This Week: 14 July - 20 July
Scandal, thuggery, a World Cup shock, a World Cup meltdown, a title-winning signing and the origin story of two famous competitions.
Morning everyone,
Hope you are all staying cool and managed to enjoy a wonderful weekend of sport. Mac joined me once more to look back at seven more stories from the footballing vault that took place this week in history. As always, there was plenty to get into.
14 July - Last week Rob made the convincing case for the transfer of Zidane from Juventus to Real Madrid in 2001 as being conclusive evidence that Serie A’s period of dominance was over. If so, then the events on this day in 2006 were a dark coda. The nature of Calciopoli was nothing new to Italian football but the impact on this affair was seismic, only a matter of days after Italy were top of the world.
15 July - Blackburn Rovers had punched well in the their first two seasons back at the top of English football but they were still missing a knockout blow. In 1994 they broke the British transfer record to take Chris Sutton north from Norwich and it is doubtful if Jack Walker regretted a single penny ten months later.
16 July - To the Maracanã in 1950 and a World Cup defeat that devastated the host nation. It was destined to finally be Brazil’s World Cup and when it suddenly wasn't, recrimination and anguish were plentiful. For eight years of hurt at least.
17 July - With the Taylor Report recommendations to pay for and Greg Dyke wanting more bang for his buck at ITV, it was really only a matter of time before English football’s biggest clubs decided to break free and reset the clock. It was on this day in 1991 that the Big Five of Arsenal, Everton, Manchester United, Liverpool and Spurs formally signed their intention to leave the Football League. A year later the Premier League would be upon us but Dyke was famously left empty-handed.
18 July - Card schools are nothing new on pre-season trips. Nor are some dressing room fisticuffs. One player landed a punch on another’s face following an argument over cards after the victim had fallen asleep is probably a lot rarer. Step forward that loveable rouge Dennis Wise and the poor, unsuspecting Callum Davidson in 2002.
19 July - What is the greatest World Cup shock? USA in 1950 and Cameroon in 1990 would in most people’s top three and taking the other spot is surely North Korea’s defeat of Italy at Ayresome Park in 1966 with the backdrop of the Cold War and all.
20 July - 120 years before commercial desire and imperative propelled the coming of the modern era, a new competition was proposed that would establish a truly national cup competition. It would quickly become the most famous of them all.
Please listen to our conversation here and fill your boots with a back catalogue of exclusive retro football content.
This week on the main show, Sliding Doors continues as Martyn tries to convince Rob that 1998 was one of England’s biggest lost opportunities and it had nothing to do with the match against Argentina.
Have a great week,
Martyn