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Stanley Matthews

Stanley Matthews

Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE (February 1 1915 - February 23 2000) was a football player, often regarded as one of the greats of the English game. His nickname in England was The Wizard of the Dribble and on the continent he gained the name of The Magician. Matthews retains his reputation as one of the finest dribblers of the ball in the history of association football. Matthews was born in Seymour Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent and was the third of four sons. His father, Jack Matthews (aka The Fighting Barber of Hanley), was a renowned local boxer who fostered a sense of discipline, determination and sportsmanship that would serve his son well during his long career. He attended St Lukes School. A natural right-winger, he showed early promise and played for England schoolboys against Wales. He signed professional terms with Stoke City F.C. in 1932. His international debut came in 1934, scoring for the England side which beat Wales 4-0. Shortly after this, he was condemned in the Daily Mail: "I saw Matthews play just as moderately in the recent inter-League match, exhibiting the same slowness and hesitation. Perhaps he lacks the big match temperament." This would turn out to be a hugely mistaken appriasal of the young man, embodied by his hat-trick for 10-man England in a game against Czechoslovakia in 1937. In 1938, Matthews asked for a transfer, causing a public outcry in Stoke. More than 3,000 fans attended a protest meeting and a further 1,000 marched outside the ground with placards. Matthews stayed. The war interrupted his career, during which time he served in the Royal Air Force and was stationed near Blackpool. After falling out with Stoke, he transferred to join Blackpool F.C. in 1947. His link-up with Stan Mortensen was very profitable, and Matthews won an FA Cup winners medal in 1953 - a match dubbed the 'Matthews Final' despite Mortensen's hat-trick, as many members of the public willed him to finally win the one domestic trophy that had eluded him in the finals of 1948 and 1951. In 1950, Matthews only played in one World Cup game (a 1-0 defeat against Spain). In total, Matthews made 54 official England appearances (as well as 29 unofficial wartime appearances). He played his final England game in 1957; he remains the oldest player to have played in an England shirt. His England career is the longest of any player ever to play for the side, stretching from his debut on September 29 1934 to his last appearance on May 15 1957, almost 23 years later. His importance to the team is exemplified by the post-war circumstances he found himself in. He was excluded from the team for most of the 1946-47 season in favour of another England great - Tom Finney. He returned to the team in triumph, however, as England beat Portugal 10-0. A year later, he ran the Italian left-back ragged, helping England to a 4-0 win in Turin. At the Football World Cup 1954 in Switzerland, England found themselves struggling, so Matthews promptly switched to inside-forward, galvanised the team, and helped it to a 4-4 draw. In 1956, Matthews won the first ever European Footballer of the Year award. In 1961 (aged 46) he rejoined his hometown club Stoke City. The following season, Stoke City won the English Second Division Championship and he was voted Footballer of the Year for the second time in his career by the Football Writers Association (the first time was in 1948). He remained with Stoke City until the end of his playing career, appearing in his final game on February 6, 1965, just after his 50th birthday. Also in 1965, his services to sport were officially recognised when he became the first football player to be knighted. He received a FIFA Gold Merit Order in 1992. After playing 698 games in the Football League, Matthews finally retired, five days after his 50th birthday. He managed Port Vale F.C. (1965-1968) before moving to Malta, where he coached Hibernians, also playing for them until he was 55. He played for numerous local sides, meaning that he was still running down the wing in his 60s. He also coached ("Sir Stan's Men") in Soweto, South Africa and in Canada. During his illustrious career he gained respect, not only as a great player, but also as a gentleman. This is exemplified by the fact that despite playing in over seven hundred league games, he was never booked. "When Sir Stan died in January [sic], 2000, at the age of 85, more than 100,000 people lined the streets of Stoke-on-Trent to pay tribute. As the cortege wound its way along the 12-mile route, employees downed tools and schoolchildren stood motionless to witness his final passing." ('The Sentinel' November 19 2005) There is a statue of Matthews outside Stoke City's Britannia Stadium and another in the centre of Hanley. The dedication on the former reads: His name is symbolic of the beauty of the game, his fame timeless and international, his sportsmanship and modesty universally acclaimed. A magical player, of the people, for the people.

Trivia

- When England beat Scotland 7-2 in 1955, the 40-year-old Matthews created five of the goals. Duncan Edwards was making his England debut; when Matthews made his, Edwards had not even been born.
- Sir Stan once said that only by the 1990s had the art of dribbling been reinstated in the English game, praising the likes of Steve McManaman and Ryan Giggs.

External Links

- [http://www.derbydeadpool.co.uk/deadpool2000/obits/matthews.html Stan!]
- [http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/TheFACup/History/Postings/2003/11/48415.htm The Matthews Final]
- [http://www.sirstanleymatthewsfoundation.com/ The Sir Stanley Matthews Foundation] Matthews, Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Stanley Matthews, Stanley Matthews, Stanley Matthews, Stanley Matthews, Stanley Matthews, Stanley Category:Port Vale football managers Matthews, Stanley Matthews, Stanley Matthews, Stanley Matthews, Stanley ja:スタンリー・マシューズ nb:Stanley Matthews

February 1

February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 333 days remaining, (334 in leap years).

Events

- 1662 - The Chinese pirate Koxinga seizes the island of Taiwan after a nine-month siege.
- 1713 - The Kalabalik or Tumult in Bendery results from the Ottoman sultan's order that his unwelcome guest, King Charles XII of Sweden, be seized.
- 1788 - Isaac Briggs and William Longstreet patent the steamboat.
- 1790 - In New York City the Supreme Court of the United States convenes for the first time.
- 1793 - France declares war on the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
- 1796 - The capital of Upper Canada is moved from Newark to York.
- 1814 - Mayon Volcano, in the Philippines, erupts, killing around 1,200 people; most devastating eruption of Mayon Volcano.
- 1861 - American Civil War: Texas secedes from the United States.
- 1862 - Julia Ward Howe's "Battle Hymn of the Republic" is published for the first time in the Atlantic Monthly.
- 1880 - The first edition of theatrical newspaper The Stage is published.
- 1884 - Edition one of the Oxford English Dictionary is published.
- 1893 - Thomas A. Edison finishes construction of the first motion picture studio (West Orange, New Jersey).
- 1896 - The opera La bohème premieres (Turin).
- 1908 - King Carlos I of Portugal and his son, Prince Luis Filipe are killed in Terreiro do Paco, Lisbon.
- 1913 - New York City's Grand Central Terminal opens as the world's largest train station.
- 1918 - Russia adopts the Gregorian Calendar.
- 1919 - The first Miss America is crowned in New York City.
- 1920 - The Royal Canadian Mounted Police begin operations.
- 1924 - United Kingdom recognizes USSR.
- 1929 - Frenchman Charles Rigoulet is the first weightlifter to lift over 400 pounds (181 kg) in the "clean and jerk" method.
- 1943 - World War II: Vidkun Quisling is appointed Premier of Norway by the Nazi occupiers.
- 1946 - Trygve Lie of Norway is picked to be the first United Nations Secretary General.
- 1958 - Merger of Egypt and Syria to form the United Arab Republic, which lasted until 1961.
- 1960 - Four black students stage a sit-in at a lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina.
- 1968 - Vietnam War: Viet Cong officer Nguyen Van Lem is executed by Nguyen Ngoc Loan a South Vietnamese National Police Chief. The execution was videotaped and photographed by Eddie Adams and helped sway public opinion against the war. Official unification of the three former military services of Canada, the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force became the united Canadian Armed Forces. Merger of the historic New York Central Railroad and Pennsylvania Railroad to form ill-fated Penn Central Transportation.
- 1974 - In São Paulo, Brazil, a fire in a 25-story office building kills 189 and injures 293.
- 1974 - Kuala Lumpur declared a Federal Territory.
- 1978 - Director Roman Polanski skips bail and flees to France after pleading guilty to charges of engaging in sex with a 13-year-old girl.
- 1979 - Convicted bank robber Patty Hearst is released from prison after her sentence was commuted by President Jimmy Carter.
- 1979 - Ayatollah Khomeini is welcomed back into Tehran, Iran after nearly 15 years of exile.
- 1982 - Senegal and Gambia form a loose confederation known as Senegambia.
- 1992 - The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bhopal court declares Warren Anderson, ex-CEO of Union Carbide, a fugitive under Indian law for failing to appear in the Bhopal Disaster case.
- 1994 - In Portland, Oregon Tonya Harding's ex-husband Jeff Gillooly pleads guilty for his role in attacking figure skater Nancy Kerrigan.
- 1995 - Manic Street Preachers lyricist Richey James Edwards goes missing from the Embassy Hotel in London, UK.
- 1996 - Communications Decency Act is passed by the U.S. Congress
- 1999 - North Dakota Public Radio is launched.
- 2003 - Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates over Texas upon reentry killing all seven astronauts onboard.
- 2004 - At least 244 people trampled to death in a stampede at the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
- 2004 - Janet Jackson exposes her breast on American television

Births

- 1261 - Walter de Stapledon, English bishop (d. 1326)
- 1462 - Johannes Trithemius, German cryptographer (d. 1516)
- 1552 - Edward Coke, English colonial entrepreneur and jurist (d. 1634)
- 1635 - Marquard Gude, German archaeologist (d. 1689)
- 1690 - Francesco Maria Veracini, Italian composer (d. 1768)
- 1761 - Christian Hendrik Persoon, South African mycologist (d. 1836)
- 1844 - G. Stanley Hall, American psychologist (d. 1844)
- 1859 - Victor Herbert, Irish composer (d. 1924)
- 1874 - Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Austrian writer (d. 1929)
- 1882 - Louis Stephen St. Laurent, twelfth Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1973)
- 1884 - Yevgeny Zamyatin, Russian writer (d. 1937)
- 1887 - Charles Nordhoff, English-born author (d. 1947)
- 1894 - John Ford, American director and producer (d. 1973)
- 1894 - James P. Johnson, American pianist and composer (d. 1955)
- 1901 - Clark Gable, American actor (d. 1960)
- 1902 - Langston Hughes American writer (d. 1967)
- 1904 - S. J. Perelman, American humorist and author (d. 1979)
- 1905 - Emilio G. Segrè, Italian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1989)
- 1906 - Hildegarde, American actress and singer (d. 2005)
- 1907 - Günter Eich, German lyricist (d. 1972)
- 1908 - George Pál, Hungarian-born director and producer (d. 1980)
- 1909 - George Beverly Shea, Canadian singer
- 1915 - Stanley Matthews, English football player
- 1918 - Dame Muriel Spark, Scottish author
- 1922 - Renata Tebaldi, Italian soprano (d. 2004)
- 1931 - Boris Yeltsin, President of Russia
- 1936 - Azie Taylor Morton, U.S. Treasurer (d. 2003)
- 1937 - Don Everly, American musician (Everly Brothers)
- 1937 - Garrett Morris, American comedian
- 1938 - Sherman Hemsley, American comedian and actor
- 1940 - Bibi Besch, Austrian-American actress (d. 1996)
- 1941 - Karl Dall, German television moderator.
- 1942 - Terry Jones, Welsh actor and writer
- 1947 - Jessica Savitch, American journalist (d. 1983)
- 1948 - Rick James, American musician and composer (d. 2004)
- 1948 - Elisabeth Sladen, British actress
- 1954 - Bill Mumy, American actor and musician
- 1956 - Exene Cervenka, American musician (X)
- 1961 - Volker Fried, German field hockey player
- 1962 - José Luis Cuciuffo, Argentinian footballer =)
- 1962 - Tomoyasu Hotei, Japanese guitarist
- 1965 - Sherilyn Fenn, American actress
- 1965 - Brandon Lee, American actor (d. 1993)
- 1965 - Princess Stéphanie of Monaco
- 1966 - Michelle Akers, American soccer player
- 1968 - Lisa Marie Presley, American singer and actress
- 1968 - Pauly Shore, American comedian
- 1969 - Gabriel Batistuta, Argentine footballer
- 1969 - Joshua Redman, American musician
- 1971 - Yoshi DeHerrera, American television personality
- 1971 - Jill Kelly, American actress
- 1971 - Zlatko Zahovič, Slovenian footballer
- 1975 - Big Boi, American musician (Outkast)
- 1977 - Kevin Kilbane, Irish footballer
- 1984 - Darren Fletcher, Scottish footballer

Deaths

- 1248 - Henry II, Duke of Brabant (b. 1207)
- 1328 - King Charles IV of France (b. 1294)
- 1542 - Girolamo Aleandro, Italian Catholic cardinal (b. 1480)
- 1563 - Menas, Emperor of Ethiopia (died of fever)
- 1590 - Lawrence Humphrey, English clergyman and educator
- 1691 - Pope Alexander VIII (b. 1610)
- 1718 - Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury, English politician (b. 1660)
- 1733 - King Augustus II of Poland (b. 1670)
- 1734 - John Floyer, English physician and writer (b. 1649)
- 1743 - Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni, Italian composer (b. 1657)
- 1761 - Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix, French historian (b. 1682)
- 1768 - Sir Robert Rich, 4th Baronet, British cavalry officer (b. 1685)
- 1793 - William Wildman Shute Barrington, British statesman (b. 1717)
- 1851 - Mary Shelley, English author (b. 1797)
- 1893 - George Henry Sanderson, Mayor of San Francisco (b. 1824)
- 1908 - King Carlos I of Portugal (b. 1863)
- 1928 - Hughie Jennings, baseball player (b. 1869)
- 1944 - Piet Mondriaan, Dutch painter (b. 1872)
- 1957 - Friedrich Paulus, German general (b. 1890)
- 1958 - Clinton Davisson, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1888)
- 1966 - Hedda Hopper, American gossip columnist (b. 1885)
- 1966 - Buster Keaton, American actor (b. 1895)
- 1976 - Werner Heisenberg, German physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1901)
- 1976 - George Whipple, American scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1878)
- 1981 - Donald Wills Douglas, Sr., American aircraft manufacturer (b. 1892)
- 1981 - Geirr Tveitt, Norwegian composer (b. 1908)
- 1986 - Alva Myrdal, Swedish politician, diplomat, and writer, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1902)
- 1988 - Heather O'Rourke, American actress (b. 1975)
- 1989 - Elaine de Kooning, American artist (b. 1819)
- 1997 - Herb Caen, American newspaper columnist (b. 1916)
- 1999 - Paul Mellon, American philanthropist (b. 1907)
- 2002 - Hildegard Knef, German actress, singer, and writer (b. 1925)
- 2003 - The crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia, astronauts:
- Michael P. Anderson (b. 1959)
- David Brown (b. 1956)
- Kalpana Chawla (b. 1961)
- Laurel Clark (b. 1961)
- Rick D. Husband (b. 1957)
- Willie McCool (b. 1961)
- Ilan Ramon (b. 1954)
- 2003 - Mongo Santamaria, Cuban percussionist and band leader (b. 1922)
- 2005 - John Vernon, Canadian actor (b. 1932)

Holidays and observances

- St. Brigid of Kildare -one of the three patron saints of Ireland, the others being St. Patrick and St. Columcille.
- Imbolc - the first day of Spring in Ireland (Irish Calendar), one of the eight solar holidays in the Wheel of the Year.
- 2003 - Chinese New Year - Year of the Ram.

Fiction

- In Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the fictional character Willy Wonka gives an unprecedented tour of his chocolate factory on February 1 (year unspecified).

External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/1 BBC: On This Day]
- [http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/20050201.html The New York Times: On This Day] ---- January 31 - February 2 - January 1 - March 1 -- listing of all days February 01 ko:2월 1일 ms:1 Februari ja:2月1日 simple:February 1 th:1 กุมภาพันธ์

February 23

February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 311 days remaining, 312 in leap years.

Events

- 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western book printed from movable type.
- 1574 - The 5th holy war against the Huguenots begins in France.
- 1660 - Charles XI becomes King of Sweden.
- 1732 - First performance of George Frideric Handel's Orlando, in London.
- 1778 - American Revolution: Baron von Steuben arrives at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania to help to train the Continental Army.
- 1820 - Cato Street Conspiracy: A plot to murder all the British cabinet ministers is exposed.
- 1836 - The Siege of the Alamo begins in San Antonio, Texas.
- 1847 - Mexican-American War: Battle of Buena Vista - In Mexico, American troops defeat Mexican general Antonio López de Santa Anna.
- 1861 - President-elect Abraham Lincoln arrives secretly in Washington, DC after an assassination attempt in Baltimore, Maryland.
- 1870 - Military control of Mississippi ends and it is readmitted to the Union.
- 1874 - Walter Winfield patents a game called "sphairistike", now more commonly called lawn tennis.
- 1883 - Alabama becomes the first U.S. state to enact an antitrust law.
- 1887 - The French Riviera is hit by a large earthquake, killing around 2,000.
- 1893 - Rudolf Diesel receives a patent for the diesel engine.
- 1898 - Émile Zola is imprisoned in France after writing "J'accuse", a letter accusing the French government of anti-Semitism and wrongfully placing Captain Alfred Dreyfus in jail.
- 1900 - In South Africa the Boers and British troops fight in the Battle of Hart's Hill.
- 1903 - Cuba leases Guantanamo Bay to the United States "in perpetuity".
- 1904 - For $10 million the United States gains control of the Panama Canal Zone.
- 1905 - Chicago, Illinois attorney Paul Harris and three other businessmen meet for lunch to form the Rotary Club, the world's first service club.
- 1909 - The Silver Dart makes the first powered flight in Canada and the British Empire.
- 1919 - Benito Mussolini forms the Fascist Party in Italy.
- 1927 - The Federal Radio Commission (later renamed the Federal Communications Commission) begins to regulate the use of radio frequencies.
- 1934 - Léopold III becomes King of Belgium.
- 1940 - World War II: Soviet Union troops conquer Lasi Island.
- 1940 - The animated movie Pinocchio is released.
- 1945 - World War II: During the Battle of Iwo Jima, a group of United States Marines reach the top of Mount Surabachi on the island and are photographed raising the American flag. The photo would later win a Pulitzer Prize.
- 1945 - World War II: The capital of the Philippines, Manila, is liberated by American forces.
- 1945 - World War II: Capitulation of German garrison in Poznan, city is liberated by Soviet and Polish forces.
- 1945 - World War II: The German town of Pforzheim is completely destroyed by a raid of 379 British bombers.
- 1947 - International Organization for Standardization(ISO) is founded.
- 1954 - The first mass vaccination of children against polio begins in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- 1955 - First meeting of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO).
- 1955 - Edgar Faure becomes Prime Minister of France
- 1956 - Nikita Khrushchev attacks the veneration of Joseph Stalin as a "cult of personality".
- 1957 - The founding congress of the Senegalese Popular Bloc is opened in Dakar.
- 1958 - Cuban rebels kidnap 5-time world driving champion Juan Manuel Fangio.
- 1966 - A military coup in Syria replaces the previous government.
- 1974 - The Symbionese Liberation Army demands $4 million more to release kidnap victim Patty Hearst.
- 1975 - In response to the energy crisis, daylight saving time commences nearly two months early in the United States.
- 1980 - Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini states that Iran's parliament would decide the fate of the American embassy hostages.
- 1981 - 23-F, Antonio Tejero attempts a coup d'état by capturing the Spanish Congress of Deputies.
- 1983 - The Spanish Socialist government of Felipe González and Miguel Boyer nationalizes Rumasa, a holding of José María Ruiz Mateos.
- 1983 - The Environmental Protection Agency announces its intent to buy out and evacuate the dioxin-contaminated community of Times Beach, Missouri.
- 1987 - A supernova is seen in the Large Magellanic Cloud (see Supernova 1987a).
- 1991 - Gulf War: Ground troops cross the Saudi Arabia border and enter Iraq, thus starting the ground-phase of the war.
- 1991 - In Thailand, General Sunthorn Kongsompong leads a bloodless coup d'état, deposing Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan.
- 1992 - The Socialist Labour Party is founded in Georgia.
- 1993 - Gary Coleman wins a $1,280,000 lawsuit against his parents.
- 1995 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average gains 30.28 to close at 4,003.33, closing above 4,000 for the first time.
- 1997 - A large fire occurs in the Russian Space station, Mir.
- 1998 - Tornadoes in central Florida destroy or damage 2,600 structures and kill 42.
- 1998 - Osama bin Laden publishes a fatwa declaring jihad against all Jews and Crusaders.
- 1998 - Netscape Communications Corporation announces the foundation of mozilla.org, to co-ordinate the development of the open source Mozilla web browser.
- 1999 - Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Öcalan is charged with treason in Ankara, Turkey.
- 1999 - White supremacist John William King is found guilty of kidnapping and killing African American James Byrd Jr by dragging him behind a truck for two miles.
- 1999 - An avalanche destroys the Austrian village of Galtür, killing 31.
- 2005 - Slovakia Summit 2005 begins, marking the first occasion when a sitting American President visits Slovakia; Bush and Putin are in attendance.

Births

- 1417 - Pope Paul II (d. 1471)
- 1633 - Samuel Pepys, English diarist (d. 1703)
- 1646 - Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, Japanese shogun (d. 1709)
- 1648 - Arabella Churchill, English mistress of James II of England (d. 1730)
- 1680 - Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, French colonizer and Governor of Louisiana (d. 1767)
- 1685 - Georg Friederich Händel, German composer (d. 1759)
- 1688 - Queen Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden (d. 1741)
- 1723 - Richard Price, Welsh philosopher (d. 1791)
- 1743 - Mayer Amschel Rothschild, German-born banker (d. 1812)
- 1840 - Carl Menger, Austrian economist (d. 1921)
- 1868 - W.E.B. DuBois, American civil rights leader (d. 1963)
- 1873 - Liang Qichao, Chinese scholar (d. 1929)
- 1878 - Kazimir Malevich, Ukrainian painter and art theorist (d. 1935)
- 1883 - Victor Fleming, American director (d. 1949)
- 1883 - Karl Jaspers, German philosopher (d. 1969)
- 1889 - Musidora, French actress and director (d. 1957)
- 1899 - Erich Kästner, German writer (d. 1974)
- 1904 - William L. Shirer, American historian (d. 1993)
- 1904 - Leopold Trepper, Soviet spy (d. 1982)
- 1908 - William McMahon, twentieth Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1988)
- 1914 - Theofiel Middelkamp, Dutch cyclist (d. 2005)
- 1915 - Jon Hall, American actor (d. 1979)
- 1915 - Paul Tibbets, American pilot
- 1918 - Richard G. Butler, American fascist (d. 2004)
- 1924 - Allan McLeod Cormack, South-African born physicist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1998)
- 1928 - Vasili Lazarev, cosmonaut (d. 1990)
- 1932 - Majel Barrett, American actress
- 1937 - Tom Osborne, American football coach and politician
- 1939 - Peter Fonda, American actor
- 1943 - Fred Biletnikoff, American football player and coach
- 1944 - Johnny Winter, American musician
- 1945 - Allan Boesak, South African activist
- 1951 - Ed Jones, American football player
- 1951 - Patricia Richardson, American actress
- 1952 - Brad Whitford, American musician (Aerosmith)
- 1954 - Viktor Yushchenko, President of Ukraine
- 1958 - Tony Barrell, English writer and journalist
- 1958 - David Sylvian, English musician
- 1959 - Richard Dodds, British field hockey player
- 1965 - Michael Dell, American computer manufacturer
- 1973 - Bryan Manchi, English songwriter
- 1973 - André Tanneberger, German DJ
- 1974 - Jaime Villarreal, Mexican musician
- 1978 - Dan Snyder, Canadian hockey player (d. 2003)
- 1981 - Gareth Barry, English footballer
- 1994 - Dakota Fanning, American actress

Deaths

- 1100 - Emperor Zhezong of China (b. 1077)
- 1270 - Saint Isabel of France, daughter of Louis VIII of France (b. 1225)
- 1447 - Pope Eugenius IV (b. 1383)
- 1447 - Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester (b. 1390)
- 1464 - Zhengtong, Emperor of China (b. 1427)
- 1526 - Diego Colón, Spanish Viceroy of the Indies
- 1554 - Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk, English poltician (executed)
- 1572 - Pierre Certon, French composer
- 1603 - Andrea Cesalpino, Italian philosopher, physician, and botanist (b. 1519)
- 1669 - Leo Aitzema, Dutch historian and statesman (b. 1600)
- 1704 - Georg Muffat, French composer (b. 1653)
- 1730 - Pope Benedict XIII (b. 1649)
- 1766 - Stanislaw Leszczynski, King of Poland (b. 1677)
- 1781 - George Taylor, American signer of the Declaration of Independence
- 1792 - Joshua Reynolds, English painter (b. 1723)
- 1800 - Joseph Warton, English literary critic (b. 1722)
- 1821 - John Keats, English poet (b. 1795)
- 1848 - John Quincy Adams, 6th President of the United States (b. 1767)
- 1855 - Carl Friedrich Gauss, German mathematician, astronomer, and physicist (b. 1777)
- 1897 - Woldemar Bargiel, German composer (b. 1828)
- 1908 - Johannes Friedrich August von Esmarch, German surgeon (b. 1823)
- 1923 - Théophile Delcassé, French statesman (b. 1852)
- 1930 - Horst Wessel, Nazi ideologue and composer (b. 1907)
- 1934 - Edward Elgar, English composer (b. 1857)
- 1948 - John Robert Gregg, Irish-born publisher and inventor (b. 1866)
- 1965 - Stan Laurel, American actor and comedian (b. 1890)
- 1969 - King Saud of Saudi Arabia (b. 1902)
- 1973 - Dickinson W. Richards, American physician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1895)
- 1974 - Harry Ruby, American composer and writer (b. 1895)
- 1979 - W.A.C. Bennett, Canadian politician (b. 1900)
- 1990 - José Napoleón Duarte, President of El Salvador (b. 1925)
- 1995 - Melvin Franklin, American singer (The Temptations) (b. 1942)
- 1995 - James Herriot, English writer (b. 1916)
- 1997 - Tony Williams, American jazz drummer (b. 1945)
- 2000 - Ofra Haza, Israeli singer (b. 1957)
- 2003 - Robert K. Merton, American sociologist (b. 1910)
- 2004 - Vijay Anand, Indian film director (b. 1934)
- 2004 - Carl Anderson, American actor (b. 1945)
- 2004 - Sikander Bakht, Governor of Kerala (b. 1918)
- 2004 - Don Cornell, American singer (b. 1919)
- 2004 - Carl Liscombe, Canadian hockey player (b. 1915)

Holidays and observances

- Roman Empire - Terminalia held in honor of Terminus
- Catholicism - Feast day of St Polycarp.
- Guyana - National Day
- Russia - Day of Motherland's Defender (formerly Red Army Day or Day of Soviet Army and Navy)
- Brunei - National Day

External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/23 BBC: On This Day]
- [http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/20050223.html The New York Times: On This Day] ---- February 22 - February 24 - January 23 - March 23 -- listing of all days ko:2월 23일 ms:23 Februari ja:2月23日 simple:February 23 th:23 กุมภาพันธ์

Football (soccer)

:Soccer redirects here. For other senses, see soccer (disambiguation). soccer (disambiguation) Association football, soccer, or simply football (see below) is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. Football is played predominantly with the feet, but players may use any part of their body except their hands and arms to propel the ball; the exceptions to this are throw-ins (ie: when the ball goes out of bounds, field players throw the ball into play from the sidelines) and the two players acting as goalkeepers, who are the only ones allowed to handle the ball on the field of play, albeit with restrictions. The sport is known by a variety of names in different parts of the English-speaking world, usually association football and its contraction, soccer. These names are often used to distinguish the game from other codes of football, since the word "football" may be used to refer to several quite different games. Football is played at a professional level all over the world, and millions of people regularly go to a football stadium to follow their favourite team, whilst millions more avidly watch the game on television. A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. According to a survey conducted by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), football's governing body, published in the spring of 2001, over 240 million people regularly play football in more than 200 countries in every part of the world. Its simple rules and minimal equipment requirements have no doubt aided its spread and growth in popularity. In many parts of the world football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individual fans, local communities, and even nations; it is therefore often claimed to be the most popular sport in the world.

Nature of the game

Two teams of eleven players each compete to get a spherical ball (itself known as a football) into the other team's goal, thereby scoring a goal. The team which has scored the most goals at the conclusion of the game is the winner; if both teams have an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. The primary rule for this objective is that players, other than the goalkeepers, may not intentionally touch the ball with their hands or arms during play (though they do use their hands during a throw-in restart). Although players mainly use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their bodies other than their hands or arms. throw-in In typical game play, players attempt to move towards a goal through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling (running with the ball close to their feet); by passing the ball from team-mate to team-mate; and by taking shots at the goal. Opposition players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent who controls the ball. Football is generally a free-flowing game with the ball in play at all times except when the ball has left the field of play by wholly crossing over a boundary line (either on the ground or in the air), or play has been stopped by the referee. When play has been stopped, it recommences with a specified restart (see below). The game is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game, which are summarised below.

The Laws of the Game

History and development

The Laws of the Game are based on efforts made in the mid-19th century to standardise the rules of the widely varying games of football played at the public schools of England. The first set of rules resembling the modern game were produced at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1848, at a meeting attended by representatives from Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester and Shrewsbury, but they were far from universally adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs were formed, thoughout the English-speaking world, independent of schools or universities, to play various forms of football. Some came up with their own distinct codes of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club (formed by former pupils from Harrow) in 1857, which led to formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867. In 1862, J.C. Thring of Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules. These efforts contribute to the formation of The Football Association (The FA) in 1863 which first met on the evening of 26 October 1863 at the Freemason's Tavern in Great Queen Street, London. The only school to be represented on this occasion was Charterhouse. The Freemason's Tavern was the setting for five more meetings between October and December, which eventually produced the first comprehensive set of rules. At the final meeting, the first FA treasurer, who was the representative from Blackheath, withdrew his club from the FA over the removal of two draft rules at the previous meeting, the first which allowed for the running with the ball in hand and the second, obstructing such a run by hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding. Other English rugby clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA but instead in 1871 formed the Rugby Football Union. The eleven remaining clubs, under the charge of Ebenezer Cobb Morley, went on to ratify the original fourteen rules of the game. Despite this, the Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s. Today the laws of the game are determined by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). The Board was formed in 1882 after a meeting in Manchester of The Football Association, the Scottish Football Association, the Football Association of Wales, and the Irish Football Association. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association FIFA, the international football body, was formed in Paris in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to the rules laid down by the IFAB. The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the IFAB in 1913. Today the board is made up of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from each of the four British associations. 1913

Overview of the Laws

There are seventeen Laws in the official Laws of the Game. The same laws are designed to apply to all levels of football, although the preface to the Laws does grant national associations the ability to authorise certain modifications for juniors, seniors, women, etc. The Laws are often framed in broad terms, which allows flexibility in their application depending on the nature of the game. In addition to the seventeen Laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of football. The Laws can be found on the [http://www.fifa.com/en/regulations/regulation/0,3527,3,00.html official FIFA website].

Players and equipment

Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding substitutes), one of whom must be the goalkeeper. Competition rules may state a minimum of seven players are required to constitute a team. There are a variety of positions in which the outfield players are strategically placed by a manager/coach, though these positions are not defined or required by the Laws. One player on each team must be designated as that team's goalkeeper. The goalkeeper is the only player allowed to handle the ball with his hands or arms, but is restricted to doing so within the penalty area (also known as the "box" or "18 yard box") in front of his own goal. The basic equipment players are required to wear includes a shirt (or jersey), shorts, socks (or stockings), footwear and adequate shin guards. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player (including jewellery or watches). A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during the course of the game. The maximum substitutions permitted in international games and in national level leagues is three, though substitution numbers may be varied in other leagues. The usual reasons for a player's replacement include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or to waste a little time at the end of a finely poised game. In standard adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in the match.

Officials

A game is presided over by a referee, who has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions regarding facts connected with play are final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees (formerly called linesmen). In many high-level games there is also a fourth official, who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise.

Playing field

fourth official)]] The length of the field (pitch) for international adult matches should be in the range 100-130 yards (90-120m) and the width should be in the range 50-100 yards (45-90m).The pitch must be rectangular, with the length of the touch line longer than the width of the goal line. The longer boundary lines are touch lines, while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are goal lines. On the goal line at each end of the field is a goal. The inner edges of the goal posts must be 8 yards (7.32m) apart, and the lower edge of the crossbar must be 8 feet (2.44m) above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, though are not required by the Laws. In front of each goal is an area of the field known as the penalty area (colloquially "penalty box", "18 yard box" or simply "the box"). This area consists of the area formed by the goal-line, two lines starting on the goal-line 18 yards (16.5m) from the goalposts and extending 18 yards into the pitch from the goal-line, and a line joining these. This area has a number of important functions, the most prominent being to denote where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a foul by a defender which would usually punished by a direct free kick becomes punishable by a penalty kick. The field has other field markings and defined areas; these are described in the main article above.

Duration

Standard durations

A standard adult football match consists of two periods (known as halves) of 45 minutes each. There is usually a 15-minute break between halves, known as half time. The end of the match is known as full-time. At the end of each half the referee adds time to account for interruptions during play, such as substitutions, treatment of injuries and time wasting. This addition is traditionally known as injury time.

Extra time and shootouts

If tied at the end of regulation time, in some competitions the game may go into extra time, which consists of two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the use of penalty shootouts (known officially in the Laws of the Game as "kicks from the penalty mark") to determine which team will progress to the next stage of the tournament. Note that goals scored during extra time periods count towards the final score of the game, unlike kicks from the penalty mark which are only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the tournament (with goals scored not making up part of the final score). Competitions utilising two-leg stages (i.e. where each round involves the two teams playing each other twice) may utilise the so-called away goals rule to attempt to determine which team progresses in the event of the teams being equal on wins; however, should results still be equal following this calculation kicks from the penalty mark are usually required. Other competitions may require a tied game to be replayed.

Golden and silver goal experiments

In the late 1990s, the IFAB experimented with ways of making matches more likely to end without requiring kicks from the penalty mark, which were often seen as an undesirable way to end a match. These involved rules ending a game in extra time early, either when the first goal in extra time was scored (golden goal), or at the end of the first period of extra time if one team was by then leading (silver goal). Both these experiments have been discontinued by IFAB.

Referee as official timekeeper

The referee is the official timekeeper for the match, and it is part of his duties to make allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, cautions and dismissals, sundry time wasting, etc. When making such an allowance for time lost, the referee is often said to be "adding time on". The amount of time is at the sole discretion of the referee, and the referee alone signals when the match has been completed. There are no other timekeepers, although assistant referees carry a watch and may provide a second opinion if requested by the referee. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, towards the end of the half the referee will signal how many minutes remain to be played, and the fourth official then signals this to players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. Note that there is often semantic debate as to whether the referee is "adding on" time to the end of a half, or rather treating time during stoppages as though it never existed as part of the match time; this distinction has little bearing on the practical conduct of a game, however it may be noted that the pre-1997 wording of the laws stated that the referee "shall ... allow the full or agreed time adding thereto all time lost through injury or accident" (Law V), and later FIFA guidelines regarding the annotation of goal scoring times suggested that time is indeed "added-on" to the end of the agreed half period.

Starts and re-starts

Each playing period in football commences with a kick-off, which is a set kick from the centre-spot by one team. At kick-off all players are required to be in their half of the field, and all players of the non-kicking team must also remain outside the centre-circle, until the ball is kicked and moved. Kick-offs are also used to restart play following a goal. From the initial kick-off of a period until the end of that period, the ball is "in play" at all times until the end of the playing period, except when the ball leaves the field of play or play is stopped by the referee; in these cases play is re-started by one of the following eight methods: kick-off
- Kick-off: following a goal by the opposing team, or to begin each period of play. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws8_01.htm Law 8]).
- Throw-in: when the ball has wholly crossed the touchline; awarded to opposing team to that which last touched the ball. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws15_01.htm Law 15]).
- Goal kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by an attacker; awarded to defending team. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws16_01.htm Law 16]).
- Corner kick: when the ball has wholly crossed the goal line without a goal having been scored and having last been touched by a defender; awarded to attacking team. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws17_01.htm Law 17]).
- Indirect free kick: awarded to the opposing team following "non-penal" fouls, certain technical infringements, or when play is stopped to caution/send-off an opponent without a specific foul having occurred. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws13_01.htm Law 13]).
- Direct free kick: awarded to fouled team following certain listed "penal" fouls. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws13_01.htm Law 13]).
- Penalty kick: awarded to fouled team following "penal" foul having occurred in their opponent's penalty area. ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws14_01.htm Law 14]).
- Dropped-ball: occurs when the referee has stopped play for any other reason (e.g. a serious injury to a player, interference by an external party, or a ball becoming defective). ([http://www.fifa.com/en/laws/Laws8_03.htm Law 8]).

Fouls and misconduct

A foul occurs when a player (not a substitute) commits a specific offence listed in the Laws of the Game, against an opponent, when the ball is in play. The offences that constitute a foul are mainly listed in Law 12. "Penal fouls", for example handling the ball, tripping an opponent, pushing an opponent, etc, are punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick. Misconduct may occur at any time, and need not be against an opponent. Substitutes may commit misconduct. Whilst the offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences. Misconduct may be punished by a caution (yellow card) or sending-off (red card).

Offside

The offside law limits the ability of attacking players to remain forward (i.e. closer to the opponent's goal-line) of both the ball and the second last defending player. It is often assumed that the purpose of this law is to prevent "goal scrounging" or "cherry picking", but in fact the offside law has similar roots to the offside law in rugby (see full article). The details and application of this law are complex, and often result in controversy: for more information on offside please refer to the main article above.

Governing bodies

The recognised international governing body of football (and associated games, such as futsal and beach soccer) is the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Six regional confederations are associated with FIFA; these are:
- Asia: Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
- Africa: Confederation of African Football (CAF)
- Central/North America & Caribbean: Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF; also known as The Football Confederation)
- Europe: Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)
- Oceania: Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)
- South America: Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (South American Football Confederation; CONMEBOL) The recognised various national associations (see football around the world) oversee football within their jurisdictions. These are affiliated both with FIFA directly and also with their respective continental confederations. Note that the Laws of the Game are not maintained by FIFA itself; rather they are maintained by the International Football Association Board, as discussed in the history and development section above.

Major international competitions

Worldwide international competitions

The major international competition in football is the World Cup organised by FIFA. This competition takes place over a four-year period. Over 190 national teams compete in regional qualifying tournaments for a place in the finals. The finals tournament, which is held every four years, now involves 32 national teams (increased from 24 in 1998) competing over a four-week period. There has been a football tournament at the Summer Olympic Games since 1900, except at the 1932 games in Los Angeles. Originally this was for amateurs only, however since the 1984 Summer Olympics professionals have been permitted as well, albeit with certain restrictions which effectively prevent countries from fielding their strongest sides Currently, the Olympic men's tournament is played at Under-23 level with a restricted number of over-age players per team; consequently the competition is not generally considered to carry the same international significance and prestige as the World Cup. A women's tournament was added in 1996; in contrast to the men's event, the women's Olympic tournament is played by full international sides without age restrictions. It thus carries international prestige considered comparable to that of the FIFA Women's World Cup.

Major international competitions

The major international competitions of the world and the continental confederations, followed by their major club events where appropriate, are:
- World: FIFA World Cup; FIFA Club World Championship
- Europe: European Championship; UEFA Champions League
- South America: Copa América; Copa Libertadores
- Africa: African Nations Cup; CAF Champions League
- Asia: Asian Cup; AFC Champions League
- North/Central America & Caribbean: CONCACAF Gold Cup; CONCACAF Champions Cup
- Oceania: Oceania Nations Cup; Oceania Club Championship

Names of the game

Oceania Club Championship] The rules of football were codified in England by the Football Association in 1863, and the name association football was coined to distinguish the game from the other forms of football played at the time, specifically rugby football. The term soccer first appeared in the 1880s as a slang abbreviation of Association football. Today the sport is known by a number of names throughout the English-speaking world, the most common being football and soccer; this has generated debate regarding the "correct" name for the sport. The term used depends largely on the need to differentiate the sport from other codes of football followed in a community. Football is the term used by FIFA, the sport's world governing body, and the International Olympic Committee. For more details of naming throughout the world, please refer to the main articles above.

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February 23

Events

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Football (soccer)

Nature of the game

The Laws of the Game

History and development

Overview of the Laws

Players and equipment

Officials

Playing field

Duration

Standard durations

Extra time and shootouts

Golden and silver goal experiments

Referee as official timekeeper

Starts and re-starts

Fouls and misconduct

Offside

Governing bodies

Major international competitions

Worldwide international competitions

Major international competitions

Names of the game

See also

Other varieties of the game

Teams and players

Gameplay

Miscellaneous

Further reading

External links

Association football

Nature of the game

The Laws of the Game

History and development

Overview of the Laws

Players and equipment