28 February 2010 - The City Of Fights (Again)

On 28 February 2010, rival groups of PSG supporters turned violent during a match against Marseille, resulting in twenty arrests and one fatality.

PSG hosted the Ligue 1 match looking for some redemption, having already lost at Marseille earlier in the season. But Marseille winger Hatem Ben Arfa was the first to score, driving the ball home in the 15th minute. The game remained close into the second half, but the visitors got additional goals from Lucho González (54') and Benoît Cheyrou (71') to finish the day at 0-3.

The day was even uglier for PSG in the stands and outside the Parc des Princes, where rival supporter groups the Boulogne Boys and Supras Auteuil clashed before, during, and after the game. The police used tear gas to help quell the riot and ended up arresting twenty people. Several people sustained minor injuries, but one, a 38-year old man identified only as "Yann L," suffered a serious head injury that put him into a coma. He died about two weeks later.

PSG condemned the actions and decided not to sell tickets for their away matches for the remainder of the season.

27 February 2011 - His Explanation Didn't Fly Either

On 27 February 2011, a Colombian league match between two struggling teams drew global attention after one player kicked an owl.

Popular Junior hosted the top flight match against Deportivo Pereira with both teams situated firmly in the bottom of the table. At one point, an owl that served as an unofficial mascot for Junior wandered onto the pitch, where it was soon struck by the ball when a Deportivo player attempted a low clearance. The referee stopped play a few seconds later, at which point Deportivo's Luis Morales walked over to the injured owl and kicked it off the pitch.

Afterward, Morales apologized to Junior and their supporters, saying that he was not trying to hurt the owl, but wanted only to see whether it could still fly. The league later determined that Morales' action was a deliberate provocation of the home fans and suspended him for two games. They also fined him $560.

The owl was sent to a veterinarian, but died from its injuries.

26 February 2010 - No Safe Harbor For Portsmouth

On 26 February 2010, Portsmouth earned the dubious distinction of becoming the first Premier League club to go into administration.

The move came in the middle of an already difficult season for the two-time league champions and 2008 FA Cup winners. Under previous manager Paul Hart, they had hit the bottom of the table with a loss to Manchester City at the end of the previous August. Despite former Chelsea manager Avram Grant stepping in to replace Hart in November, they remained dead last for the remainder of the season.

The club's situation was exacerbated by financial problems. Despite the sale of the club to Saudi Arabian businessman Ali al-Faraj in October 2009, Portsmouth failed to pay their players in November and December. Then in February, after al-Faraj failed to make a loan payment to Hong King businessman Balram Chainrai, the club changed hands again, with Chainrai becoming the new owner.

Concerned by the club's debts, estimated to be about £135 million, Chainrai voluntarily placed the club into administration in order to avoid liquidation.The move did little to help the club's Premier League fortunes, however, as the league docked them nine points which virtually guaranteed their relegation at the end of the season.

They dropped into the Championship for the 2010-11 season. In February 2012, they went into administration again and were later relegated into League One, where they currently sit at the bottom of the table.

25 February 1967 - The Death Of Tony Allden

On 25 February 1967, Highgate United's Tony Allden was struck by lightning in an FA Amateur Cup quarterfinal against Enfield. He died the next day.

The 22-year old, 6'1" center half helped propel the small Worcestershire Combination club into the quarterfinals of  the tournament where they hosted Enfield, a Isthmian League side sitting two levels above Highgate in the English football pyramid. Enfield were clear favorites, but the stands were humming with anticipation from a capacity crowd of over 2,000 as the teams took the pitch under a heavy downpour.

But at 3:27 pm, with just under half an hour played, a bolt of lightning struck Allden, who was standing in the center circle. According to one report, Allden was left "crumpled in an aura of blue smoke." Two other players, brothers Eric and Roy Taylor, also collapsed due to shock. All three were rushed to the hospital where the Taylors soon recovered, but Allden did not. He passed away from his injuries the following afternoon.

Because of media attention, the replay drew a crowd of over 30,000, forcing its move away from Highgate's Tythebarn Lane to the larger Villa Park, where Enfield won 0-6 (they went on to win the cup over Skelsmerdale United in a final reply at Manchester City's Maine Road ground).

That April, a memorial match was played in Allden's honor between a Midlands XI and an International XI. He was also recognized with the creation of the Tony Allden Memorial Cup.

24 February 2010 - A Sign Of A Season To Come

On 24 February 2010, a friendly between the Philadelphia Union and the Atlas U-20s ended early when hostilities erupted on the pitch.

The Union were down in Guadalajara to prepare for their first MLS season and scheduled the friendly against the U-20 squad of local team Atlas. But the match failed to love up to the name, with a total of five ejections--three Union players and two from Atlas.

Tempers continued to flare to the point where the referee ended the match with twelve minutes left in order to avoid an incipient riot. Atlas still got the win, though, 3-2.

The match set the stage for the Union's season, as they finished with the league's third-worst record (just above Chivas USA and DC United) and failed to qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs.

23 February 2000 - The Late Great Stanley Matthews

On 23 February 2000, Stanley Matthews, winner of the first Ballon d'Or, passed away at the age of 85.

A winger who is widely considered one of the greatest players in football history, Matthews acquired a long list of accomplishments over the course of his 33-year career, which he spent with only two clubs, Stoke City (1932-47, 1961-65) and Blackpool (1947-61). In all, he made a total of 783 appearances and scored 80 goals. But he won only one major trophy, claiming the 1953 FA Cup with Blackpool with an outstanding performance that led the game being called "the Matthews Final."

He came close twice before, reaching the FA Cup Final with Blackpool in 1948 and 1951, and also finished as league runners-up in 1956, the year he won the inaugural Ballon d'Or as Europe's greatest player. The following year, he was made a Commander of the British Empire, becoming the first (and so far only) English footballer to be knighted while still an active player.

Matthews also starred at the international level, making 54 England appearances and winning nine British Home Championships (three of which were shared titles).

His dedication to fitness and training sustained his career so that, at 50, he became the oldest player to appear in the English top flight. He is also the oldest person ever to play for England, making his last appearance at the age of 42 years, 104 days.

Upon his death in 2000, testimonials flew in from all around the world, including comments from Pelé, who said that Matthews "taught us the way football should be played" and Berti Vogts, who said "All over the world, he is regarded as a true football genius."

22 February 1931 - Vélez Takes A Fall

On 22 February 1931, Vélez Sársfield suffered the only loss of their 25-game Pan-American tour, falling to Fall River 5-2.

Vélez had already played fifteen matches of their tour, which included stops in Chile, Peru, Cuba, Mexico, and three games in the United States. The first of the US matches was a 3-1 win over the New York Stars in Brooklyn on 21 February. They then traveled down to Rhode Island for their next match against Fall River.

But they were not facing the Fall River Marksmen, the defending ASL champions. Owner Sam Mark had moved that team to New York where they merged with New York SC to play as the Yankees. Mark offered the use of his Rhode Island stadium to any team willing to relocate there, however, so the Providence Gold Bugs took him up on the offer and became the new Fall River FC.

The 5-2 was the only loss of the tour for Vélez, to go along with 20 wins and 4 draws. And it was one of the high points of Fall River's season, followed by another friendly win three months later over Celtic.