Arsenal v Newcastle United, 1976

Match of the Month

Arsenal and England striker Malcolm ‘Supermac’ MacDonald was the centre of attention at Highbury on the 4th December 1976. MacDonald came up against his former club Newcastle United, who he had left for a record fee of £333,333 that summer, for the first time in this game. Arsenal were in transition from the double-winning side…

By MisterPBLW December 7, 2019 0
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Burnden Park, Bolton: The Football League on Film

Changing Times

Delving into the Football League’s past through film and television, this occasional series features football grounds caught on camera. Following last week’s look at a match from Bolton Wanderers’ history, I start at their former home of Burnden Park. Mitchell and Kenyon, Blackburn-based early film pioneers of the late Victorian era, had begun shooting scenes…

By MisterPBLW November 9, 2019 0
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Bolton Wanderers v Bristol City, 1969

Match of the Month

This Second Division fixture at Burnden Park on 1st November 1969, captured on film by an unknown cameraman, saw a 3-1 win for the home side. Bolton Wanderers, founder members of the Football League and FA Cup winners in 1958, had been a First Division side from 1935 until relegation in 1964. Under club legend…

By MisterPBLW November 2, 2019 0
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Tottenham Hotspur v Nottingham Forest, 1979

Match of the Month

The visit of European Cup holders Nottingham Forest to Tottenham Hotspur for a First Division fixture in October 1979 saw one of the goals of the season at White Hart Lane. Glenn Hoddle, the young Spurs midfielder earning a reputation for spectacular strikes, scored a masterpiece on his 22nd birthday to beat England goalkeeper Peter…

By MisterPBLW October 27, 2019 0
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Watford v Kaiserslautern, 1983 UEFA Cup

Match of the Month

Watford completed a meteoric rise from the Fourth Division to the First between 1978 and 1982, under future England manager Graham Taylor. The Hertfordshire club then finished second behind Liverpool in 1982-83, and embarked on their first-ever European campaign the following season. They drew tough opponents in the First Round, Kaiserslautern, founder members of the…

By MisterPBLW September 28, 2019 0
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Shahan Petrossian: An Interview

Interview

This interview is a new development for the 1888 Letter, and I hope the first of many. In the course of my research for this blog over the last 18 months, I kept finding useful links to the site Soccer Nostalgia, and videos posted on YouTube by ‘sp1873’. The site contained a wealth of detail…

By MisterPBLW September 7, 2019 0
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Football Magazines: A Collaborative Project

Uncategorized

Introducing a collaborative series between the 1888 Letter and Soccer Nostalgia, exploring the experiences of football magazine readers. We will be posting contributions from fans worldwide on both blogs, over the coming months. Soccer Nostalgia (@sp1873): When one becomes a serious Soccer (Football) fan, the next step in the evolution is to read about it…

By MisterPBLW August 31, 2019 2
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Manchester City v Oldham Athletic, 1988

Match of the Month

It’s hard to imagine the hugely successful global brand that is modern-day Manchester City being troubled by their impoverished neighbours Oldham Athletic, currently languishing in the bottom division of the Football League. Yet a look at their head-to-head record suggests they were once evenly matched, and the Latics occasionally held the upper hand. In their…

By MisterPBLW August 24, 2019 0
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