“Cardiff sacked Omer Riza with only three league games remaining,” notes James Robinson. “Has a manager ever been sacked so close to the end of the season?”
Norwich and West Brom saw Cardiff and raised them – perhaps “lowered them” is the better phrase – by getting rid of Johannes Hoff Thorup and Tony Mowbray, respectively, with two league games remaining (while QPR are also trying to get in on the act). They join a list that includes Egil Olsen (Wimbledon, 1999-2000), Alan Smith (Crystal Palace, 2000-01), Roberto Mancini (Manchester City, 2012-13), Steve Lovell (Gillingham, 2018-19), Nigel Pearson (Watford, 2019-20; because of Covid he was sacked on 19 July), Max Allegri (Juventus, 2023-24), Miguel de la Fuente (Real Ávila, 2024-25; replaced by Víctor Valdés).
There’s an equally long list of managers whose employment status was altered with only one game to go in the league. In some cases, such as Lennie Lawrence at Middlesbrough in 1993-94 and Roberto Martínez at Everton in 2016, the season was effectively over. But with the majority, there was still all to play for.
In 2005, Hartlepool United sacked Neale Cooper after two glorious seasons in charge, probably the best in the club’s history, ahead of their final game. Under the caretaker manager Martin Scott, Hartlepool got the point they needed to get into the playoff and eventually lost to Sheffield Wednesday in the final. Scott was given the job full-time but lasted just over half a season before leaving the club by mutual consent.
Alfonso Mondelo (NY MetroStars, 1998) and Neil Collins (Barnsley, 2023-24) were also sacked with one game of the regular season remaining, even though their teams were heading for the playoffs. Neither decision had the desired effect: MetroStars and Barnsley both fell at the first playoff hurdle.
“Thomas Schaaf left Werder Bremen by mutual consent with one game remaining in 2013, even though the team had just avoided relegation,” writes Florian Camphausen. “Eight years later, he became Bremen’s interim manager when Florian Kohfeldt suffered the same fate. Bremen lost the final game and were relegated.”
“Arminia Bielefeld sacked Michael Frontzeck in May 2009,” adds Mykola Kozlenko. “As with Werder, they were 16th (relegation playoffs) with one day to go, but Jörg Berger did not help much. The team finished the season 18th and last.”
In 2020-21, Tranmere got rid of Keith Hill between the end of the regular League Two season and the start of the playoffs. They weren’t promoted either. But the story of Sparta Rotterdam in 2004-05 gives hope to trigger-happy owners everywhere.
“Sparta finished second in the Eerste Divisie (the Dutch second tier), one point behind Heracles Almelo, and went into a four-team mini-league to decide the second promotion place,” writes Peter de Koning. “After losing the first playoff match they sacked coach Mike Snoei. He was replaced by assistant coach and former player Adri van Tiggelen, who was in the Netherlands team that won Euro 88. Van Tiggelen won the last five matches and Sparta were promoted to the Eredivisie.”
Home sweet home
“Which player has the most Premier League appearances without ever having played a competitive match abroad?” wonders Will Fry. “Including European club competitions, senior and under-21 internationals.”
This question came about when Will’s son started to make a Messi map, colouring in all the countries in which Lionel Messi has played and marvelling at how much of the world he has seen through football. Not everyone is so lucky, hence the reverse question. The original question mentioned playing a competitive match “outside England”, but we’ve checked with Will and he meant Britain, so games away to Swansea and Cardiff don’t count. These, in ascending order of Premier League appearances, are the best answers we received.
191
Steve Ogrizovic (Coventry City, 1992-2000)
Ogrizovic also made 320 appearances in the old Division One and, as Vasco Wackrill points out, was an unused sub when Liverpool played away to Anderlecht in the 1978 Uefa Super Cup. He played the home leg.
228
Dean Holdsworth (Wimbledon, Bolton, 1992-2002)
Holdsworth also made two appearances in the old Division One.
236
Simon Charlton (Southampton, Birmingham and Norwich, 1993-2005)
243
Francis Benali (Southampton, 1992-2003)
Benali also made 69 appearances in the old Division One. Just ask John Fashanu.
253
Richard Shaw (Crystal Palace and Coventry City, 1992-2001)
Shaw also made 67 appearances in the old Division One.
308
Joel Ward (Crystal Palace, 2013-)
Yep, the clubhouse leader is the Crystal Palace defender Joel Ward. He joined Palace in 2012, was promoted in his first season at Selhurst Park and has played a big part in their largely comfortable Premier League existence since then.
We kept it to Premier League appearances for two reasons: a) stats post-1992 are easier to verify and b) players in the old Division One were much less likely to play abroad, particularly before the war. But for reference, we think the English top-flight record belongs to Middlesbrough’s legendary goalkeeper RG “Tim” Williamson, who appeared 562 times in the old Division One either side of the first world war. He also won seven England caps, all in games played on the British Isles.
How low can a positive GD go?
“Spurs are 16th in the Premier League, yet even after their mauling at Anfield they have a goal difference of +1. What’s the lowest a team has finished with a positive goal difference or goal average?” asks Mad Mac.
In 1937-38, the defending champions, Manchester City, finished the season with a goal average of 1.039: that’s 80 scored and 77 conceded. Alas, they also finished 21st and were relegated. They are still the only English champions to be relegated the following season. Division One was extremely competitive in those days – City lost 20 of their 42 games but they also won 14. A positive goal average wasn’t that big a stretch, especially as their list of victories included 7-1 (twice), 6-2 and 6-1. But a more prosaic 1-0 defeat at Huddersfield in the final game sent them down.
Knowledge archive
“After 45 out of 46 games of the League Two season, Fleetwood Town have a record of W15 D15 L15 GD+1” writes Richard McKeon. “Has there ever been a more statistically average football team over the length of a season? (I’m hoping they finish the season with either another draw, or a one-goal defeat.)”
We had a similar question in 2004. Here’s what we said then, and here’s what we’re saying now.
In the 1973-74 Second Division, Millwall ended the season with the following record: P42 W14 D14 L14 F51 A51 Pts42. Spooky. It was also the season Eamon Dunphy wrote his famous diary Only A Game? If he’d known about this, it might have been a mathematical epic rather than a withering account of the life of a professional footballer.
In the Premier League era, the lowest finish also belongs to Manchester City: 16th place under Kevin Keegan in 2003-04, when they finished with a goal difference of +1. Hammering Bolton 6-2, Manchester United 4-1 and Everton 5-1 certainly helped. A word too for Walter Smith’s Everton, who finished 13th in 1999-2000 season with a goal difference of +10.
Can you help?
“I’ve just watched Molde squeeze through on penalties in the Norwegian Football Cup against local underdogs Træff. The first 23 penalties were all scored before Træff missed. Is this a record for a penalty competition?” asks Terje Sander.
“At Sunday’s match between Yeni Malatyaspor and Iğdır in the Turkish second division, the youngest player in Iğdır’s starting XI was 28-year-old Ahmet Engin. He is more than five years older than Yeni Malatyaspor’s eldest starting player (Alperen Arslan, 23),” notes Ben. “In competitive matches between two senior professional teams, has something like this ever occurred?”
“Liverpool have scored 15 goals against Spurs this season in all competitions,” notes Conn O’Gorman. “What’s the record for a single season?”
“My club Boston United have avoided relegation from the National League with one game to spare. After 30 games, we were 12 points from safety! Have any other teams stayed up after being so far adrift so deep into the season?” wonders Seb Noble.