502: Marc Vivien-Foe, West Ham United, Merlin’s F.A. Premier League 2000, Millennium Edition Sticker Collection

At the end of the 2019/20 season Jude Bellingham left his boyhood club Birmingham City to join German giants Borussia Dortmund. He first joined the Blues as an under-8, worked his way through the age groups and signed a two-year scholarship contract in July 2019. By the end of August he had become the club’s youngest ever first team player and goalscorer. By January he was a first team regular and was subject to a £20m deadline day bid from Manchester United. After the Covid-19 lockdowns he continued to perform well as the season resumed and helped Birmingham narrowly avoid relegation on his way to being named Championship Apprentice of the Year and EFL Young Player of the Year. This was undeniably an impressive debut season and Bellingham’s rise to England and Galactico stardom is testament to his undeniable talent. At the same time it seemed a bit odd when, following his departure to the Bundesliga, Birmingham City retired his no.22 shirt.

The practice of honouring certain players for their service to a club has been borrowed from across the pond and only really gained headway in football in the 1990s when an increasing number of leagues moved away from the traditional 1-11 system. It’s hard to argue against AC Milan’s retiring of both the no.3 and no.6 jerseys to honour defensive stalwarts Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi at the end of their careers. Accrington Stanley’s decision to retire Billy Kee’s no.29 shirt was a touching gesture following the forward’s early retirement owing to his myriad mental health issues which forced him away from professional football. As there has only ever been, to the best of my knowledge, one goalkeeping pontiff it seems fair that Polish side Cracovia retired the no.1 shirt in honour of the late Pope John Paul II. Tragically the vast majority of retired shirt numbers have been due to the deaths of players during their careers. This summer Liverpool removed the no.20 squad number after the passing of Diogo Jota and, sadly less than a year earlier, Panathinaikos withdrew the no.32 shirt to honour the late George Baldock. Back in 2003 three clubs retired shirt numbers following the shocking death of Cameroonian midfielder Marc Vivien-Foe.

After winning the Cameroonian Cup with Canon Yaounde Foe moved to France with Ligue 1 side Lens in 1994. During his five years there he played 86 games, scored eleven goals and helped the club to the French title in the 1997/98 season. His performances attracted the attention of Manchester United looking to strengthen following Arsenal’s double winning exploits but a broken leg scuppered the deal and denied him the opportunity to represent Cameroon at the 1998 World Cup. Foe’s recovery was followed by a club record £4.2m move to West Ham United at the start of 1999. Having been embroiled in several battles with relegation throughout the decade the Hammers upset the odds by finishing fifth in the Premier League in Foe’s first season with the likes of Ian Wright, John Hartson and his fellow January arrival Paolo Di Canio bringing attacking flair to the Boleyn. The following season brought Intertoto Cup success and a respectable ninth placed finish leading to Foe securing a £6m move to Lyon where a second Ligue 1 title and a Coupe de la Ligue winner’s medal were added to his trophy cabinet. By this stage he was a mainstay in the Cameroon squad and helped the Indomitable Lions to back-to-back African Cup of Nations victories in 2000 and 2002. 

As African champions Cameroon qualified for the 2003 Confederations Cup and, after an impressive loan spell with a pre-Abu Dhabi Manchester City, Foe was a guaranteed starter for the tournament in France. He played in his nation’s impressive victories over reigning world champions Brazil and a Turkey side which had finished third in the same tournament before being rested for the 0-0 draw with the USA with a semi-final berth secured. In the second half of their clash with Colombia Marc Vivien-Foe suddenly collapsed on the pitch with no opposition player nearby. Attempts to resuscitate him were taken from the field to the sidelines and, eventually, the stadium’s medical centre but ultimately failed and he passed away at the age of just 28. The tragic news was broken to his teammates by captain Rigobert Song as they were celebrating their 1-0 victory.

Players from both Cameroon and hosts, and fellow finalists, France called for the final to be called off out of respect for Foe but the game went ahead. An understandably subdued encounter was decided by a golden goal from Thierry Henry but both side’s captains lifted the trophy together shortly after a large photo of Foe was adorned with a runner’s up medal. Manchester City manager Kevin Keegan announced the retirement of the no.23 jersey while both Lens and Lyon followed suit by removing the no.17 from circulation. Cameroon were blocked from doing the same by FIFA but avoided its prominent usage in the 2004 African Cup of Nations by assigning it to third choice goalkeeper Mathurin Kameni. When Lyon reintroduced the no.17 shirt it was for Foe’s compatriot Jean Il Makoun who stated his new squad number was “in memory of Marc, for me and for the whole [of] Cameroon”. Foe was buried on the site of the football academy in his hometown of Yaounde which was funded primarily from the large portion of his wages he sent home from his European exploits.

The shocking nature of Marc-Vivien Foe’s death sent waves across the footballing world. The inconceivable levels of physical health reached by professional players give them an aura of invincibility so the last thing we expect is for them to collapse on the pitch. The impact of Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest on the Denmark squad in the 2021 European Championship was profound and, thankfully, preceded his recovery and return to top level football. Eriksen’s survival owes something to the research and infrastructure that came out of Foe’s passing which has better prepared sporting arenas for such incidents. It is hard to comprehend how Foe’s passing away would have impacted all of those on the pitch and in the stands and the retirement of his shirt number by three of his former clubs is testament to the high regard he was held in. A fitting tribute to a man remembered by his West Ham teammate Shaka Hislop as “represent[ing] the best of football and footballers” and, perhaps, an indication that Birmingham City might have jumped the gun a bit.