On This Day in Football: 16th February

16th February 1929

On this day in 1929, Ashington faced a significant defeat in their final season in the Football League. Competing in the Third Division (North), Ashington ended the season at the bottom of the table, having conceded 115 goals. Their most substantial loss was an 8-2 defeat at home to Bradford City, the eventual champions. However, another notable defeat occurred on 16th February when Ashington played against Doncaster Rovers at their Portland Park ground. The match ended in a 4-7 loss for Ashington, with Doncaster’s Tom Keetley scoring six of the goals. This achievement remains a record for the most goals scored by a Doncaster player in a League match. Tom Keetley, who scored 180 League goals during his career with Doncaster, holds the club’s record for the most goals. Interestingly, Tom was one of six Keetley brothers who played in the Football League, with four of them, including Harry, Joe, and Frank, also playing for Doncaster Rovers.

16th February 1952

In an era before substitutes were allowed, players often had to continue playing despite injuries. On 16th February 1952, Stoke City goalkeeper Dennis Herod exemplified this resilience during a Division 1 match against Aston Villa at Villa Park. Herod sustained a first-half injury but was patched up and sent back onto the field for the second half, tasked with making a nuisance of himself on the left wing. Remarkably, Herod not only fulfilled this role but also scored the winning goal in Stoke’s 3-2 victory. The injury he played through was a broken arm, highlighting the toughness expected of players during that time.

16th February 2000

On this day in 2000, Leicester City made headlines for the wrong reasons during a mid-winter break at the exclusive La Manga resort in Spain. The team was preparing for their League Cup final against Tranmere Rovers, but their stay was cut short due to misbehaviour. The situation escalated when Stan Collymore, who had joined the club just a week earlier, emptied the contents of a fire extinguisher over players and guests. As a result, Leicester City was expelled from the resort. The club held the players accountable for the damages and fined Collymore two weeks’ wages, identifying him as the ringleader. Despite this incident, Leicester City returned to La Manga in March 2004, only to face further controversy when six players were arrested and appeared in court accused of sexual aggression. Three players, Paul Dickov, Keith Gillespie, and Frank Sinclair, spent a week in prison before the charges were dropped. Following these events, Leicester City reportedly opted for Skegness as their destination for winter breaks.