On This Day in Football: 29th April

29th April 1912

On this day, West Bromwich Albion concluded their gruelling 1911/12 season, having played an astonishing seven matches in just 10 days. This demanding schedule included two FA Cup final matches and four consecutive days of play. Such a feat highlights the intense demands placed on players during that era.

29th April 1950

Manchester United faced Fulham in their final First Division match of the 1949/50 season at Old Trafford. This match was notable for drawing the lowest post-war League attendance at the stadium, with only 11,968 spectators present. This was the first season back at Old Trafford after the club had temporarily relocated to Manchester City’s Maine Road due to bomb damage during the war.

29th April 1961

Peterborough United celebrated a remarkable achievement in their final Division Four match of the season against Barrow. A crowd of 15,318 at London Road witnessed Peterborough’s 6-2 victory, which secured their position at the top of the division in their inaugural Football League season. The match also saw Terry Bly score a hat-trick, bringing his season total to 52 League goals, a post-war record. The team finished the season with a record 134 League goals.

29th April 1978

The 1977/78 Bundesliga season concluded with a dramatic and unexpected turn of events. Borussia Mönchengladbach and Cologne were level on points, but Cologne had a superior goal difference by 10 goals. Despite the odds, Mönchengladbach achieved a record-breaking 12-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund. However, Cologne secured the title by defeating St Pauli 5-0, maintaining a better goal difference by three goals. The magnitude of Mönchengladbach’s victory led to suspicions of match-fixing, but it was ultimately determined that Dortmund’s players had simply given up, resulting in fines for their poor performance.

29th April 1991

David Icke, a former goalkeeper for Hereford United and BBC TV sports presenter, made headlines with his appearance on the BBC’s Wogan programme. During the interview, Icke made controversial statements, including claims of being ‘the son of God’ and predictions of natural disasters in Britain. The studio audience, along with host Terry Wogan, ridiculed his assertions. This interview coincided with Icke’s 39th birthday.

29th April 1992

Gary Lineker scored his 48th and final goal for England in a match against the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Moscow. Despite playing six more international matches, Lineker did not score again, leaving him one goal short of Bobby Charlton’s England record. His missed penalty in a 1-1 draw with Brazil at Wembley was among the missed opportunities to equal the record.