CosmicHotspur
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Footballers' Birthdays
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thetallaghttiger
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- May 18, 2005
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was my birthday yesterday!
How nice it was to get a card with Greaves on the front and it signed by Juande, Ledley and Berba :wink:
How nice it was to get a card with Greaves on the front and it signed by Juande, Ledley and Berba :wink:
CosmicHotspur
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Two Spurs players who need no introduction share a birthday today.
Radek Cerny is 34 today and Jermaine Jenas is 25. Happy birthday guys!
Also, the legendary Robert Baggio, the only Italian international to score in three World Cups, is 41 today.
Radek Cerny is 34 today and Jermaine Jenas is 25. Happy birthday guys!
Also, the legendary Robert Baggio, the only Italian international to score in three World Cups, is 41 today.
CosmicHotspur
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Pat "Paddy" Crerand is 69 today. A strong midfielder and Irish international, he played for Celtic and Man U.
Brazilian legend, Socrates, is 54 today. He was blessed with wonderful skills, vision and was able to play the ball wherever and whenever he wanted. His heel-kicks became famous world wide. These rare skills combined with the fact that he was a medical student more than justified him being nicknamed “the doctor”. Socrates captained Brazil’s fantastic World Cup team of 1982 partnering Cerezo, Falcao and Zico in midfield. He scored twice in that tournament, one of them being a marvellous goal against the Soviet Union when he dribbled past two players before firing it home from long range.
Justinus Soni "Justin" Fashanu, a high-scoring forward, was born on this day in 1961 and played for several clubs. His 1981 transfer to Notts Forest made him Britain's first £1m black footballer.
In 1990, playing in the USA, Fashanu encountered hostility after becoming the first prominent footballer to identify himself publicly as gay. In 1998 he was questioned by American police when a 17-year-old accused him of sexual assault. The police dropped the allegation because of lack of evidence, but Fashanu committed suicide on 2nd May that year, protesting that he had "already been presumed guilty".
Also, Gianluca Zambrotta, Barcelona's versatile full-back and a 2006 World Cup winner with Italy, was born today in 1977.
Brazilian legend, Socrates, is 54 today. He was blessed with wonderful skills, vision and was able to play the ball wherever and whenever he wanted. His heel-kicks became famous world wide. These rare skills combined with the fact that he was a medical student more than justified him being nicknamed “the doctor”. Socrates captained Brazil’s fantastic World Cup team of 1982 partnering Cerezo, Falcao and Zico in midfield. He scored twice in that tournament, one of them being a marvellous goal against the Soviet Union when he dribbled past two players before firing it home from long range.
Justinus Soni "Justin" Fashanu, a high-scoring forward, was born on this day in 1961 and played for several clubs. His 1981 transfer to Notts Forest made him Britain's first £1m black footballer.
In 1990, playing in the USA, Fashanu encountered hostility after becoming the first prominent footballer to identify himself publicly as gay. In 1998 he was questioned by American police when a 17-year-old accused him of sexual assault. The police dropped the allegation because of lack of evidence, but Fashanu committed suicide on 2nd May that year, protesting that he had "already been presumed guilty".
Also, Gianluca Zambrotta, Barcelona's versatile full-back and a 2006 World Cup winner with Italy, was born today in 1977.
CosmicHotspur
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Jimmy Greaves celebrates his 68th birthday today! I well remember the day he came to WHL. Clutching my photo album, I was able to get his autograph on the steps of the Whie Hart pub much to the chagrin of other kids hovering who didn't get the autograph or the big grin that came with it.
I told him it was great that he'd joined Spurs as it was the best club in the world and he said he was very much looking forward to playing. We would often chat at the bar of the White Hart over the years.
There are so many stories about Greavesie and he was, of course, renowned as a goal poacher but I recall a game where he swerved and dribbled past five players all the way from the centre line and popped the ball neatly in the back of the net. He was an incredibly talented and skilled footballer, as well as excelling at golf, tennis and cricket (and probably any other game he wanted to play!) He was pretty darned good at rally driving too.
Peter Osgood, born today in 1947, was a tall prolific scoring striker who spent most of his footballing career with Chelsea, making his debut aged only 17. He died in 2006. Ironically, he was attending a family funeral when he suffered a fatal heart attack. His ashes were laid to rest under the penalty spot at the Shed end of Stamford Bridge.
A broken leg suffered in a challenge by Blackpool's Emlyn Hughes (who also died far too young) in the League Cup on October 6, 1996 seriously curtailed his progress and he missed Chelsea's first-ever Wembley FA Cup Final on May 20, 1967. That could well have aided our 2-1 win!
I told him it was great that he'd joined Spurs as it was the best club in the world and he said he was very much looking forward to playing. We would often chat at the bar of the White Hart over the years.
There are so many stories about Greavesie and he was, of course, renowned as a goal poacher but I recall a game where he swerved and dribbled past five players all the way from the centre line and popped the ball neatly in the back of the net. He was an incredibly talented and skilled footballer, as well as excelling at golf, tennis and cricket (and probably any other game he wanted to play!) He was pretty darned good at rally driving too.
Peter Osgood, born today in 1947, was a tall prolific scoring striker who spent most of his footballing career with Chelsea, making his debut aged only 17. He died in 2006. Ironically, he was attending a family funeral when he suffered a fatal heart attack. His ashes were laid to rest under the penalty spot at the Shed end of Stamford Bridge.
A broken leg suffered in a challenge by Blackpool's Emlyn Hughes (who also died far too young) in the League Cup on October 6, 1996 seriously curtailed his progress and he missed Chelsea's first-ever Wembley FA Cup Final on May 20, 1967. That could well have aided our 2-1 win!
CosmicHotspur
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Pascal Chimbonda is 29 today.
Duncan Edwards, Man Utd legend who died so tragically from the injuries he sustained in the Munich air crash in 1958, was born on this day in 1936.
Duncan Edwards, Man Utd legend who died so tragically from the injuries he sustained in the Munich air crash in 1958, was born on this day in 1936.
CosmicHotspur
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Another Double Spurs legend celebrates his birthday today. Bobby Smith is an unbelievable 75. He has suffered with bad arthritis for some years and has had surgery for same.
Son of a Yorkshire blacksmith and built like the proverbial brick ***house, Smithy was a typical old-fashioned style centre forward, always believing that football should be a real contact sport - a fact well known by many a bruised and barged defender and goalkeeper during his playing years!
Bobby and ex-wife Mavis were another family I babysat for in my early teens, looking after their two sons, Stephen and David. They lived in the same road in Palmers Green as Cliff Jones and Mel Hopkins, for whom I also babysat. I saw Mavis and the very grown up sons with families of their own a few years ago and it was a really nice reunion.
I recall when things were breaking down in their marriage Bobby once asked if I'd babysit for a "friend" who had two beautiful little girls - turned out it was the new lady in his life and I remember feeling very sad and a bit of a traitor to Mavis. As it has turned out, Bobby and Mavis have remained on good terms over the years, despite the divorce, and keep in touch.
He also had a rather dishy blond brother, Keith, who asked me out once, not realising I was only 14! He was in his 20s and I turned him down.
When Bobby transferred to Brighton, a friend and I went to see him play and were invited to visit them at their house in Hove. They made us very welcome. Much as they loved their new home by the sea, I know that Bobby very much missed WHL and is happy to be back in London these days and still very much in contact with our club.
Another ex-Spurs centre forward, with the club from 1974-8, John Duncan, is 59 today. He scored 53 goals for us.
With us from 92-94, one of our less successful players, Andy Gray, is 44 today. Less said, the better...!
Son of a Yorkshire blacksmith and built like the proverbial brick ***house, Smithy was a typical old-fashioned style centre forward, always believing that football should be a real contact sport - a fact well known by many a bruised and barged defender and goalkeeper during his playing years!
Bobby and ex-wife Mavis were another family I babysat for in my early teens, looking after their two sons, Stephen and David. They lived in the same road in Palmers Green as Cliff Jones and Mel Hopkins, for whom I also babysat. I saw Mavis and the very grown up sons with families of their own a few years ago and it was a really nice reunion.
I recall when things were breaking down in their marriage Bobby once asked if I'd babysit for a "friend" who had two beautiful little girls - turned out it was the new lady in his life and I remember feeling very sad and a bit of a traitor to Mavis. As it has turned out, Bobby and Mavis have remained on good terms over the years, despite the divorce, and keep in touch.
He also had a rather dishy blond brother, Keith, who asked me out once, not realising I was only 14! He was in his 20s and I turned him down.
When Bobby transferred to Brighton, a friend and I went to see him play and were invited to visit them at their house in Hove. They made us very welcome. Much as they loved their new home by the sea, I know that Bobby very much missed WHL and is happy to be back in London these days and still very much in contact with our club.
Another ex-Spurs centre forward, with the club from 1974-8, John Duncan, is 59 today. He scored 53 goals for us.
With us from 92-94, one of our less successful players, Andy Gray, is 44 today. Less said, the better...!
CosmicHotspur
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Egyptian Ex-Spur Mido, now with Middlesbrough, is 25 today.
Gareth Barry, Aston Villa and England defender, was born on this day in 1981.
Trevor Cherry, former Leeds and England defender and captain, is 60 today.
Gareth Barry, Aston Villa and England defender, was born on this day in 1981.
Trevor Cherry, former Leeds and England defender and captain, is 60 today.
CosmicHotspur
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So excited about the Final today, almost forgot about this thread!
Denis Law, Man U and Scotland legend, is 68 today.
Neil Sullivan, who made 60 appearances in goal at WHL from 2000 to 2003, is 38 today.
Denis Law, Man U and Scotland legend, is 68 today.
Neil Sullivan, who made 60 appearances in goal at WHL from 2000 to 2003, is 38 today.
CosmicHotspur
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Eduardo is 25 today.
What a miserable way to spend his birthday. I hope they'll be able to fix him up.
What a miserable way to spend his birthday. I hope they'll be able to fix him up.
CosmicHotspur
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Former Norwegian and Man U winger, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, is 35 today.
Pedro Mendes, Portuguese midfielder with Spurs from 2004-2006, is 29 today. Mendes was reduced to a peripheral role at Tottenham and in January 2006, he transferred to Portsmouth.
Colin Bell, MBE, former long-serving Man City and England midfield player, is 62 today.
Pedro Mendes, Portuguese midfielder with Spurs from 2004-2006, is 29 today. Mendes was reduced to a peripheral role at Tottenham and in January 2006, he transferred to Portsmouth.
Colin Bell, MBE, former long-serving Man City and England midfield player, is 62 today.
CosmicHotspur
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Kakha Kaladze, AC Milan's Georgia international defender, was born today in 1978. Same day as James Scott Beattie, Sheffield United striker.
CosmicHotspur
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Jimmy Nicholl, former Manchester United and Northern Ireland defender, now assistant manager of Aberdeen, is 52 today.
Lee Carsley, Everton and Republic of Ireland midfielder, was born on this day in 1974.
Sepp Maier, West Germany's most-capped goalkeeper who was part of the World Cup-winning team of 1974, is 64 today.
Lee Carsley, Everton and Republic of Ireland midfielder, was born on this day in 1974.
Sepp Maier, West Germany's most-capped goalkeeper who was part of the World Cup-winning team of 1974, is 64 today.
CosmicHotspur
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Born on 29 February, so they only have true birthdays once every four years..!
Darren Ambrose, Charlton midfielder, born 1984.
Scott Golbourne, Reading defender, born 1988.
Mike Pollitt, Wigan goalkeeper, born 1972.
Darren Ambrose, Charlton midfielder, born 1984.
Scott Golbourne, Reading defender, born 1988.
Mike Pollitt, Wigan goalkeeper, born 1972.
CosmicHotspur
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St David's Day birthdays for ...
Martin O'Neill, former N Ireland international midfielder and now Aston Villa manager, born 1952.
Djimi Traore, Portsmouth defender is 28 today.
Martin O'Neill, former N Ireland international midfielder and now Aston Villa manager, born 1952.
Djimi Traore, Portsmouth defender is 28 today.
CosmicHotspur
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Newcastle defender, Damien Duff, is 29 today.
Portsmouth manager, Harry Redknapp (Henry is his real first name!) is 61 today.
Not very exciting people to share your birthday with, Flatters... the ones I haven't bothered with are even more boring!
Portsmouth manager, Harry Redknapp (Henry is his real first name!) is 61 today.
Not very exciting people to share your birthday with, Flatters... the ones I haven't bothered with are even more boring!
CosmicHotspur
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Darren "sicknote" Anderton is 36 today. He's no doubt celebrating with his Incapacity Benefit money...
Damien Duff, Newcastle and Republic of Ireland winger, is 29 today.
Damien Duff, Newcastle and Republic of Ireland winger, is 29 today.
CosmicHotspur
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Actually, some sources give his birthday as the 2nd and others as the 3rd - so I'm not sure which is correct.
I know he can and does play in various positions, so I took his preferred position from Wikipedia, as below...:shrug:
After his performances in the Champions League for Chelsea and World Cup 2002 for Ireland, Duff became one of the most feared wingers in Europe. With pace, accurate crossing and impressive finishing combined with his much improved versatility, such as an ability to play on the right-wing, as a second striker or at left-back as well as his natural position of left-midfield. However, he has spoken of his preference for the left-wing.
