The Difficult Fourth Season
We've reached 1983/84 in our 20 year odyssey. Corruption, commercialism, a resurgent Everton and an unstoppable Ian Rush awaits
Morning everyone.
We started our chronological deep-dive into football history back in September with the shambolic European Championship of 1980 and this week we have reached 1983/84 on our road towards the new millennium.
Six episodes lie in store before we get stuck into the Gaelic glory of Euro ‘84. Kieran Maguire will join us soon to discuss how Tottenham’s entry in the Stock Exchange changed how football clubs were run. We will look at Liverpool’s night in Rome as they won their fourth European Cup - and the last for some time - as well as how Spurs won the UEFA Cup for the outgoing Keith Birkinshaw. Gary Naylor and Mac Millings will have their suits pressed and rosettes looked out as they revisit Wembley for the FA Cup final of 1984 and Rob Smyth takes us through an afternoon and evening of high drama and chicanery as all six of Europe’s finalists would be decided and how they could all have been British.
Today however, we start with a broader look at the First Division season. A lot of deserved flowers for Ian Rush, how the title slipped away from Manchester United, the surprise stories of Southampton and Queens Park Rangers and how the decade changed for the blue half of Merseyside with one night at Manor Ground and the signing of a Scottish striker halfway through the season. They were all the rage then…
If you have missed us then you have plenty to catch up on. There are 24 episodes covering British and European football from 1980/81 to 1982/83 already up including an eight-parter on the glorious colour of World Cup ‘82. Plus some special interviews with authors and personalities such as Elton Welsby and shows that touch on the wider world of sport and popular culture to help you along the historical journey.
You can get these shows every Friday morning, wherever you get your podcasts but if you want them a couple of days earlier and without ads or you just want to support us with what we are doing then you can find us at patreon.com/NessunDormaPodcast for just $3.99 a month. You will also have access to exclusive Patron Q&A shows every month and now, starting on Monday 31st March, a new weekly show ‘This Week’ where one of the Nessun Dorma OGs will join me to have a blether about seven stories from football history that fell on those dates. What a way to start your week by slipping into the warmth of your past!
Finally, our Discord chat will be open soon for our Patrons as we try and build a genuine retro football community.
If that sounds like your thing then get involved. We’d love to see you there.
As the season turns into its final lap, enjoy your football whether present or past.
Martyn
