Plus: matching points, goals for and against; Carmarthen Town’s super siblings; and the Hampden Riot. Send questions and answers to knowledge@theguardian.com or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU

“Chelsea finished the season with 93 points, 43 more than in 2015-16,” notes James Bolle. “That’s an even bigger swing than Leicester, who gained 40 extra points in their title-winning season. Has there ever been a bigger improvement in the top division in any country?”

We suspected this question might lie dormant, unanswered and unloved for decades, simply because it was hard to imagine a team have a greater improvement than Chelsea’s. But then came this email from Sean DeLoughry, who has done sterling work in this hitherto unexplored field of geekery.

Was Stuart Pearce's brother the linesman for a game that he played in? | The Knowledge Read more

“Dundalk managed a 48-point improvement between 2012 and 2013 in the League of Ireland Premier Division,” writes Sean. “In 2012 they finished bottom but avoided automatic relegation when Monaghan United went bust mid-season. They survived a relegation play-off, brought in Stephen Kenny as manager, and the rest is history. Twenty points gained in 30 league games in 2012 turned into 68 points in 33 games in 2013 (the teams played three games fewer in 2012 because of Monaghan going bust), Dundalk finished runners-up to St Patrick’s Athletic, before powering on to a hat-trick of league titles. Chelsea’s move from 50 to 93 points is a mere 86% improvement, year-on-year. Adjusting Dundalk’s 20 points in 30 games in 2012 to a proportional 22 in 33 still implies a 209% improvement.”

Sean also cites the example of Armenian side Shirak, which is technically the winner, even if Dundalk had the greatest pound-for-pound improvement. “Dundalk’s 48-point gain was eclipsed, though, by 2012-13 Armenian champions Shirak,” he explains. “In 2011 Shirak finished seventh out of eight in the Armenian Premier League with 25 points from 28 games. After the 2011 season the league was restructured to move from a spring-autumn cycle to an autumn-spring cycle. To facilitate the change, the clubs played each other six times each between March 2012 and May 2013. Shirak won the league with 88 points from 42 games, a 63-point gain season-on-season and a 135% improvement.”

Do you have any more examples? If so, email knowledge@theguardian.com

Which teams have had matching points, goals for and goals against?

“Peterborough United finished the League One season with 62 points, 62 goals scored and 62 conceded,” mails Nick Bush. “Has any other team in English football (or anywhere else) finished with the same goals for, goals against and points total?”

Our first thought was about Millwall in 1973-74, the season documented in Eamon Dunphy’s classic book Only a Game? They had a different sort of symmetry: 14 wins, 14 draws, 14 defeats, 51 goals for, 51 against, 42 games played, 42 points. No matter, because James Clarke is all over this one. “Port Vale in the fourth division in 1968-69 can see Peterborough and raise them on games played,” says James. “Played 46, goals for 46, goals against 46, points 46. There is also some lovely symmetry in their record of W16 D14 L16. So if you were to decide to format the league table in the order of Played-Points-Wins-Draws-Losses-Goals For-Goals Against, Port Vale’s season would make a sort of numerical palindrome (46-46-16-14-16-46-46). Sadly nobody actually writes tables like that.”

They do now. “Three other English clubs can match Peterborough’s record on goals and points (but not join in with Port Vale on games played),” continues James. “Leicester in the 1999-2000 Premier League (GF55, GA55, Pts55), Rochdale in the 1996-97 Third Division (GF58, GA58, Pts58) and Wimbledon in the 1991-92 First Division (GF53, GA53, Pts53).”

Super siblings (2)

A couple of weeks ago we looked at teams that included two sets of siblings, making up four of the starting XI. Jason Hopkins, who runs this Facebook page about the history of Carmarthen Town, has an even better example.

“I stumbled upon an article by Mr Alan Latham, who sadly passed away last year,” begins Jason. “In this article he talks of a game in January 1979 between Aberdare Town and Carmarthen Town, when Carmarthen fielded two sets of siblings who made up eight of their starting XI.” There were the Turner brothers (Nicky, Peter, Gary and Johnny) and the Goldsmiths (Christopher, Nicky, Jeffery and Martin). Seven of them started the game, with Johnny Turner coming on in the second half to complete the octet.

Knowledge archive

“Thumbing through the history of Scottish Cup winners the other day, I noticed that no one seemed to have won the trophy in 1909,” wrote Douglas Rawlins in 2007. “Did they have a year off? What really happened?”

Douglas had stumbled upon the story of the Hampden Riot, which resulted in the Scottish Football Association holding back the trophy. Back in 1909, Rangers and Celtic had set up another Old Firm final showdown, which went to a replay after the sides drew 2-2 in a thrilling first game. But rumours began sweeping the city that the SFA had been fixing Cup ties in a bid to ensure maximum income from replays, sparking suspicion and mistrust among both sets of supporters.

That sense of paranoia peaked after the replay on 17 April, which finished in a 1-1 draw; as the players left the field an announcement revealed there would be no extra-time and the thinning patience of 60,000 supporters finally ran out. Fans from both sides united to invade the pitch for more than 2½ hours, tearing up the goalposts and setting fire to the wooden barricades. Mounted police were fended off with stones and even the goalposts, while the fire brigade was also repelled by missiles and had its hoses cut. Around 50 policemen were injured as the riot eventually left the stadium and moved towards the city centre.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Celtic’s Scott Brown celebrates with a trophy that wasn’t awarded in 1909. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Reuters

Both clubs petitioned the SFA to have the tie abandoned and their demands were duly met when officials decided the match would not be replayed. The cup and all medals were withheld, although both clubs were compensated to the amount of £150, while Queen’s Park received £500 for the damage. “I would suggest the withdrawal of all policemen from football matches,” wrote one correspondent in the Glasgow Evening Times, “and substitute a regiment of soldiers with fixed bayonets.”

For more instances of early football violence, click here.

Can you help?

“Has there ever been a player who scored a hat-trick in a match and those three goals became their only goals scored for that club?” wonders Sean McConnon.



“I can’t remember the last time I read of a club P45-ing a manager without a statement declaring: ‘The club would like to place on record its thanks to [wotsisname] …’ begins Dom Smith. “Wolves being the latest example at the time of writing. Someone’s to blame for this Ctrl+C/V-ery and I want to know who. So, who was the first club to use this firing formula?” [And how about the least thankful club statement on a manager’s departure? – Knowledge Ed.]

“Jaroslav Zelený made 31 league appearances this season, despite teams in the Czech Republic playing 30 league games,” notes Chris Boothroyd. “In the autumn, he played 15 times for Hradec Králové before making the move to Jablonec in January. Luckily for him, Jablonec’s final game before Christmas was postponed due to the weather and was rearranged for the spring, enabling him to play 31 games in a league season. Has anybody else achieved this feat of playing more league games than is (technically) possible? And if so, who holds the record?”

Hans Baas (@hansbaas) @TheKnowledge_GU I still would love to know how unique @Feyenoord were this season by winning the league topping it from day 1

“This season’s FA Cup semi-finalists finished first, second, third and fifth in the league. Has there ever been a season where the top four teams all reached the Cup semi-finals?” asks Mitchell Sandler.

“Am I right in thinking that Swansea City are the first team in the Premier League to have three different permanent managers in one season and not be relegated?” asks Harry Stein.



“Chelsea have won the title in the last four general elections. Has any English team got a better record when Britain goes to the polls?” asks Jamie Navarro. “Chelsea have delivered a Conservative government (yes the 2010 coalition counts as Conservative) all the way back to 1955. What governments do title-winners deliver?”

Send your questions and answers to knowledge@theguardian.com or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU.