I notice that the footballer Chris Nicholl has died. I didn't know the name but I was interested to read of a game he was in that features in Football's Strangest Matches by Andrew Ward, a book we have somewhere in the house. The game was between Leicester City and Aston Villa at Filbert Street, in March 1976. Chris Nicholl, a Northern Ireland international, who in his career played 648 league games for a number of different clubs, managed to score all four goals. A tall central defender for Villa, he clearly appreciated the symmetry of the game and managed on the occasion to alternate own goals with his "proper" ones for Villa, all spread nicely across the ninety minutes. The first, an own goal, came in the 15th minute, from a shot by a Leicester player which deflected off Nicholl's head. He was able to equalise before the break in the 40th minute, shooting from close range after a scramble in the penalty area. In the second half, he managed, in the 53rd minute, to score a second own goal (his hat trick, you might say, but own goals don't usually count for that honour). He had again headeded past his own keeper. With four minutes to go he was remarkably able to once again cancel out his own effort, this time scoring from a Villa corner.
The similar phrase 'Worldly Christianity' is one used by Bonhoeffer. It's J Gresham Machen that I want to line up most closely with. See his Christianity and culture here. Having done commentaries on Proverbs (Heavenly Wisdom) and Song of Songs (Heavenly Love), a matching title for Ecclesiastes would be Heavenly Worldliness. For my stance on worldliness, see 3 posts here.
The late Chris Nicholl and his amazing feat
I notice that the footballer Chris Nicholl has died. I didn't know the name but I was interested to read of a game he was in that features in Football's Strangest Matches by Andrew Ward, a book we have somewhere in the house. The game was between Leicester City and Aston Villa at Filbert Street, in March 1976. Chris Nicholl, a Northern Ireland international, who in his career played 648 league games for a number of different clubs, managed to score all four goals. A tall central defender for Villa, he clearly appreciated the symmetry of the game and managed on the occasion to alternate own goals with his "proper" ones for Villa, all spread nicely across the ninety minutes. The first, an own goal, came in the 15th minute, from a shot by a Leicester player which deflected off Nicholl's head. He was able to equalise before the break in the 40th minute, shooting from close range after a scramble in the penalty area. In the second half, he managed, in the 53rd minute, to score a second own goal (his hat trick, you might say, but own goals don't usually count for that honour). He had again headeded past his own keeper. With four minutes to go he was remarkably able to once again cancel out his own effort, this time scoring from a Villa corner.
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