Hi all, welcome to All Football's On This Day! Let's find out what happened today (February 21st) in football history. If you have more stories and news that happened on this day in history, please post them in the comment area and share them with AFers!
On this day in 2006, Arsenal became the first English side to win at Bernabeu
A virtuoso goal from Thierry Henry two minutes after the interval was enough to secure a famous victory. But this was no smash-and-grab raid by an English outfit counter-attacking on the continent. Arsenal could and should have won by more.
Cesc Fabregas fed Henry in the centre circle and the striker held off Ronaldo and skipped past Alvaro Mejia and Guti before racing into the area and muscling past Sergio Ramos. He planted an angled shot past Casillas and into the far corner of the net. It was stunning even by Henry's high standards.
Those qualities were on show once more 15 days later as a 0-0 draw in the second leg at Highbury was sufficient to take Arsenal into the last eight of the Champions League. The Final beckoned.
On this day in 2017, Mbappe scored his first ever UCL goal
Mbappé scored Monaco's second goal in the 40th minute with a half-volley after receiving Fabinho's long ball over the opponents' back line (it was his first ever UEFA Europa League or UEFA Champions League goal and he became the second youngest French scorer in UEFA Champions League history behind Karim Benzema) in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match against Manchester City, which Monaco lost 5–3.
On This Day in 1991 - Man City star Mahrez was born
Riyad Karim Mahrez was born 21 February 1991. Happy Birthday!
Mahrez is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Premier League club Manchester City and the Algerian national team.
Mahrez began his career as a youth player for French club AAS Sarcelles. He turned professional in 2009 with Quimper, where he played for only one season before moving to Le Havre, spending a total of three years with them, initially playing for their reserve team and then becoming a first-team regular. In January 2014, Mahrez signed for English side Leicester City, helping them win the Championship and promotion to the Premier League at the end of his first season. In the 2015–16 season he was the Algerian Footballer of the Year, the PFA Players' Player of the Year, and was a member of the Premier League PFA Team of the Year as he helped Leicester City win the Premier League.
Born in France, Mahrez made his international debut for Algeria in 2014 and represented them at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and both the 2015 and 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. In 2016 he was named CAF's African Footballer of the Year.
On this day in 1958, Man Utd star Duncan Edwards passed away after the Munich Air Disaster
The left half had been with the club for just under six years, joining them as a youth player in June 1952, then signing a professional contract the following year later. Manager Matt Busby gave him his first-team debut in a home league match against Cardiff City. Edwards was only 16 years and 185 days old at the time, making him the youngest player to appear in England's top flight up to that point. United lost the match 4-1, but Edwards blossomed into a rare talent, with many observers counting on a great future for him. Teammate Bobby Charlton, winner of the 1966 Ballon d'Or, later said that Edwards was the only player that made him feel inferior. He quickly became a feature in the United senior side, making 24 league appearances in 1953-54, then featuring in almost all of their games after that.
In April 1955, he set another age record when he made his first appearance for England at the age of 18 years, 183 days. He went on to earn 18 caps over the next three years.
Tragically, his career was cut short when United's team plane, bringing them home from a European Cup match against Red Star Belgrade, crashed in Munich on 6 February 1958. Seven players died instantly, while Edwards and manager Matt Busby were rushed to the hospital with critical injuries. Busby eventually recovered, but Edwards died just over two weeks later on 21 February.
On this day in 2007, Bellamy did the famous Golf Club celebration as Liverpool beat Barca 2-1 at the Nou Camp
Deco nodded Barca in front from Gianluca Zambrotta's precise cross, but Liverpool dug in and they levelled when Barca keeper Victor Valdes let Bellamy's header creep over the line.
Barca poured men forward but the Reds took the lead when Bellamy teed up Riise to fire home and they held on to win despite seeing Deco hit the post.
Never too far from controversy in his younger days, Craig Bellamy found himself involved in a row with Liverpool teammate John Arne Riise.
Bellamy made the newspapers after confronting Riise with a golf club when the left back refused to sing karaoke at the team bonding exercise.
Days later, the Wales international was on target against no lesser opposition than Barcelona - as was Riise - and mocked the incident by swinging an imaginary club. The pair have long since buried the hatchet.
On this day in 2017, Sutton keeper resigned from the club after eating pie during the FA Cup defeat to Arsenal
Sutton reserve goalkeeper Wayne Shaw has agreed to resign from the club after eating a pie in the dugout during Monday's FA Cup defeat to Arsenal.
A betting row erupted as a result of the incident and manager Paul Doswell confirmed Shaw's departure on Tuesday afternoon.
Shaw was shown on television tucking into the snack towards the end of the 2-0 loss before admitting after the game he was aware that a bookmaker was offering odds on him to do so.
On this day in 1992, Phil Jones was born
Jones is an English professional footballer who plays for Manchester United, before joining Manchester United, Jones played for Blackburn at both youth and senior levels. Although primarily a centre-back, he has also been used as a right-back or defensive midfielder.
Known for his physical power and build, Jones has been called a "jack of all trades" for his ability to play at centre-back, right-back or as a defensive midfielder. Despite the suggestion that his best position is centre-back, he often fills in at right-back. With his stocky build, opposition players have found it hard to bully Jones off the ball or out-muscle him.
On this day in 1995, Arsenal sacked manager George Graham
Graham, a Scottish midfielder and forward, had spent the majority of his playing career at Arsenal, making 226 appearances from 1966 to 1973. He returned to Highbury as manager in 1986, after first establishing his managerial credentials at Millwall (1982-86). In his first season in charge, the Gunners finished fourth and won the League Cup, their first silverware since winning the FA Cup in 1979.
After that first season, he continued his successful run by winning two league titles (1989, 1991), the FA Cup (1993), another League Cup (1993), and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1994). In early 1995, however, it was revealed that Graham had accepted £425,000 from agent Rune Hauge in exchange for signing two of Hauge's clients in the early 90s, Norwegian full back Pål Lyderson and Danish midfielder John Jensen. The resulting scandal led to his sacking on 21 February and a 1-year ban issued by the Football Association.
On this day in 1974, Best was arrested on charges of burglary and theft
The superstar winger had last played for United the previous month after a falling out with manager Tommy Docherty and spent the intervening days in a series of flings, including a high-profile outing in London with the newly-crowned Miss World, Marjorie Wallace (pictured, with Best), a few days earlier.
But his relationship with Miss Wallace apparently soured quickly. When a collection of items disappeared from her apartment, including a fur coat, some jewelry, and about £20 worth of alcohol, she called the police, who arrested Best at his Manchester nightclub, Slack Alice, in the early hours of the morning on 21 February. They interviewed him for about five hours, then drove him down to London for formal charges.
He denied any wrongdoing and the case was dropped in April when Miss Wallace failed to appear for the trial. In dismissing the charges, the judge noted that, under the circumstances, they left no stain on Best's character.
On this day in 2008, Gascoigne's days get darker
Gascoigne, popularly known as "Gazza," enjoyed a remarkable career that started in 1985 with Newcastle and included spells at Tottenham (1988-92), Lazio (1992-95), and Rangers (1995-98), among others. Meanwhile, he was capped 57 times by England between 1988 and 1998, including a standout performance in the 1990 World Cup that sparked "Gazzamania" back in England.
But throughout, he struggled in his personal life with addiction and other issues, including depression and bipolar disorder. His problems grew worse after his retirement in 2004, followed by a short and unsuccessful spell as manager of Kettering Town that ended with his sacking in 2005 after only 39 days in charge. He claimed later that he was drinking up to four bottles of whisky and vodka per day.
In February 2008, police were called to the Newcastle hotel where he was staying while recovering from a hip operation. After he threatened to harm himself, he was taken into custody and compelled to enter a mental health facility. But by the end of the year, he was again deep into his alcoholism, reportedly drinking up to 30 cans of beer per day.
