h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/7842630.stm

I thought Kettering were unlucky, but I feel doubly sorry that I won't be able to see any more of Exodus Geohaghan.

B

I first came across Big Exodus playing for Redditch against Lancaster, on the same team as two separate men called Asa

I went to school with a chap called Asa. Nice fella; I wonder what happened to him.

B

It's possible he ended up playing for Redditch

It seems unlikely. He was about as good at football as me. Or you, to put that into perspective.

B

Ah.

I remember Asa Hartford playing for Man Citeh in the 80's.

Aye, I remember him - good player.

Apparently he is now a coach at... *puts on scouse accent*... Accchhrington Stanley.

Who a dey?

Discussing Asa Hartford at work the other day, a colleague of mine informed me that he (hartford, not my colleague) has a hole in his heart and a commentator once described him as giving a "whole hearted performance", which could have been seen as insensitive...

Ho ho, yes he's survived since the early 70s with that though - including about 17 years of career after it was diagnosed.

So it must be a small hole I guess.

Yeah, he apparently failed a medical at Leeds in 1971, and then went on to play for City, Everton and loads of other clubs before retiring at the age of 40. I reckon the two who play(ed) for Redditch are probably named after him.

It's physically possible to fail a medical at Leeds?

If they detect sanity, you're in trouble

**tries to explain to wife what he's laughing about**

B

Does Jamie McSporran still play somewhere? I heard his name on Jeff Stelling's Super Soccer Saturday a few times.

My own personal favourite is the commentator's nightmare that is Kenny Lunt who was at Sheffield Wednesday.

I think you're thinking of Jermaine McSporran. To quote wikipedia:
" Jermaine McSporran (b. 1 January 1977, Manchester, England) is a semi-professional footballer who currently plays for Oxford City in the Southern League Division One South and West, after having been released by Chester City and Banbury United in the summer of 2006.
He was signed by Chester City from Doncaster Rovers in 2006 and has also played for Wycombe Wanderers. In March 2004 he moved to Walsall.[1] He joined Boston United in February 2006,[2] and also played for Abingdon United.
He is currently working full time in a Unipart distribution warehouse in Oxford

Thats even better!

If we're not sticking to the UK, we can also have Wolfgang Wolf who was actually coach at Wolfsburg in Germany.

Also, Bernt Haas who played for Grasshoppers of Zurich and Switzerland.

And there's also that Portuguese keeper with a really rude surname.

For first name/surname incongruity, how about Everton's youth academy graduate Jose Baxter...