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Commonplace Lavatory Laughs

Restroom comedy has long been the comfort zone for daily publications, and publications remain attentive to significant toilet tales and milestones, especially in relation to football. What a delight it was to discover that an online journalist a well-known presenter possesses a urinal decorated with West Brom motifs within his residence. Consider the situation regarding the Barnsley supporter who understood the bathroom rather too directly, and had to be saved from the vacant Barnsley ground post-napping in the lavatory during halftime of a 2015 loss versus the Cod Army. “He had no shoes on and had lost his mobile phone and his hat,” elaborated a representative from Barnsley fire services. And everyone remembers at the pinnacle of his career at Manchester City, Mario Balotelli visited a nearby college to access the restrooms in 2012. “Balotelli parked his Bentley outside, then entered and inquired the location of the toilets, subsequently he entered the faculty room,” a student told local Manchester media. “Subsequently he wandered round the campus like he owned the place.”

The Toilet Resignation

Tuesday marks 25 years since Kevin Keegan stepped down from the England national team following a short conversation in a toilet cubicle with FA director David Davies in the underground areas of Wembley, after the notorious 1-0 loss against Germany in 2000 – England’s final match at the legendary venue. As Davies remembers in his diary, FA Confidential, he entered the drenched beleaguered England dressing room right after the game, seeing David Beckham weeping and Tony Adams energized, both players begging for the official to reason with Keegan. Subsequent to Hamann's direct free-kick, Keegan moved wearily along the passageway with a blank expression, and Davies located him seated – just as he was at Anfield in 1996 – in the corner of the dressing room, saying quietly: “I'm done. I can't handle this.” Grabbing Keegan, Davies attempted urgently to save the circumstance.

“What place could we identify [for a chat] that was private?” remembered Davies. “The passageway? Swarming with media. The locker room? Packed with upset players. The bath area? I couldn’t hold a vital conversation with the team manager as squad members entered the baths. Just a single choice remained. The restroom stalls. A dramatic moment in England’s long football history happened in the old toilets of a stadium facing demolition. The approaching dismantling was nearly palpable. Leading Kevin into a compartment, I closed the door after us. We stayed there, eye to eye. ‘You cannot persuade me,’ Kevin stated. ‘I'm leaving. I'm not capable. I'll announce to journalists that I'm not competent. I'm unable to energize the team. I can’t get the extra bit out of these players that I need.’”

The Aftermath

Therefore, Keegan stepped down, later admitting that he had found his period as Three Lions boss “without spirit”. The two-time European Footballer of the Year stated: “I struggled to occupy my time. I found myself going and training the blind team, the hearing-impaired team, supporting the female team. It's an extremely challenging position.” English football has come a long way during the last 25 years. For better or worse, those stadium lavatories and those iconic towers are no longer present, while a German now sits in the technical area Keegan previously used. The German's squad is viewed as one of the contenders for next year’s Geopolitics World Cup: Three Lions supporters, appreciate this period. This particular anniversary from one of the Three Lions’ darkest days is a reminder that things were not always so comfortable.

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Quote of the Day

“There we stood in a long row, wearing only our undergarments. We were the continent's finest referees, top sportspeople, examples, mature people, mothers and fathers, resilient characters with high morals … yet nobody spoke. We barely looked at each other, our eyes shifted somewhat anxiously when we were requested to advance in couples. There Collina examined us thoroughly with a chilly look. Quiet and watchful” – ex-international official Jonas Eriksson discloses the embarrassing processes officials were once put through by previous European football refereeing head Pierluigi Collina.

Daily Football Correspondence

“What’s in a name? There exists a Dr Seuss poem named ‘Too Many Daves’. Has Blackpool experienced Excessive Steves? Steve Bruce, together with staff Steve Agnew and Steve Clemence have been removed from their positions. Does this conclude the club's Steve fixation? Not exactly! Steve Banks and Steve Dobbie stay to manage the main squad. Full Steve ahead!” – John Myles

“Now you have loosened the purse strings and distributed some merchandise, I have decided to put finger to keypad and offer a concise remark. Ange Postecoglou claims he started conflicts in the school playground with kids he knew would beat him up. This masochistic tendency must account for his choice to sign with Nottingham Forest. As an enduring Tottenham follower I'll continue appreciating the subsequent season award yet the only follow-up season honor I predict him achieving by the Trent, if he lasts that long, is the second division and that would be quite a challenge {under the present owner” – Stewart McGuinness.|