1986 World Cup: The Finals
The 1986 finals left many vivid memories, but one man dominated that summer in Mexico. The tournament was illuminated by Diego Maradona’s brilliance and remains notorious for his ‘Hand of God’ goal against England. The traditional opening ceremony played heavily into national imagery – verging on stereotypes – of Mayan pyramids and dancers in indigenous…
1986 World Cup: Background & Preparations
The 1986 World Cup returned to Mexico 16 years after it hosted Brazil’s historic triumph and Pelé’s international swansong. Initially awarded to Colombia at FIFA’s 1974 congress, by the early 1980s it was clear that a struggling economy would struggle to cope with the 24-nation extravaganza and they officially withdrew at the end of 1982.…
Centenary Celebrations: The Football League 1987-88
The Football League began its Centenary celebrations in the 1987-88 season. After a hundred eventful years, there were ninety-two clubs in four national divisions. The 1980s had been a turbulent decade of falling attendances, financial crises and high-profile tragedies, but the League was determined to celebrate a century in style. Secretary Graham Kelly saw the…
Argentina: Foreign Players in the Football League
Argentina provided the impetus for the first wave of foreign imports to the Football League from 1978. Though the PFA’s secretary Cliff Lloyd had warned, “I don’t think we would stand for a big influx of Argentinians to this country”, there was indeed a short-lived trend of English clubs tapping Argentine talent. Before the end…
England v Argentina, 1980
England welcomed Argentina to Wembley for a prestigious friendly in May 1980. The home team were preparing for the summer’s European Championships, their first international tournament finals since the Mexico World Cup a decade earlier. The visitors were the reigning World Champions, having triumphed on home soil two years earlier. Manager César Luis Menotti had…
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