not football but i liked this about the 1904 marathon-
The marathon was the most bizarre event of the Games.
It was run in brutally hot weather, over dusty roads, with horses and automobiles clearing the way and creating dust clouds.
The first to arrive was Frederick Lorz, who actually was just trotting back to the finish line to retrieve his clothes, after dropping out after nine miles. When the officials thought he had won the race, Lorz played along until he was found out shortly after the medal ceremony. Banned for life by the AAU for this stunt, Lorz was reinstated a year later and won the 1905 Boston Marathon.
The Briton Thomas Hicks, running for the United States, was the next to cross the finish-line, after having received several doses of strychnine sulfate, and of brandy, from his trainers. He was supported by his trainers when he crossed the finish, but is still considered the winner. Hicks had to be carried off the track, and possibly would have died in the stadium, had he not been treated by several doctors.
The marathon included the first two black Africans to compete in the Olympics; two Tswana tribesmen named Len Tau (real name: Len Taunyane) and Yamasani (real name: Jan Mashiani). But they weren't actually there to compete in the Olympics, they were actually the sideshow. They had been brought over by the exposition as part of the Boer War exhibit (both were really students at Orange Free State in South Africa, but no one wanted to believe that these tribesmen could actually be educated, that would have ruined the whole image). Len Tau finished ninth and Yamasani came in twelfth. This was a disappointment, as many observers were sure Len Tau could have done better,
if he had not been chased nearly a mile off course by a large, aggressive canine.
Another entrant was a Cuban postman named Felix Carvajal. He raised the funds to get to St. Louis by running around the central square in Havana, appealing for funds between laps. But he lost his money on the way in a crap game in New Orleans. Lacking any proper equipment he ran the race in lightweight street shoes. A very amiable competitor, he often stopped to chat with members of the crowd. But during the race he felt peckish and stole some peaches from a race official. He then took a detour into an orchard to munch on some green apples. He developed stomach cramps and had to temporarily drop out of the marathon. Eventually, Felix got back in the race and managed to come in fourth place after many others that finished ahead of him had been excluded.
Two of the patrolling officials driving in a brand-new automobile were forced to swerve to avoid hitting one of the runners. They ended up going down an embankment and were unfortunately severely injured.
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