Loads Of Football Coincidences

Arsenal's Emirates Stadium

On Tuesday I wrote a coincidence post about Arsenal (a major English football [soccer] club). This started a flow of other coincidences about football

Arsene Wenger

We'll start off with Arsenal again. Their manager just happens to be called Arsene Wenger - who has a similar sounding first name to the club.

Arsenal have a sponsorship deal with Emirates Airlines and their stadium is therefore known as The Emirates. The capital of the United Arab Emirates is Abu Dhabi. In 2006 Arsenal signed a midfielder called Abou Diaby - another similar sounding name.

Keeping on with odd names the German soccer team Wolfsburg had a manager called Wolfgang Wolf (March 1998 to March 2003)

And David Beckham, probably one of the most famous footballers in the world, and known for whipping in crosses, just happened to be born in Whipps Cross Hospital (Leytonstone).

There are 'coincidences' galore in Football:

Football players with the surnames of Hartley and Poole both scored for their team, Hartlepool United, in a match against Notts County in February this year.

A few years back Alan Pardew, now Newcastle United manager, was virtually blacklisted from Match of the Day for describing a tackle by Michael Essien on Ched Evans as a rape. Ched Evans is now currently serving five years in prison for real rape!

East Fife 4 Forfar 5
A famous score in Scottish football. The commentator said, "East Fife four, Forfar so far, five"The Dutch goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus made his debut for Manchester City in September 2004 in a League Cup match against Barnsley, which Manchester City won 7-1. Barnsley's goalkeeper was Nick Colgan.

In 2005 Waterreus was transferred to Rangers and made his debut in February in a League Cup match against Dundee United. Rangers won 7-1 and Dundee Unites's goalkeeper was non other than Nick Colgan.

Hans-Jörg Butt, a goalkeeper, scored 3 goals in the Champions League. An impressive statistic for a keeper plus he scored them with three different teams (Hamburg, Leverkusen and Bayern Munich) but the biggest coincidence is that they were all scored against Juventus.

Manchester United won the treble on their legendary manager Matt Busby's birthday.

There are loads more synchros or coincidences in football.

More Coincidence Stories:
How The Universe Nearly Got A Football Coincidence Right
Top 10 Coincidence And Synchronicity Stories
The Concentration Camp Romantic Coincidence

How The Universe Nearly Got A Football Coincidence Right

Arsenal Training

I've been a football fan since a child (that's soccer) when my dad used to take me to matches in London. I went to see the likes of Spurs, Chelsea, Fulham, Millwall, QPR and Arsenal. Back then it didn't cost an arm and a leg to watch a match, and you could simply turn up on the day - times have changed!

I was talking about Arsenal to someone we met as Karin and I went on our daily walk. The club are doing well in the league, at the time of writing, and the other chap wondered when Arsenal last won a major trophy. I didn't know the answer for sure and neither did he. As for Karin, she just looked blank - or was that bored!

We went on our way and Karin bent to pick up something from the pavement. I thought she'd found yet another coin, which she often does, but it was a pin badge. And what's more an Arsenal badge! Strange as they are a London club and I live in Cornwall about 300 miles away.

The badge stated "FA Cup Winners 2003 - Arsenal." So the question about them had been answered, or so I thought. However, when I checked on the Internet I saw that Arsenal had also won that particular cup in 2005 as well - and that was their last major trophy.

So the Universe nearly got it right! But it was still a coincidence to be talking about Arsenal and then finding the badge. I guess the Universe isn't a Gooner or it would have known the correct answer.

I found a website that shows to the second how long it is Since Arsenal Last Won a Trophy. When I looked it was 8 years 4 Months 13 Days 22 hours 58 minutes and 6 seconds. The way things are going that could be put right this year.

Other Football Stories:
Football Links To My Old Home Town Coincidence
The Football Coincidence Story
The Football Journey Coincidence

A Warning To The Pope If Liverpool Win The European Cup

Liverpool FC European Champions 1981

Here's a series of coincidences, though probably more meaningful to UK readers. They are self explanatory:

In 1981:

The Pope died
Prince Charles got married
Liverpool FC were European Champions

Liverpool FC European Champiuons 2005

In 2005:

The Pope died
Prince Charles got married
Liverpool FC were European Champions

Not doubt therefore the Pope will be on tenterhooks should Prince Charles ever marry yet again and Liverpool make it to the European Cup Final once more.

Other Coincidence or Synchronicity Posts:
A George Harrison Dream Coincidence
67 Identical Car Coincidence Photo
The Coincidence Of The Duplicate Flights

Football Links To My Old Home Town Coincidence

I'm a bit of a football fan - that's soccer, for those who get confused as to what football really is!

My favourite club as a child was Newcastle United, even though I lived in west London and was within reach of the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, QPR and so on. I think the reason must have been because Newcastle was where my mother was born.

Anyway, I was at a car boot sale and saw the Newcastle United programme as at the top of the post, so I bought it for £1 thinking it might be of interest. I've already got quite a few old football programmes I've collected over the years.

I didn't look at it properly until I got home. It was then I saw that the team playing wasn't actually Newcastle. Their ground was being used as a semi-final for what was then known as the Amateur Cup.

Bishop Auckland were playing Hayes - and this is the coincidence or synchronicity because Hayes is where I lived as a child.

And to show my childhood Newcastle United credentials, below is a scan of the cover of a booklet I wrote when knee high to a grasshopper.

Strange the links we have that never go away.

P.S. In case you were wondering, I found out on Google that the score was: Bishops Auckland 2 Hayes 0. And I thought I'd better add that Newcastle is about 450 miles north-east from where I now live and Hayes is about 300 miles east. So quite distances to be connected.

More Coincidence and Synchronicity Stories:
Ladette To Lady Grandfather Coincidences
Top 10 Coincidence And Synchronicity Stories
The Double Rainbow Falls Into Place Perfectly