This Week - 26 May - 1 June
Cup Finals, playoffs, a great escape, the end of international football's origin story and Gazza's meltdown in La Manga
Every Monday morning over on our Patreon, we start the week by delving into seven stories from the corresponding dates in football history. It is a show more in keeping with the old school Nessun Dorma shows and I am always joined by one of the early group of contributors.
Today I had the pleasure of reminiscing with the brilliant Mac Millings all the way from North Carolina. Here is what you can listen to on this week’s show.
26 May - Mac opted for one of the early great relegation escapes from the modern era as Coventry City were set a task of needing to take nine points from their final three matches, the last of which was against the runaway - if a little hungover - champions, Everton in 1985.
27 May - It was England’s win at Hampden in 1989 for me, the day after that thrilling denouement to the league season at Anfield. The game was average although it included a rare Chris Waddle header and a debut goal for Steve Bull in a 2-0 win but it was chosen because it was the end of the longest era. The annual fixture which arguably gave birth to the game that we all know and love was binned after over 70 arrests inside the ground and over 150 outside. The two have met a number of times since of course but this annual tradition was once the centre piece of the football fan’s year, especially north of the border.
28 May - Something a little more up-to-date for Mac here with the Champions League Final of 2011. Wembley Stadium, possibly the greatest club side of all time, even a player coming back from serious illness to lift the cup, it was the pinnacle of Barcelona’s modern history as Manchester United - regarded as slight favourites when they met two years before - were penned so far back that they were practically wearing luminous bibs and taking pictures.
29 May - As it is playoff weekend, I thought it was right to select this classic from 1995 between Bolton Wanderers and Reading. Bolton were reeling, 2-0 down early on and conceded a penalty before the break. It was missed and the rest is history…
30 May - If that was dramatic, then the Second Division Final from 1999 bettered it. Effectively a 15-minute match, Gillingham, under Tony Pullis, looked to have kept Manchester City in the third tier for another season with two quick fire goals with only three minutes remaining. What happened next made legends. What happened nine years later was unthinkable.
31 May - The prevailing narrative has been that ever since Euro ‘96, Paul Gascoigne’s career went into steady decline. It misses a small window of time in the autumn of 1997 where he looked back to his best for both club and country, exemplified by the cultured and composed performance in Rome that sealed England’s qualification for the World Cup in France. Unless injured, his exclusion from that squad would have been inconceivable. It is fair to say that he didn’t take it well.
1 June - We finish with some pure joy from a group game in the World Cup of 2002. Uruguay lost 2-1 to Denmark but Dario Rodriguez’s goal leads to a debate about what is the best ever World Cup goal to be scored by a Rodriguez.
So, all of this is on the menu and a lot more. There are also seven previous episodes waiting for you. We hope you enjoy and, for just $3.99 a month, that it becomes the best way for you to start your week.
Have a good one.
Martyn