5 Most Obscure Soccer Record Holders and Statistics
We know all about the traditional soccer stats and records. Let's be honest: Statistics are a huge part of sport and how prestige is perceived and interpreted.
For instance, Brazil have won the World Cup a record five times, Manchester United have the most league titles with 19 and Cristiano Ronaldo became the most expensive transfer in world football after signing with Real Madrid for $120 million.
But in this article, we're more interested in the records that are far from obvious and slightly more obscure.
So if they make a great dive-bar stat or an amazing trivia question—they're in!
5. Largest Attendance Ever at Old Trafford Was Not a Manchester United Game
1 of 5You better believe it! United's huge attendances week in and week out do not come close when you look up which game provided the largest attendance ever at the mighty Old Trafford.
So was it a Champion League Final? A World Cup semifinal?
The short answer is no.
Were Barcelona, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Brazil, Spain or Argentina involved?
Nope.
Give up? It was an FA Cup semifinal between Wolves and Grimsby Town on March 25, 1939!
Bet you didn't know that!
4. Wolves Are the Only Team to Win Every Division
2 of 5Wolves have been up and down the leagues for a long time in their rich 136-year history as a football club.
They have been crowned champions of the first division three times, the second three times, the third twice, the third (South) once and the fourth division once.
They might be having a bad few years recently, but they are the ninth most successful club in English football history.
3. Scottish Game Was Postponed 29 Times
3 of 5That's right! A Scottish Cup tie between Falkirk and Inverness Caledonian Thistle in 1979 was postponed an incredible 29 times because of bad weather.
The game was originally scheduled to take place on January 6 but was finally played 47 days later on February 22.
Falkirk eventually won the game 4-0 but were knocked out by Dundee just three days later.
2. Ian Ashbee Captained Hull City Through All 4 Divisions
4 of 5Ian Ashbee holds the prestigious record of captaining his club from division four all the way to the Premier League.
The central defender joined the club in 2002 under Jan Molby, but when Peter Taylor took over the club, Ashbee's success really flourished.
They were promoted in 2003/4 as runners-up and again in 2004/5.
Despite many serious injuries, Ashbee kept the armband under Phil Parkinson and Phil Brown as the club just survived relegation in 2006/7. However, many fans called for Ashbee to step down from first-team duties at the end of the season.
But he proved the doubters wrong and led Hull into the Premier League for the first time after a famous 1-0 playoff win over Bristol City at Wembley Stadium in 2007/8.
1. Wayne Rooney Has Never Scored in a World Cup
5 of 5Rooney may be prolific for Manchester United, but when it matters the most at the international level, he has not produced.
He has been to two World Cups and seems destined for a third in 2014.
And yet over the two tournaments, he has played in eight games and remarkably not hit the back of the net once!
That includes matches against Trinidad and Tobago, Ecuador, Algeria and Slovenia.
C'mon, Wayne, sort it out!
