgeley Park. He made his debut for Stockport in their home Fourth Division match against Swansea City, scoring a goal in County’s 3-2 victory. Best went on to play in two more home matches for Stockport, against Watford and Southport, before moving on to the next chapter of his career.
28th November 1999
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Paraguayan goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert made headlines on this day in 1999 by scoring a hat-trick for his Argentinian club side Vélez Sarsfield. Remarkably, all three goals came from the penalty spot in Vélez’s 6-1 victory over Ferro Carril Oeste. Chilavert’s goal-scoring prowess was well-known, as he scored 48 goals in 341 appearances for Vélez and another 8 in 74 international matches for Paraguay. His ability to contribute goals as a goalkeeper was a testament to his unique skill set.
Tragedy struck the football world on this day in 2016 when a plane carrying the players and officials of Brazilian football team Chapecoense crashed on its landing approach to Medellin airport in Colombia. The team was en route to the first leg of the 2016 Copa Sudamericana final against Atlético Nacional. Of the 77 people on board, 71 were killed, including 19 players. Only three players survived the crash. As a result, the final matches were not played, and Chapecoense were awarded the 2016 trophy. The crash was later attributed to the plane running out of fuel.