Have any footballers ever scored with the primary contact of their careers? | The Knowledge

“Jamie Spencer, 17, made his first first-team look in a aggressive match, for Huddersfield at Doncaster on 9 September within the prestigious EFL Trophy,” emails Richard Askham. “He got here on in its place within the 66th minute and scored together with his second contact of the ball, one to control it and the second to score. Has anybody scored with their very first contact, which is the one technique to higher younger Spencer’s achievement?”

We lined a variation of this query back in 2021, with solutions on gamers scoring with their first contact on debut for his or her new golf equipment. This week, although, goes a step additional, masking gamers that rating with the primary touches of their skilled careers, though there are a couple of solutions from that 2021 piece that work right here, too: Jack Aitchison for Celtic in 2016, Matt Hatch for Central Coast Mariners in 2021, England one-cap marvel Michael Ricketts for Walsall against Brighton in 1996, Maheta Molango (now the chief govt of the Professional Footballers’ Association) for Brighton against Reading in August 2004, and Yan Dhanda for Swansea City at Sheffield United in 2018.

“Back in 2007, Luke Medley, on his skilled debut for Bradford, was aged 18 years and two months,” emails Ben McGowan. “In an early-season sport towards a Wrexham facet who completed the season backside of the fourth tier, he got here on within the 76th minute. Two minutes later, he scored a fully beautiful half-volley together with his first touch in professional football.” What a strike!

“Back in September 1981, Raphael Meade got here on as sub for Arsenal towards Panathinaikos and scored together with his very first contact,” flags Mukhtar Khan. Quite the feat, particularly because it was within the Uefa Cup, and particularly because it was a bicycle kick! “Kenny Samson offered the cross from the left and Meade, together with his again to objective, beat keeper Konstantinou all finally ends up”, wrote the Daily Express.

“Ibra Sekajja scored together with his first contact on his skilled debut for Crystal Palace towards Hull in 2011,” writes Bjørn Barang. Sekajja netted an 88th-minute equaliser to assist Palace retain their Championship standing.

Andy Brook and Robert Heath each accurately establish Alan Smith’s first contact as an expert footballer leading to a objective for Leeds at Anfield. With Leeds 1-0 down, Smith got here off the bench and equalised together with his first contact in entrance of the Kop two minutes later, earlier than Leeds went on to win a controversial match 3-1 (the state of that tackle from Nigel Martyn on Karl-Heinz Riedle!) – Gérard Houllier’s first sport in sole cost of Liverpool.

Stadiums with low Google scores (half II)

Last week’s lead query concerning soccer stadiums with excessive or low Google scores proved very talked-about however the solutions have been simply primarily based upon English golf equipment (and 4 Welsh ones). Luckily, Mykola Kozlenko has since been in contact with a couple of extra continental choices:

“Great query about stadia with low rankings!” writes Mykola. “I attempted to develop it to Europe and located a couple of fascinating candidates.

1) Nyva Stadium, Vinnytsia, Ukraine, 2.7*, 12 critiques.
Home stadium of third-tier FC Nyva Vinnytsia (who lately acquired Dynamo Kyiv right here within the nationwide cup). This was rebuilt two years in the past however it’s proving to be unpopular as a result of:
newbie athletes are sad as a result of they’ll’t prepare right here any extra
locals are sad as a result of the stands are actually 20 metres away from the closest residential advanced (paradoxically named Family Comfort).
followers are sad as a result of it’s a small soulless stadium with a synthetic pitch as an alternative of the outdated 24,000-seat Central City Stadium.

2) Avanhard Stadium, Rivne, Ukraine, 3.4*, 142 critiques
Home stadium of top-tier NK Veres Rivne. The stadium was dilapidated for years, renovation has began however not accomplished but, though two out of 4 stands are prepared.

3) Dens Park, Dundee, Scotland, 3.7*, 804 critiques
This (most likely) makes the house stadium of Dundee the lowest-rated top-tier stadium within the UK.

4) Almondvale, Livingston, Scotland, 3.7*, 432 critiques
The residence stadium of Livingston doesn’t appear to have an incredible fame regardless of being comparatively new.

5) Kampi Nacional Hajvali, Pristina, Kosovo, 3.7*, 7 critiques
This stadium someway hosted Conference League qualifiers this yr regardless of being half constructed.

6) The Oval, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 3.8*, 490 critiques
The residence stadium of Glentoran is especially dilapidated, particularly its away finish.

7) Stade Jos Nosbaum, Dudelange, Luxembourg, 3.8*, 135 critiques
This stadium has hosted Conference League and Europa League qualifiers and is the house of top-tier F91 Dudelange. Parking and funds are picked out as specific gripes of this gorgeous outdated stadium.”

Three in a crowd

“Brian Brobbey scored a hat-trick towards Manchester City and ended up on the shedding facet. How typically has that occurred within the Premier League, and who has scored essentially the most targets in a sport their staff misplaced?” asks Alejandro Solis.

We’ve lined the second a part of your query up to now – click here for tales of futile netbusting – so let’s proceed straight to the gamers who’ve scored Premier League hat-tricks in useless. Brobbey’s was the sixth instance and the primary in nearly 20 years. The final man to realize this doubtful feat was Blackburn’s Roque Santa Cruz in December 2007. He single-handedly dragged Blackburn again into the sport from 3-0 down, just for Wigan’s Marcus Bent to attain two extra targets and full his personal hat-trick.

The first two have been scored by Matt Le Tissier, on the ultimate day of the inaugural season and the opening day of the 1995-96 season. The cruellest might be Dion Dublin’s: he’s the one man to place his staff in entrance on three totally different events and nonetheless lose. Here’s the total listing.

• Matt Le Tissier Oldham 4-3 Southampton, 1992-93

• Matt Le Tissier Southampton 3-4 Nottingham Forest, 1995-96

• Dion Dublin Sheffield Wednesday 4-3 Coventry City, 1995-96

• Dwight Yorke Newcastle 4-3 Aston Villa, 1996-97

• Roque Santa Cruz Wigan 5-3 Blackburn, 2007-08

• Brian Brobbey Manchester City 5-3 Sunderland, 2026-27

Knowledge archive

“When was the final time Spain did not have extra possession than the opposition in a full match?” enquired Sol O’Carroll back in 2012.

Sixty-one video games in the past, to be exact Sol. Incredibly, La Roja final misplaced out to an opponent within the possession stakes within the Euro 2008 closing, when Germany edged them 52% to 48%, though they nonetheless received 1-0.

2026 replace: Remarkably, there is just one aggressive match because the Euro 2008 closing during which Spain haven’t had the lion’s share of possession. That was the 3-0 victory over Croatia at Euro 2024. “For the primary time in 137 video games, Spain didn’t full as many passes as their opponents, and so they couldn’t be happier,” began Sid Lowe’s intro on the Olympiastadion, Berlin. Spain, after all, would go on to be Euro 2024 champions, beating England 2-1 in the final (with 63% possession).

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“Oli McBurnie is again within the Scotland squad,” notes John Cant. “With his document of 16 appearances and 0 targets, he stated in a current interview, “a tap-in on Saturday or one which goes in off my bottom could be beautiful.” The bottom comes up typically when gamers discuss of breaking a objective drought – however has it ever truly occurred?”

“Manchester City claimed Scott Carson as a membership legend in a current LinkedIn put up,” retches Michael Haddon. “He performed one league sport for them. So, who’s the real membership legend who performed the fewest video games for a facet? It’s not Carson clearly, however I’m considering somebody like fellow keeper Jimmy Glass who scored the last-minute goal against Plymouth Argyle to maintain Carlisle United within the Football League in 1999. He was on mortgage, so three league video games and one objective out of your glovesman, maintaining you up within the course of. That have to be arduous to beat?”

“Crewe are presently on a run of 4 1-1 attracts within the league,” writes Sam Hurst. “How lengthy do we have now to maintain this up earlier than we will begin fascinated with the document for consecutive similar scores?”

“Olimpia Cluj received the 2010-11 Romanian Liga I ladies’s title, ending the season with a objective distinction of +242,” notes Graham Clayton. “Has there been an instance of a staff having a bigger GD both throughout or on the finish of the season?”

“When introduced, Sweden’s 25-man squad for the present Nations League internationals contained only one participant presently enjoying within the nation’s prime flight, the Allsvenskan: Hammarby’s Hampus Skoglund. Has a senior overseas squad ever contained fewer gamers from its personal nation’s prime home division (excluding nations the place there is no such thing as a skilled home league)?” asks Derek Robertson.

“Oxford United goalkeeper Simon Eastwood was despatched off in the direction of the tip of United’s Football League Trophy (can’t keep in mind the then sponsors) sport at AFC Wimbledon on 9 January 2024, with the U’s shedding 2-0 to be eradicated from the competitors. With Oxford subsequently successful promotion to the Championship and remaining there for 2 seasons, that was the membership’s final involvement within the trophy till they journey to Exeter City on 4 October this yr. Because the pink card is competition-specific, Eastwood’s suspension comes into play for this sport. Is this the longest hole between a dismissal and subsequent punishment (999 days, or two years, eight months, 25 days)?” asks Martin Brodetsky.