On This Day – 8th October

David Beckham returned to Manchester for this first time since his £24.5 million move to Real Madrid on this day back in 2005.
The England skipper was back playing at Old Trafford for England in a World Cup Qualifier against Austria. Sadly for Beckham, it would be a match that he would much rather forget as he became the first England player to be sent off twice.
After famously being dismissed in the 1998 World Cup in France, Beckham was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence.

England won the game 1-0 thanks to a penalty from Frank Lampard in the 25th minute. The victory put England two points behind group leaders Poland meaning that the fixture between the two sides four days later would determine who finished top of the qualifying group.
Whoever finished top would have the higher seeding in the draw for the World Cup in Germany the following year. In the end, England beat Poland 2-1 and topped the group. They reached the Quarter Finals in Germany whereas Poland went out in the group stage, finishing third behind hosts Germany and Ecuador.

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