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Bog Standard

Restroom comedy has traditionally served as the comfort zone of your Daily, and we are always mindful of notable bog-related stories and historic moments, particularly within football. What a delight it was to find out that an online journalist Adrian Chiles possesses a urinal decorated with West Brom motifs within his residence. Consider the situation regarding the Barnsley supporter who took the rest room a little too literally, and was rescued from an empty Oakwell stadium after falling asleep on the loo during halftime of a 2015 loss against Fleetwood Town. “He was barefoot and had lost his mobile phone and his cap,” stated a Barnsley fire station spokesperson. And nobody can overlook during his peak popularity with Manchester City, the controversial forward popped into a local college to access the restrooms in 2012. “Balotelli parked his Bentley outside, then entered and inquired the location of the toilets, then he went to the teachers’ staff room,” a pupil informed the Manchester Evening News. “Subsequently he wandered round the campus as if he owned it.”

The Lavatory Departure

Tuesday marks 25 years to the day that Kevin Keegan resigned as England manager after a brief chat in a toilet cubicle together with Football Association official David Davies in the bowels of Wembley, after the notorious 1-0 loss versus Germany during 2000 – England’s final match at the historic stadium. As Davies recalls in his journal, his private Football Association notes, he had entered the sodden troubled England locker room directly following the fixture, only to find David Beckham in tears and Tony Adams “fired up”, both players begging for the official to reason with Keegan. After Dietmar Hamann's set-piece, Keegan walked slowly through the tunnel with a thousand-yard stare, and Davies found him slumped – reminiscent of his 1996 Liverpool behavior – within the changing area's edge, muttering: “I'm done. I can't handle this.” Collaring Keegan, Davies tried desperately to save the circumstance.

“Where on earth could we find for a private conversation?” remembered Davies. “The tunnel? Crawling with television reporters. The changing area? Crowded with emotional footballers. The bath area? I couldn’t hold a vital conversation with the team manager as squad members entered the baths. Merely one possibility emerged. The restroom stalls. A significant event in English football's extensive history happened in the old toilets of an arena marked for removal. The coming demolition was almost tangible. Leading Kevin into a compartment, I closed the door after us. We remained standing, looking at each other. ‘You can’t change my mind,’ Kevin said. ‘I'm gone. I'm not suitable. I’m going out to the press to tell them I’m not up to it. I can’t motivate the players. I can’t get the extra bit out of these players that I need.’”

The Results

Therefore, Keegan stepped down, later admitting that he had found his period as Three Lions boss “soulless”. The two-time European Footballer of the Year stated: “I had difficulty passing the hours. I began working with the visually impaired team, the deaf squad, assisting the women's team. It’s a very difficult job.” The English game has progressed significantly in the quarter of a century since. For better or worse, those stadium lavatories and those iconic towers have long disappeared, although a German now works in the dugout where Keegan once perched. Thomas Tuchel’s side are among the favourites for next year's international tournament: England fans, don’t take this era for granted. This exact remembrance from a low point in English football serves as a recall that situations weren't always this good.

Real-Time Coverage

Follow Luke McLaughlin at 8pm UK time for Women’s Bigger Cup updates regarding Arsenal versus Lyon.

Quote of the Day

“There we stood in a long row, in just our underwear. We were Europe’s best referees, elite athletes, role models, mature people, mothers and fathers, resilient characters with great integrity … but no one said anything. We hardly glanced at one another, our eyes shifted somewhat anxiously when we were requested to advance in couples. There Collina examined us thoroughly with an ice-cold gaze. Mute and attentive” – previous global referee Jonas Eriksson shares the degrading procedures referees were previously subjected to by previous European football refereeing head Pierluigi Collina.

Football Daily Letters

“What does a name matter? There exists a Dr Seuss poem called ‘Too Many Daves’. Have Blackpool suffered from Too Many Steves? Steve Bruce, together with staff Steve Agnew and Steve Clemence have been dismissed through the exit. So is that the end of the club’s Steve obsession? Not quite! Steve Banks and Steve Dobbie remain to manage the main squad. Complete Steve forward!” – John Myles.

“Now you have loosened the purse strings and distributed some merchandise, I've chosen to type and offer a concise remark. Ange Postecoglou claims he started conflicts on the school grounds with children he knew would beat him up. This self-punishing inclination must explain his option to move to Nottingham Forest. Being a longtime Tottenham fan I will always be grateful for the second-season trophy yet the only follow-up season honor I predict him achieving by the Trent, if he lasts that long, is the Championship and that would be some struggle {under the present owner” – Stewart McGuinness.|