Interesting fact..

Woolwich ?

Next season will be the first time, there will be no team with a W in their name.... In the top division of England...

Which makes it even more interesting...

Disaster for us at sjp,

Before a ball is kicked, Tottenham Hotspur will commence bottom of the league

...apt

citi ?

Just had a word with my Interesting Fact team...

They are sticking with the first interesting fact.. Beginning with "W" 

That's a interesting fact...

So interesting I posted it yesterday

Thanks to Richard osman.

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24 May 26 14:46
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Richard Osman

Your reminder that if West Ham are relegated today, then next season will be the first season in the entire 138-year history of the English top flight without a team beginning with the letter W.

TTT that or it never happened...

Plenty of *ankers though

Apparently, this will be the first time there isnt a team with north south east or west in the name either. Blame chat gpt if this isnt true

Unless i am missing something i can only think of preston west ham west brom and southampton

Northampton

Update

I pointed out to chat gpt that there were none in the 1901/02 season and it has revised its answer to say it only happened once before. Ffs

May 25, 2026 -- 2:11PM, Aspro wrote:

Before a ball is kicked, Tottenham Hotspur will commence bottom of the league...apt

20. Tottenham 19. Sunderland 18. Nottingham Forest.

Hopefully after the last ball is kicked as well

If you add Newcastle, then that's all the teams from the second half of the alphabet, the other 16 are all in the first half

Another fact for your book Emit

If Roy hodgson gets is old job back,wulham could win the premier league

May 25, 2026 -- 1:41PM, Emitdeb wrote:

Next season will be the first time, there will be no team with a W in their name.... In the top division of England... Which makes it even more interesting...

Wunderland

Hull City are the only team in the football league that you can't colour in any of the letters in their name; a very factual but boring fact

In 1935/36 the two relegated sides from the top division were the last two teams to lose their top division status

for the first time

Everton were League champions in both 1915 and 1939 - they held the titles for five years and eight years respectively due to the league being suspended due to World Wars 1 and 2.

Just as well they didn't win it this year

The most goals scored in an English top division match is seven and was achieved by Ted Drake (England) playing for Arsenal against Aston Villa, at Villa Park, Birmingham, United Kingdom, on 14 December 1935. A crowd of 60,891 people watched the feat at Villa Park - the game finished 7-1 and at the time it was a record in English football at all levels. However, just 12 days later Bunny Bell would notch nine for Tranmere against Oldham in the Third Division North.

Villa were relegated that season and are one of the 2 clubs referred to above.  The other was Blackburn

The 9 goals score by Bunny Bell were part of a 13-4 victory over Oldham.  The highest number of goals ever scored in a league match.  His personal 9 goal record didn't last much longer than Ted Drake.  Only until Monday April 13th 1936 when Luton Town's Joe Payne scored 10 in the Hatters' 12-0 victory over Bristol Rovers in a Third Division (South) match.

The highest number of goals ever scored in a league match ... In England

The last time Hull were promoted to the Premier League, Chelsea won the Premier League the following year..

The last time Arsenal won the Premier League, Chelsea won the Premier League the following year..

The last time Chelsea finished 10th, Chelsea won the Premier League the following year..

I've had a punt on Chelsea. New (proven) manager, knows the PL well and I expect them to be there or thereabouts come Christmas. 11.5 seems a fair price to begin toying with it.

Hull City will be the only team with no letters you can fill in with a crayon.  Amazing fact.

Yes Aspro, was thinking the same.. A nice slow burner.. Derby winner, World cup winner, Chelsea and PSG (please God)...

May 26, 2026 -- 10:25AM, Emitdeb wrote:

Yes Aspro, was thinking the same.. A nice slow burner.. Derby winner, World cup winner, Chelsea and PSG (please God)...

What does this mean, Emitdeb?????

Just a long range acca... Gonna need to pick the Derby and World cup winner... to go with Chelsea to win the PL and PSG to win the CL...

The first top flight season started with no points system , it was only after 11 weeks of matches they decided on 2 points for a win and 1 for a draw

Isn't that how Wolves started last season Mr Straw ?

The referee stood outside of the pitch at start
of top fight. The game was controlled by 2 umpires
who were supplied by the two teams.

With referee having the casting vote.

interesting to see the 3  giant Ws all  playing 2nd tier together .

think it happened in 1991 ...  Wimbledon took the honours  that year

Coincidence crazy footy stuff

M.U.N.I.C.H
Spells Manchester United never intended coming home.

Add 1958,equals 23 the number who died.

The 4 main players who survived had shirt numbers
1.harry gregg
9. Bobby Charlton
5.bill foulkes
8. Denis violet.

Just goes to prove you can make stats fit any seriano.

My Uncle Nigel Is Completely Homosexual...

Interesting Fact..

In Italy, Munich is known as Monaco

In the UK every bag of crisps/corn snacks goes out of date on a Saturday.

don't think that's an interesting fact comingupthehill, someone would have to be sad to even come up with that, maybe a Liverpool fan.

Spurs are only non-league club to have won the FA Cup (had to sneak that one in)

In the early days of the fa cup, all teams were "non league"

As league was formed over a decade after fa cup started.

In the 2nd year of fa cup, the first year's winners were
given a bye into the final.

Aspro is of course also correct, as you couldn't be non league
if league didn't exist...

In the 1888-89 FA Cup , Linfield Athletic beat Cliftonville 7-0 , the only fa cup match played on Christmas Day

Everton played 2 games on xmas day 1888,
and turned out again on boxing day.

Strangely none of those games was a league match yhtl.

They played a Lancs cup match on Xmas Day morning, an exhibition game in the afternoon, then a friendly (maybe not very friendly ) against local rivals Bootle on Boxing Day.  It was another 3 years before Liverpool FC were founded.

Akanji (Swiss), Undav (Germany) and Jean Michaël Seri (Ivory Coast) - all have their birthdays on the day of the World Cup final - July 19th.

With 48 x 26 players = 1248

You might expect 3 players born each day

I wonder how many days are not covered by birthdays
in the squads

https://fdp.fifa.org/assetspublic/ce281/pdf/SquadLists-English.pdf

..

2 players were born on Halloween Mathías Olivera (Uruguay), Marcus Rashford (England)
2 players were born on Christmas day: Wilfried Singo (Ivory Coast) and Orlando Mosquera (Panama)
5 players were born on New Years Ev: Samed Baždar (Bosnia), Ahmed Alaaeldin (Qatar), Léo Pereira (Brazil), Julián Alvarez (Argentina), Yazan Al-Arab (Jordan)
6 players were born on New Years Day:Abdulaziz Hatem (Qatar), Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast), Hamza Abdelkarim (Egypt), Mohamed Alaa (Egypt), Lamine Camara (Senegal), Gonzalo Montiel (Argentina) - scored World Cup winning penalty 4 years ago.
2 players were born on February 29th: Abdukodir Khusanov (Uzbekistan), Ferran Torres (Spain)
1 player was bon on April Foos day: Logan Costa (Cape Verde)

8 days have no birthdays from the 1248 players present at the World Cup - July 10th, August 2nd, August 30th, October 13th, October 28th, November 19th, December 9th, December 28th

That's impressive!

Craig Gordon appears to be oldest 43

floian wiegele,austria is tallest at 6 ft 9ins

Cesar yanis of Panama the shortest at 5 ft 3ins

No player born in 1976 has played for England , the only year of the 20th century

billy the fish
played for
fulchester utd

I used to sit in front of Billy the fish's dad
at St James Park.

Strange but true.

yup for sure...
am trying to think of the
indian substitutes name
was a bit of a divid faircluff type
always come on n saved the day

Chris Donald from viz.

It was the Indian sub, which was a submarine bought from India.

February 25th and December 20th are the two most popular birthdays, with 10 players each sharing a birthday on those dates
Feb 25th - Raúl Rangel (Mexico), Alexandre Pierre (Haiti), Arda Güler (Turkey), Mark McKenzie (USA), Ehsan Hajsafi (Iran), Nando Pijnaker (New Zealand), Maghnes Akliouche (France), Krépin Diatta (Senegal), Ismaïla Sarr (Sengal), Abdallah Nasib (Jordan)
December 20th - Mohammed Muntari (Qatar), Dominic Hyam (Scotland), Oumar Diakité (Ivory Coast), Ali Abdi (Tunisia), Omar Rekik (Tunisia), Mohammad Mohebi (Iran), Ryan Thomas (New Zealand), Facundo Pellistri (Uruguay), Kylian Mbappé (France), Aimar Sher (Iraq)

April 27th, August 21st and June 19th have 9 players each sharing a birthday
May 14th and June 20th have 8 players each sharing a birthday

44 players have Unique birthdays, they don't share a birthday with any other player at the World Cup
Michael Woud (New Zealand), Zeki Çelik (Turkey), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria), Tomáš Souček (Czech Republic), Bazoumana Touré (Ivory Coast), Logan Costa (Cape Verde), Angelo Stiller (Germany), Mathew Ryan (Australia), Altay Bayındır (Turkey), Ramy Bensebaini (Algeria), Brice Samba (France), Miloš Degenek (Australia), Jovane Cabral (Cape Verde), Dženis Burnić (Bosnia), Malo Gusto (France), Ricardo Adé (Haiti), Ajdin Hrustic (Australia), Trevor Doornbusch (Curacao), Frans Putros (Iraq), Marcus Holmgren Pedersen (Norway), Amir Al-Ammari (Iraq), Jackson Porozo (Ecuador), Isidro Pitta (Paraguay), Yacine Titraoui (Algeria),      Xaver Schlager (Austria), Abbosbek Fayzullaev (Uzbekistan), Nikola Vlašić (Croatia), Alistair Johnston (Canada), Ivan Šunjić (Bosnia), Oussama Benbot (Algeria), John McGinn (Scotland), Edgardo Fariña (Panama), Danial Eiri (Iran), Jordan Bos (Australia), Elliot Anderson (England), Giovanni Reyna (USA), Julian Ryerson (Norway), Besfort Zeneli (Sweden), Nico Schlotterbeck (Germany), Hassan Al-Haydos (Qatar), Michael Olise (France), Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida (Tunisia), Aziz Behich (Australia), Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina).


40 captains were born in the 90's
Seven Captains were born in the 1980's
Dzeko, Ronaldo, Modric, Messi, Valencia (Ecuador), Tim Ream (USA), Placide (Haiti)
Only 1 Captain was born in the 2000's
Alfonso Davies (Canada)
Captains sharing the same birthday
Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Turkey) and Joshua Kimmich (Germany) (February 8th, 1 year apart)
Messi and Alaba (June 24th, 5 years apart)
Son Hueng-Min and Van Dijk (July 8th, 1 year apart)
Hakimi and Valencia (November 4th, 9 years apart)
Most Popular month to be a Captain
February - 8 captains, June and December - 5 captains

Ffs, that's great stuff sus, did AI help?

no, I'm a data analyst by trade so fairly quick and easy for me, it took me approximately 10-12 minutes of copying and pasting using the official squad list from wiki, and a spreadsheet for filtering and sorting.

Brilliant.

They said that a guy called Lionel Messi aged  ten was too small to ever be a footballer.Little Lionel went home crying and was going to stop playing the game ,until his Grandmother said"dont mind what people son,you go out and show everyone in the world what you can do."

Some more Birthday trivia

There are Birthday twins galore, a few birthday triples and even a Birthday Quad!
i.e, players who share the exact same birth date, same day, same month, same year!

Birthday Quad - One
August 25, 2001 (aged 24): Oswin Appollis (South Africa), Cho Wi-Je (South Korea), Mouhib Chamakh (Tunisia), Gonçalo Inácio (Portugal)   
       
Birthday Triplets - Seven
February 24 , 1997: (aged 29): César Montes (Mexico),  Kim Jin-gyu (South Korea), Noor Al-Rawabdeh (Jordan)   
May 14, 1997 (aged 29):    Stefan Posch (Austria), Rúben Dias (Portugal), Kristijan Jakić (Croatia)   
May 26, 1998 (aged 28):    Montassar Talbi (Tunisia), João Paulo (Cape Verde),  Ramiz Zerrouki (Algeria)   
February 25, 1999 (aged 27): Mark McKenzie (USA), Nando Pijnaker (New Zealand), Krépin Diatta (Senegal)   
July 7th, 2000 (aged 25): Lee Gi-hyuk (South Korea), Eren Elmali (Turkey), Yunus Akgün (Turkey)   
October 10th, 2000 (aged 25): Ali Ahmed (Canada), Felix Nmecha (Germany), Kevin Yakob (Iraq)   
July 12, 2003 (aged 22): Junnosuke Suzuki (Japan), Ahmed Qasem (Iraq), Oscar Bobb (Norway)   

Turkish teammates born on exactly the same day, month and year.
       
Birthday Twins - there's 115 pairs of them

Robert Prosinecki is the only player to score for 2 different countries at a world cup finals

Some very interesting ones. Very surprised by the 1976 stat. Thought it had to be untrue, but alas it wasn’t.

you-have-to-laugh
Cesar yanis of Panama the shortest at 5 ft 3ins

England beat Panama 6-1 in the 2018 World Cup.
I made the mistake of watching Panama in a friendy before that World Cup.
Most of the team were short but the present squad appear taller.
In that friendly they did a lot of rugby tackling (and continued in the WC giving away frees and penalties).
Another feature was Panama defenders watching the ball and ignoring attackers.
i wonder have they learned anything in the last 8 years?

Susquehanna
no, I'm a data analyst by trade so fairly quick and easy for me, it took me approximately 10-12 minutes of copying and pasting using the official squad list from wiki, and a spreadsheet for filtering and sorting.

If you still have the data you could check this.
Many top footballers have birthdays early in the year.
The reason is that e.g. a player who had his 10th birthday on 10th January was an under 10 on 31st December (typical cut-off date for under age teams).
A player born on e.g. 20th December would be at an under-age disadvantage.
The 20th December born player would be 9 years and 10 days old on 31st December
The 10th January player would be 9 years and 355 day on 31st December
Or in plain terms the player bord in january wouuld be almost a year more mature than one born in December.
And picked on the under 8s, the under 9s, the under 10s, the under 11s, the under 12s and son on - he is always in the team, always gaining experience, always being trained.

England squad of 23
14 born in first half of year
9 born in second half of year

France 15 of 26 born in first half

There are no days in first 6 months with no birthdays.

Kind of supports your argument

January    - 120 Birthdays
February - 125
March - 116
April - 95
May - 112
June - 125
July - 105
August - 105
September - 92
October - 89
November - 80
December - 84

First 6 months = 693
Last 6 months - 555

Most interesting name I've come across so far

Step forward South Africa's Sphephelo Sithole

....Almost!

Gerald Sithole was at the Gills a couple of years back, his name gave the Rainham End much hilarity.

He now plays for FC United in Manchester alongside his brother Ronald
(who was also at Gills for a time) - so we now have a pair of Sitholes playing together

Reminds me of the time in the sixties when Villa had two players named Oscar Arce and Barry Hole. Half the Holte end would chant Arce and the other half  would respond with Hole.

Tyias Browning was born in Liverpool in 1994. He was on Everton's books from the age of ten and was highly thought of, playing as a centre back or right back for the youth teams and the Reserves, however he only made 7 appearances for the first team, followed by 27 games for Sunderland on loan, before joining the Chinese Super League side Guangzhou in 2019. He currently plays for Shanghai Port.

In the same year that he joined Guangzhou, Tyias became a naturalised Chinese citizen, changing his name to Jiang Guangtai.  His grandfather on his mother's side was Chinese and this qualifies him to play for the China national team, which he has done and currently has 35 caps for them.

Susquehanna

Thanks for the post about birthdays and months.
I think that explains why I never played international football.