Our new daily puzzle, On the ball, involves guessing the identity of the Premier League footballers, past and present
T
hat “dudes can just sit around and name old sports players” is a time-honoured social media meme. In football, this is especially true. Such wistful recollections can bring together all types of people.
A couple of seasons ago, on a Saturday night train back to London from reporting for the Guardian a match between Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace, I thought I had landed in the sanctuary of an abandoned carriage on the train home.
I thought wrong. Just as the station guard’s whistle sounded for the train to depart, the carriage was suddenly filled with loud, boisterous and visibly refreshed young Palace fans. Occasionally, these situations can turn nasty but after a couple of songs dedicated to their beloved Eagles, the leader of this cheerful group started up a guessing game.
