On this day 5 July

Zola Good...

Chelsea's wee Italian superstar is born...

 

It says a lot about how highly Gianfranco Zola was regarded at Stamford Bridge that, when Roman Abramovich first arrived with his millions, his first move was to attempt to persuade Zola to turn his back on a transfer to home club Cagliari and stay at the Bridge. In typical Abramovich fashion, he didn't simply attempt to buy out Zola's new contract, but offered to buy the whole club. It says more about Zola that he refused this audacious offer because he was unwilling to renege on the verbal deal to go back to Italy. Born today in 1966, Zola wasn't only one of the best foreigners to grace the Premier League, but a bona fide gentleman to boot, and for that we'll raise a glass of Sardinian red to him today at Catflap HQ.

On a good day for fishermen and people without tastebuds, today in 1937, Spam was launched. EatCricket still remember Spam sandwiches in the back of a Ford Cortina on the way to Butlins in Minehead, and we're still angry. Austin, Minnesota is known as Spam Town as it produces all US Spam (imagine the stench), and 2002 saw the six millionth can sold. Apparently, it is so popular that it is given as a gift more often than chocolate. Poppycock.

So jump into the lake naked and cry Grattis pŒ fšdelsedagen as they do in Sweden to Chelsea reject Hernan Crespo (33) Edie 'Carmen Soprano' Falco (45), fat rapper Bizarre (32), over-priced, self-important fashion designer Paul Smith (65), and musical criminal Huey Lewis (58).