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The Gaffer's Trivia Archive
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Sunday 20 December
Tom: What was Inter Milan's team for Roberto Mancini's last game in charge? I'm a City fan and just trying to guess some of his transfer targets.
The Gaffer says: The squad for the 2008 Coppa Italia final was: Francesco Toldo, Maicon, Cristian Chivu, Nicolas Burdisso, Maxwell, Javier Zanetti, Patrick Vieira, Dejan Stankovic, Cesar, David Suazo, Mario Balotelli, Julio Cesar, Ivan Fatic, Pele, Santiago Solari, Luis Jimenez, Maniche, Hernan Crespo.
Patrick: How many players have Southampton sold over £1m since they were relegated from the Premier League and what would the total value be if you added them all up? Also, I saw recently you stated there have been five hat-tricks in the Premier League by Norwegian players (Thu 17 Dec). What about Egil Ostenstad who scored three in Southampton's 6-3 victory over Manchester United?
The Gaffer says: Kevin Phillips (£1m), Peter Crouch (£7m), Theo Walcott (£5m), Nigel Quashie (£1.2m), Gareth Bale (£5m), Chris Baird (£3.25m), Kenwyne Jones (£6m), David McGoldrick (£1m), Andrew Surman (£1.2m). That totals £30.65m. A few more players were sold for undisclosed fees so I've not been able to include them. Ostenstad was thought to have scored a hat-trick in that game against Man Utd, but the Dubious Goals Committee ruled that one of the goals be credited as an own goal to Denis Irwin.
Rob: When was Paul McGrath's last professional game? I reckon he made it to 38 or 39?
The Gaffer says: It was in Sheffield United's 2-2 draw at Ipswich Town on 9 November 1997, less than a month before his 39th birthday.
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Saturday 19 December
Grant South Wales: Hi Gaff; who has the best goal-to-minute ratio in the Premier League this season? David Ngog must be high up in the list? Great page Gaff.
The Gaffer says: Hmm, now this question involves maths, which is never my strong point, but I've had a go. I reckon Ngog has played 409 Premier League minutes this season (not including injury time) and scored four goals. Fernando Torres has played 935 minutes, scoring 11. I make it that Torres has scored a league goal every 85 mins, while Ngog scores one every 102 mins, so Torres beats Ngog.
Scouse Brummie: Torres' 35 goals in 37 home appearances, is that a Prem record?
The Gaffer says: As a ratio, no-one with a significant number of goals comes anywhere near. The man with most home goals in the Premier League is, unsurprisingly, Alan Shearer with 173, so for an aggregate number of home goals, Torres still has some way to go. Interestingly, in the process of researching this, it emerges that 49 out of Didier Drogba's 68 league games have come at Stanford Bridge. That's a very high percentage.
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Friday 18 December
Johnny Thompson: Which is the lowest placed team in England to be represented in the World Cup?
The Gaffer says: I fear I may be proved wrong on this, but I'll plump for Trinidad and Tobago's Chris Birchall, who was playing for then-League One Port Vale when he played all three group games at the 2006 World Cup. As for the lowest ranked club to be represented by an England player at a World Cup, I believe it's Wolves in 1990 (Steve Bull) and Middlesbrough in 1998 (Paul Merson). Both clubs were in the Championship (old Division Two) when those players figured in Italy and France respectively.
Peter Ball: With seven out of last weekend's 10 PL games ending all-square has there ever been a weekend when all Prem games ended in draws? If not what is the highest?
The Gaffer says: Last weekend's seven draws from 10 games equalled the highest in the Premier League. The previous two weekends were 1-3 December 1995 and 23-24 September 2000. The overall top-flight record is nine draws from 11 games in the old Division One on 18 September 1948.
Rich, Cardiff: Gaffer, can you name the XI of most capped British players in a 4-4-2 formation please?
The Gaffer says: Peter Shilton 125; Gary Neville 85, Bobby Moore 108, Billy Wright 105, Mal Donaghy 91; David Beckham 115, Bryan Robson 90, Bobby Charlton 106, Sammy McIlroy 88; Kenny Dalglish 102, Michael Owen 89.
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Thursday 17 December
SJT: Got a cracker for you - can you name the six Norwegians to have scored a Premier League hat-trick?
The Gaffer says: There are only five: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (3), Steffen Iversen (2), Jan Age Fjortoft, Tore Andre Flo, John Carew.
Aaron, Carlisle: Hi Gaff, has any player received more red cards than yellow in the Premier League?
The Gaffer says: Goalkeeper Pavel Srnicek received four red cards (three for Newcastle, one for Sheffield Wednesday) but was only booked twice during his 146 games in the Premier League.
Jammy: I remember there being loads of own goals in the last World Cup. Was that some sort of record?
The Gaffer says: The four in the 2006 World Cup equalled the record. The other two World Cups with the same amount of own goals were 1954 and 1998.
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Wednesday 16 December
Rich, Blackpool: How many different London clubs did the famous Allen clan play for?
The Gaffer says: Just looking at league teams, the Allen dynasty has represented nine different London clubs. Les - Chelsea, Spurs and QPR. Dennis - Charlton. Clive - QPR, Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Spurs, Chelsea, West Ham and Millwall. Bradley - QPR and Charlton. Martin - QPR and West Ham. Paul - West Ham, Spurs and Millwall. Oliver - Barnet.
Joe, Torquay: Who did Thierry Henry score his last goal for Arsenal against?
The Gaffer says: Middlesbrough, in a 1-1 draw at the Riverside on 3rd March 2007. He only played another four games for Arsenal that season, before missing the last three months of the campaign with groin and stomach injuries.
Cem, London: Alright gaff. Has a team ever scored the first and last goal of a premier league season?
The Gaffer says: No, this has never happened. It's taken me 90 minutes to come to that conclusion.
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Tuesday 15 December
Rory: If you had to make a current Premier League XI of the most expensive player in each position what would it look like? (based on what their current clubs paid for them)
The Gaffer says: I've gone for a 4-3-3 formation: Gordon £9m; Johnson £18m, Ferdinand £29.1m, Lescott £22m, Bridge £12m; Carrick £18.6m, Essien £24.4m, Aquilani £20m; Robinho £32.5m, Berbatov £30.75m, Rooney £25.6m.
Baz, Glasgow: Could you list a starting 11 of players with most Premiership appearances for a player in his position, with the number of appearances for each.
The Gaffer says: James (558); Carragher (412), Southgate (426), Campbell (485), P Neville (410); Speed (535), Scholes (426), Lampard (446), Giggs (535); Heskey (450), Shearer (441).
Andy, Somerset: Man Utd and Liverpool both lost at home last weekend. When was the last time this happened? Must have been a long time ago!
The Gaffer says: Nearly 13 years in fact. On the weekend of 5/6 April 1997, Manchester United lost 3-2 at home to Derby and Liverpool were beaten 2-1 by Coventry at Anfield.
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Monday 14 December
Nick, Weymouth: Prior to 1971, the Cherries were known as 'Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic'. At 30 letters, is that the longest club name, past or present, in England or anywhere else in the world?
The Gaffer says: Bournemouth's former name was indeed a British record, but since shortening their name to just 'AFC Bournemouth', the UK title goes to Inverness Caledonian Thistle (26 letters). However, several clubs around the world make mincemeat of even Caley's lengthy moniker. Check out these: Total Network Solutions LLantsantffraid (now known as The New Saints, Wales - 36 letters), Mangoplah Cookardinia United Eastlakes Goanna (41, Australia); Association Sportive des Employes et Commercants de Koudougou (Burkino Faso - 54) and lastly, Nooit Opgeven Altijd Doorgaan Aangenaam Door Vermaak En Nutting Door Ontspanning Combinatie Breda (Holland - 85, more commonly known as NAC Breda - pictured).
Paul Floyd Blake: Which is the only English League team to have fielded eleven Scottish players?
The Gaffer says: It's Liverpool. Their first ever line-up after their foundation in 1892 consisted entirely of Scots.
Des, Powys: Has Sports Personality of the Year Ryan Giggs ever been sent off in his long career, and how many bookings has he notched up for Man Utd?
The Gaffer says: Giggs has been sent off only once, while playing for Wales against Norway in 2001. As for bookings, I only have Premier League stats, which tell me he's seen yellow just 26 times in 17 and a half seasons.
Recent trivia answers from The Gaffer:
07/12/09 - 13/12/09: Long-rangers, Brits down under and players outside the Prem who've won the Champions League. Trivia answers
30/11/09 - 06/12/09: Lowest-ranked World Cup winners, first team to use nets and a ground near a dormant volcano. Trivia answers
23/11/09 - 29/11/09: First Football League substitute, quickest ever goal, landmark Premier League goalscorers. Trivia answers
16/11/09 - 22/11/09: Oldest Premier League goalscorers, longest suspensions, English players in America. Trivia answers
09/11/09 - 15/11/09: Earliest completed Prem hat-trick, most players from one club in England XI, England bogey teams. Trivia answers
02/11/09 - 08/11/09: Bosses who signed players three times, Anelka's 14 managers, Dutch East Indies' claim to fame. Trivia answers
Check out much more trivia in the Ask The Gaffer archives >>>
