18 November 2011 - An Apology Is Better Than Nothing (But Not By Much)

On 18 November 2011, Sepp Blatter apologized for remarks he made earlier in the week about racism in football. It was the latest in a series of events over the course of a difficult year for the FIFA president.

No stranger to controversy, Blatter had previously provoked strong reactions for several statements, including his opinion that women's football would be more popular if the players wore tight shorts and his description of Cristiano Ronaldo's contract situation as a form of slavery. During his 2010 campaign for re-election to his FIFA post, he fell under intense scrutiny for allegations of corruption throughout the organization.

Then, in mid-November 2011, he addressed the problem of racism in football by suggesting that the players resolve any on-field incidents with a post-match handshake. The comment immediately drew harsh criticism from a wide variety of sources, most notably from Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, who called the comment "so condescending it's almost laughable." Many people called for Blatter's resignation.

The pressure led to his eventual apology. He did not deliver it in person, however, but instead submitted a written statement that was read by FIFA official Tokyo Sexwale. The statement read: "When you have done something which was not totally correct, I can only say I am sorry for all those people affected by my declarations. It hurts and I am still hurting because I couldn't envisage such a reaction."

Despite continued calls for his resignation, Blatter refused, saying that such a step was "not compatible with [his] fighting spirit." He finally resigned in 2015 after a widespread corruption scandal and is currently serving a six-year FIFA suspension that will last until 2022.

25 October 2009 - There's Something To Be Said For Consistency

On 25 October 2009, Manchester United center back Nemanja Vidić received a 90th-minute red card against Liverpool--his third ejection in three consecutive games against the Reds.

In both of the teams' meetings the previous season, Vidić failed to make it to the final whistle and both ended as Liverpool victories. The first, at Anfield in September 2008, saw the defender receive a second yellow card in the 90th minute as the Reds edged to a 2-1 win. In the return fixture in March, he drew a straight red for a 76th-minute foul on Steven Gerrard, who had gotten through on a clear goalscoring opportunity. Liverpool won 1-4.

Things got no better for Vidić in the next meeting. Playing at Anfield, Fernando Torres put the hosts up 1-0 in the 65th minute after fending off pressure from Rio Ferdinand and driving the ball over Edwin Van der Sar into the roof of the net. Ten minutes later, Vidić earned his first yellow card of the day.

His second came in the 90th minute. With Dirk Kuyt about to blow past him to latch onto a deep ball, the Serbian defender delivered a flying challenge that stopped Kuyt cold. Referee Andre Marriner then produced a yellow and a red card in quick succession. (It was the first of two reds on the day, as Javier Mascherano joined Vidić with a stoppage-time exit.) And David N'Gog's strike in the sixth minute of stoppage time sealed the 2-0 win for Liverpool.

5 July 1900 - A Club Reforged

On 5 July 1900, a new club rose from the ashes of Thames Ironworks FC. Calling themselves West Ham United, the new club went on to win three FA Cups and two international trophies while launching the careers of some of football's biggest stars.

Built from the remains of Old Castle Swifts FC, Thames Ironworks served as the works team for the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Co. The team was successful, winning the London League in 1898 and the Southern League's second division in 1899, but disbanded in June 1900 over disputes about the club's administration and financing. On 5 June 1900, the club was relaunched as West Ham United.

West Ham were elected to the Football League in 1919 and rose to the top tier in 1923. That year, they reached the FA Cup Final, but lost to Bolton Wanderers 2-0. They eventually won their first FA Cup in 1964, led by Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst. That team went on to win the Cup Winners' Cup in 1965, while Moore and Hurst helped England to World Cup glory in 1966.

Two more FA Cups followed in 1975 and 1980, and they were one of the three winning finalists in the 1999 Intertoto Cup. Meanwhile, they launched the careers of such luminaries as Trevor Brooking, Paul Ince, Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, and Frank Lampard.

Since their election to the Football League in 1919, West Ham have moved regularly between the top two tiers of English football. They most recently finished seventh in the Premier League.

1 February 2006 - Bentley Rolls Over Man United

On 1 February 2006, Blackburn winger David Bentley became the first person to score a hat-trick against Manchester United in the Premier League as Rovers won 4-3.

The match was Bentley's first as an official Blackburn player--he signed with them the day before after spending the first half of the season with them on loan from Arsenal. Playing at home before a crowd of 25,484, he celebrated the move by putting Rovers ahead in the 35th minute, finishing off a free kick that United keeper Edwin van der Sar tipped onto the bar.

United striker Louis Saha returned the favor in the 37th minute, but a poor clearance from Rio Ferdinand allowed Bentley to double his tally four minutes later. Rovers extended the lead to 3-1 before the break when Lucas Neill converted a 45th-minute penalty kick. Then, in the 56th minute, Robbie Savage found Bentley unmarked in the United box; the winger took the chance, claiming the first hat-trick against United since QPR's David Bailey did it in January 1992 when the top flight was still called Division One.

United's Ruud van Nistelrooy, who had come on as a second-half substitute, scored a brace of his own in the 63rd and 68th minutes, but the rally ended when referee Phil Dowd sent Ferdinand off in the 88th minute--Ferdinand's first career red card, earned by having drawn a second yellow card for a challenge on Savage that left the Welshman with a gash on his shin.

The win completed a Blackburn double over United that season, which ended with Rovers in sixth place and United in second. 

22 July 2002 - His Name Is Rio And His Last Name's Ferdinand

On 22 July 2002, Leeds United center back Rio Ferdinand joined Manchester United for a British record transfer fee of £30 million. It was the second record-setting transfer fee for Ferdinand, who had already become the world's most expensive defender.

Ferdinand got his start with West Ham, where he played from 1995 to 2000. In November 2000, he moved to fellow Premier League side Leeds United for a fee of £18 million - the highest fee ever paid to that point for a defender, as well as the most for a British footballer (only France's Nicolas Anelka and Argentina's Juan Sebastián Verón had been sold for more, though Veron also went to Manchester United).

Ferdinand played for two seasons at Elland Road and captained the side in 2001-02. But financial pressures forced the club to offload a number of star players and Ferdinand moved to Manchester United. The two teams initially agreed on a base transfer fee just under £30 million, with conditional performance clauses that could raise the payments, but Leeds' need for cash resulted in a lump-sum £30 million payment.

The move has been good for Ferdinand, who won six League titles and the Champions League with United before leaving the club for Queens Park Rangers in 2014.

18 November 2011 - An Apology Is Better Than Nothing (But Not By Much)

On 18 November 2011, Sepp Blatter apologized for remarks he made earlier in the week about racism in football. It was the latest in a series of events over the course of a difficult year for the FIFA president.

No stranger to controversy, Blatter had previously provoked strong reactions for several statements, including his opinion that women's football would be more popular if the players wore tight shorts and his description of Cristiano Ronaldo's contract situation as a form of slavery. During his 2010 campaign for re-election to his FIFA post, he fell under intense scrutiny for allegations of corruption throughout the organization.

Then, in mid-November 2011, he addressed the problem of racism in football by suggesting that the players resolve any on-field incidents with a post-match handshake. The comment immediately drew harsh criticism from a wide variety of sources, most notably from Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, who called the comment "so condescending it's almost laughable." Many people called for Blatter's resignation.

The pressure led to his eventual apology. He did not deliver it in person, however, but instead submitted a written statement that was read by FIFA official Tokyo Sexwale. The statement read: "When you have done something which was not totally correct, I can only say I am sorry for all those people affected by my declarations. It hurts and I am still hurting because I couldn't envisage such a reaction."

Despite continued calls for his resignation, Blatter refused, saying that such a step was "not compatible with [his] fighting spirit."

25 October 2009 - There's Something To Be Said For Consistency

On 25 October 2009, Manchester United center back Nemanja Vidić received a 90th-minute red card against Liverpool--his third ejection in three consecutive games against the Reds.

In both of the teams' meetings the previous season, Vidić failed to make it to the final whistle and both ended as Liverpool victories. The first, at Anfield in September 2008, saw the defender receive a second yellow card in the 90th minute as the Reds edged to a 2-1 win. In the return fixture in March, he drew a straight red for a 76th-minute foul on Steven Gerrard, who had gotten through on a clear goalscoring opportunity. Liverpool won 1-4.

Things got no better for Vidić in the next meeting. Playing at Anfield, Fernando Torres put the hosts up 1-0 in the 65th minute after fending off pressure from Rio Ferdinand and driving the ball over Edwin Van der Sar into the roof of the net. Ten minutes later, Vidić earned his first yellow card of the day.

His second came in the 90th minute. With Dirk Kuyt about to blow past him to latch onto a deep ball, the Serbian defender delivered a flying challenge that stopped Kuyt cold. Referee Andre Marriner then produced a yellow and a red card in quick succession. (It was the first of two reds on the day, as Javier Mascherano joined Vidić with a stoppage-time exit.) And David N'Gog's strike in the sixth minute of stoppage time sealed the 2-0 win for Liverpool.

5 July 1900 - A Club Reforged

On 5 July 1900, a new club rose from the ashes of Thames Ironworks FC. Calling themselves West Ham United, the new club went on to win three FA Cups and two international trophies while launching the careers of some of football's biggest stars.

Built from the remains of Old Castle Swifts FC, Thames Ironworks served as the works team for the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Co. The team was successful, winning the London League in 1898 and the Southern League's second division in 1899, but disbanded in June 1900 over disputes about the club's administration and financing. On 5 June 1900, the club was relaunched as West Ham United.

West Ham were elected to the Football League in 1919 and rose to the top tier in 1923. That year, they reached the FA Cup Final, but lost to Bolton Wanderers 2-0. They eventually won their first FA Cup in 1964, led by Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst. That team went on to win the Cup Winners' Cup in 1965, while Moore and Hurst helped England to World Cup glory in 1966.

Two more FA Cups followed in 1975 and 1980, and they were one of the three winning finalists in the 1999 Intertoto Cup. Meanwhile, they launched the careers of such luminaries as Trevor Brooking, Paul Ince, Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, and Frank Lampard.

Since their election to the Football League in 1919, West Ham have moved regularly between the top two tiers of English football. They were recently relegated from the Premier League and will play in the Championship for the 2011-12 season.

1 February 2006 - Bentley Rolls Over Man United

On 1 February 2006, Blackburn winger David Bentley became the first person to score a hat-trick against Manchester United in the Premier League as Rovers won 4-3.

The match was Bentley's first as an official Blackburn player--he signed with them the day before after spending the first half of the season with them on loan from Arsenal. Playing at home before a crowd of 25,484, he celebrated the move by putting Rovers ahead in the 35th minute, finishing off a free kick that United keeper Edwin van der Sar tipped onto the bar.

United striker Louis Saha returned the favor in the 37th minute, but a poor clearance from Rio Ferdinand allowed Bentley to double his tally four minutes later. Rovers extended the lead to 3-1 before the break when Lucas Neill converted a 45th-minute penalty kick. Then, in the 56th minute, Robbie Savage found Bentley unmarked in the United box; the winger took the chance, claiming the first hat-trick against United since QPR's David Bailey did it in January 1992 when the top flight was still called Division One.

United's Ruud van Nistelrooy, who had come on as a second-half substitute, scored a brace of his own in the 63rd and 68th minutes, but the rally ended when referee Phil Dowd sent Ferdinand off in the 88th minute--Ferdinand's first career red card, earned by having drawn a second yellow card for a challenge on Savage that left the Welshman with a gash on his shin.

The win completed a Blackburn double over United that season, which ended with Rovers in sixth place and United in second. Bentley left Blackburn for Tottenham in 2008 and is currently on loan with Birmingham.

22 July 2002 - His Name Is Rio And His Last Name's Ferdinand

On 22 July 2002, Leeds United center back Rio Ferdinand joined Manchester United for a British record transfer fee of £30 million. It was the second record-setting transfer fee for Ferdinand, who had already become the world's most expensive defender.

Ferdinand got his start with West Ham, where he played from 1995 to 2000. In November 2000, he moved to fellow Premier League side Leeds United for a fee of £18 million - the highest fee ever paid to that point for a defender, as well as the most for a British footballer (only France's Nicolas Anelka and Argentina's Juan Sebastián Verón had been sold for more, though Veron also went to Manchester United).

Ferdinand played for two seasons at Elland Road and captained the side in 2001-02. But financial pressures forced the club to offload a number of star players and Ferdinand moved to Manchester United. The two teams initially agreed on a base transfer fee just under £30 million, with conditional performance clauses that could raise the payments, but Leeds' need for cash resulted in a lump-sum £30 million payment.

The move has been good for Ferdinand, who has won four League titles and the Champions League with United.