Football Nostalgia

  Programmed for Memories   Everton v Watford: Saturday 19th October 1985   At this juncture, as a buoyant Everton supporter, I had just commenced my second year of studies at the famous seat of learning, Bangor Normal College. Along with my friend, Robin Williams, we decided to embark on an exciting journey by train along the North Wales coast to what has over the years become affectionately known as the capital of North Wales, otherwise known as Liverpool.   Almost incredibly, given Liverpool’s dominance of British and European football during the late 1970s and early 1980s, Howard Kendall’s men were the reigning League Champions, giving the blue half of the city the bragging rights.   Their other bitter rivals from across the Pennines, Manchester United, under the flamboyant Ron Atkinson, were the early pace setters, seemingly intent on winning the first division crown and thus ending a nineteen-year drought.   It would be my first opportunity to view Ev...

Newcastle United with the 1974 Texaco Cup. During my research for an article based on the infamous Texaco Cup, one thing seems confusing. At the group stage, Newcastle was paired with Middlesbrough, Sunderland, and Carlisle, losing to Sunderland, drawing with Carlisle and beating Boro, ending up with 3pts. Carlisle, on the other hand, having won against Boro and sharing the spoils with the black cats, with a draw against the Magpies, ended up with 4pts. How come Newcastle progressed to the next round to play their Scottish counterparts Aberdeen? I'm sure there's a simple explanation. GOOGLE.CO.UK Image: Newcastle United team photographs from down the years - Chronicle Live Found on Google from chroniclelive.co.uk It seems that the answer lies in the fact that Newcastle picked up a bonus point courtesy of their 4-0 thrashing against Middlesbrough. Level on 4 points with Carlisle, but a superior goal difference.

The 1974 World Cup was staged in West Germany and as luck would have it, their neighbours, East Germany, had qualified for the finals and were drawn together in the same group. They were scheduled to meet on Saturday 22nd of June 1974. This would be their first encounter in the days of the Cold War and the Iron Curtain. The West Germans were well fancied to win the cup and few gave their neighbours any chance of upsetting Helmut Schoen's apple cart, with the likes of Beckenbauer and Muller onboard. However, Jurgen Sparwasser and his East German team mates had not read the script. By clicking on the link below, you can read an interesting article relating to this historical encounter. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47456049

Here's an article I wrote back in 2015 with British clubs eliminated from the Champions League prior to the semi-final stage. One wonders if Manchester City or United, Liverpool or Spurs can restore some British pride? British Soccer Leaves the Euro Zone! With this being election year and much talk about the possibility of Britain leaving the Euro zone in the wake of a Conservative victory, it seems that British football clubs have stolen a march on the politicians! Despite the Premier League’s huge revenue generating capacity for the privileged few, some would say at the expense of the interests of the English national team and lower leagues, the English and indeed the British teams have once again been found wanting at the top table of European football! As I reflected upon this sad state of affairs while devouring ITV’s latest helping from the Champions League at the semi-final stage, courtesy of the old lady of Juventus and the Galácticos of Real Madrid, my wandering m...

David Williams Cancer Appeal In November 1988, Ceredigion and beyond was shocked by the sudden death of David Williams of Llanfihangel y Creuddyn, who was only 39 years old. He was the Headmaster of Llanfihangel y Creuddyn Primary School, but it is fair to say that he was famous across the whole of Wales, as a highly talented footballer and one of the best ever strikers of all time in the country. Everyone knew him as ' Dias ', named after a famous Brazilian footballer who starred in the 1960 World Cup. ' Dias ' was a faithful supporter of Wolverhampton Wanderers. One of his dreams was realised a few months before his death, when he had the opportunity to watch Wolves play in a final at Wembley, beating Burnley to win the ' Sherpa Vans Trophy. Unfortunately this gifted, popular and generous character was lost in a devestatingly sudden manner, as a result of pancreatic cancer, leaving a remarkable void in so many people’s lives. It is now 30 years since ...

Here's an article I wrote recently when the Black Cats were paired with the mighty Gunners in the FA Cup. This gave me the perfect opportunity to reminisce about Sunderland's remarkable adventure in 1973, both on English and European soil. Sunderland’s Cup of Woe This season’s F.A Cup competition has thrown up an intriguing tie between the pride of Wearside and the north London giants Arsenal. Inevitably those Black cats sufficiently long in the tooth will reminisce over Sunderland’s finest hour way back in 1973! Back in those distant and innocent days, the Gunners had accomplished the double only two years prior and were destined to reach their third consecutive F.A Cup final. A swift return to the twin towers for a repeat of the previous year’s centenary cup final against arch rivals Leeds United seemed inevitable. A seemingly mediocre second division outfit in the shape of Sunderland was all that stood between them and the twin towers. However Bob Stokoe’s giant-kil...

Two Welsh players in the shape of Pembrokeshire's Ian Walsh and Peter Nicholas. A very decent Palace side under a great coach in Venables. I just love that iconic Palace kit which has been seen this season in the Premier League.

The Pride of the North East Pride of the North East is a richly deserved title given Middlesbrough Football Club's recent results, sharing the spoils away to title contenders Arsenal and Manchester City. Few people outside the north east expected Boro to make a fist of it amongst the big boys feasting at the top table of English football this season. Although the club might lack a glut of star players and expensive signings, what they do possess is one of the brightest young coaches in the game, having honed his coaching skills under the watchful eye of Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid, at a time when his star burnt brightly in the firmament. As you'll discover later, Mourinho was linked with another famous Middlesbrough coach as he took his first tentative steps in his coaching career. When Aitor Karanka was appointed as Boro's first foreign manager in November 2013, the club may have appeared to be taking a gamble on raw talent, rather than playing it safe with a trus...

Terriers  Treading New Waters This season’s newcomers feature “the Terriers” from Yorkshire, Huddersfield Town. Forty-seven years have elapsed since they last graced the top tier of English football, when they were promoted alongside Blackpool. Should they require any reminders of how fickle our beautiful game can be at the top-table these days, they need look no further than the plight of the Tangarine coloured Seasiders in recent years with their humiliating fall from grace to League Division 2, which translates in old money to League Division 4. Allow me to indulge in a healthy dose of pure nostalgia, as I take you on a footballing journey back to the summer of 1977, forty years ago, when goal difference first came in to play. Manchester United had just won the FA Cup and the mighty Liverpool under the great Bob Paisely had won the double of League Division 1 and the European Cup, when it was genuinely a competition exclusively for Champions!  When the new seas...

West Brom Bag the FA Cup in 2018 Mid February in days gone by would signify 16 teams daring to dream of a good cup run and an appointment under the famous twin towers come the month of May. The beginning of the year would see John Motson don his famous sheepskin coat, as he went in search of a potential banana skin, akin to Edgar Street and Hereford United’s ultimate giant-killing act and heaping great humiliation on their illustrious top tier opponents from St James’ Park. Sadly, in these days where the Premier League reigns supreme, third round day signifies a rare opportunity for the reserve players of many top tier and second tier clubs to strut their stuff in front of the Match of the Day cameras. The world’s most famous club competition may have lost some of its sparkle, but the stark reality remains that it is probably one of only two competitions alongside the League Cup to give it it’s original name, that most clubs have any chance of winning! While the wise money...

At this time back in 1959, 2nd division Liverpool were humiliated by non-league Worcester City, including ex Man City star Roy Paul. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBjcEEvKzVs&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR3UB2RiciRHyziKeoM1qcWsVNhH8Kv7UsHStviKAFN6yId89AcjZmyRtAs Later Bill Shankly would emerge to guide Liverpool to an FA Cup win in the 1965 final, at the expense of Leeds United. Aled Evans

Burnley, although having tasted great success earlier in their history, none the less had a very fine side in the 1970s. I believe they were promoted along with QPR to the top flight. Leighton James and Brian Flynn flew the Welsh flag in this corner of Lancashire and they were both great players. Later Derby County and Leeds United would benefit from their services. In 1974, Burnley should have reached the FA Cup final, but Newcastle United's Malcolm McDonald upset the Turf Moor apple cart! These days, Sam Vokes continues the proud Welsh connection with the club. Aled Evans

Probably one of the greatest managers of all time! I recall his classic quotation: "Mind you I've also known some tough times at Liverpool. We once finished second in the league!" What would he make of Liverpool's failure to capture the title over the past three decades! https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=https://d3j2s6hdd6a7rg.cloudfront.net/v2/uploads/media/default/0001/57/thumb_56809_default_news_size_5.jpeg&imgrefurl=https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/288358-bob-paisley-10-legendary-quotes&h=510&w=850&tbnid=r0dJ1b0USvAQdM:&q=bob+paisley&tbnh=119&tbnw=199&usg=AI4_-kRGif06a8hldrqwrSDdBt9PhGKumg&vet=12ahUKEwikqJTy4uPfAhU4UxUIHUxeCZMQ_B0wE3oECAQQBg..i&docid=i1WAGldXsSLsOM&itg=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwikqJTy4uPfAhU4UxUIHUxeCZMQ_B0wE3oECAQQBg https://twitter.com

Unfortunately the Geordies found Liverpool in cracking form. Enjoy the match highlights below.. It wasn't to be Super Mac's day! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKYiN0aUB8w Two years later Newcastle would return to the twin towers to contest the League Cup against Manchester City. Tueart's wonder goal put pay to their hopes. Unfortunately the long wait for a major trophy remains for these great supporters. Best of luck in this season's FA Cup! Aled Evans

Foxes to Repeat Villa’s Heroics of 1982 With Claudio Ranieri’s East Midlands Italian Job a distant memory and Shakespeare’s classic performance in putting Seville to the sword fresh in mind, Leicester supporters eagerly await the forthcoming quarter final clash with Atletico Madrid on the ultimate stage! This would be an opportune moment to draw parallels with the crisis experienced by another midlands club thirty-five years ago, when turmoil within the club’s hierarchy threatened to upset the European apple cart. Aston Villa under the stewardship of the wily Ron Saunders, using only 14 players, very much against the odds, became Champions of England in May 1981. As was the custom, Villa would represent England in next season’s European Cup, which ironically was the real champions league, restricted to league title winners across the continent. Another twist of irony was the fact that in those days, English clubs could mix it with the best that Europe had to offer. Indeed,...