English football has a plethora of intriguing, yet unplayed fixtures that never saw the light of day. These encounters have been a topic of discussion among fans and experts alike, often serving as a curiosity for those who follow the sport.
One such example is Middlesbrough's 1-1 draw against Wrexham on Saturday, marking the first ever league match between these two teams, despite having met in both domestic cup competitions. Another unplayed fixture includes Tranmere v Barnet, with Barnet spending only 21 seasons in the Football League, resulting in a combined total of just over a century.
Looking at the list provided by Lars Bjering Husum on The English Football Record Facebook group, some of the most eye-catching fixtures include Everton v Walsall (233 seasons between them), Manchester United's matches against Gillingham and Exeter City, as well as Arsenal's encounters with Southend United and Exeter.
In a surprising twist, Carlisle United stands out as the only club to have played top-flight football but never faced off against Manchester United in a league match. Additionally, Wrexham remains the only team in the Championship who has never played top-flight football, having met almost all of the bigger clubs at some point in cup competitions.
The Knowledge also delves into brief managerial exits, such as Leroy Rosenior's 10-minute stint as Torquay manager or Bill Lambton's three-day tenure at Scunthorpe. Other notable mentions include Dave Bassett's four-day spell at Crystal Palace and Tim Ward's seven-day tenure at Exeter City.
Furthermore, the article explores a few interesting records in football, including Cody Gakpo's near-record for most shots on target against Manchester United but ultimately missing out on the goal. Another fascinating record is held by Darwin Núñez, who hit the post or crossbar four times during Liverpool's 4-1 win over Chelsea.
The article concludes with a few questions waiting to be answered from curious fans, including the longest two-team dominance of a domestic league and records for rapidly lost goalscoring records in different competitions.
One such example is Middlesbrough's 1-1 draw against Wrexham on Saturday, marking the first ever league match between these two teams, despite having met in both domestic cup competitions. Another unplayed fixture includes Tranmere v Barnet, with Barnet spending only 21 seasons in the Football League, resulting in a combined total of just over a century.
Looking at the list provided by Lars Bjering Husum on The English Football Record Facebook group, some of the most eye-catching fixtures include Everton v Walsall (233 seasons between them), Manchester United's matches against Gillingham and Exeter City, as well as Arsenal's encounters with Southend United and Exeter.
In a surprising twist, Carlisle United stands out as the only club to have played top-flight football but never faced off against Manchester United in a league match. Additionally, Wrexham remains the only team in the Championship who has never played top-flight football, having met almost all of the bigger clubs at some point in cup competitions.
The Knowledge also delves into brief managerial exits, such as Leroy Rosenior's 10-minute stint as Torquay manager or Bill Lambton's three-day tenure at Scunthorpe. Other notable mentions include Dave Bassett's four-day spell at Crystal Palace and Tim Ward's seven-day tenure at Exeter City.
Furthermore, the article explores a few interesting records in football, including Cody Gakpo's near-record for most shots on target against Manchester United but ultimately missing out on the goal. Another fascinating record is held by Darwin Núñez, who hit the post or crossbar four times during Liverpool's 4-1 win over Chelsea.
The article concludes with a few questions waiting to be answered from curious fans, including the longest two-team dominance of a domestic league and records for rapidly lost goalscoring records in different competitions.
. And have you heard of Bill Lambton, he was a Scunthorpe manager for three days? What's the deal with that? I wonder what his team strategy would've looked like if he'd had more time.
. And Cody Gakpo's near-record is so close to perfection! Can you imagine what he was thinking when he missed those chances?
! It's crazy that Middlesbrough and Wrexham have never played each other before, despite having met in cup comps... that's like a huge gap in their history, you know? And can you believe Carlisle United has never faced off against Man Utd? That's just wild. I'm loving the nostalgia vibes of all these forgotten fixtures and managerial exits too 
. Can you believe Middlesbrough and Wrexham didn't play each other until Saturday? And it's crazy to think about all those missed matches over the years 
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I love how The Knowledge digs deep into all these fascinating records and stories. It's like they're uncovering hidden treasures in the world of football 
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. What were some of the most epic matches that never made it to the books? We'll just have to keep searching for those answers 
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I'm low-key hoping that Wrexham gets the chance to make their league debut soon and give us something to cheer about 
️. It's amazing how much skill and determination goes into even the smallest details of a game. Football is all about those little moments that make you go "wow" 
... how do we know all these "unplayed" fixtures didn't happen? I mean, come on, a team playing another 233 times doesn't exactly scream "never met before". And what's with the Facebook group source 
. I mean, can you imagine a World Cup final between England and Scotland? 
️. And those managerial exits? 10 minutes at Torquay manager? 4 days at Crystal Palace? 
and i'm low-key curious about that record for most shots on target missed by cody gakpo against man utd 
. And Manchester United never playing Carlisle United? That's like a mystery waiting to be solved 
I'm also loving the stats on Darwin Núñez hitting the post like 4 times 
But what's up w/ Tranmere v Barnet, only played once? Like where did that go wrong? 
i also love how some managers had super short stints 
like bill lambton at scunthorpe who lasted like 3 days lol. anyway, all these unplayed fixtures are just a reminder that there's still so much to look forward to in football 
. I'm low-key fascinated by Carlisle United never playing Manchester United in league form - feels like a missed opportunity 
lmk if u wanna chat about football records
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. I mean, who wouldn't want to witness an Everton v Walsall match or a Manchester United vs Gillingham encounter? The fact that Carlisle United is the only club to have played top-flight football without facing off against Man Utd is quite intriguing 
. And can you imagine Darwin Núñez's frustration with all those near-misses against Chelsea? 
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. everton's matches against walsall, man u vs gillingham/exeter... it's all just so fascinating