Seven Shades of... Cesc Fabregas

Today sees the return of one of our old features where we attempt to link two football personages through seven spurious steps. Today we're trying to link Cesc Fabregas with Ray Clemence - just because we can, you understand - so let's begin naturally enough with:

Cesc Fabregas
Currently being touted as the Emirates Messiah and heir to the throne recently vacated by Thierry Henry. Not that they're the same type of player you understand, oh no. Spanish midfielder Fabregas isn't your out-and-out striker although these days you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. He's already scored six goals this season compared to four for the whole of 2006/07. Anyway, Cesc Fabregas holds the record as the youngest player ever to appear in an Arsenal shirt, entering the field of play in a League Cup third round match against Rotherham in 2003 aged just 16 years 177 days. Former holder of the record was

Jermaine Pennant.
Yes, you know - him - that fella that plays for Liverpool now. Anyone remember him playing for Arsenal? I don't, but then I'm getting a bit old now. Anyway, Pennant himself was capable of going a bit funny in the head from time to time as the Police in Aylesbury will testify. Back in January 2005, a drunk Pennant crashed his Mercedes car into a lamppost. When the local constables turned up and asked him to confirm his name, he replied:

Ashley Cole.
Funny the way alcohol can make you forget who you are, isn't it? Cole himself is a figure of some controversy. In 2006, The Sun and The News of the World ran stories that suggested he'd been involved in a 'homosexual orgy' with a DJ although Cole later sued them both for damages and had the allegations retracted. The year before, he'd been embroiled in the infamous tapping-up incident where Chelsea representatives had seemingly made an illegal approach to the former Arsenal star without notifying his club. By the time Cole left to sign for Chelsea, the Arsenal fans were unhappy with his apparent willingness to play for whoever waved the biggest cheque-book in front of him, and when he recently released his autobiography, some Arsenal fans began an internet campaign urging people to instead by the autobiography of

Perry Groves,
the winger who became a stalwart in the early days of George Graham's reign as manager of the Highbury club. Groves has come to be something of a cult figure at Arsenal, even featuring in a fan's chant which is sung to the tune of 'Yellow Submarine' called 'We all live in a Perry Groves world.' Bless. Groves main claim to fame was that he was the man who provided the pass that led to the winning goal scored in the 1987 League Cup Final by

Charlie Nicholas.
'Champagne Charlie' as he was known (due to his laddish exploits in London outside of work hours) was the bright young thing who earned his reputation as a hot-shot goalscorer while with Celtic in the early 1980's. Sadly that reputation waned after Terry Neill signed him for The Gunners in June 1983 but he did at least stay for four and a half seasons, scoring 54 goals. His career before and after Arsenal was considerably worthy of higher praise, and with Celtic in 1981 he won the Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year award. The following year the award was won by

Frank McAvennie
who was almost signed by Arsenal in 1989. He instead decided to return to West Ham United for a second spell after an initial period of success with the Upton Park club between 1985 and 1987, and then Celtic for the following two seasons. Unfortunately by 1989 his regular supply of goals had started to run out and his career in the Scottish national side was over. This, despite scoring the goal in 1985 which helped Scotland qualify for the following year's World Cup in the first leg of a qualifier against Australia. Exactly six months prior to that match against Scotland, Australia had played a friendly at home to Tottenham Hotspur which they won 1-0. Tottenham's goalkeeper that day was

Ray Clemence,
the former Liverpool and England goalkeeper who was one of the most successful players ever to play between the sticks in this country. He won countless honours with Liverpool including five League Championships, the FA Cup, three European Cups and two UEFA Cups but success with the England team wasn't as easy to find. He did at least win the UEFA Cup with Tottenham at the tail-end of his career before retiring in 1988 to join their coaching staff. Clemence is in a select band of players who have appeared in five FA Cup Finals, the last of which was in 1987. It took place on May 16th, just twelve days after the birth of one Cesc Fabregas.