On This Day in Football: 1st October

1st October 1996

On this day, Arsène Wenger officially began his tenure as manager of Arsenal Football Club. His appointment followed weeks of speculation and was not initially well-received by all. Johan Cruyff, the former Barcelona manager, had been the favourite for the position, making Wenger’s selection a surprise to many. At the time, Wenger was relatively unknown in England, having managed Grampus Eight in Japan. The London Evening Standard famously captured the sentiment with the headline “Arsene who?” as the nation grappled with the pronunciation of his name. This marked the beginning of a new era for Arsenal.

1st October 2012

West Ham United set a new Premier League record during their visit to Queens Park Rangers by having eight of their players receive yellow cards in a single match. Despite the disciplinary issues, West Ham managed to avoid any red cards, unlike their opponents QPR, who ended the match with ten players. West Ham emerged victorious with a 2-1 win, contributing to QPR’s ongoing winless streak. QPR failed to secure a victory in their first 16 Premier League matches of the season and ultimately finished at the bottom of the table. West Ham’s record for yellow cards in a match stood until May 2016, when Tottenham Hotspur had nine players booked in a match against Chelsea.

1st October 2017

In a day where sport and politics collided, FC Barcelona faced Las Palmas in a La Liga match amidst the backdrop of a controversial referendum in Catalonia. The referendum was held to decide whether Catalonia would declare independence from Spain, with Barcelona being the capital of the region. Due to the heightened tensions, FC Barcelona requested the postponement of the match, but the request was denied. As chaotic and violent scenes unfolded in the city, the club considered cancelling the match, which would have resulted in a six-point penalty. Ultimately, the decision was made to play the match behind closed doors, a stark contrast to the usual attendance of over 50,000 fans.

Despite the empty stands, the political conflict was evident. A lone fan managed to enter the stadium and invade the pitch, while the two clubs displayed opposing views on the referendum. Las Palmas showed their support for remaining part of Spain by featuring the Spanish flag and date on their shirts, whereas Barcelona used their scoreboard to promote the independence message. On the pitch, Barcelona secured a 3-0 victory over Las Palmas. In the political arena, the separatists claimed victory in the referendum, setting the stage for ongoing discussions about Catalonia’s future.