WITH the World Cup Finals commencing later this month, I am compiling nostalgia blogs to share memories of the most incredible international matches that I have attended in my 50 years of watching football.

In this offering, I reflect on the highest scoring football match I have ever seen:

Isle of Wight 20, Sark 0 

Yes, 20-0 !!!

First off all, it needs some context. Sark is a tiny Channel Island which measures five kilometres long by two and a half kilometres wide. The population is 550 so there wasn’t a massive pool to choose their football squad from.

Anyway, this game took place on 30th June 2003 at the St Martins AC ground on Blanche Pierre Lane in Guernsey. It was part of the Island Games, which is like a mini-Olympic Games for small islands around the world.

I still have the match statistics that I scribbled down during a frantic 90 minutes. Can you imagine trying to negotiate in play betting based on this data…

• Isle of Wight – 47 shots on target, 37 shots off target, 24 corners, 20 goals scored!

• Sark - 0 shots on target, 0 shots off target, 0 corners, 0 goals scored!

Apart from those 20 goals, Isle of Wight rattled the woodwork on six occasions, had a goal disallowed and saw two penalties saved by Sark’s goalkeeper Leon Burletson who pulled off 20 other sprawling saves in a heroic man of the match performance! 

Burletson – who was a gardener by trade – received a tremendous ovation from everyone present on the final whistle. He said: “The match was a little soul-destroying and depressing by the end. But we refused to drop our heads or let it get us down. For me, it was just amazing to appear in the Island Games as a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

By contrast, Isle of Wight keeper Richie Newbury was a virtual spectator. He only touched the ball once in the entire match and that was when he casually gathered a long punted clearance from the besieged Sark team! I wonder what the betting would have been on that happening!

Sark coach Shane Moon summed up the happy-go-lucky spirit of his players by telling me: “It was a special occasion for my lads to enter the Island Games. They will probably never do this again but they enjoyed it and achieved a great deal.”

The most popular results recorded in football matches are 1-1, 1-0 and 2-1

In my 5,174 football matches attended, I've seen 1-1 results a total of 531 times, 1-0 a total of 430 times & 2-1 a total of 409 times

The highest scoreline I've ever seen was:

Isle of Wight 20 Sark 0

— Tony Incenzo - my 50th football season (@TonyIncenzo) October 3, 2019

Meanwhile, Sark’s most experienced player at the tournament was 52 year old former Huddersfield Town professional Barrie Dewsbury. 

Midfield man Dewsbury said: “I never thought an old bloke like me could play in such a great competition. But when it was decided on Sark that we would enter the Island Games, I came out of retirement. I felt it was a chance not to be missed - even at my age. Although I did wonder at times what I had got myself into!”

There were words of praise for Sark from the Isle of Wight coach John Carragher. He said: “The match was played in a tremendous spirit. Sark really had a go - they ran their hearts out and kept putting their tackles in. 

“The keeper Burletson was fantastic and I wish he could play for us. The Sark players were some of the nicest people we have ever met in football and we had a whip-round at full-time to buy them all a drink in the bar.”

Sark conceded a grand total of 70 goals during their four matches in the Island Games without getting on the scoresheet themselves:

• Gibraltar 19, Sark 0 

• Isle of Wight 20, Sark 0 

• Greenland 16, Sark 0 

• Froya 15, Sark 0

Richard Drewe, manager of the overall Sark Island Games sports team back in 2003, put things into perspective.

He explained: “We faced all sorts of selection difficulties. Most people on Sark are self-employed, so it was hard for the players to take a week off from work to go to the competition in Guernsey - especially in the tourist season.

"It was bad enough trying to find enough men for one team, let alone two so that they could have a training match in the build-up period. 

“The football tournament was pretty stiff but we competed in the spirit of the Island Games. We are not the biggest of places - in fact, we were the smallest island taking part in the Games. But I am a firm believer that after the end of every match, everyone should be able to shake hands.”

Alas, Sark have not featured in an international tournament since then due to those logistical problems. There was some talk of entering a team in lower divisions of the Guernsey League but that failed to materialise.

In the meantime, Sark host occasional friendly matches against touring sides who are royally entertained in the island’s Mermaid Tavern pub afterwards.

*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

FIRST PUBLISHED: 2nd November 2022

Argentina were handed a relatively favourable draw for this winter’s tournament in Qatar, yet they trail several teams in World Cup betting.

Winners of the Copa America last year, La Albiceleste have tournament experience on their side, and plenty of top-tier talent to call on. 

World Cup success has been hard to come by in the 21st century, however. Since 1990, Argentina have reached the semi-finals just once, which resulted in a heart-breaking final loss to Germany in Brazil in 2014.

If the Argentines are to go one better in Qatar, these five players need to shine. 

Lionel Messi

Simplistic, perhaps, but this will most likely be Lionel Messi’s last World Cup, and definitely the last anywhere near his peak.

He has relinquished his status as Argentina’s most valuable player. While not quite the player he once was, Messi is still capable of things that others cannot even fathom. 

Failure to win a World Cup does not harm Messi’s legacy in a meaningful way, but neutrals will be desperate to see some magic from the PSG star this winter.

Lisandro Martinez

Following some overly simplified criticism after his move to Manchester United, Lisandro Martinez has been a rock at the heart of the Red Devils’ defence.

Their online betting chances of a clean sheet are much improved with Martinez in the side, and he will surely be a starter at the World Cup. 

Martinez will be tested early on, with Argentina set to face Robert Lewandowski in the group stage. If Argentina are to succeed, they need their defence to be without drama.

There are some hot-headed personalities in this back line, but Martinez’s form indicates he could be a much-needed reassuring presence.

Rodrigo De Paul

With over 40 caps to his name, Rodrigo De Paul is an established member of the Argentina squad. He can bring a bit of everything to the team this winter, and will help to balance the side around Messi. 

There are plenty of options in the midfield for Lionel Scaloni. De Paul looks set for a place in the XI, though, and has an eye for goal which could swing a match at some point in the tournament.

Lautaro Martinez

A record of 21 goals in 40 Argentina caps is more than deserving of a place on this list.

Lautaro Martinez is a menace for opposing defences, and the latest in a long line of elite Argentinian strikers, following in the footsteps of Gabriel Batistuta, Hernan Crespo and Sergio Aguero.

An intelligent runner and hard-working, Martinez is a superb complement to Messi. He’s an interesting dark horse for the Golden Boot.

Giovani Lo Celso (Injured)

A starter in three of Argentina’s last four matches, Giovani Lo Celso is in line for a big role at the World Cup. Likely slotting in on the left of the attack, Lo Celso could also be utilised in the midfield three in they go to 4-3-3. 

While he is set to miss out on the opener through injury, the Villarreal midfielder should be available for the rest of the tournament.

At his best, Lo Celso can be a connective player, linking the midfielders to the attack.

*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

FIRST PUBLISHED: 2nd November 2022