Classic Football Clangers

This entertaining collection of true stories taken from over a century of football history recounts some of the embarrassing moments that inevitably occur in a team game played at the speed of football. For every Ole Gunnar Solskjaer snatching last-minute glory there is somebody whose split-second carelessness, overconfidence or self-doubt leaves spectators ready to tear up their season tickets. It might be England goalkeeper Frank Swift busy arranging his flat cap when the ball joined him in the net after seven seconds, Dennis Wise being red-carded within four minutes of sending himself on for Millwall as a substitute, David ‘Safe Hands’ Seaman’s little difficulties with high floating balls, or referee Reg Leafe becoming a legend in Barcelona in 1960 when he disallowed four of Real Madrid’s five goals. Fatty Foulke, Eusebio, Gazza, David Ginola, Gary Lineker, Eric Cantona, Claudio ‘Tinkerman’ Ranieri and Becks all make an appearance for playing a part in at least one red-faced moment, and we haven’t even started on Big Ron Atkinson’s various assaults on the English language.