to a digital copy of the Free Lions: Issue 142

ISSUE 142
LITHUANIA V ENGLAND
12TH OCTOBER 2015
Proud supporters of the Football Supporters’’ Federation
...the free England fanzine
produced and distributed by
the Football Supporters’
Federation (FSF) as part of
Lithuania v England
LFF Stadium, Vilnius
Monday, 12th October 2015
Kick–off 21.45, local time
England will play
in WHITE
Useful Numbers
Fans’ Embassy Helpline:
+44 7956 121314
British Embassy:
+370 5 2462900
England Supporters Club (FA):
+44 7970 146250
Emergency: 112
Contact Free Lions
E-mail: freelions@fsf.org.uk
Gifts & Postcards to:
Free Lions
c/o the FSF
1, Ashmore Terrace
Stockton Road
Sunderland
SR2 7DE
A
nd welcome to Vilnius for
the first time ever for an
England game – though it
won’t be that long before we’re
back, having drawn Lithuania
again in the World Cup qualifiers.
Congratulations if you’re one of the
lucky ones to have secured a ticket
for the England sector, in one of the
smallest ticket allocations we’ve had
for a long time. Even the 850 tickets
we’ve sold is more than we were
entitled by rule to demand, as five
per cent of stadium capacity would
only have been around 250 tickets
– so well done to whoever was able
to negotiate extra. Nonetheless, it
won’t surprise us if there are more
than a few people elsewhere in the
stadium supporting England…
In fact, representatives of the
Lithuanian FA did hint to us that
many of the tickets they’d sold
locally were likely to have gone to
people more interested in seeing
the English Premier League stars
Nonetheless, the local FA reps did
say that should Lithuania by some
chance score first, we should expect
a sudden outbreak of patriotism in
the ground. Let’s hope that theory
is never tested, and that we get to
enjoy the visit to another beautiful
old city, keep a clean sheet, and win
another three points in our so-far
perfect qualifying record.
COVER STORY
support we have received to produce
Free Lions impacts on what we put in it.
Consequently, none of our supporters can
be held in any way responsible for the
contents of, nor the views expressed in,
this fanzine.
THANK YOU
We are grateful to Getty Images and the
FAOPL for the cover photo, and to the
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than in supporting their home team.
Lithuania isn’t really a football-mad
country; basketball is what stirs
the blood in these parts, and the
national team has made a bigger
mark in that sport than the size of
the country would reasonably merit.
In the four years since he made his England debut, versatile defender Chris
Smalling has rattled up 19 caps (possibly 20 by the time this fanzine
hits the streets), and begun to establish himself as a regular for both club
and country. Nonetheless, this is the first time he has achieved perhaps the
greatest accolade of all: an appearance on the front of Free Lions.
IT WASN’T ME
The Free Lions fanzine is produced by
the Football Supporters’ Federation
(FSF), the national membership-based
organisation for fans. We have tried to
ensure the accuracy of all the information
provided in this fanzine, but can accept
no responsibility for any loss, injury or
inconvenience suffered by any one relying
on its contents. None of the financial
S U P P O R T E R S’
PAGE 3
our Fans’ Embassy service.
FSF helpline: +44 7956 121314
Vilnius Tourism and Convention Bureau for
the map in the centre pages.
As ever, this fanzine has been a team effort.
This edition was edited by Kevin Miles,
and thanks are due to Phil Rowley; Clive
Hetherington, Joe Hetherington; Becky
Gamester-Newton; Roger Evans; Martyn
Cushing; Tony Conniford, Harpreet Grewal; Sher
Houston; Sarah Storey and Andy Wilkinson.
PAGE 4
SLOW BURNER
BY CLIVE HETHERINGTON
W
HEN Chris Smalling
captained Manchester
United in their 2-1
Champions League defeat away
to PSV Eindhoven last month,
it was further confirmation of
the rapid progress he has made
under the guidance of boss
Louis van Gaal.
It is fair to say that, until recent
times, Smalling’s career has been
something of a slow-burner. The
defender’s big break came when
England boss Roy Hodgson – then
manager of Fulham – threw him
a lifeline.
That was in the summer of 2008
and Hodgson’s gain was Gareth
Southgate’s loss. England Under-21
boss Southgate, in those days
manager of Middlesbrough, had
signed the teenage Smalling on
a two-year contract after his
emergence with Maidstone United.
But London-born Smalling quickly
became homesick in the northeast and Boro agreed to let him
head back south. University life,
studying economics at Leicester or
Loughborough, was a serious option.
stature, a development that was
hampered by injuries and a lack of
consistency in earlier seasons.
Hodgson intervened, however,
and in January 2010 – after
making only 13 Premier League
appearances for Fulham –
Smalling was snapped up by Sir
Alex Ferguson in a deal worth
£10million.
Van Gaal handing him the
armband – in the absence of
skipper Wayne Rooney and vicecaptain Michael Carrick – was a far
cry from November last year when
the dictatorial Dutchman was in
the early months of his reign and
branded Smalling “stupid’’ for
a reckless red card in the derby
defeat at Manchester City.
Now, England – as well as
Man. United – are reaping the
benefits of Van Gaal’s tutelage
and Smalling’s gradual growth in
HETHERINGTON’S VERDICT
Like their trip to Slovenia in
June, this is the first time England have ventured to Lithuania. It is also only the second
occasion the sides have met.
The Three Lions were 4-0 winners at Wembley in the corresponding encounter in March,
when skipper Wayne Rooney
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prompted the rout and Danny
Welbeck, Raheem Sterling and
Harry Kane – with a goal 79
seconds into his England debut
as a substitute – underlined
the home side’s superiority.
Prediction:
Lithuania 0 England 3
But before the end of last season,
Smalling had stood in as United
skipper after providing enough
evidence to convince Van Gaal he was
worthy of a new four-year contract.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Smalling,
25, admitted: “All the coaches I’ve
worked with, especially Louis van
Gaal, have helped me. The manager
said at the start of the season that
once you’ve been with him for six
months and got used to the repetition
of drills, the tactics and you know your
role, that we will get better.
CONTACT CLIVE VIA FREELIONS@FSF.ORG.UK
“It was a great honour to lead the
team out, knowing you have the
manager’s trust when Wazza and
Carras are not available. I really
enjoyed it, especially considering
how last season started, when
I was stop-start and didn’t pick
up until November when I got a
consistent run of games.
“So to be able to start with a
clean bill of health and to have the
manager’s faith has given me the
confidence to kick on and make
sure I have a full season to justify
my place.’’
The spin-off for England is a more
composed and commanding
Smalling, who was impressive
when he started at the heart
of defence alongside Chelsea’s
Gary Cahill in the 2-0 Euro 2016
qualifying victory over Switzerland
at Wembley on September 8.
Smalling, of course, also offers
Hodgson cover at right-back,
although centre-back is clearly the
position to which he is better-suited.
Not that Hodgson needs any tips
on Smalling’s qualities. No-one in
football knows more about him than
Hodgson, a fellow Maidstone old boy
from the dim and distant Seventies.
Smalling remarked: “Roy is the one
who really got it started for me. I
remember when I went for my trial
at Fulham and he pulled me into
his office. I can’t remember the
whole conversation, it’s a bit of a
blur, but Roy was very encouraging.
“He did mention that he’d played
for Maidstone. It was quite surreal.
I didn’t know many other people
who had played for Maidstone!
LITHUANIA’S KEY THREE – BY JOE HETHERINGTON
ARVYDAS
NOVIKOVAS
The winger
spent nearly
five years
at Heart of
Midlothian, but
found himself in and out of the
team. In this time, he had a short
spell at St Johnstone on loan.
Finally left Hearts as they entered
administration in 2013. Upon
his release, he joined German
side FC Erzgebirge before
moving to his current club,
VfL Bochum. Novikovas, 24, is
one of the more naturally-gifted
players in the Lithuania squad
and possesses a fair amount of
pace. Having made his debut in
2010, he scored last year against
minnows San Marino.
MARIUS
ZALIUKAS
Made
nearly 200
appearances
for Hearts,
before – like Novikovas – leaving
during the club’s financial
decline. He struggled in his spell
at Leeds, facing criticism over
his role in the team’s 6-0 loss to
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“It’s nice to rekindle things with
England. I hope my performances
for my club help him to keep
selecting me.”
FSF helpline: +44 7956 121314
Sheffield Wednesday. The defender,
31, played for Glasgow Rangers
last season. He made his first
appearance for Lithuania ten years
ago and scored in a qualifying
game for the 2014 World Cup
against Slovakia. At his best,
Zaliukas is a commanding centreback, but a lack of concentration
and speed can be a hindrance.
DEIVYDAS
MATULEVICIUS
In a team
struggling
for attacking
threat, he has
proved to be one of
Lithuania’s more reliable strikers.
The 26-year-old is currently plying
his trade at Tobol in Kazakhstan.
During his spell at Romania’s
Pandurii, Matulevicius was a
runner-up in Liga I, and he also
played in the Polish Leagues. Likes
to put pressure on the opposition
defences and his height makes
him a useful target-man. His
international goals have come
against the likes of Liechtenstein,
United Arab Emirates and Latvia;
a goal against the Three Lions
would be his biggest scalp by
some distance.
PAGE 5
AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH CLIVE HETHERINGTON?
PAGE 6
SCOUSE PHIL’S FREE LIONS
FOOTBALL QUIZ
A
s everyone knows, Lithuania
joined the European Union
in 2004. To celebrate that
remarkable achievement, Scouse Phil
has provided us with a quiz based on
the music of that year.
1
2
3
Britney Spears had various
Number One hits this year,
including the song ‘Toxic’, but
how old is she now?
Which two bands had Number
One hits this year including ‘Five
Colours in Her Hair’, ‘Obviously’
and ‘Thunderbirds’, and now
tour together as one band?
What song was the Christmas
Number One, having also been
Number One at Christmas 18
years previously?
4
5
6
7
Girls Aloud had a hit with which
song, which had also been a hit
for The Pretenders in 1994?
‘Vertigo’ was a huge hit for
which mega-band in this year?
Brian McFadden got to Number
One this year with the song
‘Real To Me’, but with which
boyband did he first find fame?
Which artist got to Number One
with the song ‘Burn’ and bears
the name of a person who has
an important role to play at a
wedding?
Question 10:
Mike Skinner
8
9
10
Question 4: .
Girls Aloud
‘Mysterious Girl’ was a hit for
which English-born Australian
singer?
Michelle McManus won Pop
Idol and had a Number One hit
this year with ‘All This Time’, but
from which city does she come?
Mike Skinner got to Number
One with the hit ‘Dry Your Eyes’,
but what under what name did
he record?
Answers on page 13
FSF FANS EMBASSY
The FSF’s Fans’ Embassy
service will operate in Vilnius
from 11.00 till 16.00 on
Sunday 11th October, and
then from 10.00 until 18.00
THE FOOTBALL
S U P P O R T E R S’
FEDERATION
PRODUCES FREE LIONS
on match day, Monday 12th
October. We will be located
just off the top of the town
hall square, to the right of the
town hall as you look at it, on
Vokieciu Street. We can also
be contacted via the helpline
on +44 7956 121314, which is
also available around the clock
for advice and assistance.
YOUR FREE LIONS GUIDE
TICKET COLLECTION
O
The Vilnius Tourist Information service
has two offices, one in Cathedral
Square, and one in Town Hall
Square, both open from 9.00 to 18.00.
THE FOOTBALL
Website: www.fsf.org.uk
FEDERATION
Email: freelions@fsf.org.uk
S U P P O R T E R S’
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FSF helpline: +44 7956 121314
Ca
rd
Ci
ty
us
ln
i
In the centre of the city is the wellpreserved old town, known for its
beautiful architecture and declared
a UNESCO World Heritage site
in 1994. The old town is compact
enough to be explored on foot,
from the Cathedral Square and
Gediminas Tower in the north
to the Gates of Dawn in the
south. In the middle is the town hall
square, with an abundance of bars,
cafes and restaurants to accompany
the churches and museums.
Remember, every individual has to
collect their own ticket, and will
need to provide photo ID, ideally
your ESTC membership card.
Experience has shown that it
would also speed things up a bit
if you know the name of the lead
member of your group, as that’s
how the tickets are sorted.
Vi
The history of Lithuania as a nation
can be traced back to the 13th
century, and in the 14th century
the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
was the largest country in Europe,
encompassing modern-day
Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine and
parts of Poland and Russia. More
recently, Lithuania was occupied
by the Soviet Union and then
Nazi Germany during World War
Two, before being re-occupied
by the Soviet Union in 1944. In
1990, Lithuania became the first
Soviet Republic to declare itself
independent, and it is now a
member of the European Union,
adopting the Euro as its currency in
January this year.
The population of Lithuania is around
3 million in total, with almost 550,000
of them living in the capital and
largest city, Vilnius. Its name originates
from the Vilnia river, and until the
20th century the city had a rich Jewish
heritage, with Napoleon dubbing it
the “Jerusalem of the North” when he
passed through it in 1812.
ius
n
Vil
24
h
W
elcome to Vilnius,
capital of Lithuania and
venue for England’s
first-ever away game against our
hosts. Lithuania is one of the three
Baltic states, along with Latvia
and of course our destination this
time last year, Estonia.
nce again, this game has
been designated by the
FA as one where 100%
ticket collection is required. The
venue for collection is to be the
entrance lobby to the Imperial
Restaurant at the Ramada
hotel, which is on Subaciaus
Street, just off the south end
of the town hall square. The
FA staff will be there between
11.00 and 18.00 on match day,
and from 20:00 to 21:45 at the
stadium, beside the England
entrance at the north end of
the ground.
ard
yC
Cit
ius
Viln
h
24
City
72 h
Card
PAGE 7
WELCOME TO VILNIUS
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S U P P O R T E R S’
PRODUCES FREE LIONS
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YOUR FREE LIONS GUIDE
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PAGE 10
WELCOME TO VILNIUS
YOUR FREE LIONS GUIDE
THE STADIUM
T
he first-ever game played
by England on Lithuanian
soil will take place at
the LFF Stadium – that’s the
Lietuvos Futbolo Federacija
stadium – in Vilnius. The
ground is home to both the
national team and to the current
champions of Lithuania’s ‘A
Lyga’, FK Zalgiris. It has a seated
capacity of 5,067, housed in
three stands to the East, South
and West, with the North end
being undeveloped.
Federation in 2010 when Vetra
went bankrupt, and renamed.
The stadium first opened in 2004,
as the first private football-focused
stadium rebuilt in the post-Soviet
era. Known then as the Vetra
Stadium, after the FK Vetra club
who played there, it was taken
over by the Lithuanian Football
Redeveloped with support from
UEFA and FIFA – including
the re-laying of the pitch
with artificial turf - it was
inaugurated in its new form in
September 2012 as the home of
the national team, and is a UEFA
Category 3 stadium.
the Lithuanian FA have said
that “large” flags – which they
define as anything in excess
of 1 metre by 2 metres will
not be allowed in, and will be
deposited by the turnstiles
for collection after the match.
Knowing how precious flags
are to many of you, it might be
worth considering whether or
not to take it with you, as we
cannot, at the time of going
to press at least, be 100%
confident that there will be a
secure and reliable system of
storing them for later retrieval.
FLAGS
W
e have been told – and
we could see what
they meant - that
space to display flags inside
the stadium is very limited, and
so no arrangements have been
offered to allow early access. In
fact, our hosts for the evening
THE FOOTBALL
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T
T
he gates to the stadium
will open two hours before
kick-off, or in other words
at 19.45. The official England
section is located in blocks RA
and RB in the East stand, which
is accessed via the gate at the
north end of the ground – that’s
the end nearest to the railway
station and the old town, likely
to be the first one you come to.
There are unlikely to be any ticket
checks or cordons in advance of
arriving at the entrance, searches on
entry are likely to be thorough, and
there are limited numbers of turnstiles
available by which to enter. The
north entrance will also be used by
home fans accessing the other sectors
of the east stand, so there is clearly
potential for delays in getting into the
ground, so if you harbour ambitions of
being inside to witness the start of the
game, it would be advisable to arrive
at the ground at least an hour before
kick-off time.
The usual UEFA-style list of
prohibited items will apply, and of
course being a competitive fixture
played under UEFA rules, there will
be no alcohol available, or permitted,
inside the ground.
It is expected that England fans – at
least those in the official England
sector – will be held back in the
ground for about 15 minutes at the
end of the game to allow time for
the home fans to disperse.
It is not a criminal offence in
Lithuania to buy a ticket for the
game on the black market or
through ‘unofficial sources’, and it
is not expected that efforts will be
made to prevent England fans with
tickets for the home areas from
entering the stadium. The exception
to this however could be for any
England fans who have tickets for
the hard-core home sector in the
south stand where the local ‘Ultras’
are located. It’s probably advisable
not to purchase tickets for this
sector, as admission could be denied
in the interests of safety. Even in
other areas of the ground, England
fans should be aware that in the
event of problems, it is likely to be
the English fans who are ejected,
regardless of who was responsible
for causing any disturbance.
THE FOOTBALL
Website: www.fsf.org.uk
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he stadium is located
to the south of the old
town, about 10 minutes’
walk further on from the
railway station. The old town
itself – where most people
are likely to be pre-match - is
quite compact, and even from
the northernmost end by the
cathedral, it’s only about a 40
minute walk to the ground.
That is therefore what we’d
recommend as the best
way to get there, and back
afterwards: on foot.
Allow 20 minutes to walk there
from the town hall square; head
for the ‘Gates of Dawn’ and go
straight through under the arch.
Keep going down the same road
(Ausros Vartu Street), under
the railway bridge
and the stadium is
straight ahead.
For those who
can’t – or can’t
be bothered
to – walk, the
next best bet is probably a taxi;
expect to pay between €5 and
€7, and be aware that traffic
congestion may mean jumping
out and walking the last bit
anyway. There are also buses
to the ground from the railway
station (numbers 12, 16, 19, 61
and 82), but it’s only two stops
so it’s hardly worth the €1 fare
payable to the driver.
PAGE 11
GETTING TO THE GROUND
GROUND RULES
PAGE 12
GUIDE TO VILNIUS
YOUR FREE LIONS GUIDE
THINGS TO SEE AND DO
M
ost of the most obvious
sights to see and
places to visit for the
short-term visitor to Vilnius are
conveniently concentrated in
and around the old town. At
the north end of the historic
centre are the Cathedral of St
Stanislav and St Vladislav, and
next to it the freestanding bell
tower. Pretty much next door is
the Palace of the Grand Dukes
of Lithuania, and a little further
along the Gediminas Tower
sits at the top of the hill. The
observation deck offers great
panoramic views of the whole
city; it’s a bracing but rewarding
hike up the hill, but there is the
easier option of the funicular, if
you’d rather spend a Euro and a
half than expend the energy.
Heading south from the cathedral,
Pilies Street and then Didzioji
Street take you through the town
hall square and on to the Gates
of Dawn, the southernmost
entrance to the old town. The walk
will also take you past the narrow
streets of the Jewish quarter.
If you’re looking for a souvenir
or gift to take home (unlikely, we
know, and we’ve
always found that a
fridge magnet does
the trick without
costing much), then
in Vilnius amber is
definitely the thing.
The Baltic region is famous for
its amber (basically pine tree resin
in fossilised form), and a stroll
round Vilnius quickly reveals how
important it is to
them, with their
amber museum,
their amber
massage spa and
dozens of amber
gift shops. If
you like amber,
you’ve come to
the right place.
TICKETS AND TOUR OPERATORS
S
ome of you may be
aware of a recent
kerfuffle arising out of
Thomson Sport offering tickets
for this game for sale as part
of a trip package. It has turned
out that these were not tickets
taken from the FA’s allocation for members, but were
‘football family’ tickets that
Thomson Sport were entitled
to through their status as the
FA’s “official supplier of supporter travel”.
In this instance, no ordinary sup-
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porter lost out on their entitlement
to a ticket as a result of part of the
fans’ allocation being handed over
to a travel partner. However, that
is something which is becoming
all too prevalent in football, with
a number of English clubs doing
precisely that for European games.
Of course FIFA have for years allocated tickets for World Cups direct
to travel companies who have paid
for the privilege of becoming an
official travel partner – effectively,
letting them buy a licence to ‘tout’
tickets at a profit, disguising the
mark-up on the ticket price within
the cost of the tour package.
For the record, the FSF is firmly opposed to ticket sales being linked
to travel packages, and we will be
seeking assurances from the FA
that there are no plans to move
further in this direction. We accept
that corporate sponsorship and
partnerships are probably here to
stay in football, but we want those
relationships to be transparent,
so that everyone knows where
they stand – and we will resist any
attempts to shift any more tickets
away from fans.
PAGE 13
EATING AND DRINKING
There are a couple of
establishments on and near the
town hall square that would
seem to fulfil all the requirements
that many of us have; that is, they
sell beer, do food, and in some
cases also have big screens to
show football matches. One that is
likely to be popular with England
fans will be the Portobello pub
(Ausros Vartu 7), as not only
is it strongly English-themed and
open late, it’s also within spitting
distance of the ticket collection
point. There’s plenty of space in
the beer garden outside if the
weather permits, otherwise the
drawback may be that the indoor
section isn’t massive.
Nearby, all in the same building
just off the town hall square on
Didzioji Street, are the Dirty
Duck, which offers a range of
beers and decent food, and the
Crazy Bull Sport Pub, which
as the name suggests boats big
screens showing live sports. The
same building also promised a
new night club, which was under
refurbishment when we visited
but was due to open at the end
of September.
The small side streets off the
town hall square, especially to the
western side, offer a number of
smaller restaurants and bars, and
a bit further in the same direction
you’ll come to one place with
a virtually irresistible name, the
Meat Lovers Pub (Sv. Ignoto
Street 14).
Away from the old town, heading
west from Cathedral Square is a
main street, Gedimino pr, which
runs through what’s known locally
as the city centre. This area offers
shopping but also a few quieter
places to eat and drink.
For those that way inclined, there
are 2 McDonald’s restaurants in
central Vilnius – one of them near
the railway station at Seinu g. 3
Music Quiz
1.33 2.McFly and Busted (McBusted). 3.‘Do They
Know It’s Christmas?’ 4.‘I’ll Stand By You’ 5.U2
6.Westlife 7.Usher 8.Peter Andre 9.Glasgow
10.The Streets
Quiz
Answers
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and the other on Gedimino pr.
Gedimino pr is also home to
a Burger King and a KFC, and
there’s a Subway at Vokieciu g 7.
TIPS
It is a legal requirement in
Lithuania to carry personal ID;
the police here have informed
us in that normal circumstances
a photo driving licence will
usually suffice.
Beware of pickpockets and bag
snatchers at the station, in the
city centre, and if using public
transport. Should you need to
report a crime, the Police office
in the old town can be found at
Pylimo Street 52.
Scouse Phil’s Free Lions Football Quiz
1.Efan Ekoku, Robert Earnshaw and Samuel Eto’o 2.Bury
3.Sevilla 4.Aberdeen, Celtic, Dundee United, Kilmarnock
and Motherwell 5.Between 410-450g (14-16oz) 6.Milan
7.Nigeria 8.James Rodriguez of Colombia 9.Paulo di
Canio 10.David Nugent
T
HE more tourist-orientated
parts of Vilnius – which
means primarily the old
town – have a lot of little cafes,
bars and restaurants, although
it remains to be seen whether
the weather in October is conducive to sitting outside on the
pavements or in beer gardens.
FSF helpline: +44 7956 121314
PAGE 14
OUR ONE-CAP WONDERS
BY CLIVE HETHERINGTON
T
HE ONE-CAP wonders are
a mysterious mix of those
who could, or should,
have won greater England
recognition – and others that
confounded belief by being
picked at all.
performances in winning that
solitary cap.
Who would have thought Chris
Sutton – one half of Blackburn’s
potent SAS partnership with Alan
Shearer – would win only one
cap and, with all due respect,
stand alongside Bolton’s Michael
Ricketts?
GOALKEEPER
PHIL PARKES: Not to be
confused with his goalkeeping
namesake of similar vintage, who
played for Wolves. This Parkes,
now 65, made his name with QPR
and was in the side, managed by
Dave Sexton, who were runnersup to Liverpool for the League title
in 1976. Parkes made 344 League
appearances for QPR – strangely,
he clocked up exactly the same
number for his next club, West
Ham, with whom he won the
1980 FA Cup. Kept a clean sheet in
winning his cap against Portugal
in 1974.
As there was a preponderance of
forwards to choose from, I have
gone for a fashionable 4-3-3
formation in the following line-up:
Among those who scored in their
only England appearance were
strikers Francis Jeffers and David
Nugent. Jeffers struck in a 3-1
defeat by Australia at Upton Park
in 2003 and, four years later,
Nugent netted away to Andorra
in a laboured 3-0, Euro 2008
qualifying win, with a cheeky goalline tap-in to deny Jermain Defoe.
RIGHT-BACK
JOHN GIDMAN: Began his
senior career with Aston Villa after
failing to make it at Liverpool,
and went on to play for Everton,
Manchester United and
Manchester City.
But this selection is based on the
overall qualities of the players
rather than individual
•PARKES
•BALL
•UNSWORTH
•RICHARDSON
•SMITH
•HARVEY
•GIDMAN
•GEORGE
•HOLLINS
•SUTTON
•WHITE
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A classy right-back, strong in the
tackle and quick, a Bonfire Night
accident in 1974 left him blind
in one eye, but he resurrected
his career, making his England
appearance in a 5-0 Wembley win
over Luxembourg in 1977 and
playing in the 1985 FA Cup final
when United beat his old club,
Everton. Now 61.
CENTRE-BACK
TOMMY SMITH: They didn’t
come tougher than this man.
Smith was hard and so much
so that Liverpool manager Bill
Shankly said: “Tommy Smith
wasn’t born – he was quarried.’’
Became Shankly’s skipper and led
Liverpool in their 1971 FA Cup
final defeat by Arsenal. His one
cap came in the same month in
a 0-0 draw with Wales. Now 70,
the highlight of Smith’s career
was heading one of the goals in
Liverpool’s first European Cup
final triumph against Borussia
Monchengladbach in 1977. Ended
his career at Swansea.
CENTRE-BACK
DAVID UNSWORTH: A goalscoring defender who had two
spells as a player with Everton
and also included West Ham,
Portsmouth, Sheffield United and
Wigan among his clubs.
Now 41 and boss
of Everton’s
Under-21 team,
he was at the
heart of Joe
Royle’s side
when they won the
LEFT-BACK
MICHAEL BALL: One of those
players whose promise was never
fulfilled after bursting on to the
scene at 17 with Everton in 1997.
Made more than 100 League
appearances for them before
joining Glasgow Rangers in 2001.
His only England game came that
year in a 3-0 victory over Spain at
Villa Park. Also had stints with PSV
Eindhoven, Manchester City and
Leicester, where his career ended
in 2012 with the sack after the FA
fined him £6,000 for sending a
homophobic tweet. Now 36.
MIDFIELD
JOHN HOLLINS: Will always be
synonymous with the Chelsea side
who won the 1970 FA Cup over
two epic encounters with bitter
rivals Leeds. Now 69, he went
on to play for Arsenal and QPR
in a career spanning more than
900 appearances, but returned
to play for Chelsea and managed
them from 1985-88, winning the
1986 Full Members’ Cup. Also led
Swansea to the Division Three
title in 2000. Awarded an MBE for
his services to the game, his only
Three Lions outing came in 1967 in
a 2-0 win against Spain.
MIDFIELD
COLIN HARVEY: One of Everton’s
famous ‘Holy Trinity’ alongside
Howard Kendall and Alan Ball in
the midfield of Harry Catterick’s
1970 League title-winning side.
Harvey, now 70, was a cultured
player who deserved more than
his one cap in a 1971 European
Championship qualifying 1-0
victory in Malta. After 320 League
appearances for Everton, the
Scouser played for Sheffield
Wednesday. But he managed
Everton for three years from
1987, in between the first two of
Kendall’s three spells as manager.
MIDFIELD
KEVIN RICHARDSON: The
Geordie, now 52, was nabbed
from under the noses of Newcastle
by Everton. A League title and
FA Cup winner, Richardson had
to compete with the likes of
Peter Reid, Paul Bracewell and
Kevin Sheedy. Moved to Watford
and then Arsenal, with whom
he famously won the 1989 title,
winning the ball in his own box
before the Gunners swept upfield
and Michael Thomas grabbed the
last-gasp goal at Anfield to snatch
the crown from Liverpool. Only cap
came with Aston Villa in 1994 in a
5-0 win over Greece.
FORWARD
DAVID WHITE: A powerful, pacey
attacker who operated wide on
the right or through the middle
and enjoyed a fruitful eight-year
spell with Manchester City, where
he scored 79 goals in 280-plus
League appearances – including
their first in the Premier League.
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Emerged as top scorer for a second
successive season in 1992-93 and
earned his cap that term in a 1-0
defeat in Spain, missing a great
chance. Moved on to Leeds and
Sheffield United, where his career
was cut short by injury. Now 47.
FORWARD
CHRIS SUTTON: Formed half
of the prolific SAS (Shearer and
Sutton) partnership with Alan
Shearer that fired Blackburn to
the 1995 Premier League title.
Shearer had the lion’s share – 34
goals in that campaign compared
to Sutton’s 15. But ten of Shearer’s
were penalties and Sutton topped
20 for the season by adding five
in the cups. Started at Norwich
and, after Blackburn, played for
Chelsea, Celtic, Birmingham and
Aston Villa. His cap came as a sub
in a 2-0 win over Cameroon in
1997. Now 42.
FORWARD
CHARLIE GEORGE: One of
the many colourful characters
spawned by the game in the
Seventies. George was a longhaired rebel, whose memorable
goal in the 1971 FA Cup final
against Liverpool – a thundering,
long-range shot followed by a flatout, arms outstretched celebration
– clinched Arsenal’s first double.
Injuries didn’t help and he left
for Derby in 1975, scoring a
hat-trick against Real Madrid in
the European Cup. It was with the
Rams that he won his cap, in a 1-1
draw with the Republic of Ireland
in 1976. Now 65.
PAGE 15
1995 FA Cup, beating Manchester
United. It was also that year he
earned his England cap in a 2-1
win against Japan at Wembley. The
most successful penalty-taker in
Everton’s history.
LITHUANIA SQUAD WORDSEARCH
L
isted below are the names of the Lithuania squad as selected for their qualifiers back in September – the best we could manage at the time of going to press. Once you’ve overcome the worry
that you may not be up-to-date with their latest squad selection, you can console yourself by
trying to find their surnames in the grid below.
Giedrius ARLAUSKISWatford
Emilijus
ZUBAS PodbeskidzieBielsko-Biała
Vytautas ERNIAUSKAS Dinamo Bucharest
Linas KLIMAVICIUSTrakai
Georgas FREIDGEIMAS Žalgiris Vilnius
Tadas KIJANSKAS
Hapoel Haifa
Vaidas SLAVICKAS SūduvaMarijampolė
Marius ZALIUKAS Unattached
Egidijus
VAITKUNAS
Žalgiris Vilnius
Deividas CESNAUSKISTrakai
Vytautas LUKSA
Žalgiris Vilnius
Arvydas NOVIKOVASBochum
Saulius
MIKOLIUNASShakhtyorSoligorsk
Linas PILIBAITIS
Žalgiris Vilnius
Karolis CHVEDUKASSūduvaMarijampolė
Vykintas SLIVKA
Den Bosch
Artūras ZULPAAktobe
Mindaugas PANKA
Maccabi Petah Tikva
Andrius
BARTKUS Atlantas
Deimantas PETRAVICIUS Nottingham Forest
Rolandas BARAVYKASAtlantas
Tautvydas ELIOSIUSKruojaPakruojis
Deivydas MATULEVICIUS Tobol Kostanay
Lukas SPALVISAaB
Fiodor CERNYCH
Jagellionia Bialystok
S IKSUALRAKVILSC
AKNAPSAKY VARABA
NOV I KOVAS KULDSB
U RAAP LUZA L I UKAS
I T I HCYNRE CWI LKO
L ITMATULEVICIUS
OMK S P A L V I SH ZMD H
K SU I SOI LE FQJAES
I ANSAKC I VALSVVU
MSAMI EGD I ERF I HK
T ASAKSNA J IKQCCT
OBQCS I T I A B I L I PR
O UWP E T R A V I C I U S A
N ZCERN I AU SKASMB
Scouse Phil’s Free Lions Football Quiz (answers on page 13)
1
Which 3 players whose surname begins with the letter
E have scored a hat-trick in the Premier League?
7
The Super Eagles is the nickname of which country’s
football team?
2
Gigg Lane is the home ground of which Football
League team?
8
Who was the leading scorer in the 2014 World Cup
finals?
3
Which team won last season’s Europa League Final?
9
4
Which five clubs have played in all 18 seasons of the
Scottish Premier League?
Referee Paul Alcock was infamously pushed over
by which Sheffield Wednesday player in a match at
Hillsborough in 1998?
5
What is the official weight of a football (in grams or
ounces) according to the laws of the game?
10
6
Where will this season’s Champions League final be held?
I was born in Liverpool in 1985, played for Bury,
Preston, Portsmouth, Burnley, Leicester and
Middlesbrough, winning one England cap in 2007.
Who am I?
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