That Was The Football Week That Was: Week beginning March 21st

Cantona gets two weeks in jail...McAvennie prefers Hammers to Gunners...first pro football Sunday fixture is played - it all happened in these years!

Blackburn are top of the Premiership with 76 points from 34 played, followed by Manchester United with 70 and Newcastle with 63 from 33. Liverpool and Nottingham Forest are joint fourth with 57. During the week, Alan Shearer scores his 100th goal in the League as Blackburn beat Chelsea 2-1 to increase their lead at the top of the table. Shearer says: "We're enjoying being at the top. I've been at the bottom with Southampton and I know which I prefer."

* Eric Cantona is sentenced to two weeks' jail for his flying kung-fu kick at an abusive spectator at Selhurst Park. He is freed on bail pending an appeal. There are gasps in court as JP Jean Birch says she is jailing him as an example to young people. Cantona apologised in court and his agent says he is shocked after being told that by pleading guilty he would receive clemency.

* Ron Atkinson signs Gordon Strachan as his assistant at Coventry on a three-year deal that in two years time will see Strachan move into the manager's seat in succession to Atkinson, who comments: "Prior to that, he will have a couple of years learning the business or more about it than he already knows."

* John Wark, Ipswich player-coach, is sent off for only the second time in a 21-year career, pulling down Darren Eadie in a 3-0 defeat at Norwich. He says: "I never intended bringing him down – I tried to get the ball but he was a bit too quick for me."

Arsenal lead the First Division on 55 points followed by Norwich City on 53 and Millwall on 49. Liverpool are fourth with 45. Chelsea lead Division 2 on 68 points from Manchester City on 66 and West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers on 58. Wolves top Division Three leading Port Vale by 10 points. In the FA Cup Sixth Round, Liverpool beat Brentford 4-0, Everton beat Wimbledon 1-0 while Manchester United are beaten at home 1-0 by Nottingham Forest.

* Charlton Athletic supporters gather at Woolwich Town Hall on Thursday to hear about rumours that Charlton may return to the Valley after four years ground-sharing with Crystal Palace. There is a huge roar when club chairman Roger Alwen says: "We are going home." At present, the ground is occupied by gypsies.

* Twenty nine-year-old Frank McAvennie, who has just got engaged to a London model, returns to bottom of the table West Ham rather than sign for top-placed Arsenal. West Ham pay a club record £1.25m for him and manager John Lyall reveals: "He talked to Arsenal and I'm happy to say he chose us."

Manchester United lead the First Division on 43 points from 32 games followed by Liverpool on 43 and Nottingham Forest on 41. United beat Leicester 5-2 this weekend, Liverpool lose 1-0 to Burnley while Spurs draw 1-1 with Chelsea, the Chelsea goal being scored by Ian Hamilton, a 16-year-old apprentice, with Greaves scoring for Spurs. On Wednesday, Spurs beat Everton 1-0 at Goodison Park with another Greaves goal while, later in the week, Manchester United draw 0-0 with Liverpool. Over the Easter weekend that follows, Manchester United draw 2-2 with Fulham at Craven Cottage in front of 47,000 – a post-war record attendance and earning £9,000 gate receipts! At Anfield, where Liverpool draw 0-0 with Arsenal, the Kop chant 'We want goals!' having gone four games without one. The title still isn't certain for United - unbeaten since Boxing day, they've now drawn their last six away games while Spurs, who are now unbeaten in 15 matches, are just four points behind them.

* The first professional match played on a Sunday is sanctioned by the FA. The Southern League match between Wisbech Town and Dunstable Town is watched by 1,372 spectators, many paying 3 shillings for a programme. The innovation is considered a success.

* Bobby Charlton is presented with his European Footballer of the Year Award by Max Urbini, editor-in-chief of France Football at Old Trafford.

* Leeds beat Sunderland 2-1 in a replayed FA Cup Fifth round tie that ends in controversy. A penalty for Leeds two minutes from time leads to arguments and the dismissal in quick succession of two Sunderland players. The field becomes littered with spectators, cameramen and policemen and several spectators are taken off, one after appearing to throw a punch at the referee,