Now You Know Big Book of Sports. Doug Lennox

       Did you know …

      that in their early days, while still called Newton Heath, the club that would eventually become Manchester United was nicknamed “The Heathens”?

       What is the Merseyside Derby?

      The Merseyside Derby is the name given to any match between the English teams Everton FC and Liverpool FC, the two most successful clubs from the city of Liverpool. Traditionally, the Merseyside Derby was referred to as The Friendly Derby because of the large number of families with supporters of both teams. It is one of the few local English soccer rivalries that does not enforce fan segregation at games.

       How did Arsenal get their strange name?

      Arsenal FC were founded as Dial Square in 1886 by workers at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, west of London, but they were renamed Royal Arsenal shortly afterwards. They changed their name to Woolwich Arsenal after turning professional in 1891. The club joined the English Football League in 1893, but low attendance led to financial problems leaving them effectively bankrupt by 1910, when they were taken over by Henry Norris. In 1913 Norris moved the team to the new Arsenal Stadium in Highbury, North London, and they dropped “Woolwich” from their name the following year.

       Why do Tottenham Hotspur FC have a bird on their crest?

      That bird is a cockerel, a fighting cock with a spur on its leg. In 1882 the Hotspur Football Club was formed by grammar schoolboys from the Bible class at All Hallows Church. They were also members of Hotspur Cricket Club and it is thought that the name Hotspur was associated with Sir Henry Percy, who was “Harry Hotspur” of Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part I, and who lived locally during in the fourteenth century. Harry Hotspur was famous for his riding spurs and fighting cocks. In 1884 the club was renamed Tottenham Hotspur Football and Athletic Club to distinguish itself from another team called London Hotspur.

       Why Sheffield Wednesday and not Thursday or Monday?

      Sheffield Wednesday was a cricket club when it originally formed in 1820 as The Wednesday Cricket Club — named after the day of the week when they played their matches. The cricketers formed the soccer branch of their club in 1867. The cricket branch eventually expired, but the name survived.

       Who founded Rangers FC?

      Two brothers, Peter and Moses McNeil, with the help of two friends, Peter Campbell and William McBeath, founded Rangers Football Club in 1872. The original name for the club was Argyle and possibly relates to the large numbers of Highlanders who moved to Glasgow during the Victorian era. The club moved to Ibrox in 1887.

       Quickies

       Did you know …

      that of the 11 clubs who formed the original Scottish League, only five are still league teams — Rangers, Celtic, Dumbarton, Hearts, and St. Mirren?

       Who founded Celtic FC?

      Celtic were founded at a meeting in St. Mary’s Church Hall on East Rose Street (now Forbes Street), Calton, Glasgow, by Brother Walfrid, an Irish Marist brother, on November 6, 1887. The purpose stated in the official club records was stated as “being to alleviate poverty in Glasgow’s East End parishes.” Walfrid’s move to establish the club was a means of fundraising for his charity, The Poor Children’s Dinner Table.

       When did Rangers FC and Celtic FC first meet on the pitch?

      On May 28, 1888, Celtic played their first official match, and it was against none other than Rangers — a club that had existed since 1872. Celtic won 5–2, fielding eight guest players from Hibernian FC.

       What was the first non-U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS) team?

      That would be the Toronto FC, which was formed in 2006 and plays at BMO Field on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition. The team set an MLS record in season ticket sales, selling 14,000 before they’d even appeared in a game.

       What does “bend it like Beckham” mean?

      The phrase “bend it like Beckham” was popularized as the title of a British movie from 2002, starring Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley. The title refers to David Beckham’s ability to put spin on a ball from a free kick, causing it to curve — or “bend” — in trajectory around the defence and into the net. Nagra’s character in the film, Jess Bhamra, shows a similar aptitude for bending free kicks.

       What does “bank it like Beckham” mean?

      The term “to bend” a soccer ball means to put spin on a ball from a free kick to give it a curving trajectory around defenders. The phrase “bank it like Beckham” is a joke on this phrase, playing on the title of the feature film Bend it like Beckham, and referring to Beckham’s ability to land copious amounts of money in the bank upon signing a $250 million U.S. deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

       What term did N.L. Jackson, founder of Corinthians F.C., give to soccer?

      On May 10, 1886, N.L. Jackson, founder of Corinthians F.C. and assistant secretary of England’s Football Association, proposed that all players taking part for England in international matches should be “presented with a white silk cap with red rose embroidered on the front.” Caps are no longer given today, but the term has lived on, so that if a player has participated in 10 international matches, it is said he has 10 caps.

       What is a friendly?

      This is a non-competition game, the results of which do not count for standings in a league or tournament. The two sides are just having a friendly game.

       Why is it said that soccer players dribble?

      The word dribble dates back to the sixteenth century when it was used, as it is now, to describe a flow of drips or drops — though back then drips and drops were called “dribs.” It was first used in relation to soccer in 1863 by British journalist A.G. Guillemard, who described an Eton player “dribbling the ball slowly forward before his feet” in the October issue of The Sporting Gazette. The term describes skillful movement of the ball upfield in short, small kicks.

       What is a tackle?

      Unlike American football, bringing another player to the ground is a no-no in soccer. To tackle another player means to take the ball from him with your feet. In soccer, you tackle the ball, not the player.

       What is a square ball?

      No, it is not a cube. Such a ball shape would not work well for soccer — or any other game! A square ball is one passed on the ground in a line parallel to the touchlines on the pitch.

       What does it mean to say the ball has gone into touch?

      It means it is dead, because it has crossed the touchlines. When the ball goes into the area outside of the field of play, beyond the touchlines, it may be legally touched by a player’s hands, so the term means that the ball has gone into that area.

       What is a banana kick?

      This is a type of kick that gives the ball a curved trajectory — a bend like a banana — used to get the ball around a goaltender or defender.

       What is a bicycle kick?

      This is a highly entertaining acrobatic shot. A player kicks the ball in mid-air backwards and over his own head, usually making contact above waist level. It is