Nil Arshavin wrote:

QUOTE:
My 8th birthday was 8/8/88

That is the coolest thing I've heard in ages. If that was me I wouldn't be able to stop telling people.

I mention it occasionally, when I feel the need to impress.

It got me on TVAM an all.

Not (quite) facist, but didn't David Platt actively campaign for the Tories in 1997? I'm sure I saw a picture of him knocking doors for Mr Major.

Other Tory footballers, of the top of my head: David O'Leary (of course), Emlyn Hughes (of course), Souness (ditto), Butcher (ditto). and probably the vast majority of others.

In fact, it'd be more of a challenge to list left-wing footballers, really: Bernie Slaven and Graham Rix (leave it!) spring to mind. (Edit: Just noticed the Left Wing XI thread, bugger.)

Tull Harder, HSV's pre-World War II equivalent of Uwe Seeler, was a member of the SS and relatively high up the administrative ladder at the Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg. He got banged up for 15 years for war crimes in 1946, but they let him out in 1951.

CarnivorousVulgaris wrote:

QUOTE:
I've stretched the definition of right-wing to accomodate any sort of thuggish, racist, violent behaviour (on or off the pitch of course) or any suspect political or religious views and/or statements.

None of which are things that ever apply to heavily left-wing people, of course...

Bosnich gave the away end a Hitler salute at a Villa game once, didn't he? Or am I imagining that?

Vittorio Pozzo's got to be up for consideration for the managerial position.

EIM wrote:

QUOTE:
My 8th birthday was 8/8/88

One of my mam's friends has twins born on 7/7/77 whilst her own birthdate is 12th March 1945 ... which is 12/3/45

SamLKelly wrote:

QUOTE:
None of which are things that ever apply to heavily left-wing people, of course...

For the purposes of this conversation, Sam. For the purposes of this conversation...

I get ya.

In which case, anyone who's played for Real Madrid. On the basis that they've played for Real Madrid.

My dad was born on the 07/07/37, so he was 70 on 07/07/07.

I was born on the 4/4/84. My Catalán uncle (RIP) was born on the 4/4/44.

Daniele Massaro infamously turned a USA 94 interview into a party political on behalf of Berlusconi's centre-right/far-right/neo-fascist rabble.

SamLKelly wrote:

QUOTE:
I was born on the 4/4/84. My Catalán uncle (RIP) was born on the 4/4/44.

...Which I have JUST realised for the first time, means that he was 44 years, 4 months and 4 days old on the 8/8/88.

Beat THAT!

I already have.

On the subject of Buffon, I'm pretty sure I remember seeing and interview with Lilian Thuram - who played with Buffon for many years at both Parma and Juve and is pretty smart on issues of race and politics - in which he rubbished the idea of GB being a fascist.

I can't find a reference to it anywhere on line though. Does anyone else remember this?

Berti Vogts, Hoeness and Rummenigge campaigned for Kohl and Stoiber.