Sunderland v Brighton & Hove Albion, 1982
Sunderland went into this First Division fixture at Roker Park needing a win near the end of Alan Durban’s first season in charge. His side were struggling just outside the relegation zone, while visitors Brighton were comfortably in mid-table under manager Mike Bailey, also enjoying his first season at the South Coast club. David Snowdon’s…
Leicester City v Wimbledon, 1987
Leicester City welcomed Wimbledon for the first time in February 1987, as the two clubs met at Filbert Street. The Dons had been a league club for less than a decade, and were enjoying their debut season in English football’s top flight. Leicester were experimenting with a new management structure. Former Northern Ireland international Bryan…
Flamengo v Liverpool, 1981 Intercontinental Cup
Flamengo and Liverpool met in Tokyo in December 1981 as the champions of South America and Europe, competing for the Intercontinental Cup and the title of the best club team in the world. Liverpool, having lost their league title to Aston Villa the previous season, had won their third European Cup by beating Real Madrid…
Chelsea v Stoke City, 1974
Chelsea and Stoke City were First Division rivals in the early 1970s, and took part in the 1972 League Cup final. At the end of October 1974, the clubs met four times in a matter of weeks. Their League Cup Third Round tie required two replays, and was eventually won 6-2 by Stoke at the…
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…
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…
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