Has a footballer ever proposed during a match?

Josh Cavallo praises his partner at Adelaide United’s Coopers Stadium.Photo: Courtney Pedlar/Reuters

“Josh Cavallo now proposing to his fiance in an empty Adelaide United stadium got me thinking: has a player ever popped the question during a game? And did the umpire say yes?” the wonders of Jack Hayward.

This one got some great responses, so thanks to Joran and Corentine Hatfield for bringing the romance back into our lives. “Let’s set the atmosphere first,” begins Joran, a self-confessed fan of football and love. “The magnificent Standard Liège stadium was full as an egg (as they say in Belgium), on October 24, 2022. The “clasico” against Anderlecht is the most important game of the season for Liège fans. Standard were winning 3-1 but the game was stopped around the 60th minute, due to Anderlecht supporters throwing fire on the pitch.

“That’s when Norway’s Aaron Dønnum decided it was his big day: he proposed to his girlfriend, in front of the red Kop, surrounded by his teammates. She said yes and all the fans shouted for her!

“So technically he proposed during the game, because at that point nobody knew if the game had to be finished or not.”

Here’s where Corentine is heading: “There are many cases of footballers proposing on the pitch – the most notable recently being Belarusian defender Vladislav Shubovich, who proposed in 2022 to his girlfriend after scoring a goal for FC Smorgon, but for a while. rangers to try to remove her from the park, thinking she was a park intruder. After a short discussion, she said yes.”

“Also, in 2018, Venezuelan international Eduard Bello celebrated scoring for Antofagasta of the Chilean League by rushing to the sidelines and applauding, again successfully – he scored another during the game, though that Antofagasta lost 3-2.

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“My personal favorite is Guaman Ashton Surber, who scored a bicycle kick for Napa Rovers in 2017, celebrated by taking off his shirt, revealing the message “MARRY ME?” he said, then he was booked right as he fell to his knees to complete the proposal. She also said yes.”

Managers in charge of every club they played for

“The reported popularity of Xabi Alonso at Bayern Munich and Liverpool made me wonder: did anyone succeed at every club they played for? Not one club’s men and women, and bonus points if they also manage their national team,” Rakin Choudhury’s email.

Step forward a visionary manager who was playing 4-6-0 before the world was ready for him. “Craig Levinn fit the bill,” wrote Adam Pinder. “He started his playing career with Cowdenbeath before making over 400 appearances for Hearts despite numerous serious injuries. He also started his managerial career at Cowdenbeath before two spells in charge of Hearts. And as a bonus he played and managed for Scotland.”

The other answers depend on periods as caretaker or interim manager; we’ll leave it up to you whether they count. “Kenny Dalglish is a possible answer,” writes Jack Hayward. “Scotland’s most capped player made 559 league appearances for clubs Liverpool and Celtic. He managed the former twice, winning Division One three times during his first spell, and was appointed on a temporary basis in 2000, replacing former Liverpool team-mate John Barnes and winning the Scottish League Cup. “

Another former Celtic manager also hits the ball. “Tony Mowbray that he has (sort of) done,” wrote Phil Jolly. “His first managerial role was as caretaker manager of Ipswich and it is managed Middlesbrough and Celtic on a permanent basis – the three teams he played for.”

‘Winners’ injury time is not?

It’s not! When Liverpool visit Arsenal in March 2011, Jamie Carragher suffered a head injury and was taken on a stretcher with an oxygen mask. There were eight minutes of extra time as a result. “Eight! Bloody hell!” wrote Gregg Bakowski in our minute-by-minute report, which shows how unusual that was at the time.

Robin van Persie Put Arsenal ahead in the 98th minute, but the two-minute delay before his kick meant more time was added. Emmanuel Eboué fouled Lucas Leiva and Dirk Kuyt equalized from the spot with the last kick of the game – in the 102nd minute. You can read the late Kevin McCarra’s game report here.

Unsuccessful seasons in all competitions

“Has any club playing in a major European competition gone the entire season unbeaten in all competitions?” the wonders of John Whyte. “I know that Steaua Bucharest (1985-86) and Ajax (1994-95) came close. If not, did it happen in another continent?”

Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen side remain on course to achieve the feat this season, having lost none of their 39 games this season in the Bundesliga, Europa League and German Cup. No top European team has gone through an entire season unbeaten, but Ben Janeson tells us about Al-Ahly’s amazing 2004-05 season, when they swept all the Egyptian teams before them. He went to X to give us the full details…

Information archive

“Sam Szmodics is the top scorer in the Championship with 23,” Chris Bentley notes free. “His club, Blackburn Rovers five points above the relegation zone with six games left. Was England’s all-time leading goalscorer sent off? What are the most goals ever scored by a player and still to be beaten? Correct rows only please.”

So we had this question in 2021, when VVV-Venlo was kicked out of the Eredivisie despite Giorgos Giakumakis won the golden boot on a canter with 26 goals. This is what we said.

We start down the south coast of England. “Southampton’s Mick Channon managed that feat,” wrote Andy Grace. “The famous windmill celebration was scored 21 times in 1973-74 and topped the Division One scoring charts, despite the club’s relegation the same season.”

Dirk Maas pointed out that it was only a few years later, in the 1975-76 La Liga season, Enrique Castro Gonzalez (better known as ‘Quini’) the same fate at Sporting Gijón. However, it stuck to relegating them straight back to La Liga the following season, when they even qualified for the Uefa Cup. Dirk got that too Thomas Dalgard he went down with Viborg FF in the 2013–14 Danish Super Liga scoring 18 goals in 33 games.

It has happened in Italy, too. “Igor Protti the only Serie A player to suffer this fate,” offered Jörg Michner. “In 1995-96 he scored 24 goals and got out capocanniere alongside the Lazio legend Giuseppe Signori, but his Bari side was relegated anyway. Reliable enough, Protti’s goal scoring prowess earned him a move to Lazio at the end of the season. He fell badly there, however, and was released from his contract two years later. Incidentally, along with Dario Hübner, Protti is the only player to have been top scorer in Serie A, Serie B and Serie C.”

Can you help?

“My team, Dagenham and Redbridge, have 53 points, but they are not yet mathematically safe from relegation. What is the highest points achieved across all the major leagues that still resulted in relegation?” the wonders of John Benstead.

During the international break, St. Kitts and Nevis played a pair of friendlies against San Marino, who were ranked 210th in the FIFA world rankings. Their next international will be a World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica, who are currently ranked 147 places higher than San Marino. I’d bet the farm that this isn’t the biggest gap in the rankings between successive international fighters: so what is it?” asks Jack Hayward

“Has a team ever won every away game in a season?” the wonders of Joe McDonagh. “Currently, Cray Valley PM have won 16 games in the South East Isthmian league. They might not win the series yet because the home place is 8-7-1.”