The Football Association (FA) Premier League was established in 1992 with 22 inaugural members and, at the end of the 1994/95 season, reduced to 20 members ‘to promote development and excellence at club and international level’. Since 1995/96, conventional wisdom has it that 38 points or, in other words, an average of one point per match, is the threshold for avoiding relegation to the second tier of English football, the Championship.
Of course, the bottom three clubs in the Premier League table at the end of the season are relegated, but, since 1995/96, the club finishing fourth from bottom has amassed a fraction over 35 points, such that, more often than not, 36 points has been sufficient to secure safety in the top tier. In fact, since 2000/01, just four clubs – West Ham United in 2002/03, Sheffield United in 2006/07, Birmingham City in 2010/11 and Newcastle United in 2015/16 – have been relegated with 37 or more points.
The team that managed to retain Premier League status with a relatively paltry total of 34 points was West Bromwich Albion in 2004/05. Newly promoted, The Baggies were bottom of the Premier League table over Christmas, having already replaced manager Gary Megson with former ‘club hero’ Bryan Robson. Albion remained rooted at the foot of the table until February 22, 2005, but won three and drew three of their next seven matches, lifting them, temporarily, out of the relegation zone.
However, a 4-0 defeat by Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium halted their progress and, heading into the final round of fixtures on May 15, 2005, they were bottom again. On the final day, a 2-0 victory over Portsmouth proved sufficient, though, with relegation rivals Southampton and Norwich both losing and Crystal Palace only drawing, to leave West Bromwich Albion in a precarious, but safe, sseventeenth place.
Notwithstanding the fact that a break of 155 is theoretically possible, under extraordinary conditions, 147 is generally accepted as the maximum break available in a frame of snooker and, as such, represents the pinnacle of achievement in the sport. The first witnessed, but unofficial, 147 break was made by New Zealander E.J. ‘Murt’ O’Donoghue in Griffiths, New South Wales, Australia on September 26, 1934. The exact circumstances are not entirely clear, but presumably the break was considered ineligible for ‘official’ consideration because it was made on a table with pockets not cut to template – which determines the width of the jaws and other characteristics – and/or in the absence of a certified referee.
In any case, the first maximum break that did meet the required criteria was made at Leicester Square Hall, formerly Thurston’s Hall, in London on January 22, 1955. Almost inevitably, the player responsible was the so-called ‘Sultan of Snooker’, Joseph ‘Joe’ Davis, who had won the World Snooker Championship – or the Professional Snooker Championship, as it was known initially – 15 consecutive times between 1927 and 1946, before turning his attention to exhibition matches. It was in such a match, against Willie Smith, that Davis made his historic 147.
Although reduced to the role of spectator on that occasion, Smith had won the World Billiards Championship twice, in 1920 and 1923 – the only occasions on which he entered the competition – and reached the final of the World Snooker Championship twice, in 1933 and 1935. For the record, the first televised maximum break was compiled by ‘The Nugget’, Steve Davis, during a 5-2 victory over John Spencer in the quarter-finals of the Lada Classic at the Civic Centre, Oldham on January 11, 1982.
Born in Yokosuka, Japan on February 9, 1978, to Filipino parents – hence his nickname, ‘The Filipino Wrecking Machine’ – Muñoz moved to Vallejo, California as an infant. An individual gold medallist in the 197lb weight class at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Wrestling Championships in Iowa City in 2001, while a senior at Oklahoma State University, Muñoz made his MMA debut in the Palace Fighting Championship (PFC) at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California on July 19, 2007. On that occasion, he beat Austin Achorn by technical knockout after 1:25 of the opening round.
The following April, Muñoz left his position as assistant coach at the University of California, Davis to pursue a professional MMA career. He made his World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) debut on June 1, 2008 at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California. On the main card at ‘WEC 34: Faber vs. Pulver’, he competed in the light heavyweight division, defeating Chuck ‘The Reverend’ Grigsby by knockout after 4:15 of the first round. Another first-round victory, by technical knockout, over Ricardo Barros on the preliminary card of ‘WEC 37: Torres vs. Tapia’, at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Paradise, Nevada on December 3, 2008, took his MMA record to 5-0.
Following the elimination of the light heavyweight and middleweight weight classes from WEC, Muñoz was one of a handful of fighters selected to make the transition to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) which, like WEC, was owned and produced by parent company Zuffa, LLC. He made his UFC debut on the main, pay-per-view (PPV) card at ‘UFC 96: Jackson vs. Jardine’ at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio on March 7, 2009. However, the light heavyweight contest against Matt ‘The Hammer’ Hamill ended in the first defeat of his career when he was knocked out by a head kick after 3:53 of the first round.
Amidst the swirling tempest of the 2023 FIFA World Cup, Kylian Mbappé emerged as a force of nature, a meteor streaking across the footballing heavens. Like a bolt of lightning illuminating the night sky, his presence electrified the tournament, leaving fans and adversaries alike spellbound. With a blend of raw talent, boundless determination, and an unwavering spirit, Mbappé transformed the grand stage into his own personal playground, captivating hearts with a symphony of goals that defied logic and left defences in disarray.
With the grace of a dancer and the precision of a master craftsman, Mbappé’s boots painted a vibrant tapestry of goal-scoring prowess. The tournament unfolded like a gripping saga, with each chapter unveiling a new masterpiece of his making. Eight goals stood as testament to his supernatural touch, as he weaved through defences with a blend of speed, agility, and cunning that rendered opponents helpless and crowds breathless.
But Mbappé’s influence extended beyond the realm of mere scoring statistics. He was a sorcerer of playmaking, an alchemist of assists that lit up the stage. In the midst of his goal-scoring exploits, he conjured three magical assists, threading delicate passes and unlocking doors to opportunity for his teammates. With a flick of his wand-like foot, he orchestrated symphonies of attacking brilliance that echoed through stadiums and reverberated in the hearts of fans.
The world gazed upon Mbappé with awe and admiration, as his name became synonymous with goal-scoring excellence. The Golden Boot adorned his mantle, a crown befitting a true footballing king. It shimmered and sparkled, a symbol of his unwavering commitment to his craft and the rewards reaped from his relentless pursuit of perfection.
In the grand finale against Argentina, the stage was set for Mbappé’s magnum opus. With a flicker of genius, he orchestrated a mesmerising hat-trick, a trio of goals that transcended the boundaries of the ordinary. Like a maestro conducting an orchestra of destiny, he took centre stage, leaving defenders in his wake and etching his name in the annals of World Cup folklore.
The short answer is three. The first of them was Brazilian Mário Zagallo who, as a left-winger, won the Jules Rimet Trophy twice, in 1958 and 1962 and, as manager, won the trophy outright in 1970. Indeed, Zagallo played for one of the greatest Brazilian teams in history in 1958, participating in every game at the World Cup finals tournament and scoring the fourth goal in a 5-2 victory over the hosts, Sweden, at the Råsunda Stadium in Solna, Stockholm. In 1970, he managed the iconic, free-scoring team, featuring the likes of Pele, Jairzinho, Rivellino, that beat Italy 4-1 in the World Cup final at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
Next of the trio was German Franz ‘Der Kaiser’ Beckenbauer who, as a sweeper, led West Germany to victory in the 1974 World Cup, defeating a Netherlands team captained by Johan Cruyff 2-1 on the final at Olympicadion, Munich. Having become the first captain to lift the new Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup Trophy, Beckenbauer did so again, as manager, in 1990. In the last World Cup staged before the reunification of Germany,
which came into effect on October 3, 1990, West Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in the final at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Finally, Frenchman Didier Deschamps, in his capacity as a defensive midfielder, captained his country at the 1998 World Cup, played on home soil, led Les Blues to a 3-0 victory over Brazil in the final at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris. He was initially appointed manager, or head coach, of the French national team in 2012 but, after twice extending his original two-year contract, mastermined victory in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. France remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, eventually beating Croatia 4-2 in the the final at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.