WHEN FOOTBALL BEGAN

    The scorer of the first ever league hat-trick today in 1888 celebrated so wildly afterwards he was dropped from the Burnley team and later transferred. FIRST LEAGUE HAT-TRICK -15 September 1888 Bolton 3 (Brogan, Davenport, Cooper) v. Burnley 4 (Tait 3, Poland) Played at Pikes Lane, Bolton Just like the previous weekend, Bolton, wearing white shirts, dark-blue shorts and socks, were to race into a three-goal lead before ultimately losing a thrilling encounter. Alec Barbour set Wanderers rolling with a first minute effort that flashed just wide. Harry Tyrer then shot just over and on five minutes some lovely play by Bob Roberts set up James Brogan for the opening goal. The scorer shortly after barged Bill Smith over the line as he collected a high cross, but had done so from an offside position and Burnley, wearing striped blue-and-white shirts, dark-blue shorts and socks, escaped. It was Kenny Davenport, scorer of the first ever league goal the previous weeken...

  HOW CHARLIE HURLEY’S GOALSCORING ACHIEVEMENTS HELPED MAKE HIM ‘THE KING’ Taken from Charlie's authorised biography that sold out in 2008 but which was republished last year and is on sale at the ALS shop and Sunderland Football Museum and at the Empire Publishing website.  Following their first ever relegation from the top flight in 1957-58, Sunderland, managed by former Burnley boss Alan Brown, struggled to make an impact in Division Two and even flirted with relegation to the third in 1959-60. However, as November 1960 came to a close a young side started to rise up the table. Key to the progress was £18,000 record signing Charlie Hurley, who was not only a rock at the back but had incredible ball playing abilities. The Irish international was supreme in the air but no one had thought to use his talents in scoring situations and in his three years since signing from Millwall he had yet to score for the Roker Park side. That was soon to change. He had almost done so in Oc...

  One of Brian Clough’s close mates thought he wasn’t bothered about succeeding at Elland Road   “There is a feeling that Brian (Clough) did badly at Leeds; I’m not too sure of that.”   England international Stan Anderson who captained Sunderland, Newcastle United and Middlesbrough.   Taken from Stan Anderson’s autobiography CAPTAIN OF THE NORTH Written with assistance from Mark Metcalf   I was not at the least surprised that he became one of the great managers as he was always very sure of himself.   Having failed to sustain his recovery, Brian did exceptionally well coaching the Sunderland youth team to the FA Youth Cup semi-final.   And if George Hardwick is to believed, the board failed to extend his managers contract at the end of the 1964 65 season because he told them that Brian would be his right-hand man within two years.   That was no way those in charge at Sunderland were having that, and after the club received th...