Copy Web page content to WORD & EXCELL

I use Windows XP Professional and Office 2002. When attempting to copy a 'selected' grid of FOOTBALL SCORES, eg. 1-0;2-0; 2-1;etc, from a Web page, I find many scores displayed as DATES. No amount of pre or post formatting avoids eg. 2-1; being displayed as "2nd Jan" or 3-4 as 3rd April. Both prior and/or subsequent formatting of the receiving WORD document or EXCELL worksheet works. Whatever the subsequent formating it changes these 'dates' only to their date 'numbers' 37623 and 37714 respectively. Rugby perhaps, football never!! Pre-selecting the 'receiving area' ans 'pre' formatting it makes no difference whatever. Any ideas?