A History of Idiosyncratic Events in Football – Part Four

--------------Kings Of The Drop--------------

There is nothing worse for a professional footballer (injury excluded) than relegation, unless of course, it's more relegation.

Carlton Palmer, perhaps surprisingly for a player who otherwise had a relatively distinguished playing career, which included eighteen full England caps - is right up there with the 'Kings Of The Drop,' having gone down five times with West Brom (1985/86), Sheffield Wednesday (1989/90), Nottingham Forest (1998/99), Coventry (2001/02) and Stockport County (2002/03).

Neil Redfearn can also write the names of five relegated employers on his 'Curriculum Vitae.'
Bolton (1982/83), Lincoln (1985/86), Barnsley (1997/98), Charlton (1998/99) and Halifax (2001/02).
Redfearn's playing career spanned over twenty years and he played for 13 different league clubs. Redfearn is currently fifth in the all-time list of most Football League appearances. His last league appearance for Rochdale in 2004 took his total to 790.

Perhaps the biggest 'Jonah' of them all is poor Simeon Hodson, (below right) who managed to taste relegation three times before his 21st birthday!

In all Hodson has been involved in teams relegated from the top five levels of the English football league system.

Notts County (1983/84) relegated from the old First Division, Lincoln (1985/86) relegated from the Third Divsion, Lincoln again (1986/87) relegated from the Fourth Division.
In 1990/91 he was part of the West Bromwich Albion team relegated from the Second Division.

In 1992/93 he was a member of the Mansfield Town team relegated from the Second Division also, which following the inception of the FA Premier League, was now the third level of the league system.

It is worth noting that, though he left before the season's end, he played for Notts County in the 1984/85 season when they went on to be relegated from the Second Division. Consequently, his first four seasons saw him involved with clubs relegated from the top four levels in order. Incredibly, his fifth season (1987/88) saw him initially at Newport County (but he left two months before their demise to join West Brom), as they went on to be relegated from the Fourth Division.
That makes five relegations and one near miss in a League career of just ten seasons.

To cap it all off, in 1999/2000 he was relegated from the Football Conference with Altrincham.......to complete the set!

Thus, he can claim to have been relegated from the top five levels of the English football league system with five different clubs.

In 2001, aged 35, a knee injury forced Hodson to retire. He is now a PCSO for the Warwickshire Police.

After-Dinner Sports Tales - Chris Kamara

Here is my is my first of 2010 but my sixth installment so far on the subject of light hearted after-dinner sporting tales, as told by current or ex-professional sportsman.

In previous articles on the subject of 'After-Dinner Sports Tales,' I have chosen humorous anecdotes as told by the likes of Rodney Marsh Gareth Southgate and Chris Coleman from the world of football, Phil Tufnell from cricket, and rugby union's Wade Dooley.

Today I have chosen another former footballer, but one who despite having retired from the game in 1998, can still be seen on a Saturday afternoon......but on your TV screens, usually as a Sky Sports TV reporter/analyst - the one and only, the charismatic Chris Kamara.

Chris Kamara was born in Middlesbrough on Christmas Day in 1957. After serving with the British Royal Navy he joined Portsmouth in 1975, beginning a professional footballing career that saw him move between nine clubs, scoring 71 goals in 641 league appearances. He was also manager of Bradford City and Stoke City before retiring from the game.

Here is an amusing excerpt from a speech made by Chris at a sporting dinner.

"I enjoyed a long career as a football player, signing for Portsmouth (twice), Swindon (twice), Brentford, Stoke, Leeds, Luton, Middlesbrough, Sheffield Utd and Bradford. I then made the transition into management, the highlight being taking Bradford into the First Division via a Wembley play-off final.

I became somewhat of an unlucky mascot to several teams during my playing days. In early 1992, I played my last game for Leeds, which took them to the top of the table. Manager Howard Wilkinson wanted to make sure they stayed there - so he sold me to Luton the very next day! Sure enough, Leeds won the Championship, without me.

David Pleat, the Luton boss, signed me to change things. Luton had been in the top division for ten years - the old First Division, now the Premier League. I certainly did help to change things - Luton were relegated!

I then went to my hometown club Middlesbrough, signing for Lennie Lawrence. It was their first season in the Premier League, and even though Lennie had previously saved Charlton from going down for five years in the late 80's and early 90's, without me, I was a part of the Middlesbrough team he managed that were relegated in the inaugural Premier League season in 1992-93!

Then there was the greatest escapologist since Harry Houdini - Dave 'Harry' Bassett, manager of Sheffield United. He was the boss who could get out of anything. But in the 1993-94 season he signed me, the fateful unlucky mascot - you've probably guessed it by now - Sheffield United went down.

During this period struggling Coventry City were actually paying teams to sign me!"

After-Dinner Sports Tales - Chris Coleman

This month is my third installment of humorous after-dinner sporting tales, as told by current or ex-professional sportsman.
In May I wrote about an after-dinner tale as told by ex-footballer Rodney Marsh, last month was the turn of the former England rugby international and British Lion Wade Dooley.

Today I am returning to football and a man who is currently plying his trade as a manager, following a successful stint as a player.
Welsh international footballer Chris Coleman was born in Swansea, started his playing career at Manchester City as a trainee before moving back to his hometown club in South Wales, where he went on to made 160 appearances. He left Swansea for Crystal Palace in 1991, where he spent 4 years with the South Londoner's, and during that time won the first of his 32 caps for Wales. He left Palace for Blackburn in 1995, before joining Fulham two years later.

However, Coleman's playing career was prematurely ended after he broke his leg in three places following a horrific car crash in Surrey in January 2001.
Following managerial stints at Fulham and Real Sociedad, Coleman has been charge of Championship side Coventry City since February 2008.

Here are two amusing excerpts from a speech made by Chris at a sporting dinner.

"While I was playing for Crystal Palace, we were 3-0 down at half-time and the manager Alan Smith flew into a rage during our team talk. Sitting next to me was my team-mate Richard Shaw, and next to him a table with tea and sandwiches on it.

During his moment of anger Alan Smith threw a cup of tea at the wall and up-turned the tray of sandwiches, one of which landed on Richard's head. He was so afraid, he sat there for ten minutes with the sandwich still on the top of his head until Alan Smith left the room!"

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"During the same team-talk our goalkeeper Woody (Andrew Woodman) was coming in for a bit of stick from Alan, who unstrapped his gold Rolex watch from his wrist and dangled it in front of Woody, saying, 'You'll never own one of these son, because after a performance like that, you'll never go any further in the game.'

With that he lobbed the watch at Woody to catch, who nervously dropped it on the floor!"

'Best Bet' - Championship Betting Tips with Betfair

Hello, I'm Tom Mallows and welcome to my latest fortnightly football betting preview on behalf of this site.

I shall be looking at this weekend’s Coca-Cola Championship fixtures, along with some of the LIVE TV games in more detail, and hopefully I can try and win you some cash with my 'best bet' football tips.

Last time out it was a weekend of shocks as the likes of Forest, Plymouth and Sheffield Wednesday came up with some coupon busting victories. Here’s hoping for more luck this week.....

Doncaster Rovers v Birmingham City
Saturday 14th March KO 17.20 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS

Despite being favourites with the bookies for relegation, Doncaster have been on a great run of late, winning four and drawing one of their last six, to move ten points clear of the drop zone. Birmingham, meanwhile, appear to be wobbling at the other end. Deprived of many of their strikers, goal-scoring has been a problem, and they will have to improve if they are to secure automatic promotion.

Current Match odds:

Doncaster 15/8 The Draw 9/4 Birmingham 15/8

Scorecast:
Doncaster 1-0 15/2 2-0 15/1 3-0 41/1

Birmingham 0-1 15/2 0-2 14/1 0-3 39/1

Draw 0-0 17/2 1-1 11/2 2-2 18/1


My ‘best bet’ prediction:

Given their respective league positions, this would normally be an away win banker! But Rovers are in decent form and I fancy them to sneak a narrow home victory.
Doncaster 1-0 win @ 15/2.


Bristol City v Cardiff City

Sunday 15th March KO 13.15 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS

Just three places and two points separate these sides in what is becoming an exciting race for the play-off positions. Cardiff could have pulled further clear in midweek but slumped to a surprise defeat to struggling Norwich. Bristol City, meanwhile, are joint top of the form league, with seven wins out of their last ten games.

Current Match odds:

Bristol City 6/4 The Draw 9/2 Cardiff 2/1

Scorecast:
Bristol C 1-0 7/1 2-0 13/1 2-1 9/1 3-0 31/1

Cardiff 0-1 17/2 0-2 16/1 1-2 11/1 0-3 47/1

Draw 0-0 9/1 1-1 11/2 2-2 17/1


My 'best bet' prediction:

I believe this one will go to form. Gary Johnson’s 'Robins' are gaining momentum at just the right time, and I fancy them with home advantage to gain all three points on Saturday.
Bristol City 2-0 win @ 13/1.

The best of the rest:
Fancy a sections list this weekend? A multiple bet can win you some 'serious' cash.

Here are my tips for this weekend’s matches:

Home Wins:

Burnley v Nottm Forest
Reading v Ipswich
Swansea v Crystal Palace
Wolverhampton v Charlton

Away Wins:

Southampton v QPR
Watford v Sheff Wed

Draws:

Norwich v Plymouth
Barnsley v Blackpool
Sheff Utd v Derby

My Tip Of The Weekend:

Coventry have been in pretty good form of late, and put up a brave effort against Chelsea in the FA Cup recently. I fancy Chris Coleman's Sky Blues to turn over Preston and come away from Deepdale with a surprise away win.
Coventry 2-0 win @ 28/1.

Go to Betfair for all the latest football betting this weekend.