On This Day: Barca motto 'Més que un club' was born; Chelsea wrecked Swansea 6-0

Hi all, welcome to All Football's On This Day! Let's find out what happened today (January 17th) in football history. If you have more stories and news that happened on this day in history, please post them in the comment area and share them with AFers!

On This Day in 1968 - Barcelona's Motto 'MesQueUnClub' and Its 51 Years

Nowadays, everyone around the world knows all about Barca being 'més que un club' (more than a club) as the famous expression goes. And it’s an expression that’s 51 years old today!

On 17 January 1968, new Barcelona president Narcís de Carreras gave a speech that prompted the club's motto "more than a club."

A lawyer by profession, Carreras had been involved with the club for some time, twice serving as vice president under Agustí Montal and Enric Martí. When the latter resigned in September 1953, Carreras planned to run for president, but political pressures prevented him.

He finally stood for election at the end of 1967 after the seven-year tenure of Enric Llaudet. It was during his acceptance speech on 17 January that he said "Barcelona is something more than a football club." The phrase soon became Barcelona's motto and an integral part of their identity. 

The expression may be 51 years old today, but Barça has been ‘more than a club’ for many more years than that!

On This Day in 2015 - Mou's Chelsea Smashed Swansea 5-0

Still remember the time when Mourinho, Cech, Diego Costa, Oscar and Terry were all in Chelsea?

On 17 January, Chelsea’s away form had been giving them cause for concern, but they put it right in the most emphatic fashion, moving five points clear at the top of the Premier League by inflicting on Swansea one of their worst defeats since they arrived at elite level in 2011. Only Liverpool had previously scored five against them.

The outcome was settled before half-time, by which stage Chelsea led 4-0, with their fans chanting the name of Diego Costa, whose two goals took his personal contribution to 17 in 19 League appearances at that time, Oscar completed his brace moments later and Andre Schurrle finished the rout in the second half.

For Swansea, this record home defeat, not just in the Premier League but ever, leaves them with having won just two of their last eight League games, their European ambitions in increasing jeopardy.

On This Day in 2001 - Ronaldinho Began his Europe Adventure!

On 17 January 2001, Ronaldinho signed a 5-year contract with PSG in a €5 million transfer. Upon his arrival in Paris, Ronaldinho was given the number 21 shirt and inserted into a lineup that included fellow Brazilian Aloísio, midfielder Jay-Jay Okocha and striker Nicolas Anelka.

Ronaldinho made his league debut for the club on 4 August 2001, appearing as a substitute in a 1–1 draw with Auxerre. Ronaldinho spent the majority of the first few months of the 2001–02 season alternated between the bench and starter's role. He scored his first goal for the club on 13 October in a 2–2 draw against Lyon, converting the equalizing penalty in the 79th minute after having come on ten minutes prior. After returning from the winter break, Ronaldinho went on a tear, scoring a goal in four consecutive matches to open the new campaign. He recorded impressive goals against Monaco, Rennes, Lens and Lorient. On 16 March 2002, he recorded a double in PSG's 3–1 victory against relegation strugglers Troyes. He scored his final league goal of the season in the club's 2–0 win over Metz on 27 April.

On This Day in 1998 - Oh! The Billboards were Innocent!

It is one of the most fondly remembered goal celebrations in Premier League history: On 17 January, Temuri Ketsbaia slotting home a 90th-minute winner for Newcastle United against Bolton Wanderers in 1998, threatening to strip to his underpants, and then hoofing the pitchside advertising hoardings with furious abandon. Over and over again.

Ceahlaul’s Milos Markovic went some way towards recreating the celebration in Romania on Wednesday night, but for the Serbian defender there was no joy, only anger, after a late red card against Steaua Bucharest.

On This Day in 1948 - Even Oasis Never Drew That Large A Crowd There

On 17 January 1948, a League-record 83,260 people watched Manchester United draw 1-1 with Arsenal. Although it was considered a home match for United, it was held at Manchester City's Maine Road ground (above), because Old Trafford was undergoing repairs for damage caused during World War II.

At the time, United were in fourth place in the First Division table, nine points behind league leaders Arsenal (who had won the season's prior contest at Highbury, 2-1). The Gunners would go on to win the league, while United would claim that season's FA Cup, as well as their second consecutive second-place league finish.

While the 17 January 1948 attendance set the highest total for a league match, it is second to the overall English record of 84,569, reached at Maine Road for a 6th round FA Cup match between Manchester City and Stoke City on 3 March 1934.

At the end of the 2002-03 season, Manchester City moved out of Maine Road to the new City of Manchester Stadium. By that time, Maine Road had been converted to an all-seater, eliminating the terraces and reducing its capacity to 35,150.

On This Day in 1970 - Haynes Makes His Fulham Farewell

On 17 January 1970, Fulham icon Johnny Haynes played his last match for the London club, a 1-1 home draw with Stockport County.

Dubbed "the Maestro," Haynes started his professional career with Fulham in 1952. Before his departure in 1970, he made a club record 658 appearances and scored a then-record haul of 158 goals (later surpassed by Gordon Davies in 1991). Haynes, however, preferred creating goal opportunities to scoring them and was once described by Pelé as "the best passer of the ball I've ever seen." He broke yet another record in 1961 when Fulham made him the first player in England to earn a weekly wage of £100.

Fulham were in the Second Division when Haynes joined the club. He helped them earn promotion to the top flight in 1959 on the heels of his 26 league goals, a career best. But after 9 seasons in the First Division, they suffered back-to-back relegations and played Haynes' last season in Division Three.

After leaving Fulham, he spent five seasons in South Africa before retiring. After his death from a brain hemorrhage in 2005, Fulham renamed a stand a Craven Cottage in his honor and also retired his number 10 shirt. Three years later, the club unveiled a statute of Haynes outside the stadium.