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...