26th February 1999
On this day in 1999, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson found himself in an unusual predicament. Ferguson was caught by police driving his BMW on the hard shoulder of the M602 near Manchester. Initially, the incident seemed minor and did not attract much attention until it reached the courts in October of the same year. During the court proceedings at Bury Magistrates Court, Ferguson revealed the reason behind his actions. He explained that he was suffering from acute gastroenteritis and severe diarrhoea, which necessitated an urgent need for a toilet. Ferguson admitted that he was too embarrassed to disclose this to the police at the time of the incident. The court accepted his explanation, and he was subsequently let off without penalty.
26th February 2010
A decade later, on 26th February 2010, Portsmouth Football Club made headlines for becoming the first Premier League club to enter administration. The club was grappling with debts amounting to approximately £70 million, which led to this unprecedented step. As a consequence of entering administration, Portsmouth faced a nine-point deduction in the league. Despite their financial turmoil, Portsmouth managed to reach the 2010 FA Cup final while still a Premier League club. However, the club’s financial woes did not end there. A succession of owners and further financial difficulties resulted in two more points deductions. By 2013, Portsmouth found themselves relegated to League 2, marking a significant fall from their Premier League status just a few years prior.