OTHER FOOTBALL
- Thread starter ivoralljack
- Start date
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
Silly money.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
WBA let a big ticket player go today. The relegated clubs will now be assessing what life is all about in the Championship financially speaking and let's see what they do
Yes, with Covid not helping their transition.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
Can't help but draw a comparison between Ronaldo and Messi.
Ronaldo started in the top flight in Portugal. Moved the the EPL at a young age and was successful there. Moved to Madrid and was successful there. Moved to Juventus in Serie A and was successful there. Three top, top leagues. Won trophies everywhere.
Messi has only been at Barca; not as successful in the last 5 years. Now goes to PSG to play in a "softer" league. It's a shame that Messi didn't give it a go in the EPL or Serie A.
CroJack
Key Player
£1+m per week and £53m per year. Only financially doped PSG can pay such wages.
P.S. Messi is not crying anymore. He is smiling now.
Been watching repeats of ITV football from 1977. Quite forgotten how different things were then - long floppy hairstyles, flared trousers, kipper ties and the shortest of shorts when we had really cold winters. Players seemed petrified when interviewed in front of the cameras and those pitches!! If it was dry you had grass on both wings and right down the centre from goal line to goal line, it was hard baked mud causing the ball to bounce to God knows where. How players passed/controlled it is beyond me. But if it was wet the game became a farce. The middle of the park was no more than a mud bath often with tons of sand poured on to soak up the excess water.
The grounds were so tight it was almost unbelievable. At Upton Park for instance, Trevor Brooking would take a corner for West Ham and would emerge from the crowd to strike the ball. You lost sight of him when he began his run up. Crazy, he would be an easy target for any nutter with a grudge. I have fun spotting players who'd go on to play for the Swans. There was Leighton James scoring a peach of a free kick for Derby in the old First Division; Jimmy Rimmer keeping goal for Arsenal; Ray Kennedy and Tommy Smith lording it in an unbeatable Liverpool team; a young Gary Stanley winning promotion from the Second Division with Ray Wilkins of Chelsea. Then there was Dai Davies in goal for Everton with the majestic Bob Latchford up front winning headers for fun and banging goals in from everywhere; and others that I can't remember.
Then there were the rules. I thought a defender had made a complete mess of things when he passed back to his keeper who was being closely marked. But the keeper simply collected the ball in his arms because it was allowed back then. Great fun to watch and a real dose of nostalgia. Speaking of which, it was strange to see again players wearing the numbers 1-11 on their backs and the ONE sub had #12.
And the players? Back then I could name the starting eleven of all the First Division teams and many in the Second Division. Seeing a black player was indeed a rare sight; the same with foreign players. Ipswich (then a First Division top team under Bobby Robson) were ahead of their time in this respect playing the terrific Dutch pair Arnold Muhren and Franz Thyssen in midfield. Other points to note: the footballs were heavier and held water but the better players could still bend and curl shots; keepers caught crosses rather than punch them (the heavier ball was easier to catch than today's plastic affairs that are deliberately designed to swerve, dip and bend all over the shop); far tougher tackles were allowed then yet diving was almost unknown, arrriving at the same time as foreign players who, in my opinion, were responsible for bringing the cheating practice into our game.
Better times? In many respects the answer is a resounding yes but there are definitely other things that are better today. The best of both worlds would be good but that applies to all things in life and rarely happens.
The grounds were so tight it was almost unbelievable. At Upton Park for instance, Trevor Brooking would take a corner for West Ham and would emerge from the crowd to strike the ball. You lost sight of him when he began his run up. Crazy, he would be an easy target for any nutter with a grudge. I have fun spotting players who'd go on to play for the Swans. There was Leighton James scoring a peach of a free kick for Derby in the old First Division; Jimmy Rimmer keeping goal for Arsenal; Ray Kennedy and Tommy Smith lording it in an unbeatable Liverpool team; a young Gary Stanley winning promotion from the Second Division with Ray Wilkins of Chelsea. Then there was Dai Davies in goal for Everton with the majestic Bob Latchford up front winning headers for fun and banging goals in from everywhere; and others that I can't remember.
Then there were the rules. I thought a defender had made a complete mess of things when he passed back to his keeper who was being closely marked. But the keeper simply collected the ball in his arms because it was allowed back then. Great fun to watch and a real dose of nostalgia. Speaking of which, it was strange to see again players wearing the numbers 1-11 on their backs and the ONE sub had #12.
And the players? Back then I could name the starting eleven of all the First Division teams and many in the Second Division. Seeing a black player was indeed a rare sight; the same with foreign players. Ipswich (then a First Division top team under Bobby Robson) were ahead of their time in this respect playing the terrific Dutch pair Arnold Muhren and Franz Thyssen in midfield. Other points to note: the footballs were heavier and held water but the better players could still bend and curl shots; keepers caught crosses rather than punch them (the heavier ball was easier to catch than today's plastic affairs that are deliberately designed to swerve, dip and bend all over the shop); far tougher tackles were allowed then yet diving was almost unknown, arrriving at the same time as foreign players who, in my opinion, were responsible for bringing the cheating practice into our game.
Better times? In many respects the answer is a resounding yes but there are definitely other things that are better today. The best of both worlds would be good but that applies to all things in life and rarely happens.
CroJack
Key Player
Football was more fun than today. Hajduk Split had a golden generation in seventies and for the half of that decade were managed by the best manager ever from that part of the world. Tomislav Ivic was his name. I think he is the only manager ever who won trophies in 7 countries.
Three League and five Cup titles in former Yugoslavia with Hajduk Split.
Dutch League title with Ajax Amsterdam in 1976/77.
League title with Belgian side Anderlecht in 1980/81.
With Porto in Portugal:
- Portugese League title1987/88.
- Portugese Cup in 1988.
- UEFA Super Cup in 1987.
- Intercontinental Cup in 1987.
With Atletico Madrid he won Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) in 1990/91.
With Marseille French League title in 1991/92.
With Al-Ittihad he won Saudi Crown Prince Cup in 2004.
Tomislav Ivic is credited for inventing totall pressing in football.
But let's go to the fun part.
There was a couple of players in his squad who regularly had sex at half time with girls sneaked inside away stadia or with women employed there. Hajduk Split players were incredibly popular in seventies and we had sexual revolution in Yugoslavia just like everyehere else in the Western World. Interestingly, these players were able to sprint in the second half like rabbits.
There was a striker in his squad who was known for drinking so much wine the night before the game that he was often seen throwing up at 2 AM at the day of the match. Then in the afternoon he would go and score a couple of goals.
Then there was a goalie who was known for catching powerful shots and collecting crosses with one hand. When he was bored he cleared crosses by heading them out of the box. When the opposition had free-kicks around Hajduk box he always had arguments with his defenders because he didn't want them to form the wall. 'Let them shoot, I want to see the ball' is what he used to say. His idol was the former Hajduk Split goalkeeper Vladimir Beara for whom Lav Yashin, the only goalie who ever won Balon d'Or, said at the ceremony when he was receiving the trophy 'I am not the best goalkeeper in the world, Vladimir Beara is'.
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Beats the crafty fag that DH and others used to have at half time eh, @Yankee_Jack ? Used to drive Ivor demented did that. Imagine his reaction if he saw a couple of players getting their rocks off!!!
Watched Chelsea clinch promotion to the old First Division last night beating Hull 4-0. And guess what? Some referees were as bent/incompetent then as some are today. That certainly hasn't changed. Hull won as nailed on a penalty as you would ever see and almost under the referee's nose. Yet he disallowed it!!! Commentator Brian Moore was absolutely astonished and said as much. Of course, Chelsea had a penalty claim late on and it was awarded in a heartbeat.
The game had to be stopped twice towards the end as the usual morons, several thousand of them, invaded the pitch like a human tsunami and the Chelsea manager had to step onto the field with a microphone and appeal for common sense. Fat chance with the typical knuckle-dragging Chelsea supporter!! Moore said that sanctions would surely follow and so they should.
Had to laugh though. As a consequence Moore said that next season the club would increase the price of a juvenile ticket from 50p to £1. No inflated wages then from Sky so the fans weren't fleeced as they are today. Interesting to see that half the stands at Stamford Bridge had been pulled down to allow redevelopment. It looked a right mess. Years ago when I was a kid visiting kinfolk in London over Xmas, I went there on New Year's day to watch them draw 0-0 with Arsenal. It was a fabulous ground then with a big open 'D' space behind each goal like the old Wembley and a sort of running track around the touchlines. I think it looked better then than it does today tbh.
Commentator Brian Moore was absolutely astonished and said as much. Of course, Chelsea had a penalty claim late on and it was awarded in a heartbeat. The game had to be stopped twice towards the end as the usual morons, several thousand of them, invaded the pitch like a human tsunami and the Chelsea manager had to step onto the field with a microphone and appeal for common sense. Fat chance with the typical knuckle-dragging Chelsea supporter!! Moore said that sanctions would surely follow and so they should.
Had to laugh though. As a consequence Moore said that next season the club would increase the price of a juvenile ticket from 50p to £1.
No inflated wages then from Sky so the fans weren't fleeced as they are today. Interesting to see that half the stands at Stamford Bridge had been pulled down to allow redevelopment. It looked a right mess. Years ago when I was a kid visiting kinfolk in London over Xmas, I went there on New Year's day to watch them draw 0-0 with Arsenal. It was a fabulous ground then with a big open 'D' space behind each goal like the old Wembley and a sort of running track around the touchlines. I think it looked better then than it does today tbh.
Saw Man Utd play at Leyton Orient in their first game of the 74/75 season in the SECOND division having been relegated the season before. Orient had missed promotion to the First by just one point. Good game but the nostalgia came from the advertising boards around the grounds. Anyone remember the likes of Rumbelows? Radio Rentals? Vision Hire - rent Pye? Cecil Gee menswear and Ben Truman beer? Harringay greyhound racing and Esso Uniflo? Memories for us oldies!!
Orient had 2/3 black players in their team and the only other one I had seen in these highlights played for Bradford. Who could imagine in those days the huge number of incredibly talented black players who would come to grace our game in the future?
Then there was the first game of Leeds Utd defending their title under the short reign of Brian Clough who was interviewed in the studio the following day by Brian Moore. He spoke very well and looked so young before the ravages of his drinking habit began to show. Leeds were beaten 3-0 at Stoke and John Mahoney (Tosh's cousin), who later played for the Swans, scored a cracker from 25 yards that flew into the net. Interestingly for me, John Ritchie got Stoke's third and he was a top First division striker at the time. Interesting because many years later, I came to the Potteries to buy more china, glassware and cutlery for our restaurant in Spain. We bought the cutlery from the long established family business of Ritchies and he was the guy I dealt with. Unfortunately I was on a tight time schedule and had no more than ten minutes to chat football with him. Nice guy though.
I enjoy these highlights of games from the past as they bring back memories galore. One funny thing to finish. In the United game the linesman was injured and there was no replacement available, so a qualified referee came out of the crowd after a loudspeaker appeal to run the line for the last 4 minutes of the game. Trouble was he had no kit. He borrowed a black tracksuit top to cover his vividly patterned white shirt and run the line dressed in that over fawn coloured flared slacks and street shoes. Hilarious. No 4th official then of course.
Orient had 2/3 black players in their team and the only other one I had seen in these highlights played for Bradford. Who could imagine in those days the huge number of incredibly talented black players who would come to grace our game in the future?
Then there was the first game of Leeds Utd defending their title under the short reign of Brian Clough who was interviewed in the studio the following day by Brian Moore. He spoke very well and looked so young before the ravages of his drinking habit began to show. Leeds were beaten 3-0 at Stoke and John Mahoney (Tosh's cousin), who later played for the Swans, scored a cracker from 25 yards that flew into the net. Interestingly for me, John Ritchie got Stoke's third and he was a top First division striker at the time. Interesting because many years later, I came to the Potteries to buy more china, glassware and cutlery for our restaurant in Spain. We bought the cutlery from the long established family business of Ritchies and he was the guy I dealt with. Unfortunately I was on a tight time schedule and had no more than ten minutes to chat football with him. Nice guy though.
I enjoy these highlights of games from the past as they bring back memories galore. One funny thing to finish. In the United game the linesman was injured and there was no replacement available, so a qualified referee came out of the crowd after a loudspeaker appeal to run the line for the last 4 minutes of the game. Trouble was he had no kit. He borrowed a black tracksuit top to cover his vividly patterned white shirt and run the line dressed in that over fawn coloured flared slacks and street shoes. Hilarious. No 4th official then of course.
There was another game when ex United Dennis Law scored for Citeh against them with a back heel and refused to celebrate as United were going down. His goal made little difference though as results elsewhere meant that United were doomed anyway.
Watched the 1974 game Chelsea v Arsenal that ended 0-0 with Jimmy Rimmer in goal for Arsenal He was a studio guest with Brian Moore and looked as nervous as a cat on hot bricks. He had left United on loan to us and credited our then manager, ex United goalkeeping Munich hero Harry Gregg, with improving his game so much he earned a move to First Division Arsenal. He stayed there for 3 seasons (124 games) winning Player of the Year in 1975 before moving to Villa where he played for six seasons (229 games) winning the First Division in 1981.
The following year Jimmy, injured after 9 minutes in the Final against Bayern Munich (1-0), won his second European Cup Winner's medal the first being when he was on the bench for United when they won it in 1968. In 1983 he rejoined Swans (66 games) before becoming goalkeeper coach and was briefly caretaker manager following the Kevin Cullis debacle. Jan Molby then took over. NOTE: Jimmy was just 5ft 11" tall in the times when keepers were a lot shorter than they are today. I actually remember England keepers who were no more than 5ft 9". Incredible!!
In the same game John Hollins played for Chelsea. Great player! He managed us from 1998-2001 and guided us to the Division 3 title in 1999-2000. He was very popular but sacked when we failed in the Second division. He re-applied for our job in 2007 when Kenny Jackett left but was overlooked in favour of Roberto Martinez. The rest is recent history.
Reading today that when Burnley played Liverpool yesterday their shirt numbers were 1-11.
Seems that's the first time that's happened in 23 years! Also had to smile when the commentator would often say that such and such a team were playing in the darker shirts. Of course in those days many people still had b/w television.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
Who was the commentator, who at the start of each game used to have the phrase “for those who collect the colors” and then proceeded to describe the kit colors of each team
Only about what we guys do wrong!
Just two others apart from Brian Moore come immediately to mind - Kenneth Wolstenholme and the Welsh guy, Hugh Johns. There was another Welsh chap who won an HTV competition to become a commentator called Idwal Roblin.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
I can remember shit from decades ago like it was yesterday with absolute clarity, but can’t remember a damn thing about yesterday. Makes dealing with women treacherous at best.You guys have incredible memory. I remember things from my past just in flashes but nothing in such a great detail. You remember the names of the players who scored in a game played 40 years ago??? Wow. I thought only women have such a perfect memory
Can you remember the snooker commentator who remarked " For those of you watching in black & white, the green ball is the one behind the blue."Reading today that when Burnley played Liverpool yesterday their shirt numbers were 1-11.