Football: Sideslines

Raid on Spurs that made Rams great

At a time when Brian Clough's activities in the transfer market are under scrutiny for unhappy reasons, today's meeting of Derby County and Tottenham Hotspur provides an opportunity to recall one of the signings of the century. In 1968, with six-figure fees commonplace, Clough paid Spurs pounds 5,000 for a supposed has- been who became the catalyst in the rise of the Rams.

After nine glittering years at White Hart Lane, Dave Mackay was about to become assistant manager at Hearts when Clough offered him the chance to play on in the top division. Mackay was Footballer of the Year in his first season and, at 36, ever-present in his third. He then joined Swindon as player-manager, but when the championship came to the Baseball Ground in 1972, his influence on Roy McFarland's form was unmistakable.

Mackay returned, of course, to succeed Clough and take Derby into the the European Cup again. His compatriot John Duncan, now Chesterfield's manager, made the same journey 10 years after Clough's coup when Tommy Docherty bought him for for pounds 150,000, though injury prevented his making a remotely comparable impact. Keith Osgood, Steve Hodge and John Chiedozie, once of Spurs, also went on to play for Derby.

Ronnie Dix, who won one England cap with Derby, left for Spurs in 1939, yet played only three games before war broke out. Connections are otherwise rare, although by coincidence another of Mackay's countrymen, one Jimmy Bauchop, did score the goal which clinched the Second Division title for Derby in 1912 before moving on to Spurs.

Ten things that Barnsley's Slovenian Ales

Krizan

might be missing

today

1 The `in-the-face-of-adversity' spirit that runs through Slovenian football. Last year the 10 First Division teams finished the season owing pounds 2m in wages. At least Barnsley pay.

2 The Julian Alps.

3 Boating on Lake Bohinj and going naked on the nudist beaches next to it.

4 Triglav, the 2,864-metre tri-peaked mountain, called Old Mr Three Heads.

5 The national flag, which depicts Triglav and three stars above it. "Their triangular disposition is a symbol of pluralist dynamics," said its designers.

6 Skiing, which many believe was actually invented in the 17th century on the Bloke Plateau in Notranjska province.

7 Kazolecs (hayracks). Such national icons that a postcard of one sent to a Slovenian ex-pat is almost guaranteed to reduce them to nostalgic tears.

8 Mobile beehives - not far behind kazolecs in the national icon stakes.

9 Mira and Matija Terlep's "Sound Image of Slovene Regions No4", the seminal folk CD.

10 Pleterska Hruska pear brandy. Made by growing pears in upside-down bottles.

NAME OF THE GAME

No 20: PENAROL

Uruguayan football has been dominated this century by two clubs, Penarol and Nacional. Penarol take their name from the district of Montevideo, the country's capital, where they play. The club was formed by English workers on the Central Uruguayan Railway in 1891.

THIS

WEEK

On 1 February 1958, Manchester United travelled to London to play Arsenal at Highbury, the last time the original Busby Babes would ever play together on English soil.

United stormed into a 3-0 lead by half-time with goals by Duncan Edwards, Bobby Charlton and Tommy Taylor.

Arsenal rallied early in the second and scored three times to pull level. United countered, however, scoring a fourth after 64 minutes and a fifth after 71. The Gunners, undeterred, came back again and took the score to 5-4, and that is how it finished.

A report the following day, written four days before the Munich crash, said it was "a match which ranks as a classic; a soccer showpiece which seared itself into mind and memory."

HISTORY

LESSON

Barnsley go to Stamford Bridge today hoping that Chelsea's free- scoring attack will not inflict further damage on their leaky defence. The Yorkshire side have conceded 57 goals this season, 37 of them away from home.

They will find no consolation looking back to their last visit to the Bridge for a League match. In April 1989, during Chelsea's only season out of the top flight in the last 14 years, Barnsley lost 5-3 as the London side marched on to the old Second Division championship.

Chelsea scored 96 goals that season and finished with a goal difference of plus 46. Kerry Dixon, who scored four against Barnsley, led the way with 25 League goals, while Graham Roberts successfully converted 12 penalties.

THis WEEK'S TRANSFERS

Transfers

Free transfers or undisclosed fees unless stated

Trevor Sinclair (forward) Queen's Park Rangers to West Ham (pounds 3.5m); Keith Rowland (defender) and Iain Dowie (forward) West Ham to QPR (part- exchange); Andreas Andersson (forward) Milan to Newcastle (pounds 3m); Andy Hinchcliffe (defender) Everton to Sheffield Wednesday (pounds 2.9m); Andy Griffin (defender) Stoke to Newcastle (pounds 1.5m); Matt Carbon (defender) Derby to West Bromwich Albion (pounds 800,000); Shaun Derry (defender) Notts County to Sheffield Utd (pounds 700,000); Daniele Dichio (forward) Sampdoria (It) to Sunderland (pounds 750,000); John O'Kane (defender) Manchester Utd to Everton (pounds 400,000); Rufus Brevett (defender) QPR to Fulham (pounds 375,000); Jurgen Sommer (goalkeeper) QPR to Columbus Crew (US) (pounds 175,000); Jon Cullen (midfielder) Hartlepool to Sheffield Utd; Steve Frail (defender) Hearts to Tranmere; Robbie Ryan (defender) Huddersfield to Millwall; Frode Grodas (goalkeeper) Chelsea to Tottenham; Tamer Fernandes (goalkeeper) Brentford to Colchester; Andy Dibble (goalkeeper) Rangers to Middlesbrough.

Loans/trials

O'Neill Donaldson (forward) Sheffield Wednesday to Oxford Utd; Mark Kennedy (forward) Liverpool to Queen's Park Rangers; Neale Fenn (forward) Tottenham to Leyton Orient; Damien Johnson (winger) Blackburn to Nottingham Forest; Tosh McKinlay (defender) Celtic to Stoke; Scott Howie (goalkeeper) Motherwell to Coventry; Tony Scully (winger) Manchester City to Stoke; Gary Germaine (goalkeeper) Shrewsbury to WBA; Andy Hughes (midfielder) Oldham to Notts County; Lee Jones (goalkeeper) Swansea to Bristol Rovers; Bryan Small (defender) Bolton to Bury; Paul Holsgrove (forward) Crewe to Stoke (trial); Jon French (forward) Bristol Rovers to Plymouth (trial).