NASL: The British Abroad (Football in North America, Part Three)
After the rise and fall of the American Soccer League in the 1920s – a competition featuring a strong British influence – the next attempt at a professional league in North America started with wholly imported teams. The United Soccer Association was launched in 1967, with Stoke, Sunderland, Wolves (plus Aberdeen, Dundee United, Hibs, Glentoran…
Swansea City v Monaco, 1991 European Cup Winners’ Cup
Swansea City entered the European Cup Winners’ Cup for the seventh and final time in 1991. The First Round draw gave them a tough test against Arsène Wenger’s Monaco side. They had first played in the competition in 1961, and had enjoyed a record 12-0 win over Malta’s Sliema Wanderers in 1982. This was the…
Everton v Liverpool, 1986 Charity Shield
The 1986 Charity Shield fixture captured Merseyside rivals Everton and Liverpool at the peak of their 1980s domestic dominance. At least one of the two appeared in nine of the ten Charity Shields during the decade (the only exception being Aston Villa-Spurs in 1981). Both clubs made regular Wembley appearances and met in the final…
Jock Wallace and Pre-Season Training
Jock Wallace was appointed as Leicester City manager in June 1978, a surprising move shortly after winning his second treble with Rangers in Scotland. Leicester had been relegated from the First Division, and Wallace soon introduced his players to a new training regime. Part One: Wanlip The first section of the film shows the recently…
Bologna v Blackpool, 1971 Anglo-Italian Cup Final
Blackpool prepared for the 1971 Anglo-Italian Cup Final in Bologna’s Stadio Comunale six weeks after finishing bottom of the First Division. Their opponents had just finished 5th in Serie A and qualified for the following season’s UEFA Cup. 1971 was the second year of the Anglo-Italian Cup, played post-season, which lasted until 1973 in its…
England v Brazil, 1981 friendly
England and Brazil met in a May 1981 friendly, with the hosts still not sure of World Cup qualification for Spain 1982 at the time. They had drawn 0-0 with Romania at Wembley two weeks before this game, and had Home International visits from Wales and Scotland coming up. Before the season was out, they…
Cologne v Ipswich Town, 1981 UEFA Cup
Ipswich Town became a major force in English football during the 1970s, and by the early 80s the club were challenging for European honours. 1980-81 promised to be their best-ever season – by the start of April 1981, they remained in contention for a potential treble of league, FA Cup and UEFA Cup. Neck-and-neck with…
Blackburn Rovers v Charlton Athletic, 1987 Full Members’ Cup Final
The Full Members’ Cup was launched in 1985 as a response to English clubs being banned from European competition after the Heysel Stadium tragedy. It ran until 1992 and was specifically for the top two divisions (the ‘full members’ of the Football League), though not all clubs chose to enter. Despite its low profile the…
Wool City Rivals: A History in Colour by George Chilvers & John Dewhirst
Wool City Rivals is a photographic history of Bradford football from the turn of the nineteenth century. It offers a glimpse into the lost world of early football, when Bradford boasted two top-flight football clubs immediately before and after the First World War. It covers over half a century of images from the years when…
Luton Town v Oxford United, 1988
Luton Town welcomed Oxford United to Kenilworth Road for a First Division fixture in February 1988, with the two sides enjoying the most successful periods in their histories. Four days later they were to meet again in the Littlewoods (League) Cup semi-finals. Oxford had won that competition two years previously, and Luton were to lift…
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