The dark spirits definitely did their evil bidding in the Premier League on Halloween back in 2009: the very day that saw a new record set for the most red cards in one single afternoon of English top-flight football.
No less than eight players were sent off over the course of the day, with Jlloyd Samuel (1.) kicking things off by tripping Didier Drogba while clean through on goal in Bolton’s 4-0 defeat against Chelsea….
2. Geovanni was dismissed in Hull’s controversial 2-0 defeat against Burnley at Turf Moor, picking up a second booking for a dangerous lunge on Steven Fletcher.
3 & 4. Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Carlos Cuellar both saw red to ensure that both Everton and Aston Villa ended their 1-1 draw with ten men on the pitch.
5 & 6. Fulham spanked Liverpool 3-1 at Craven Cottage, though the visitors were reduced to nine men by the end of the match after Philipp Degen and Jamie Carragher were both dismissed in the latter stages.
7 & 8. To cap off the record-breaking slew, both Kenwyne Jones and Robert Kovac were sent off as Sunderland fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with West Ham.
The Black Cats continued in much the same vein for the rest of the season, duly becoming the first side to have nine players sent off in a single Premier League campaign.
What a feat.