Questions
Questions From the Loft Ladder
The things people ask when the box comes down and the arguments start. Short, plain answers.
When were shirt numbers first worn in English football?
Arsenal and Chelsea both wore numbers in league matches on 25 August 1928. At the 1933 FA Cup Final, Everton wore 1–11 and Manchester City 12–22. The Football League made numbering compulsory in 1939. More on kits.
When did shirt sponsors first appear in English football?
Non-league Kettering Town wore "Kettering Tyres" in 1976. Liverpool became the first top-flight English club with a sponsor, Hitachi, in 1979.
When did Panini start making football stickers?
Panini's first football album, Calciatori, covered the 1961–62 Italian season. Their first World Cup album was for Mexico 1970, and their first English league album, Football 78, came out for 1977–78. More on stickers.
Why is it called the Kop?
Steep terraces were nicknamed after Spion Kop, a hill in South Africa where a costly Boer War battle took place in 1900. Anfield's Spion Kop opened in 1906, and many other clubs named their ends the same way.
When was the first floodlit Football League match?
Portsmouth against Newcastle United at Fratton Park in February 1956. An exhibition match had been played under lights at Bramall Lane as long ago as 1878.
Why did terraces disappear from top English grounds?
After the Hillsborough disaster in April 1989, in which 97 people lost their lives, Lord Justice Taylor's final report in January 1990 recommended all-seater stadiums for England's top two divisions. More on grounds.
When was Match of the Day first shown?
On BBC Two on 22 August 1964, with Kenneth Wolstenholme commentating on Liverpool's 3–2 win over Arsenal.
When was the first live league match on British TV?
ITV broadcast Tottenham Hotspur against Nottingham Forest live in October 1983. More on telly.
How should I store old programmes and shirts?
Keep paper flat in acid-free sleeves and shirts folded in acid-free tissue, away from sunlight, damp and radiators. Avoid hot washes for old cotton, and don't iron over printed transfers.
Is MelodyCrateQuestNo linked to any club or league?
No. We're an independent site and not affiliated with any club, league, broadcaster or manufacturer. Club names are used only to tell the history accurately.