20th January 1974
On this day in 1974, a significant development in English football took place as twelve grounds hosted Football League matches on a Sunday for the first time. This event occurred just two weeks after the inaugural Sunday matches in the FA Cup. The first of these historic fixtures was held at The Den, where Millwall faced Fulham in a Second Division clash. The match attracted a crowd of 15,143 spectators, marking Millwall’s highest attendance of the season up to that point. The success of this event was mirrored across the other eleven clubs, all of which reported better than average attendances. This promising turnout suggested that Sunday football might become a regular feature in the English football calendar.
20th January 2004
Fast forward to 2004, and the football world witnessed a different kind of headline. On this day, Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand began serving an eight-month ban for missing a drugs test. Ferdinand claimed that he had forgotten about the test due to the distractions of moving house and needing to go shopping. In addition to the lengthy suspension, Ferdinand was also fined £50,000 for his oversight. This incident highlighted the strict regulations surrounding drug testing in football and the severe consequences for players who fail to comply.