“Brentford have just appointed former England and Fiji Rugby 7s coach Ben Ryan as their director of elite performance,” mails James Doherty. “He appeared on a commemorative 50 cent coin to mark Fiji’s first ever Olympic medal, gold in the 7s at Rio 2016. Have any other footballers, coaches or senior figures ever appeared on currency in celebration of their achievements?”
They certainly have, James, and John McDougall takes us to Australia for the first example. “Fifteen of the 2006 Socceroos World Cup squad were minted on $2 coins,” he writes, making us wonder which players in the 23-man squad were cruelly cut by the Royal Australian Mint. Hopefully Scott Chipperfield made the grade.
