Football’s most unlikely half-and-half scarves | The Knowledge

“After the north London derby, a friend and I were imagining what some of the world’s most unlikely split scarves might be,” writes Chris Corrigan. “It’s fun to imagine, but in real life, what are examples of unbelievably unlikely split scarves?”

Pitch up outside any major match and you are likely to find someone hawking a half-and-half scarf. We’ve riffed on the subject before and, nightmarish scourge or natty souvenir, they don’t seem to be going anywhere. Inevitably they continue to split opinion, though not exactly down the middle (your more extreme response), but judging from some of your suggestions, they remain increasingly unlikely.

Reader Tim Grey offered up this 2013 vintage:

Tim Grey
(@GreyTim)

@TheKnowledge_GU
Regarding unlikely half-and-half scarves, I really can’t fathom who these blokes thought would buy these monstrosities. They’re not likely to win you any friends in either city… pic.twitter.com/FsVkIquBuB

November 30, 2017

Increasingly unlikely:

Ryan Bailey
(@RyanJayBailey)

The Leeds/Millwall half-and-half scarf. A new low for modern football. And humanity. pic.twitter.com/0lEhoEx0o8

February 14, 2015

A niche one nobody saw coming?

A proper collector’s item from October.



A proper collector’s item from October. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA

James Walker offers a cracker. “I am a proud owner of a scarf from a Europa League qualifying-round match between Prestatyn Town and the now-defunct Latvian side Liepaijas Metalurgs,” he mails. And there’s photo evidence, too:

A doozy.



A doozy. Photograph: James Walker

But, as Paul Fulcher points out, there is probably an unexpected winner. “Given one club was formed as a protest against the existence of the other,” he begins, “an AFC Wimbledon and MK Dons half and half scarf has to be a contender for the ultimate abomination, but someone thought it was a good idea.”

Of course, there is a natural progression

Kevin
(@KevinKT29)

🤢 Nearly threw up when I saw this.
I’ve never @DirtyTackle‘d a fan before, but I must. What say you @RyanJayBailey @BrooksDT @TheoMessiDT? pic.twitter.com/EO2VuoV5qJ

August 13, 2017

No non-leaguers?

“If the FA Cup replays involving non-league sides go to form, there will be no non-league sides in the third round: when was the last time that happened?” asks Richard Powell.

It has never happened since the third round was introduced in 1925-26, Richard. Back in 2015-16, Eastleigh flew the flag as sole non-leaguers, but this season could see the first blank yet. With Hereford FC facing Fleetwood Town in the final replay, it could rest on their shoulders.

Cobblers? Not quite

“Has a caretaker manager ever been sacked other than being replaced by a permanent manager? Just thinking about David Unsworth,” asks David Collins.

“In November 2011, Gary Johnson was sacked by Northampton,” notes Daniel Brownsill. “David Lee was appointed as caretaker manager and was sacked after one game (a 7-2 loss at home to Shrewsbury). He was replaced by Tim Flowers as caretaker for one game (a 4-1 loss at Plymouth) before Aidy Boothroyd was appointed as manager. So, four games in a row with four different managers. Has there been an instance of five games in a row with five different managers?”

Comeback kings

“Schalke’s second-half comeback from 4-0 down to drawing 4-4 with Dortmund got me thinking: what is the biggest goals deficit a team has come back from to earn a point or win a game in a second half?” asks George Jones.

“On 29 August 1960 my brother and I witnessed Bristol Rovers drawing 4-4 with Leeds United in a second division league game,” recalls Ted Keene. “Leeds, with Albert Johannesson in the side, led 4-0 at half-time. Rovers hit back to make it 4-4 with Graeme Ricketts missing a sitter which would have won it. A delight for my brother and me since all the goals were in the same net in front of us. (Eastville rose beds separating the goal from the terraces).”

To the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. “In the opening game, Mali came from 4-0 down to draw 4-4 with Angola – but the first goal in the comeback didn’t come until the 79th minute,” notes Mark Cookney. “This game was made all the more legendary by rumours circulating on forums of a student blowing his entire student loan backing Angola to win while they were four up.”

Dirk Maas has another offering: “One of the most remarkable comebacks must have been the VfL Bochum v Bayern Munich on 18 September 1976. Bochum led 3-0 at half-time and added another in the 53th minute. Bayern somehow managed to get back in the game: between the 54th and 76th minute they scored five. Bochum refused to give up and equalised in the 80th minute. Bayern, however, got the winner in the 89th minute.” Then, of course, there was this.

Maccarone’s big week

Last week, we looked at the shortest time between a player featuring for an age group national team and the full team. But one instance slipped through the net …

“I have a feeling Massimo Maccarone did something similar to Pierre Littbarski just before the 2002 World Cup,” begins Alasdair Brookman, correctly. “He played (and scored) against England under-21s, and then made his senior debut for Italy against England at Elland Road the very next day. He was even brought down for the last-minute penalty from which Italy won.”

Gavin Buckland has another quick tale. “It’s worth noting that in February 1978 during a B international against England in Augsburg, West Germany’s Ronald Worm came off the bench to equalise, before 24 hours later repeating the feat for the full national team against the same opponents in Munich. The only difference was the result: England won the B game 2-1, but lost 2-1 in the full international.”

Knowledge archive

“Has any other football team played 11 triallists like Hereford United did this summer?” posed Steve Hodges in 2014.

With the threat of liquidation lingering, it was no surprise to see Hereford fielding triallist XIs against Droylsden and, rather oddly, Besiktas in pre-season. There was understandably little mirth to be found in the reaction to those friendly teams.

But not so at Hyde FC. “Last month Hyde FC played a team of completely traillists for the third-or-so time in a row,” wrote John Jacques. “It was getting confusing keeping track of the names … so they started naming the players after actors and such.” Having named a team of revolutionaries for the fixture against Altrincham – Fidel Castro, Vladimir Lenin, Karl Marx, Leon Trotsky, Maximilien de Robespierre and so forth – mixed in with a couple of contracted players, a triallist XI took the field against Burnley in their following fixture …

Hyde United FC
(@hydeunited)

George Michael,Humphrey bogart,Arnold Schwarzenegger,Clark gable,ron Jeremy,tom hanks,Patrick Swayze,Anthony Hopkins.austin powers

July 29, 2014

Hyde United FC
(@hydeunited)

Corner to Hyde Patrick Swayze shouts for someone else to take it “Nobody puts baby on corners”

July 29, 2014

Can you help?

“With Nigeria drawn in the same World Cup group as Argentina for the fifth time out of six, I was wondering whether there were other examples of teams consistently drawing each other?” enquires Will Hughes.

“Spain. Portugal. Morocco and Iran: the geographically closest World Cup group ever?” asks Doug Coyle.

“I seem to remember, in the early 2000s, that Arsenal had three different strips with three different sponsors; their home kit displayed Dreamcast, their away kit, then gold, was emblazoned with JVC and their third kit, a navy blue number, showed Sega on the front,” writes Elliot Leaver. “Can someone confirm if this is true and, if so, whether any other clubs have had similar scenarios?”

“In the National League clash between FC Halifax Town and Eastleigh both goalkeepers were given red cards for two bookable offences,” writes Rob Green. “Has this occurred before?”

“Who was the last footballer to play a competitive game wearing glasses?” muses Justus Mwaniki.