The Knowledge | Twenty-eight Days Later: The Fastest Sackings In English Football’s Top Tier

“Is Ange Postecoglou’s 40-day spell astatine Nottingham Forest nan shortest for a full-time head successful nan English apical flight?” asks Donna Stevens.

Any Nottingham Forest head aspires to emulate nan achievements of Brian Clough astatine nan City Ground, aliases astatine slightest salary immoderate benignant of success-based tribute. Alas, Ange Postecoglou’s spell astatine Forest was much reminiscent of Clough’s clip astatine Leeds – short and sour.

Clough lasted 44 days erstwhile he took complete nan reigning champions Leeds successful 1974, a communicative truthful fascinating that personification really should make a movie astir it. Another managerial great, Jock Stein, was astatine Leeds for 45 days successful 1978 earlier nan connection of managing Scotland proved irresistible.

Postecoglou’s 40-day enactment is nan shortest of nan Premier League era, beating Charlton’s Les Reed by a day. But Tommy Docherty trumped nan batch of them pinch a 28-day spell arsenic QPR head successful 1968. Docherty took complete from Bill Dodgin Jr, who had lasted only 3 months himself, pinch Rangers struggling astatine nan bottommost of nan aged Division One. After 3 games successful charge, Docherty resigned “on a matter of principle” erstwhile nan Rangers president vetoed a woody to motion nan Rotherham defender Brian Tiler for £35,000.

These are nan 5 shortest tenures we could find successful nan English apical flight. The database isn’t comprehensive, truthful driblet america a statement if we’ve missed anybody.

28 days

Tommy Docherty Queens Park Rangers, Nov-Dec 1968
Record successful each competitions: P3 W1 D0 L2

40 days

Ange Postecoglou Nottingham Forest, Sept-Oct 2025
P8 W0 D2 L6

41 days

Les Reed Charlton Athletic, Nov-Dec 2006
P8 W1 D1 L6

44 days

Brian Clough Leeds United, July-Sept 1974
P8 W1 D4 L3

45 days

Jock Stein Leeds United, Aug-Oct 1978
P10 W4 D3 L3

(NB: Some reports said Postecoglou was Forest head for 39 days. We’ve counted nan time he was appointed, 9 September, and nan time he was sacked, 18 October, arsenic 2 abstracted days of employment alternatively than one. That’s why nan wide fig is 40 days alternatively than 39. The aforesaid look was utilized for Brian Clough’s celebrated 44 days astatine Leeds, 31 July to 12 September 1974)

A afloat location of goals and assists

“In Austria’s 10-0 demolition of San Marino, each outfield subordinate who started sewage a goal, an assistance aliases both. Has immoderate different squad managed this?” asks Paul Savage.

“This was discussed successful nan the Facebook group The English Football Record,” writes Daniel Hill. “Rob Hick pointed america to Liverpool’s 11-0 demolition of Strømsgodset successful nan first information of nan 1974-75 Cup Winners’ Cup, a lucifer that featured 9 different scorers – each players who started nan game.

“The only alert successful nan ointment is that 1 starting outfield player, Brian Hall, didn’t get a extremity aliases an assist. But nan goalkeeper Ray Clemence group up nan ninth extremity for Tommy Smith, truthful 10 of nan starting XI made a extremity contribution. In that respect it equals Austria’s record.”

Free-kick purple patches (revisited)

In past week’s Knowledge we looked astatine players who had enjoyed purple patches of scoring nonstop free-kicks. Dimitri Payet, David Beckham and James Ward-Prowse were very good; a erstwhile infamous Dutchman was moreover better.

“Pierre van Hooijdonk’s grounds of 18 nonstop free-kicks successful 18 months betwixt October 2001 and March 2003 is rather a spot amended than mediocre aged Dimitri Payet’s form,” writes Bouke Wiersma. “Some of them were amazing, peculiarly distant to Freiburg and successful nan 2002 Uefa Cup last against Dortmund. The Feyenoord maneuver astatine nan clip was beautiful much: lump it up to Pierre, who waits for interaction pinch nan centre-back successful nan aerial duel and past scores nan consequent free-kick. He was simply unstoppable!”

Feyenoord’s Pierre van Hooijdonk scoring 1 of 18 nonstop free-kicks successful 18 months. Photograph: Popperfoto/Getty Images

Knowledge archive

“Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored 4 goals and was sent disconnected successful Gabon’s 4-3 triumph complete Gambia earlier this month,” writes Seb successful Berlin. “Which different players person seen reddish aft scoring astatine slightest 3 goals?”

We thought this would beryllium a niche topic; that location were nary early baths connected unreality nine. And we were wholly wrong, because respective players person achieved football’s champion and worst individual feats successful nan aforesaid game.

“A caller illustration came past Friday connected nan last nighttime of nan League of Ireland First Division,” writes Colm Kearns, “when Bray Wanderers’ 17-year-old Billy O’Neill banged successful 4 against Kerry FC earlier being sent disconnected for a (still mysterious) verbal conflict pinch referee Alan Patchell.”

We had this mobility backmost successful 2019, but it was only a short reply truthful here’s a somewhat fuller and wholly up-to-date list. Thanks to everyone who sent successful answers for this one.

John Murray, Bury 5-0 Doncaster, Division Four, March 1973

• Ron Futcher, Charlton 5-3 Barnsley, Division Two, March 1985
  Futcher’s hat-trick put Barnsley 3-0 ahead; he was past sent disconnected pinch nan people 3-3 earlier Charlton completed a spectacular comeback.

• Hristo Stoichkov, Atlético Madrid 1-4 Barcelona, La Liga, September 1992

• Benni McCarthy, Porto 5-3 Santa Clara, Primeira Liga, April 2002

• Marco Gabbiadini, Sunderland 4-0 Ipswich, Division Two, March 1989
  Quite an achievement, this 1 – aft 87 minutes Gabbiadini had scored only 1 goal. He added 2 much successful nan 88th and 89th earlier being sent disconnected successful nan 90th for an alleged right-hander.

• Chris Iwelumo, Preston 1-3 Wolves, Championship, September 2008

• Hugo Almeida, Werder Bremen 3-0 St Pauli, Bundesliga, November 2010

Hugo Almeida of Bremen processes his reddish paper against Werder Bremen. Photograph: Joern Pollex/Bongarts/Getty Images

• Medi Dresevic, Norrby IF 6-1 Tvååker, Ettan Sodra, September 2016
  And you thought Enzo Maresca was harshly treated aft Chelsea’s victor against Liverpool.

• Samuel Asamoah, Sint-Truiden 5-2 Kas Eupen, Juliper League, February 2020
  “Remarkable for anyone, fto unsocial a protect midfielder,” writes Kári Tulinius. “Asamoah suffered a horrific cervix wounded nan play earlier past playing for Guangxi Pingguo successful nan Chinese 2nd division, and I can’t but wish him a speedy recovery.”

• Billy O’Neill, Bray Wanderers 5-1 Kerry, League of Ireland First Division, 17 October 2025

Can you help?

“Estonia person played against Sweden connected 23 occasions without winning a azygous crippled – is this an unwanted record?” asks Cameron McGlone.

“Seven of Celta Vigo’s 9 convention games this play person ended 1-1,” writes Eugene Francis. “What’s nan highest percent of identical scorelines complete nan people of a season?”

“My beleaguered Tranmere played Barnet connected Saturday,” originates James. “I was amazed that this was nan first ever gathering earlier 2 clubs who person spent truthful overmuch clip successful nan Football League. It made maine wonder: what is nan astir astonishing aliases eyecatching fixture successful English nine shot that has ne'er been played?”

“Last Friday, Athlone Town’s men’s squad vanished bottommost of nan League of Ireland 2nd tier,” writes Colm Kearns. “Two days later their women’s squad completed nan double by winning nan FAI Cup last against Bohemians. Is location a biggest disparity successful fortunes betwixt a club’s men’s and women’s sides wrong a azygous season?”

“Four-time winners Bolton Wanderers person drawn Huddersfield Town, who won nan trophy backmost successful 1922, successful nan first information of this year’s FA Cup. Have 2 erstwhile winners ever met astatine specified an early shape before?” asks Philip Rebbeck.

• Mail us pinch your questions and answers