On This Day in Football: 8th February

8th February 1921

On this day, The Bower Fold, home of Stalybridge Celtic, witnessed its largest ever crowd. The occasion was a friendly match between the Dick, Kerr Ladies team and a Rest of Lancashire XI. Official attendance figures recorded 10,400 spectators, although estimates suggest over 13,000 were present. The Dick, Kerr Ladies, a team that gained immense popularity during the First World War, especially as a Preston works side, triumphed with a 10-1 victory. The match raised £600 for the Ashton-under-Lyne Infirmary. Later that year, the Football Association banned clubs under their control from hosting women’s matches, citing safety concerns for women.

8th February 2000

This date marked a significant upset in Scottish football history when Celtic were defeated 3-1 at home by Inverness Caledonian Thistle in a Scottish Cup tie. The result inspired a memorable newspaper headline: ‘Super Caley Go Ballistic Celtic Are Atrocious’, a play on the song from Mary Poppins. The defeat led to the sacking of Celtic manager John Barnes, with Kenny Dalglish stepping in as his replacement.

8th February 2012

Two major stories dominated the sporting headlines on this day. Fabio Capello resigned as England manager after the FA removed John Terry from the England captaincy without consulting him, a move Capello felt undermined his authority. Concurrently, Harry Redknapp was acquitted of tax evasion charges at Southwark Crown Court. He had been accused of accepting untaxed bonus payments while managing Portsmouth. The press speculated that Redknapp’s acquittal cleared the path for him to become the next England manager, although this did not materialise.

8th February 2015

In an unusual turn of events, former England cricketer Steve Harmison was appointed manager of Ashington FC, a club in the Northern League. Harmison, who had an illustrious cricket career with 63 Test appearances and 226 wickets for England, took on the role at his hometown club. He had previously played for Ashington FC before joining Durham and continued to train with them during his cricket career. Despite his new role, Harmison’s first footballing passion remained Newcastle United. He resigned from his managerial position in October 2017.