1) Old football could seriously damage your health, as these guilty laugh-inducers show: this wasn't even a foul, whereas now it would probably be a penalty, a red card, a 10-match ban and maybe even a custodial; this didn't warrant a yellow card; neither of these warranted a red card; nor did this; nor did Claudio Gentile's legendary 90-minute molestation of Diego Maradona at the 1982 World Cup; and nor did anything in the unrelentingly vicious match between Argentina and Brazil at the 1978 World Cup.
2) These days, football isn't about such thuggery, of course. These days, football fans – truly, madly, deeply – have love in their heart, as these Savage Garden-loving supporters show [warning: advert].
3) New West Ham owner Hugh Hef- sorry, David Sullivan went on Brass Eye back in the day, with hilarious and rather inevitable adult-themed consequences.
4) There are some things that should not be possible. Such as a 16-year-old, picked primarily as a leg-spin bowler, playing his first innings for his country, promoted to pinch-hitter, scoring the fastest century in international cricket history from only 37 balls. But that's exactly what the inimitable Shahid Afridi did against Sri Lanka in 1996.
5) Is this the greatest solo try in rugby union history? The All Blacks' John Kirwan scores straight from the kick-off against Italy at the inaugural World Cup in 1987.
Our favourites from last week's blog
1) Bowlers who can bowl at 90mph are at a premium. As are bowlers who can swing and seam it both ways almost at will. As are bowlers who can outthink a batsman with the sharpest of cricket brains. And perhaps only one man has ever truly combined all three qualities: the late, great Malcolm Marshall.
2) "I suggest you shut up and show more football." Brian Clough rips John Motson a new one or seven.
3) We're not sure it's in the laws of the game, never mind the spirit, but the paradinha – the art of stopping just before you take a penalty to confuse the goalkeeper – is reaching new heights of ingenuity, as shown in the last fortnight by Neymar and Fred. And while we're talking about how to finish, check out this toaster.
4) A portrait of an artist: his name is Zizou.
5) A curiosity from cricket's past: the World's Fastest Bowler Competition 1979.
6) Now games like this are why we love old football. Portsmouth v Oxford in December 1984: the atmosphere, a pitch of mud and a twist that even Hitchcock might have baulked at.
Spotters' badges: santeff, VCPorto8704, vancouverfox, Spikadelika, Balboa, GiloStilton.
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