Luton Town v Oxford United, 1988

Match of the Month

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…

By Paul W February 6, 2021 0
Read More

Mud, Poor Pitches and the FA Cup

Changing Times

The state of the playing surface – and specifically, mud – has been a concern of English football since its earliest days. Many clubs spent their formative years using makeshift pitches on public or private land, in conditions which did not encourage ‘the beautiful game’. Even by 1888 and the founding of the Football League,…

By Paul W January 9, 2021 2
Read More

Festive Football in Great Britain

Changing Times

Festive football was a tradition of the British game, introduced even before the very first seasons of the league. While Boxing Day (St Stephen’s Day) fixtures continue to the current era, Christmas Day matches fizzled out in England during the late 1950s and lingered a few years longer in Scotland. Britain’s last Christmas Day football…

By Paul W December 26, 2020 2
Read More

Queens Park Rangers v Derby County, 1975

Match of the Month

Queens Park Rangers welcomed champions Derby County to Loftus Road, with the home team in the midst of their most successful season. QPR’s 1975-76 campaign ended agonisingly short of the title, remaining unbeaten at home all season and finishing a point behind Liverpool. QPR had won 5-1 at Derby in August with a Stan Bowles…

By Paul W December 12, 2020 0
Read More

Old Trafford: The Football League on Film

Changing Times

Manchester United’s world-famous Old Trafford stadium was opened in February 1910, laid out by Archibald Leitch as “a palatial ground”. The stadium suffered bomb damage in the Second World War and only re-opened in 1949. As location filming expanded in the post-War years, various grounds were used as a setting for football-related feature films. Old…

By Paul W November 21, 2020 0
Read More

Sheffield Wednesday v Barnsley, 1979

Match of the Month

Barnsley faced Sheffield Wednesday in November 1979 on their first visit to Hillsborough in over 20 years. The previous game between the two in April 1959 ended in a 5-0 home win for Wednesday. The sides were meeting for the first time in the Third Division in the 1979-80 season – their opening-day encounter at…

By Paul W November 7, 2020 2
Read More

Middlesbrough v Norwich City, 1980

Match of the Month

Middlesbrough and Norwich City met in the First Division at Ayresome Park in October 1980 as two solid mid-table sides. The home side had consolidated their top-flight status under John Neal, in charge from 1977 until leaving for Chelsea in 1981. The visitors had been managed by John Bond since 1973 but he was to…

By Paul W October 4, 2020 0
Read More