"Inter's win over Bayern Munich last night made them just the second team in Champions League history to win a two-legged tie after losing the first leg at home (after Ajax in 1996)," notes Sam Allen. "But was this a more common occurrence back when the tournament was still just the European Cup, before its rebranding in 1992? My suspicion is that the feat will look less impressive when put in this greater context."

Not at all, Sam – if anything it looks even more impressive. In 37 years of European Cup football prior to the Champions League rebranding, only three teams managed to overturn a deficit sustained in the home leg. In other words, Internazionale are only the fifth team in 56 years to progress after losing the first leg at home in Europe's top club competition.

In a neat coincidence, the first team to do so were Inter's city rivals Milan, who achieved the feat in the first round of the first-ever European Cup, back in 1955. Having lost 4-3 at home to FC Saarbrücken – representatives of what was then known as Saarland – Milan went on to romp home 4-1 in the return leg at Ludwigsparkstadion.

Next up were Ajax – who remain the only team ever to lose by more than one goal at home and still progress. In February 1969 they were beaten 3-1 by Benfica in Holland, but two goals from Johann Cruyff helped them to win the return by the same margin. That meant the quarter-final tie would be settled with a play-off game at a neutral venue, the Stade des Colombes in Paris. An incredible 40,000 Ajax fans travelled to France, where they saw their team run out 3-0 winners after extra-time.

The final side to achieve the feat were Nottingham Forest, beaten 1-0 by Dynamo Berlin in the first leg of their 1980 quarter-final. Two Trevor Francis goals inside the first 35 minutes put them ahead on aggregate at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark before John Robertson's penalty further extended Forest's advantage. Frank Terletzki grabbed a consolation goal, also from the spot, in the second half, but that was all Berlin could manage.

Forest would go on to become the first – and still the only team – to be behind after the home leg of a European Cup tie, and yet go on to win the whole tournament.

(NB: Qualifying rounds are not included in the Champions League statistics, as Uefa itself does not record data from these games in their official tournament records. A Uefa spokesman clarified: "By UEFA Champions League we always refer to group stage to final.")

KITTED OUT (2)

Last week we had a look at professionals in other sports who have warmed up for an event wearing the shirt of their favourite football team. Here are a few we failed to mention:

"Another tennis player who sported a football jersey while on court was the notoriously average German Nicolas Kiefer," points out Matthias Glafke. "A Hannover 96 fan, he wore his favourite team's shirt several times, and after spending the best part of my lunch break searching I even have some proof. Here he is in the home jersey and here he is in the away jersey."

Sticking with tennis, Yusuke Toyoda emailed to remind us of Goran Ivanisevic pulling on a Croatia shirt after his last-ever match at Wimbledon in 2004. José Angel Pedraza, meanwhile, noted Spain's Davis Cup final publicity shots in 2009.

Broadening our horizons, Simon Rouse points us in the direction of Tipperary's hurling goalkeeper Brendan Cummins. "He has worn a Manchester United jersey under his Tipperary shirt since 1993," points out Simon. "During this time he's won two All-Ireland titles, three Munster titles and five all-stars (best player in his position in that year). He became the Tipperary player with the most championship appearances of all time, in 2009. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest hurling keepers of his generation."

Desmond Mooney highlights Mario Cipollini, "the flamboyant Italian sprinter would generously reward his sponsor's investment by wearing an Inter jersey over his team kit when he stepped onto the winner's podium in the late 1990s in the Giro d'Italia."

In boxing, meanwhile, Amir Khan and Ricky Hatton have made no secret of their respective affections for Bolton Wanderers and Manchester City, but there have also been cases of fighters rather more cynically trying to win the approval of a home crowd. "Towards the climax of the 1995-96 football season, Nigel Malinga and Thulani Benn faced each other at the Newcastle Telewest Arena," recounts Mark Guthrie. "With Newcastle riding high in the table, Malinga, obviously hoping to get the crowd on his side entered the ring in a Newcastle United shirt. Going that one step further, Benn came into the ring wearing not only black and white shorts, but also a black and white grass skirt-type top.

"Maybe what happened next is a coincidence, or maybe evidence of what happens when you pin your colours too firmly to an already sinking mast. Benn lost on a split decision, whereas two days later Newcastle were beaten at home by Manchester United, leading to the capitulation of their 13-point lead, and subsequently their title hopes."

Any more for any more? Send them over to us at knowledge@theguardian.com

FREE FOOTBALL VENUES (3)

Last week we continued our run-down of grounds where football can be viewed for free. But there were a couple we missed:

Stade Joseph Marien, Brussels "You'd have to be a little miserly, since admission is only €10, but in Brussels you can watch Royal Union St-Gilloise for free from the now abandoned terracing at one end, as you can see here and here," writes Simon Aughton. "It's also the only ground I've ever been to where you can freely leave at half-time to go to the pub."

Twerton Park, Bath "I'm surprised no one has mentioned Bath City's Twerton Park," notes Iain McLeod. "Freeview Road, which runs behind the ground, can't have been named that without good reason. There are homes there these days, but I'd imagine the owners should at least be able to see the far side of the pitch over the stand, from their upstairs windows."

KNOWLEDGE ARCHIVE

"I noticed, while flicking through some stats, that Alan Shearer scored five hat-tricks for Blackburn in 1995-96," explained Chris Topping back in 2007. "Has any other player scored more in one season?"

Yes, is the rather abrupt answer, Chris. First up, the Wolves striker Steve Bull scored six of his 18 career hat-tricks in the 1988-89 season (with two of those being four-goal hauls against Preston and Port Vale). As did Jimmy Greaves (for Chelsea in 1960-61), Ayr United's Jimmy Smith (1927-28) and Altrincham's Jackie Swindells, who scored 82 goals in 63 games during the 1965-66 campaign, 18 of which came from six hat-tricks. Of course, when famous goalscoring achievements are mentioned, William Ralph "Dixie" Dean's name is usually in the frame; as is the case here. Dean scored seven of his record 37 career hat-tricks in 1927-28, but went one better in the 1931-32 season.

Incredibly, even that doesn't claim the record, which instead belongs to Framwellgate Moor's most famous son. George Camsell, a Middlesbrough legend whose talents were first spotted – according to the Observer's Paul Wilson – at a "pithead kickabout during a miners' strike", banged home nine hat-tricks in the 1925-26 campaign. They helped comprise a season's tally of 59 goals from just 37 games, a record that was, in turn, eclipsed by Dean the very next season. Camsell also scored a remarkable 18 goals for England in just nine appearances, a total that would surely have been greater had Dean and Cliff Bastin not been on the scene at the same time.

Can you help?

"On Saturday in the Bolton v Birmingham game there were three players called Davies on the field at the same time," points out Jim Gevaux. "What game has had the most players with the same name on the field at the same time?"

"Barry Smith just set a new club record last weekend at Dundee FC after defeating Queen of the South, going 20 league games undefeated," says Simon Muir. "The run started the day he took over as manager, and he has not lost a game so far. This is also his first managerial position he has held after his playing career. Given the club are in administration, were docked 25 points, and are not allowed to sign any players to add to a threadbare squad, this is truly a remarkable achievement. Has there been any similar remarkable starts to a debut managerial career?"

"On 7 June, the United States will play Canada at Detroit's Ford Field in a group-stage game of the Gold Cup," writes Dave Hogg. "With the stadium located near the Detroit River, Canada will be playing an away game just 1.1 miles from their own country. When was the last time a major tournament pitted two teams in such a border conflict?"

"When players come on as substitutes, they are 'checked over' by the fourth official to make sure they are not wearing jewellery and that they have the proper footwear," notes Stuart McFarlane. "Checking a professional footballer's boots seems a little silly, but when was the last time a player was not allowed to come on for not having proper boots?"

"Following on from the latest Knowledge and teams finishing in alphabetical order in their league season, what's the longest grammatically correct word that has been formed by teams' initials at the end of the season," asks Hugh McGinley. "For example: Chelsea – Arsenal – Liverpool – Man Utd = CALM."