Anniversary (1)
Marc-Vivien Foe
Born: 1 May 1975, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Died: 26 June 2003, Lyon, France
Clubs: Canon Yaounde, RC Lens, West Ham United, Olympique Lyonnais, Manchester City (loan)
Today marks the tenth anniversary of the tragic death of former West Ham United midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe, who passed away after collapsing on the pitch during Cameroon's FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final with Columbia in Lyon, France. Despite the best efforts of medical staff at the Stade Gerland, the 28-year-old died in the stadium's medical centre a short time later.
Foe was a popular player wherever he turned out, whether it was for club or country. A tall central midfield player, Foe was tipped for great things from an early age, impressing for Canon Yaounde in his home city and making his senior debut for Cameroon at the age of 18.
A big move to Europe arrived in 1994 when he joined French side RC Lens, with whom he won the Ligue 1 title in 1998. The following January, West Ham United moved for the 6'2 player in a club record £4.2m deal. He would make 45 appearances for the Hammers over the next 18 months, scoring twice.
In May 2000, a £6m fee saw Foe return to France with Olympique Lyonnais, and a second Ligue 1 title arrived in 2002. A loan move to Manchester City later the same year was also successful as the African started regularly for Kevin Keegan's side. Sadly, 2002/03 would be his final season of league football.
At international level, Foe was capped more than 60 times by Cameroon, appearing at the 1994 and 2002 FIFA World Cup finals. He also helped his nation to win the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in 2000 and 2002, the latter victory qualifying them for the Confederations Cup.
Following Foe's death, an autopsy concluded that Foe's death was heart-related as it discovered evidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a hereditary condition known to increase the risk of sudden death during physical exercise.
Anniversary (2)
Dan Bailey
Born: 26 June 1893, East Ham, London, England
Clubs: Custom House, West Ham United, Charlton Athletic, Clapton Orient, Margate
Born in East Ham on 26 June 1893, Dan Bailey was one of a number of West Ham United players who saw his career interrupted by the First World War.
An amateur player with local club Custom House, Bailey was brought to the Hammers following the sale of Danny Shea to Blackburn Rovers in January 1913. The young forward made his debut against Northampton Town in the Southern League First Division on 15 March 1913. A maiden goal arrived in a 3-1 win at Millwall on 5 April of the same year.
Bailey scored 16 goals during his first two-and-a-half seasons at West Ham before going off to fight for his country in Egypt. He returned after the War to take part in the Club's first-ever season in the Football League in 1919/20, scoring nine goals in 27 Division Two appearances.
The forward failed to find the net in eight appearances the following year and was sold to Charlton Athletic in 1921. He later joined Clapton Orient and Margate. Bailey passed away in April 1967 at the age of 74.