UNBELIEVABLE FOOTBALL FACTS 8

Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of the Sherlock Holmes series, played keeper for Portsmouth under the name AC Smit
Dennis Bergkamp would miss away matches because he had a fear of flying, which is why he was called the Non-Flying Dutchman.

When Harry Redknapp was assistant manager at West Ham, he heard a fan abusing striker Lee Chapman during a pre-season friendly against Oxford City. At half time, he asked the fan to get dressed in the kit and play for the team if he thought he could do better. The fan took up his challenge, played through the second half, and even scored a goal.

Garrincha was born with an illness that should have made it impossible for him to walk. Instead, he became incredibly flecible and agile, which helped him while playing football.

Santiago Cañizares once tore a tendon in his foot while trying to break the fall of a perfume bottle the way he would control a football. He had to miss the World Cup because of the freak injury.