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The Gaffer's trivia archive
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Sunday September 13
Scott, Lancs: What were the teams, scorers and attendance when England played the Rest of the World in 1964 at Wembley?
The Gaffer says: The Rest of the World squad was: Lev Yashin (USSR), Milutin Soskic (Yugoslavia), Djalma Santos (Brazil), Luis Eyzaguirre (Chile), Karl-Heinz Schnellinger (W Germany), Svatopluk Pluskal (Czechoslovakia), Jan Popluhar (Czechoslovakia), Josef Masopust (Czechoslovakia), Jim Baxter (Scotland), Raymond Kopa (France), Eusebio Da Silva (Portugal), Denis Law (Scotland), Alfredo Di Stefano (Spain), Uwe Seeler (West Germany), Pele (Brazil), Ferenc Puskas (Hungary), Francisco Gento (Spain). England won 2-1 with goals from Terry Paine and Jimmy Greaves, while Law scored for the Rest of the World. Wembley was full - 100,000 give or take a few. The game was in 1963 by the way, on 23 October.
John, Preston: When and what were the scores on the highest-scoring weekend in the Premier League?
The Gaffer says: Excellent question John, coming after this weekend's high-scoring matches. The Premier League record is the 47 goals scored on 8 May 1993, the last day of the season. The scores that day were as follows: Arsenal 3 Palace 0, Blackburn 1 Sheffield Wed 0, Coventry 3 Leeds 3 (Rod Wallace hat-trick), Ipswich 2 Nottingham Forest 1, Liverpool 6 Spurs 2, Manchester City 2 Everton 5, Middlesbrough 3 Norwich 3, Oldham 4 Southampton 3, Sheffield Utd 4.
Billy Bell, Edinburgh: What was the score in the first ever Edinburgh derby?
The Gaffer says: The first competitive derby was in the Scottish FA Cup on 22 September 1877 when Hearts drew 0-0 at home to Hibs, who won the replay 2-1 a fortnight later.
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Saturday September 12
Rich, Bromley: Gaffer, I was wondering who have been the highest ranked Fifa team since it began NOT to have played England? Thanks.
The Gaffer says: The current highest-ranked team never to face England is Didier Drogba's Ivory Coast, who are 20th in the table.
Fred The Red: With Argentina in peril of not making South Africa, apart from England twice how many times has a former winner failed to qualify for the World Cup finals?
The Gaffer says: England have failed on three occasions to qualify for the World Cup since winning it - 1974, 78 and 94. Uruguay, who won two of the earliest competitions, failed to qualify in 58, 78, 82, 94, 98 and 06. Italy are the only other team to fail to qualify for a competition SINCE winning - that was in 1958.
Jo, Reading: Which Premier League clubs have had the most players play for them? I know West Ham have had 799 players play for them.
The Gaffer says: I can't answer this for all-time, but, as is often the case since the Premier League's introduction, there are stats to cover 1992 onwards. Spurs are the winners, with 201 players past and present.
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Friday September 11
Karl MK: Before the Croatia game on Wednesday, when was the last time Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard scored in the same England game?
The Gaffer says: Amazingly, it was way back in a 2-2 draw with Austria in Vienna on 4 September 2004.
Ryan, Bath: What non-ever-present Premier League club is the most successful in terms of points and goals, and does this put them ahead of any ever-present clubs in the top flight? Great page lad!
The Gaffer says: Excellent question! In addition to this season, Newcastle have only missed one other Premier League season (1992/93) but they lie sixth in the all-time Prem table, above ever-presents Tottenham and Everton on points, and above Aston Villa and Everton (but not Spurs) on total goals scored.
Rory: Which football ground is closest to the River Thames?
The Gaffer says: Fulham's Craven Cottage, where the Riverside Stand backs on to the Thames.
Rorv: Which outfield player has the most England caps without a goal. And the same with Premier League appearances?
The Gaffer says: Gary Neville with 85 caps. Kenny Cunningham with 335 appearances.
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Thursday September 10
Ben: How many England midfielders have scored a hat-trick? When was the last time?
The Gaffer says: Paul Scholes was the last after scoring a treble against Poland in a Euro 2000 qualifier (unless you're classing Theo Walcott as a 'midfielder'). Bryan Robson, David Platt and Sir Bobby Charlton are other post-war midfielders to hit a hat-trick.
Paul, Stoke: Can you name the Champions League winner that won his first five England caps under five different managers?
The Gaffer says: Are you sure it was five? Andrew Cole is a Champions League winner with Man Utd and won his first four caps under Terry Venables in 1995, Glenn Hoddle in 1997, Howard Wilkinson in 1999 and Kevin Keegan in 1999.
Scott, Balloach, Scotland: What does the KNVB mean on the Dutch badge?
The Gaffer says: Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbal Bond, which translates to The Royal Netherlands Football Association (the country's governing body).
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Wednesday September 9
Rory: Who are England's most prolific goalscorers per game and the same for clean sheets. Top fives please.
The Gaffer says: More than 10 goals is the qualifying entry point: George Camsell (18 in 9), George Hilsdon (14 in 8), John Woodward (29 in 23), Steve Bloomer (28 in 23), Dixie Dean (18 in 16). More than 10 appearances is the qualifying entry point: Chris Woods (60.5% clean sheets), Paul Robinson (58.3%), Tim Flowers (54.6%), David Seaman (54.1%), Peter Shilton (52.8%).
Papas, Leeds: Any Cypriot players ever played in the English Premier League?
The Gaffer says: Only two. The first was Nikodimos Papavasiliou, who played just seven games for Newcastle after signing from OFI Crete, where he is now manager. The other was Alexis Nicolas who had a brief spell at Chelsea, most of which was spent on loan at Brighton before he eventually joined the Seagulls on a permanent deal.
John, Nottingham: Hey gaff, keep up the good work. Here's one for you... If a team qualified for a World Cup as hosts and previous winners, where would the spare place go?
The Gaffer says: Good question, John and one to which I do not have an answer - and neither, I think, do Fifa because the situation has never arisen and never will. From the 2002 tournament onwards, the champions were forced to qualify - this affected Brazil and Italy.
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Tuesday September 8
Johnny: Hi Gaffer, which player has the best goals-per-game ratio in the Premier League and Scottish Premier League?
The Gaffer says: Excluding players like Gary Bull (Nottingham Forest) and Aidan Newhouse (Wimbledon) who have a record of one goal in one Premier League game, it's Thierry Henry who netted 174 goals in 254 appearances for Arsenal (0.68 goals-per-game). Liverpool's Fernando Torres is a close second with 41 goals in 61 appearances (0.67 goals-per-game). Marco Negri tops the SPL charts, with 32 goals in 30 games for Rangers.
Shayn: Heya Gaff great page. Could you tell me all the players from New Zealand to have played in the Premier League? I know Blackburn captain Ryan Nelsen of course but not sure of any others.
The Gaffer says: I can think of four more: Simon Elliott (Fulham), Danny Hay (Leeds), Lee Norfolk (Ipswich), Chris Wood (West Brom).
Fred: Which country has qualified for the most consecutive World Cup finals without ever winning one? I would guess Spain.
The Gaffer says: You're correct, Fred. Spain have qualified for the past eight World Cups and are still to land football's biggest prize. But Mexico hold the record for the number of World Cup appearances without winning the trophy: 13 overall.
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Monday September 7
Jamie, Manchester: Can you name the only player to start the first game of this season for Man City and also the first game of last season for them?
The Gaffer says: Micah Richards. City's line-up in their opener against Blackburn this season was: Given, Richards, Dunne, Toure, Bridge, Wright-Phillips, Ireland, Barry, Robinho, Adebayor, Bellamy. Last season's line-up in the first Premier League game against Villa was: Hart, Corluka, Richards, Ben-Haim, Garrido, Etuhu, Fernandes, Johnson, Petrov, Elano, Evans. Incidentally, this question only works if you specify 'Premier League', as City's first game of any description last season was a Uefa Cup tie against EB Streymur, which Dunne, Ireland and Richards all started - as they did against Rovers last month.
Bennyboy: What's the biggest drop in Fifa rankings? For example they were once 3rd and are now 50th.
The Gaffer says: The Faroe Islands must be up there (or rather down there). They were 94th in 1992 and 198th in 2008. After a quick hop round the main suspects, I can't find anyone else who has dropped over 100 places.
Stuart: How did the Bosman ruling come about?
The Gaffer says: When Belgian player Jean-Marc Bosman's contract with RFC Liege ran out in 1995, he wanted to move to French side Dunkerque. Liege refused to let Bosman leave without the payment of a transfer fee which Dunkerque were unwilling to cough up. Bosman claimed that as an EU citizen he possessed the right to "freedom of movement" within the European Union if he wanted to find work. It went to the European Court of Justice, which passed two very important rulings: 1) Transfer fees for out-of-contract players were made illegal where a player was moving between one EU nation and another - from then on only players still serving contracts with their teams could have transfer fees paid for them. 2) Quota systems were also made illegal, so clubs were then able to play as many foreigners from other EU nations as they liked.
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Recent trivia answers from The Gaffer:
31/08/09 - 06/09/09: Smallest player ever, Cole's row with Sheringham and most successful colours. Trivia answers
24/08/09 - 30/08/09: Footballing politicians; youngest captain to win Champions League; most Premier League appearances. Trivia answers
17/08/09 - 23/08/09: Smallest country to provide a Premier League player; most hat-tricks for one club; most relegated player. Trivia answers
10/08/09 - 16/08/09: Club with the worst League Cup record; highest priced uncapped Englishman; Roy Keane conundrum. Trivia answers
03/08/09 - 09/08/09: Played for Man Utd and Barcelona; most headed goals in the Premier League; FA Cup leading goalscorer. Trivia answers
27/07/09 - 02/08/09: European teams to win the treble or quadruple; Frenchmen to play for Newcastle. Trivia answers
20/07/09 - 26/07/09: Most-capped Premier League manager; Europe's record goalscorers; the Brylcream Boy revealed. Trivia answers
13/07/09 - 19/07/09: Brothers in the Prem; most saves in a shootout; Fifa and European player award winners. Trivia answers
06/07/09 - 12/07/09: Longest penalty shootouts; first substitute and perfect Premier League hat-tricks. Trivia answers
Check out much more trivia in the Ask The Gaffer archives >>>
