Football Nostalgia

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...