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It’s a fair quiz question. What is the importance of this specific group of players? Some of you may recognize Michael Oakes, Steve Watson, Riccardo Scimeca, Gareth Southgate, Alan Wright, Paul Merson, Ian Taylor, Simon Grayson, Lee Hendrie, Julian Joachim and Dion Dublin as players for Aston Villa in the 1990s. Others may notice that they are all English players. Sharp readers on the Football Daily mailing list might assume that this was the last time an all-English team was fielded in the Premier League. They would be correct, as today marks the 25th anniversary of that game. However, rather than being a cause for celebration, this is not a nostalgic tribute to the past, but a reminder that Villa performed poorly on February 27, 1999, losing 4-1 to Coventry. The opposing team featured players such as John Aloisi (Australia, with two goals), future Villa legend George Boateng (Netherlands, with two goals), Magnus Hedman (Sweden), Roland Nilsson (Sweden) and Gary McAllister (Scotland).
The presence of foreign players greatly improved the Premier League, but John Gregory, the manager of Villa, seemed unaware of this fact. Even the substitutes for Villa on that day, Mark Draper, Gareth Barry, and Stan Collymore, were all English. Despite this, the team was not lacking in talent, as they finished sixth that season, even surpassing Liverpool managed by Gérard Houllier. Players like Merson, Collymore, Southgate, and Hendrie were all national team players for England, and controversially, a young Barry who was signed from Brighton a couple of years ago, became the player with the most Premier League appearances according to Opta. In the history of the Premier League, there have been 52 starting XIs comprised entirely of English players, with 19 of them coming from Aston Villa under Gregory’s leadership between October 1998 and February 1999. However, the 4-1 defeat for Villa 25 years ago remains the most recent occurrence of this.
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Some teams have come close to winning the title in recent years. On May 7, 2006, Steve McClaren’s starting lineup for Middlesbrough consisted of 11 players with an average age of 20 years and 181 days, making it the youngest starting team in Premier League history. Out of the 16 players in their squad, 15 were born within a 30-mile radius of the Riverside Stadium. However, James Morrison, who was also part of the squad, later represented Scotland in May 2008. Additionally, under the leadership of Sean Dyche, Burnley had 10 English players and Czech striker Matej Vydra in their starting lineup on four different occasions between June 2020 and February 2021.
On 27 February 1999, a significant event occurred that is still remembered in history. Later that year, on Boxing Day, Chelsea made headlines by fielding the first foreign team in the Premier League during their match against Southampton. This caused a stir among fans and in the media, with even popular websites making jokes about the team’s shift towards accepting euros and the possibility of their captain changing his name. Fortunately, today we can simply appreciate the exceptional football being played without getting caught up in these types of concerns. And for those who may miss seeing players with traditional English names like Alan, Gareth, Ian, and Lee, take comfort in the fact that the best player in the league is simply named Kevin.
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Join John Brewin for live coverage of the Lionesses’ 3-1 victory against Italy in their international friendly. Meanwhile, Rob Smyth will provide updates on all the fifth-round FA Cup matches starting at 7:30pm.
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“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” – Sun Tzu
The end of their FA Cup journey resulted in a 5-0 loss to the Championship team, but despite the defeat, George Elokobi praises his players and the fans, especially the supporters from Coventry who he believes were not only there for their own team, but also showed support for Maidstone. This experience has brought about moments of beauty, not just for their community, but on a global scale. The team’s determination and perseverance have also served as an inspiration to people around the world, proving that football has the power to unite communities and inspire individuals.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
Although Nick Livesey was jokingly suggesting that the Etihad should be the only national venue for Manchester and its surrounding areas in his Football Daily letter yesterday, I disagree with his portrayal of South Manchester as being only for the wealthy. Let’s set aside the controversial issue of using government funds to redevelop a football club owned by a foreigner or non-domicile. While there are certainly affluent neighborhoods like Chorlton, Hale Barns, and the Heatons, much of Trafford is also well-off. However, many areas in the south of the city still require significant investment and are not among the most prosperous in the country. For example, Moss Side and Wythenshawe are two clear examples, and even the location of the stadium in Old Trafford and Stretford is not wealthy. A quick look at the Index of Multiple Deprivation map confirms this. – Mark Read.
John Myles expressed his agreement with Chris Wilder’s statement that teammates getting into confrontations is a common occurrence in the league ‘pyramid’. He questioned whether this behavior is something that is frowned upon in football but secretly enjoyed. He also suggested adding a segment titled ‘Teammates’ Tantrum of the Month’ to Match of the Day.
Please email letters to [email protected]. Our chosen winner for the letter of the day is John Myles, who will receive a copy of Pat Nevin: football and how to survive it, published by Octopus Books.
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Source: theguardian.com
