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My phactoids are as accurate as can possibly be & come from (usually) reliable areas. If you have any phactoids or disputes , please e-mail me providing details and original sources. I will be happy to include any contributions & will provide corrections if neccessary.


Famous Football Fans

  • Clive Anderson, comedian - Arsenal
  • Tasmin Archer, singer - Sunderland
  • Mark Billingham, author - Wolverhampton Wanderers
  • Dickie Bird, cricket umpire - Barnsley
  • Tony Blair, ex-British Prime Minister - Newcastle Utd.
  • Buster Bloodvessel, singer (Bad Manners) - Margate
  • Stan Boardman, comedian - Liverpool
  • Jeremy Bowen, news reporter - Cardiff City
  • Johnny Briggs (Mike Baldwin) - Burnley
  • Tim Brooke-Taylor, comedian - Derby County
  • Ian Broudie (Lightning Seeds) - Liverpool
  • Gordon Brown, Prime Minister - Raith Rovers
  • Melanie C, singer - Liverpool
  • Alistair Campbell, spin doctor - Burnley
  • Paul Carrack, musician - Sheffield Wednesday
  • Jasper Carrot, comedian - Birmingham City
  • Jarvis Cocker, singer (Pulp) - Sheffield Wednesday
  • Alan Davies, comedian - Arsenal
  • Angus Deyton, actor/TV presenter - Manchester Utd.
  • Thomas Dolby, musician - West Ham Utd.
  • Dr Dre, rapper - Liverpool
  • David Essex, singer/actor - West Ham Utd.
  • Colin Farrell, actor - Cardiff City
  • Stephen Fry, comedian/writer - Norwich City
  • Eddie Izzard, comedian - Crystal Palace
  • Phill Jupitus, comedian - West Ham Utd.
  • Peter Kay, comedian - Bolton Wanderers
  • Nigel Kennedy, violinist - Aston Villa
  • John Ketley, weatherman - Burnley
  • Neil Kinnock, politician - Cardiff City
  • Ralf Little, actor - Manchester Utd.
  • Sean Lock, comedian - Chelsea
  • Matt Lucas, comedian - Arsenal
  • Pauline McLynne, comedienne - Aston Villa
  • Patrick McGuinness, comedian - Bolton Wanderers
  • Stuart Maconie, dj - Wigan Athletic
  • Rory McGrath, comedian - Arsenal
  • James Nesbitt, actor - Manchester Utd.
  • Paolo Nutini, singer - Celtic
  • Ardal O'Hanlon, comedian - Leeds Utd.
  • Michael Palin, comedian - Sheffield Utd.
  • John Parr, singer - Doncaster Rovers
  • Robert Plant, singer - Wolverhampton Wanderers
  • Mark Radcliffe, dj - Manchester City
  • Chris Rea, musician - Middlesborough
  • Craig and Charlie Reid, (The Proclaimers) - Hibernian
  • Sir Tim Rice, lyricist - Sunderland
  • Kevin Rowland, singer - Brighton And Hove Albion
  • Suggs, Madness singer - Chelsea
  • Jimmy Tarbuck, comedian - Liverpool
  • Ricky Tomlinson, actor - Liverpool
  • Rick Wakeman, musician - Brentford
  • Dennis Waterman, actor - Chelsea
  • Roy Wood, musician - Birmingham City



  • F.A. Cup Phactoids

  • The first FA Cup took place in 1872, won by The Wanderers.
  • The only current football league club to have played in the first FA Cup was Scottish league team Queen's Park.
  • The first cup final to be played outside of London was in Derby, in 1886.
  • Up until 1894 a referee could only give a decision if a player appealed for it.
  • The first cup (known as 'the tin cup') was stolen from a shop in Birmingham on September 11th 1895. It was never recovered and is thought to have been melted down.
  • 3 other cups have been used: the second awarded to the, then, FA President in 1910; the third was replaced in 1992 after it became too fragile; the current cup is the one presented at present
  • The only non-league team to win the FA Cup are Tottenham Hotspur (in 1901 Spurs were a non-league team)
  • Extra time, in the case of a draw after 90 minutes, was introduced in 1913.
  • The largest player to have played in an FA Cup match was Sheffield United's Billy Foulke in 1902. He was 21 stone, their goalkeeper. (they beat Southampton 2-1 in the replay)
  • The first man to score in every game, including replays, right up to, and including, the final was Tottenham Hotspurs' Sandy Brown

    World Cup Phactoids

  • The first World Cup (The Jules Rimet trophy), in 1930, was staged in, and won by, Uruguay.
  • Brazil kept the original after winning it for athird time in 1970
  • Only 13 teams competed in the first tournament. Of those, France, Yugoslavia, Belgium and Romania were the only representatives from Europe
  • When England played East Germany in 1938 the players were made to perform the Nazi salute before the game. Some objected to the salute but were forced to adhere, the others did not think it important.

    Firsts



    Misc Phactoids

  • Buster Merryfield, Uncle Albert in Only Fools And Horses, played professional football for Millwall
  • Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovic was a qualified football referee