The month July is a month of Summer and on the 20th we can all celebrate 50 years anniversary of the first moon landing. Football was of course an important part of life also back then with newly champions in the league being Leeds United, the FA Cup had seen Manchester City as winnners and in the League Cup, Swindon Town sensationally defeated Arsenal to become champions.
The freak scenario for Swindon Town was of course that they were not allowed to compete in Europe as no 2nd division teams were allowed in the Inter City Fairs Cup competition up until that point.
We have again summed up a round of special birthdays of some of our great heroes of the past. Just to mention, Viv Anderson, Steve Coppell, Allan Clarke, Terry Cooper and a few more.
On the 9th of July Steve Coppell turned 64. The former Man Utd and England star had to see his playing career running short and straight after retirement at the age of 29 he became manager of Crystal Palace. Coppell had a great spell in charge of Palace staying with The Eagles until 1993, he later returned for a 2nd (95-96) 3rd (97-98) and 4th spell (99-00). He also had a good spell in charge of Reading being the manager of The Royals from 2003 to 09. Coppell is still working in football management, now in charge of ATK in the ISL.
The next former player to salute is Frank Stapleton. We all remember his finishing skills at Arsenal and Manchester United, but the Irish international continued to play a number of seasons at other clubs such as Derby, Bradford and Blackburn, he also had spells abroad at Le Havre, Ajax and Anderlecht. Stapleton turned 63 on the 10th of July, congratulations.
One to hail is of course former Liverpool great Albert Stubbins. He would have turned 100 years of age on the 17th of July. Stubbins passed away in 2002 at the age of 83. The player that for Liverpool fans are known as a great goalscorer of the 40’s and 50’s, and for others maybe known for being the only footballer to get a place on the cover of the Beatles album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Leeds United had many great players back in that 1968-69 season winning side, Terry Cooper was one of them and emerged as one of the most talented full backs in the World. Terry turned 75 on the 12th of July. Cooper played in the 1970 World Cup. He left Leeds in 1975 to help his former team-mate Jack Charlton at Middlesbrough. A long life in football has seen him over almost 20 years in management at clubs such as Bristol Rovers, Bristol City, Stoke, Exeter and Birmingham.
The first so called “black colored” to play for England was Viv Anderson. The former Nottingham Forest, Arsenal and Man Utd defender turned 63 on the 29th of July. He later found himself as manager of Barnsley and assisting Bryan Robson at Middlesbrough. A number good seasons as a central defender at Sheffield Wednesday should also be counted among his best years as a player.
In the end we will also mention two goal guarantees, Allan Clarke and Jurgen Klinsmann. Clarke turning 73 on the 31st of July, and Klinsmann celebrating his 55th birthday on the 30th. Clarke joined Leeds from Leicester in the summer of 1969 for a new British record transfer fee, £165.000. He left Leeds almost a decade later to take up the management position at Barnsley and then went back to Leeds a few years later in the same role.
Jurgen Klinsmann is mostly known in England for his time with Tottenham Hotspur and especially during his first period from 1994 to 95 he had a sensational impact. Later a manager the national teams of Germany and USA, and also a short while in charge of Bayern Munich.
If you like to see all names of players birthdays in July, click here
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