ManU & Liverpool - Match Fixing & Suspension's
Manchester United and Liverpool players were guilty of one of the worst match fixes on record, although it happened a long time ago, the season was 1914-15, Man United finished third from bottom, Chelsea were next to bottom and Tottenham Hotspur finished bottom and were relegated. However when the league was reinstated after the first world war, the division was enlarged and Arsenal were elected to take Spur's place, Chelsea escaped relegation because it had been discovered that Man U and Liverpool had taken part in a 'fixed match'. Man U won but an enquiry revealed that several players from both sides had agreed to fix the match so they could profit from fixed odd betting. the outcome had affected Chelsea's position near the bottom of the table. Seven players were permanently suspended four from one side three from the other, several of the suspensions were later lifted in appreciation of war service. Enoch West the Manchester United Centre Forward didn't get his ban lifted until 1945, 30 years later.
Frank Barson had the reputation of suffering more suspensions than any other player, one of the UK's most accomplished Centre Halves during the 1920's unfortunately his reputation with referees cost him many England caps. A Yorkshireman built like a brick outhouse with a reputation for hard tackles and robust play his first suspension came during a cup tie at Everton Barnsley lost 3-0 but Barson was sent off and suspended for a month. the first world war didn't put an end to his suspension's he got a two month suspension for a foul on a Birmingham player. After the war he was transferred to Aston Villa who were in danger of being relegated, after Barson arrived they rose to 9th and won the FA cup however before the FA cup final the referee warned him about his conduct. Before the next season had kicked off he was suspended for 14 days for missing the opening game because he refused to live in Birmingham, before the season was over he was suspended again by the club for 7 days. Manchester United were so impressed with Barson they paid Villa £5.000 for his services in 1922, he stayed at United for 6 seasons. Things went quiet for a while for Barson until his transfer to Watford in 1928 it was here he received his longest suspension seven months. The following season he moved to Wigan Borough where in a game against Accrington Stanley he was sent off and got himself a 3 month suspension and a £5 fine. Season 1930-31 was his final season as a player although he did manage to get sent off when he was player manager of Rhyl Athletic.
Introduced by the Irish FA in 1890-91 season the penalty kick was taken up by the English FA the following close season. The first team in the English league to have a penalty kick awarded against it was Accrington Stanley on the 14 Sept 1891 thus making James Heath was the first man to score from a penalty kick the team getting the penalty was Wolverhampton Wanderers, what is strange that 9 days earlier Newton Heath (later to become Manchester United) were awarded the very first penalty kick in senior English football that was Saturday 5 September 1891 against Blackpool in the Lancashire league.
For many years amateur teams refused to accept penalty kicks, stating that a true amateur wouldn't take advantage by fouling a player, neither would they deliberately handle the ball. This they said was what professional footballers did. The practice came into being that if they had to take a penalty they would pass it to the goalkeeper.
Final word on penalties 1921 FA Cup Tie Benny Smith of Norwich City struck his penalty shot that hard it knocked the goalkeeper out and he hit the rebound into the empty net.
Coincidence or What!
August 1966 Colchester United half-back Bobby Blackwood broke his jaw in a collision with QPR's Striker Les Allen, in the return game that December Blackwood broke his jaw again after a collision with you guessed it Les Allen
17 Dec 1955 Dennis Evans the Arsenal Left Back scored a freak home goal with seconds to go he heard a whistle and casually flicked the ball into his own net, the referee award the goal stating the whistle had come from the crowd.
A remarkable record for own goals belongs to Tommy Wright a full back who played for Everton and England on consecutive Saturdays he scored the quickest own goals on record the first one in a game against Liverpool he scored an own goal after 33 seconds that was Sat 4 March 1972, the following Saturday March 11, against Manchester City he beat his own record after scoring an own goal in 32 seconds. .