Q & A: Chelsea's 72,000 Cup crowd

Q. When were the last occasions on which English football league grounds had attendances in excess of 50,000, 60,000 and 70,000?

A. I recollect standing on the high terrace, now a three-tier stand, at Stamford Bridge, watching an FA Cup replay between Chelsea and Spurs shortly after the death of the great John White during the 1964-65 season. Chelsea, fielding a young Terry Venables, won an exciting match 2-0 in front of a reported crowd of more than 72,000, with an estimated further 10,000 being locked out. - Ian V Cooper, Southend on Sea

Q. How many Oxbridge 'blues' have progressed to play: (a) professional football; (b) professional cricket; (c) top-class rugby?

A. G A Upton (Q & A 6 March) referred to S H Thomas, Tranmere Rovers' Oxford Blue. He taught at Birkenhead School, which was a rugby school and his soccer activities were frowned upon. Because we played rugby on Saturday afternoons, none of us Tranmere supporters were able to be at New Brighton for his only league appearance. But the story at the time was not that he had played badly, but that the rest of the players refused to pass the ball to him because he was an amateur. - C W Corlett, London SE3

A. There is a Cambridge Blue that has yet to be mentioned: Paul Gibb, the England wicketkeeper/batsman who became the first 'Blue' to turn professional when he left Yorkshire for Essex in 1950. His first series for England was in the 1938-39 tour of South Africa, when he scored 120 in a 280-run partnership with Bill Edrich (219) in the second innings of the Test in Durban. He played for Yorkshire after the war in 1946, and was a member of the Championship side of that season. He toured Australia in 1946-47 as No 1 wicketkeeper, was replaced by T G Evans during that tour and never again played for England. - A R Webb, Chigwell

Q. Has the FA Cup final ever been contested by two teams from outside the top division of the day? - Chris Muston, Liverpool

A. Since 1888-89, there have been 22 occasions on which 16 different clubs from outside the top division of the day have reached the FA Cup Final. All but four were from the old Second Division, the last one being Sunderland in 1992. Those not in the Football League when they played in the FA Cup final were The Wednesday (1890), Southampton (1900 and 1902) and Tottenham Hotspur (1901). The FA Cup has been won by a club from outside the top division on eight occasions, including Southampton's two victories. The last non-top division club to win was West Ham United in 1980, when they defeated Arsenal. The Football League Cup (and its various sponsored successors) has twice had both finalists from outside the First Division. In 1962 Norwich City (Second Division) beat Rochdale (Fourth Division) and in 1975 Norwich City (Second Division) lost to Aston Villa (Second Division). - Andrew Kirkham, Knaresborough

Why don't women play ice hockey?

A. There is a thriving women's league system in this country made up of a Premier League and two First Divisions split into North and South, with a total of 17 teams. At the moment Bracknell Queen Bees top the Premier League, unlike their male counterparts, Bracknell Bees, who have just avoided the relegation play-offs in the Premier League. - David Golley, Norwich

Q. Why does the football team which finishes bottom of the Scottish Second Division not have to apply for re-

election each year?

A. There is no provision in the rules for any relegation from, or promotion to, the Scottish League. The Football League in England operates automatic relegation to the GM Vauxhall Conference, from which the champions can be promoted if they apply to the league and satisfy various criteria. Before that, the bottom four clubs in what was the Fourth Division were compelled to apply to the Football League for re-election. However, two clubs were this year elected to the Scottish League for the 1994-95 season as it is being reorganised into four divisions of 10 clubs each. Caledonian Thistle (an amalgam of two Inverness clubs) and Ross County will compete in the new Scottish Third Division. - Richard Shipley, Otley

ANSWERS PLEASE

Q. Does any reader remember Prince 'I've got a horse' Monolulu, the tipster who was prominent in the Fifties and Sixties? Is he still alive and what was his tipping record? - Frank Soughley, Dublin

Q. Of the clubs making up the four senior leagues in England only two have names that are not derived from their city/town/county, whereas in Scotland, half of the clubs in the Premier League alone have names which are not based on geography. Why? - Robert Graham, Edinburgh

Q. In the 1970s Taylor for Wales and Brown for Scotland were both forwards and regular goal-kickers. Are there any forwards who are regular goal-kickers for club or country at present? Have there ever been any front-row forwards who kicked regularly for their club? - R Roberts, St Saviour, Jersey

Q. Why is it that we call Italian football teams by their Italian names (eg Napoli, Torino) but German teams by their Anglicised names (Bayern Munich, FC Cologne)? And how are British clubs referred to overseas? - Ed Horton, Oxford

Q. When was the first single recorded by a football team, and what was its chart position? - Michael H Williams, London NW9

Q. If a Premier League team were to revert to the 1-11 shirt numbering system, what would be their punishment? - Roger Dismal, Basingstoke

If you know the answers to any of these questions, or have a sporting question of your own you would like answered, write to:

Q & A

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