Willie, a World Cup pioneer.
In England 1966, ‘World Cup Willie’ became the first of his kind when he became the first mascot to appear in a FIFA World Cup finals, a trend that has been carried on to this day. The inaugural Willie was a typical symbol of the United Kingdom, a Lion dressed in red, white and blue from […]
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Classic Football Boots
Some of us are simply from a different era. “Stop changing our game!” we yell, as fleeting VAR / Super League abominations come and (hopefully) go. We’re one with a beautiful game that as wide-eyed youths, we fell completely and utterly in love with. So much so, we’re still lacing up our boots on a […]
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Name the scorers
Manchester City 1999
After a dramatic late comeback in the League One play off final at Wembley, the Manchester City team anxiously watch on as the game against Gillingham is settled on penalties. Step up Nicky Weaver, time to become a hero and send the blues back into the 2nd tier of English football.
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Chelsea 5 Manchester City 4
Who remembers when Chelsea and Manchester City clashed in the Full Members’ Cup Final back in 1986. A quick-fire David Speedie hat-trick and a brace from Colin Lee put Chelsea 5-1 up before a late four minute salvo from City brought the score back to 5-4. What a game!
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A game within a game
Football fans worldwide will be celebrating 2022 – to mark the 30th Anniversary of the series once known as Championship Manager, now Football Manager, a game, within a game. A game that’s story begins with two brothers: Paul and Oliver ‘Ov’ Collyer, deciding to try and make their own game of football management. “Checking out […]
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Football, War and The Military
I have always been fascinated by the relationship that football has with the military and the part it has and continues to play during times of conflict. This led me to be a co-founder of the Football and War Network, that is a diverse group of historians and fellow travellers from many different backgrounds and […]
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Pele #10
Pele opened the scoring for the Samba boys in the 1970 World Cup final. Brazil went on to beat Italy 4-1 to lift the Jules Rimet for the third time in their history. It would be Pele’s last World Cup.
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Alive and sticking
There’s plenty of life in the Panini brand as it celebrates its 60th birthday in 2021. Politics and religion may top the list as the most divisive topics in conversion but football will always rank highly. Few aspects of the beautiful game find a way to unite supporters – no matter what team you follow […]
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One final, one title
Swindon Town shocked the football world back in 1969 when they beat Arsenal 3-1 in the League Cup final to win the trophy for the first and only time in their history. Only three other clubs in the history of the League Cup have played in one final and lifted the trophy, can you name […]
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Italia 1990 Revisited
Scorched Earth Thatcher’s dark shadow was cast over England in the Eighties. A bleak and desolate country. The Specials serenaded the decade with the haunting anthem, ‘Ghost Town’, to a backdrop of inner-city decay and industrial decline. The working class were conflicted between the sceptre of mass unemployment and the gratification of council house ownership. […]
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