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<title>Programme Review: Little Bloxwich Strollers v Enville Athletic</title>
<link>https://www.thefootballpink.com/programme-review-little-bloxwich-strollers-v-enville-athletic/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[The Football Pink]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 10 Mar 2022 14:00:24 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Latest]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Nostalgia]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thefootballpink.com/?p=26500</guid>
<description><![CDATA[28th September 1985 Midlands Combination Little Bloxwich Strollers v Enville Athletic Programme Price: 30p One of the reasons why I like to write these reviews is that it gives me an understanding of clubs that I wouldn’t have known anything about. This is true of today’s programme review and the home team, Little Bloxwich Strollers […]
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com/programme-review-little-bloxwich-strollers-v-enville-athletic/">Programme Review: Little Bloxwich Strollers v Enville Athletic</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com">Football Pink</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[28th September 1985
Midlands Combination
Little Bloxwich Strollers v Enville Athletic
Programme Price: 30p
One of the reasons why I like to write these reviews is that it gives me an understanding of clubs that I wouldn’t have known anything about. This is true of today’s programme review and the home team, Little Bloxwich Strollers FC.
Before I go into today’s review I thought it would be nice to write a brief piece of information on what I have been able to find out after carrying out some research into Little Bloxwich Strollers FC.
Bloxwich is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, West Midlands and forms part of the Staffordshire/West Midlands border. The principal football club in Bloxwich was Bloxwich Strollers who were known to be playing competitive football by 1893. By 1895 the club were playing on a pitch situated on Little Bloxwich Lane and six years later they moved to play on a pitch in nearby Leamore. This was to become the club’s permanent base from 1910. The ground at Leamore was taken over by Bloxwich FC in 1933 and just one year later, sadly Bloxwich Strollers disbanded.
A few years after the end of World War II, Bloxwich Strollers were back representing their town in football and at the start of the 1952/1953 season they joined the Birmingham & District League. However, after two seasons of struggle, the club’s records were expunged leaving newly formed, Blakenhall FC to fly the flag for football in the area. Fast forward to the 1980’s and we see Bloxwich FC being accepted into the Midland Combination League as well as Bloxwich Strollers being reformed, initially as Little Bloxwich Strollers for the start of the 1985/1986 season.
Although there is much more to read on football in Bloxwich, for the purpose of this article (which is after all a programme review) that is where I will leave the history of football in the Bloxwich area for now.
In we go into the programme – this issues consists of 24 pages from the front to back cover and is a good all round effort by those who produced it.
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With page 1 being the front cover, page 2 features three adverts whilst page 3 provides a list of club officials at Little Bloxwich Strollers for the 1985/1986 season. At the time of writing, Mr. Stan Rowlands was named as the club’s chairman whilst the first team manager was Trevor Clarke.
Page 4 sees a piece written on Enville Athletic and focuses on their current form. Pages 5 and 6 feature several adverts with page 7 showing a list of appearances made by the players at Little Bloxwich Strollers. Ken Gunter led the way with eleven starting appearances to his name.
Page 8 shows the team line up’s with the referee named as Mr R.J. Andrews from Dudley.
Pages 9 and 10 are both full page adverts with page 11 showing profiles of Little Bloxwich Strollers players, Vaughan Derby and Keith Webb respectively. Derby was at the time a 19 year old midfielder and was reported as having tremendous potential. Meanwhile, Webb had re-joined the club for a second spell.
Pages 12, 13 and 14 provides details on the club’s lottery and the prizes on offer and is followed on pages 15 and 16 with full page adverts.
Page 17 shows a list of previous results for the club during the 1985/1986 season. They opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw at Wilmcote FC.
Page 18 features a reserve team match report for Little Bloxwich Strollers reserves 5-0 home defeat in the Staffordshire County League Division One against Punjab Rovers. Manger, Tony Jones was extremely disappointed by the lack of effort shown by his players.
Pages 19 and 20 are both adverts with page 21 showing a dot to dot image for kids to complete.
Page 22 shows a list of honours won by the former Bloxwich Strollers Football Club after the Second World War. The club won the Walsall Challenge Cup in 1963 and the Parry Cup in 1958 as well as many other honours.
The programme is then concluded on pages 23 and 24 with several adverts.
Not a bad little programme at all and one that gave me an insight into football in the Bloxwich area.
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com/programme-review-little-bloxwich-strollers-v-enville-athletic/">Programme Review: Little Bloxwich Strollers v Enville Athletic</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com">Football Pink</a>.
]]></content:encoded>
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<item>
<title>Kevin Keegan & Lawrie McMenemy: The light-bulb moment</title>
<link>https://www.thefootballpink.com/kevin-keegan-lawrie-mcmenemy-the-light-bulb-moment/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Pete Spencer]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 09 Mar 2022 10:33:39 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Latest]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Nostalgia]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thefootballpink.com/?p=26042</guid>
<description><![CDATA[11th February 1980 in a room in a local hotel, packed full of journalists sat in anticipation of what was going to be the biggest transfer in world football that year. None of them knew who they would be seeing. They didn’t even know what it was about. They just knew they should be there. […]
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com/kevin-keegan-lawrie-mcmenemy-the-light-bulb-moment/">Kevin Keegan & Lawrie McMenemy: The light-bulb moment</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com">Football Pink</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[11th February 1980 in a room in a local hotel, packed full of journalists sat in anticipation of what was going to be the biggest transfer in world football that year.
None of them knew who they would be seeing. They didn’t even know what it was about. They just knew they should be there.
Lawrie McMenemy, Southampton’s likeable Geordie boss had kept it all a secret, but had done a great job in convincing Fleet Street editors they really couldn’t afford to miss out. Their charges had no idea who would be walking through the door but they were assured it would be a big name.
“Someone who was going to play a big part in Southampton’s future”.
With the room thick with anticipation, eventually a figure appeared through the door. In front of opened mouthed hacks, in walked the biggest name in European football at the time. Kevin Keegan.
Kevin Keegan was one of the most popular players around the continent. A former England captain, he’d won league and European trophies with Liverpool before making a rather surprising move to the Bundesliga. After a tough start he’d been influential in Hamburg’s first Bundesliga title for 19 years.
He was double European Footballer of the Year (now known as the Ballon D’Or) at the end of the 1970s. Ever the man to wear his heart on his sleeve, it was common knowledge he was ready to move again out of West Germany.
Speculation was rife around Europe as to where he might end up next. Juventus? Real Madrid? Or back at Anfield?
Liverpool had first refusal, based on the deal they struck with Hamburg. Keegan had been open with his employers from the start of the 1976-77 season in letting the club know he wanted to move on. There was no malice on either part. He just felt he’d achieved as much as he could at Anfield and wanted to challenge himself abroad.
After the movement of several players abroad in the sixties, there had been few high profile names making the trip from Britain to the continent.
There’s little doubt it broadened him as a person and a player. Some of his best performances in an England shirt came during this period where northern West Germany was his home.
Initially he’d signed for two years, but once the Bundesliga title was secured Keegan did what he’d done at Liverpool. He let the club know this would be his final season, and agreed he would give his all in a European Cup bid then move on. He wasn’t one to stand still.
These were pre-Bosman days when clubs held virtually all the cards. For Keegan the club would set the fee they were expecting to receive and it was up to others to match this valuation.
£500,000 was how much Hamburg wanted. It was exactly the same amount they’d paid Liverpool three years earlier. Then it had doubled the German transfer record and set a new one in England. Keegan was nearing his 30th birthday and back then this represented an age when he was leaving his greatest playing days behind.
As soon as news broke Keegan was available a host of Spanish clubs pricked up their ears. But the player was more interested in Italy. He fancied learning Italian too, having become fluent in German.
Negotiations with Juventus reached an advanced stage, when suddenly Keegan’s wife, Jean, put a spanner in the works. She didn’t want to go to Italy.
At the time the news was full of stories of kidnappings and terrorism in Italy. The Keegans now had a young daughter and clearly Jean was concerned more with where they were going to live than Kevin was with where he was going to play football.
Finally, she gave him an ultimatum.
“You can go to Italy, but I am going back to England”.
What husband can kick against that?
So, England it was to be. But where?
As mentioned earlier, when he left Liverpool the contract he’d negotiated gave them first refusal. But the club was a different one in 1980 from the one he’d left in 1977. When Keegan said his goodbyes on Merseyside, the club didn’t have a replacement set up. But club secretary, Peter Robinson, received a tip Kenny Dalglish was keen to move south of the border. Once enquiries were made, the transfer was arranged and the start of a beautiful relationship was set in motion. A second European Cup, a record-breaking league title, with another one on the way. Dalglish had driven the team further than his predecessor. He offered a different option up front to Keegan. And Keegan knew it.
In his autobiography Keegan explained how he didn’t want to sign for one of the big clubs, he wanted a new challenge.
As he was still deliberating over where he received, what he thought at the time was, an innocent telephone call. It was Lawrie McMenemy.
McMenemy had been in charge at The Dell for almost seven years. In 1976 when they were a Second Division club, they beat Manchester United to lift their first major honour, the FA Cup. Three years later they were at Wembley again, this time losing to Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest in the League Cup Final.
By Christmas 1979 he was putting together the pieces of a side which would eventually finish second to Liverpool in the league a few years later. Their highest ever finish.
He had some promising youngsters and was keen to surround them with experienced professionals. Alan Ball, Mick Channon, Dave Watson and Charlie George were already there, along with Chris Nicholl. Keegan would add to this experience.
McMenemy had called Keegan on the pretext of buying a special light-fitting for his house in Hampshire which was produced by a Hamburg factory.
McMenemy had read in the paper Keegan had agreed just one more year at Hamburg and was then looking to move. He read the speculation over Juventus and Real Madrid. Ever the dreamer, he couldn’t help wondering how much better his side would be with the England captain in their ranks.
He was in the process of moving house and the architect had an idea for a light on the stairs but said there was a problem over the fitting in that it had to come from Germany. Once he told McMenemy the factory was in Hamburg suddenly there was the lightbulb moment.
McMenemy called Keegan and told him about the light and wondered if Keegan could get it for him and bring it over on one of his England days.
About a week later he called again and this time he asked the player about his future. Eventually he asked him whether he’d consider Southampton. Keegan didn’t say yes or no, just listened.
There were a few more calls and then McMenemy arranged a meeting in London when Keegan came over for England duty. They had a long discussion and eventually Keegan asked if he had a contract he could sign. Fortunately, the club executive with him had a blank contract which Keegan duly signed.
“Just one thing”, Keegan suddenly announced.
“Yes?” said McMenemy nervously.
“I forgot your light fitting”.
McMenemy did an incredible job of keeping the transfer quiet. These were the days long before transfer windows so players could discuss moves throughout the season. Keegan wouldn’t be joining until the current season was over, but the deal was struck in February.
The Potters Heron Hotel near Romsey was the venue for the press conference.
No one had any idea who was going to walk through that door. Not even when he landed at Southampton airport did anyone twig. Keegan was well known for doing many publicity engagements, so he was able to pass through without anyone putting two-and-two together.
Of course, these days you’d never keep a signing like that quiet. What with 24 hour rolling news channels and social media. But McMenemy commanded trust from his staff and so nothing leaked out.
Even the club chairman knew nothing of it, can you imagine that? The only board member McMenemy had told was the financial director, who was there at the meeting with Keegan in London.
McMenemy said a few words to the press, some of whom thought they might even be announcing details of ground improvements or even a move. There was a knock on the door and in walked Mr and Mrs Keegan.
There were audible gasps from the room and then the journalists clapped, possibly in admiration for the Southampton boss pulling such a stunt right under their noses.
McMenemy has subsequently revealed how he phoned Liverpool secretary, Peter Robinson, and asked him whether they would be making a bid to get Keegan back to Anfield. Robinson’s reply was
“No we won’t be signing him, definitely, we don’t need him”.
McMenemy then began his own brand of negotiation.
Keegan’s motives for the move were that he saw Southampton as a club with plenty of potential and some of his best friends in football were there, particularly Channon. He really felt they could become a much bigger club. He believed they represented a similar challenge to the one he’d just navigated with Hamburg.
Keegan could’ve had the pick of possibly any club in the world and, at age 29 he certainly had plenty to offer. Yet he plumped for a rather unfashionable club.
Southampton joined the League in 1920 and in the 52 seasons to that point they’d only competed in the top Division for 10 of those with seventh being their highest ever finish.
These were heady days down on the south coast and the home fans were about to watch some of the finest football they’d ever seen. Keegan enjoyed the experience claiming in his autobiography they re-named the club, Southampton Funball Club. They achieved their highest ever finish, sixth in his first season. They beat Nottingham Forest (European Cup holders), Manchester United, Leeds United and Arsenal and towards the end of March they were sitting in third but unable to capitalise on this performance.
The Dell was full nearly every week, and many of the grounds they visited had their highest attendances. Such was the attraction of Kevin Keegan.
In his second season on the south coast Keegan had his finest ever campaign in front of goal. 26 goals saw him head the First Division goalscoring charts. It also earned him the PFA Players Player of the Year.
In the end, Southampton weren’t able to match the ambition they’d lead Keegan to believe they harboured. He left for an equally stunning transfer when he joined Second Division Newcastle United. The team he’d helped mould pushed Liverpool all the way in 1984 and finished 2nd. Their highest League finish to date.
Football was just starting to open up to TV and the wider media. Yet McMenemy had grown up with football being less about image and more about substance. You could see there was something particularly satisfying for the Gateshead-born old stager in showing he could still keep the press guessing if he wanted to. Watch any clips of the event and you cannot fail to notice a genuine glint in his eye as he explains how he pulled off one of the shocks of the decade.
Oh, and apparently if you go to his Hampshire home you will still see the lamp there which started the whole thing off.
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com/kevin-keegan-lawrie-mcmenemy-the-light-bulb-moment/">Kevin Keegan & Lawrie McMenemy: The light-bulb moment</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com">Football Pink</a>.
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<title>Arteta Showing Top Manager Credentials</title>
<link>https://www.thefootballpink.com/arteta-showing-top-manager-credentials/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Darwen]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Mar 2022 08:39:53 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[British]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thefootballpink.com/?p=26507</guid>
<description><![CDATA[As Arsenal continue to push for a top-four finish in the Premier League this season, manager Mikel Arteta deserves credit for how his side have developed this term. Overcoming a torrid time at the start of the campaign, with pressure on the club’s hierarchy to find a replacement, the Spaniard is proving why he’s deserving […]
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com/arteta-showing-top-manager-credentials/">Arteta Showing Top Manager Credentials</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com">Football Pink</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[As Arsenal continue to push for a top-four finish in the Premier League this season, manager Mikel Arteta deserves credit for how his side have developed this term.
Overcoming a torrid time at the start of the campaign, with pressure on the club’s hierarchy to find a replacement, the Spaniard is proving why he’s deserving of such a privileged position in English football.
<h2>Getting Through August</h2>
It could not have been a worse first month of the Premier League season for Arteta and the Gunners as they suffered three straight defeats without finding the back of the net. Few <a href="https://betting.betfair.com/football/football-tips/">football tips</a> would have expected the north London outfit to come through their games back in August with nothing to show for their efforts. However, a 2-0 defeat at Premier League newcomers Brentford, followed by a 2-0 loss to Chelsea and a 5-0 hammering against Manchester City left many wondering what the future held for Arteta. Even their following two wins against Norwich City and Burnley were far from convincing, with the Gunners scraping 1-0 victories against the Canaries and Clarets.
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A 3-1 win on home soil against old rivals Tottenham will have eased some of the pressure on Arteta but back-to-back draws against Brighton and Crystal Palace meant the heat was back on the former Manchester City assistant coach. There have of course been dips in form at times this season but what has been impressive is Arsenal’s ability to put strings of victories together. The Gunners went on a four-match winning run in December in the league, as well as making it five games unbeaten with a 3-2 win <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60531485">at Watford</a> at the start of March. The sustained runs of form after setbacks shows Arteta’s ability to change things when they go wrong, while also sticking to the overall philosophies that got him in the Arsenal dugout in the first place.
<h2>Overcoming Adversities</h2>
With such a competitive Premier League and around eight teams holding real ambitions to play in the Champions League next season, Arsenal have impressed to put themselves firmly in the mix for a top-four finish. Like all teams, the Gunners have been forced to deal with injuries and perhaps more suspensions than other sides. However, the departure of star striker and former skipper <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-10582977/Pierre-Emerick-Aubameyang-takes-swipe-Arsenal-says-home-Barcelona.html">Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang</a> in the January transfer window could have been a destabilising moment. The Gabon international fell out of favour at the Emirates and Arteta made his position clear that the forward could move on to pastures new.
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The Gunners did not bring in a big name replacement for Aubameyang in January, with Arteta trusting in the attacking quality remaining in his squad at the club. There are expected to be some significant incomings and outgoings in the playing squad this summer. If the Gunners can finish the job and secure a return to the Champions League, then Arteta will again have proven he’s the right man to oversee those changes as one of the brightest managers in the English top flight.
 
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com/arteta-showing-top-manager-credentials/">Arteta Showing Top Manager Credentials</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com">Football Pink</a>.
]]></content:encoded>
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<item>
<title>Going Dutch: Frans Thijssen and Arnold Mühren at Ipswich Town</title>
<link>https://www.thefootballpink.com/going-dutch-frans-thijssen-and-arnold-muhren-at-ipswich-town/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[The Football Pink]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 07 Mar 2022 14:00:56 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Latest]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Nostalgia]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thefootballpink.com/?p=26494</guid>
<description><![CDATA[There is no questioning the dominance of Dutch football in the 1970s. Alright, so they didn’t win a World Cup, but everyone knew that they could have – twice. Two finals in two successive incarnations of the tournament abundantly proved their pedigree at an international level. More than anything, though, it was the way they […]
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com/going-dutch-frans-thijssen-and-arnold-muhren-at-ipswich-town/">Going Dutch: Frans Thijssen and Arnold Mühren at Ipswich Town</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com">Football Pink</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[There is no questioning the dominance of Dutch football in the 1970s. Alright, so they didn’t win a World Cup, but everyone knew that they could have – twice. Two finals in two successive incarnations of the tournament abundantly proved their pedigree at an international level. More than anything, though, it was the way they achieved their reputation that set the world alight. Watching the Cruyff-era side was as much an intellectual and artistic pursuit as a sporting one – at times, the gracefulness of their play was more akin to ballet. In this golden era, Total Football ruled supreme.
Of course, Total Football was not a new concept; Hugo Meisl arguably introduced the system with his Austrian Wunderteam of the 1930s, and – certainly in European terms – the Magical Magyars of Puskas’ Hungary in the 1950s perfected it. It is worth noting, too, that both these teams bore the stamp of British tactical visionary Jimmy Hogan – a figure instrumental in reshaping the somewhat staid tactics employed in W-M formations.
However, these two incarnations aside, the sporting ideology in question arguably found its most fertile ground in the Ajax system, and – by extension – the Dutch national team from whence, like missionaries of old, Dutch footballing émigrés spread its gospel. As outlined in both Jonathan Wilson’s Inverting the Pyramid and Brilliant Orange by David Winner, the concept is relatively simple: any player has to be able to play in any position, so skill, intelligence and tactical nous are highly prized. The system also relies on awareness of space – when a team is in possession, they strive to make the pitch as large as possible, and when they are defending, they aim to shrink it. The approach also relies on complete commitment to winning back possession when it has been lost; footage of the 1974 World Cup, in particular, frequently features orange-clad hordes hunting in packs to chase down the ball. Such a tactical approach, of course, requires players to be in peak physical condition to cope with its demands – another area in which the Ajax system led the way.
Professionalism came relatively late to Dutch football: its introduction in 1954 perhaps goes some way to explaining the blossoming of its national side once sufficient players had passed through the ranks and were familiar with the requisite stylings of the system. The Dutch realised the value of having players schooled in how to operate within a particular set-up from a young age, so they could easily slot into senior teams. Evidence of the approach’s success is clear in Ajax’s perfect home records in 1971-72 and 1972-73. They suffered only 1 defeat in any competition during the former and, in this time, won 4 different titles overall.
Of course, the brilliance of this style was also evident on a national level in the Netherlands, but its worth was especially marked in the way it could synergise groups of players who – had they been playing in other systems – might not have fared so well. By the late 1970s, the Dutch possessed an embarrassment of players already au fait with the system. However, at the same time, a visionary English manager started to ponder whether a similar approach might also be employed at his provincial club on the other side of the North Sea: Ipswich.
Yes, that’s right… unlikely though it may seem, the lowly Tractor Boys became key beneficiaries of the Low Countries’ sporting approach. Against all odds, they had won the League in 1961-62 with Alf Ramsey at the helm in their first season as a top-flight side. After his subsequent departure for the England job, they declined speedily. However, since Bobby Robson had taken the reins in 1969, the Suffolk side had been on a steadily upward trajectory. Victory in the Texaco Cup in 1973 was followed by FA Cup success in 1978 when they memorably defeated Arsenal at Wembley. In the League, they were consistently pushing for the top spot. Indeed, in the 4 seasons from 1973/74 to 1976/77, they finished in the top 3 on 3 occasions. Robson, however, was looking for fresh impetus – he wanted the club to become genuine title challengers in the face of the dominant, big clubs who enjoyed more strength in depth within their squads.
Fortunately, on the banks of the River Orwell, several key pieces were already in place to build the Total Football jigsaw puzzle. Firstly, Robson was a real student of the game and was open to new ideas – particularly tactical innovations from the continent. Added to that, attitudes in English football were beginning to shift – in February 1978, European Community legislation meant that the footballing associations of member states had to allow foreign players access to playing in England. This didn’t stop the somewhat xenophobic outlook that proliferated (the ban had been in place since 1931 after all, and so ideas were deeply entrenched), but it did mean that overseas signings became a little more commonplace. Robson’s first venture into the overseas market was to sign Arnold Mühren from FC Twente in summer 1978 for £150,000. Still only 27, the Dutchman had won a European Cup winner’s medal with Ajax in 1973, where he had played alongside Johan Cruyff. In early 1979, the Ipswich boss added a second Dutch signing from FC Twente – Frans Thijssen, for £200,000. This became the midfield fulcrum around which Ipswich’s new approach revolved. Finally, there was the important fact that squad sizes were small. Unbelievable though it might seem in the current era, it was eminently possible for a first-team player – barring injuries or suspensions – to play all league, cup and European fixtures over the course of a season. Mühren himself has attested that this allowed Ipswich to grow into a tight-knit group of players who all knew their roles. Further to that, being a relatively small provincial club meant that there was an almost familial atmosphere which further enhanced the sense of closeness.
The sense of professionalism the Dutch set-up instilled in its players was important too; Mühren and Thijssen brought with them a set of expectations that differed from English footballing culture and, potentially, gave the Suffolk side an edge. In a manner that foreshadowed Denis Bergkamp’s horror at Arsenal’s drinking culture upon his arrival at Arsenal in the mid-1990s, Mühren lamented the lack of pre-match preparation. Warming up prior to fixtures was integral to clubs like Ajax and Feyenoord and, soon, pre-match gym sessions became the norm at Portman Road too.
While they famously beat Manchester United 6-0 in a home game in the 1979-80 season, the zenith of Ipswich Town’s ‘Dutch era’ was spread across 2 seasons: 1980/81 and 1981/82 – both of which saw them finish as runners-up in the League. The 1980-81 season had the Tractor Boys playing a bewitching style of football that saw them unbeaten in their first 14 games. As well as challenging for the title, they were also competing for the FA Cup, eventually losing in the semi-final. Robson’s side eventually finished second in the League – only four points separated them and Aston Villa, with the sad irony being that they had defeated the Midlands side three times during the season. Tellingly, Thijssen suffered a hamstring injury and missed the season’s final four games; Ipswich lost 4 of them. His influence – not only on the club but upon English football in general – saw him named as the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year.
Though league success escaped them, they triumphed in the UEFA Cup against AZ 67 Alkmaar. The relative ease with which they reached the final across the 2 legs of each of the competition’s rounds, was a testament to their dominance; in all fixtures bar the second round against the Czech team Bohemians, they won by at least 2 clear goals. The first round saw the Greek team Aris despatched 6-4 on aggregate. Polish outfit Widzew Lodz were defeated 5-1 in the third round and, in the quarter-final, St Etienne – captained by Michel Platini – were beaten 7-2. The first leg notably featured a 4-1 away victory. FC Cologne were then beaten 1-0 in each leg to secure Ipswich Town a place in the final.
27,532 spectators saw the first leg at Portman Road which the Tractor Boys won 3-0 thanks to goals from John Wark, Paul Mariner and Frans Thijssen. A similar sized crowd saw Ipswich carry their advantage into the deciding fixture. Thijssen was on the score sheet again, but AZ ’67 equalised quickly and then scored a further brace of second half goals. The final score was 4-2, meaning that Ipswich triumphed 5-4 victors on aggregate. Their 1981 UEFA Cup win remains the club’s only European silverware.
The 1981-82 season was very much focused on the league. Having been knocked out of the FA Cup in the 5th round in a 2-1 away defeat at 2nd division Shrewsbury, they were eliminated from the UEFA Cup 4-2 on aggregate by Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen. As it was, Ipswich finished second, four points adrift of Liverpool’s 87-point tally, with the best home record of any team in the top flight. Naturally, fans hoped that the side would continue to build on their successes. However, as with so many unlikely footballing success stories, the factors that facilitated the club’s success were relatively fleeting. This was very much Ipswich’s experience. Given the small squad sizes and under-developed youth systems of English football in the early 1980s, it is, perhaps, little wonder that Robson’s footballing revolution could not be sustained. The Ajax cross-club approach was light years ahead of its time and Portman Road didn’t simply did not possess the resources to fully implement a long term facsimile.
Following the heady heights of UEFA success and further high league placement, Robson accepted the Football Association’s approach to replace Ron Greenwood and manage the national team. The offer was issued on 7th July – 2 days after England were knocked out of the World Cup. Mühren departed to Manchester United in the same year, and Thijssen moved to Nottingham Forest in 1983. The team was relegated from the top flight at the end of the 1985-86 season in a disappointing end to what had truly been a golden era.
So why had things worked so well?
Firstly, there was the manager: Bobby Robson’s leadership capabilities require little justification – he went on to manage England (memorably reaching the 1990 World Cup semi-final where England lost on penalties); he also took the reins at the Nou Camp between 1996 and 1997 where, under his leadership, Barcelona won the Copa del Rey, the Supercopa de España, and the UEFA Cup. With PSV Eindhoven, he had 2 stints: 1990-1992 and 1998-1999, further underlining his suitability to the Dutch game and his ability to work within its tactical parameters.
Then, there were the players: although the Dutch contingent is fully deserving of their plaudits, it must be remembered that they played in an extremely good Ipswich team. Indeed, Robson had an embarrassment of English internationals at his disposal: Mick Mills (42 caps); Steve McCall (6 caps); Russell Osman (11 caps); Terry Butcher (77 caps); Paul Mariner (35 caps); Eric Gates (2 caps). He also drew on Scottish internationals John Wark and Alan Brazil (with 29 caps and 13 caps respectively). Therefore, Ipswich Town in this halcyon era were about as far from being a 2-man side as it is possible to be.
Nevertheless, the inclusion of Mühren and Thijssen allowed for the adoption of an entirely different kind of play. It brought a little Cruyff-style magic to Portman Road and, in doing so, transformed the Tractor Boys into a fashionable side that played with enough flair and finesse to place them at the top of the footballing world. They were undoubtedly the catalyst that turned them – albeit briefly – from contenders into world beaters.
By Richard Evans
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com/going-dutch-frans-thijssen-and-arnold-muhren-at-ipswich-town/">Going Dutch: Frans Thijssen and Arnold Mühren at Ipswich Town</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com">Football Pink</a>.
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<title>A Review Of The First Half Of The 21/22 Season</title>
<link>https://www.thefootballpink.com/a-review-of-the-first-half-of-the-21-22-season/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Darwen]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 07 Mar 2022 07:56:32 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[British]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thefootballpink.com/?p=26491</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Premier League never fails to impress when it comes to entertainment. Many milestones have been reached including Brentford becoming the 50th different team to feature in the Premier League and Manchester United completing a 29-game unbeaten run from February 17 2020 – 19 September 2021 (Gonzalez: 2022). Cristiano Ronaldo even made his highly anticipated […]
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com/a-review-of-the-first-half-of-the-21-22-season/">A Review Of The First Half Of The 21/22 Season</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com">Football Pink</a>.
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[The Premier League never fails to impress when it comes to entertainment. Many milestones have been reached including Brentford becoming the 50th different team to feature in the Premier League and Manchester United completing a 29-game unbeaten run from February 17 2020 – 19 September 2021 (Gonzalez: 2022). Cristiano Ronaldo even made his highly anticipated return to the club from Juventus, where he netted 35 times during the 2020-21 campaign in Serie A. So how did <a href="https://www.premierleague.com/">Premier League</a> sides do during the first-half of the season?
Brentford stung Arsenal on the opening day, winning 2-0 as Sergio Canos’ goal helped his side to victory. The Gunners lost their following two fixtures, meaning they lost their three consecutive opening fixtures for the first time since 1954. The Bees’ honeymoon period saw them draw away to Palace and Aston Villa, only conceding no goal in their opening three games. An impressive start.
Despite a shock defeat to Spurs, Manchester City flew out the blocks, winning three consecutive games and going unbeaten in seven after an open-day defeat away at Spurs. It’s what reigning champions do although shock defeat at home to Palace, and a 6-3 victory against Leicester are warning signs that City will need to be defensively strong to retain the title.
September saw the wheels crumble at Spurs, with a surprise defeat away at Palace, compounded by centre back Japhet Tanganga’s red card. With Kane struggling to find the net during the first-half of the season, Spurs could ill-afford any defensive mistakes. Yet, two successive London derby defeats against Chelsea and Arsenal respectively were enough to seal Nuno’s fate as Spurs manager. He was swiftly replaced by former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, the following month after picking up 15 points from 10 games.
Norwich joined the managerial merry-go-round that month too when Daniel Farke was sacked two weeks after the Canaries’ 7-0 away defeat against Chelsea. Norwich were bottom of the table, five points from safety and in need of a miracle. So, who better to replace Farke with than Dean Smith, who survived Premier League relegation with Aston Villa two seasons ago. Smith’s arrival made an instant impact, going unbeaten in his opening three matches which surely would have delighted Norwich fans. Despite remaining bottom of the table after the first-half of the season, Norwich were three points from safety with plenty to play for.
Throughout November, the battle for first-place between Liverpool and Manchester City began heating up. City sunk local rivals Manchester United 2-0 at Old Trafford, courtesy of an early Eric Bailly own-goal and a sublime finish from Bernardo Silva. Hard fought victories over the following weeks against West Ham and Aston Villa respectively, reflected City’s ability to dig deep to get results without playing fantastically well. By Christmas, City were three points clear at the top of the league with 44 points while enjoying an eight-match unbeaten run. Certainly, shades of a team hungry to achieve three consecutive league titles for the first time in its history.
Around this time, the fixture list took a battering with many players withdrawing from action due to positive COVID tests and other illnesses. Notably, several teams with smaller squads including Burnley, experienced many postponed matches during this time, restricting the games one could bet on. Bookie offers like the <a href="https://www.squawka.com/en/bet/betting-sites/bet365-review/">betting offers from Bet365</a> were still available for all the other premier league games.
“We’re at such a difficult moment in time that it’s very difficult all round” (Anderson: 2022), manager Sean Dyche told The Mirror. Weeks after the New Year, Burnley had fixtures against Watford and Leicester postponed due to COVID cases within the Clarets’ squad. This followed three straight defeats over the festive period for Burnley, who were booted out the FA Cup by Pennine rivals Huddersfield from the Championship, while losing Premier League fixtures against Leeds and Manchester United.
As spring fast approaches and the table begins to take shape, we head into the business end of the season. The title-race between City and Liverpool remains very close and both sides will go toe-to-toe at the <a href="https://www.mancity.com/etihad-stadium">Etihad Stadium</a> on April 10. The relegation battle remains just as interesting. Newcastle manager Eddie Howe only joined in November 2021 but since then, he has hauled the Magpies out of the relegation zone and closer towards mid-table security. There remains plenty to play for this season, but many clubs’ final standings will go down to the closing stages of this season.
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com/a-review-of-the-first-half-of-the-21-22-season/">A Review Of The First Half Of The 21/22 Season</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com">Football Pink</a>.
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<title>Today’s Tales: Arsenal might just be sober enough to win the drunken stumble for 4th place in the Premier League</title>
<link>https://www.thefootballpink.com/todays-tales-arsenal-might-just-be-sober-enough-to-win-the-drunken-stumble-for-4th-place-in-the-premier-league/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Darwen]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 07 Mar 2022 06:06:35 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Latest]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Today's Tales]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thefootballpink.com/?p=26486</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Forget the title race, it’s still over – the drunken stumble to 4th place is where the upper-end interest now lies in the Premier League. Arsenal seem to be sobering up quickest – with 13 matches left to play, they are in the chair after their 3-2 win over Watford. They have one more point […]
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com/todays-tales-arsenal-might-just-be-sober-enough-to-win-the-drunken-stumble-for-4th-place-in-the-premier-league/">Today’s Tales: Arsenal might just be sober enough to win the drunken stumble for 4th place in the Premier League</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com">Football Pink</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Forget the title race, it’s still over – the drunken stumble to 4th place is where the upper-end interest now lies in the Premier League.
Arsenal seem to be sobering up quickest – with 13 matches left to play, they are in the chair after their 3-2 win over Watford. They have one more point than Manchester United, who are very much into their run-in now with just ten Premier League rounds to go. West Ham, manfully keeping up drink for drink despite not having as much money in their wallet are three points back with ten to go too and Tottenham – well Tottenham are either pacing themselves for a final binge over their 13 remaining games or they are already under the table, completely done. I’m not quite sure.
At the Etihad, the inevitable outcome in the Manchester Derby was confirmed after about an hour – Riyad Mahrez scoring City’s third from a corner routine. There was briefly the chance of it being a decent battle – Jadon Sancho scoring a fine goal as he ploughs the lone furrow of the one player to be improved by Ralf Rangnick.
KDB got another derby double before Mahrez killed it completely in injury time – though by that point United had pretty much given up the ghost. Lindelof needed a ticket back into the ground after Foden turned him inside out in the build-up to De Bruyne’s second. Wan Bissaka saw all the credit he’d built up by not being in the side disappear with his 90 minutes here. Edinson Cavani had the right idea, ruling himself out injured before the game. We’ll probably find out whether Ronaldo was really injured or his blushes being spared once Rangnick gets the boot in the summer – nobody really thinks he’ll have enough juice in the orange to stay for the consultancy gig, surely?
City’s 4-1 win opened the gap back up to six points on Liverpool, who had got their customary win over David Moyes on Saturday.
Sadio Mane netted the only goal of the game where West Ham clearly had a plan to stop Mo Salah – which, in fairness, worked even without Declan Rice. The Hammers can feel a bit disappointed to have lost – they were very good and Micky Antonio was at his mischievous best. They’ll just hope that Jarrod Bowen’s injury isn’t season-ending and that King Klopp wasn’t tapping him up when he had a word as the striker limped off at Anfield.
The most effort expended on Merseyside was certainly by the crowd, though – a plane flew over the ground suggesting that the life of a cat is also important and the Kop reworked ‘attack, attack, attack’ to ‘a cat, a cat, a cat’ – I bet the meeting of minds coming up with that one was worth being at.
Burnley might have spent just a little too long patting themselves on the back having kept Chelsea out for the first 45 minutes – Tommy T’s men put three past Sean Dyche’s hard workers within the first ten of the second period before James Tarkowski created the clearest chance of the match for… Christian Pulisic – who made it four.
New manager, same result at Leeds United. Jesse Marsch is the man brought in to reunite a city in mourning after their iconic, mythical, crazy and, ultimately, not good enough for the Premier League, jefe Marcelo Bielsa was sacked last Monday.
The American, who by his own admission knows his accent goes against him thanks to Mr Lasso, managed to tighten up the Leeds backline whilst still seeing white shirts bomb forward – but, in the end, they still contrived to lose 1-0. His new side sit just two points off the drop zone but, as we were reminded at least 100 times before kick-off, are very, very fit.
One thing we can all agree on is that Arsenal just look weird in red shorts – but, poor colour combinations or not, they rallied to beat Roy Hodgson’s Watford 3-2 at Vicarage Road. Once again it was the young guns doing the damage – Odegaard, Saka and Martinelli all on the scoresheet and barely 60 years shared amongst them. Hodgson, with a smidgen over 60 years in the bank and some, admitted his side could not play much better than that – which will stand them in good stead in the Championship next season.
They will be down there with Norwich and that is for certain – the Canaries absolutely stank the house out against Brentford, for whom Christian Eriksen started and caused chaos by simply putting corners into the area. Not an area, just the penalty area.
Ivan Toney helped himself to a hat-trick, once again reminding us how prolific he is against second-tier opposition. He also showed off his penalty prowess, scoring two from the spot leading to Thomas Frank saying nobody is better in the world at them than his frontman. ‘Not Ronaldo, not Messi’ said Frank, stopping short at adding a certain Spanish goalkeeper to the list.
Wolves’ boss Bruno Lage was not a happy chap after his side went down 2-0 to Crystal Palace. Lage called out having too many ‘kids’ in his side – seemingly forgetting he is the man picking the team. These urchins “are not prepared as they should prepare” and Lage “won’t waste time on players who do not prepare”. None of that seems to explain why Raul Jiminez continues to be on the bench, given his age and his hard work to get fit again. But hey, managers. They need their excuses.
Had you suggested in November that the third most expensive player in world football would have been turning out in a Premier League midtable clash between the Villa and Southampton come March, you’d have probably been tested for something non-pandemic related.
But, Phil Coutinho was on the pitch and some would say he even graced it, playing a part in the first two and scoring the third in Villa’s 4-0 win. He probably should have had his own hat-trick, but silky touches in the middle of the park and a 4-0 security blanket allows people to overlook some very shoddy finishing indeed – and if I sound bitter, it has nothing at all to do with Fantasy Football. 
Newcastle United won again and Brighton lost again. Both things happened in the same game at St James’ Park where Potter nicked mine/everyone’s magic wand gag – possibly the best and worst thing he came up with all day given the result for his team.
No doubt by the time you read this, Spurs and Everton will have done nothing to help the former close the gap on the top four and the latter ease their relegation worries. Lampard won’t be able to pick Dele, of course – not that seems to be a worry given how infrequently Alli has been seen at Goodison Park.
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com/todays-tales-arsenal-might-just-be-sober-enough-to-win-the-drunken-stumble-for-4th-place-in-the-premier-league/">Today’s Tales: Arsenal might just be sober enough to win the drunken stumble for 4th place in the Premier League</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com">Football Pink</a>.
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<title>Israel’s gameless 1958 World Cup qualifying campaign: how Wales’ stopped the madness</title>
<link>https://www.thefootballpink.com/israels-gameless-1958-world-cup-qualifying-campaign-how-wales-stopped-the-madness/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Pete Spencer]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sat, 05 Mar 2022 12:00:17 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Latest]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Nostalgia]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thefootballpink.com/?p=26072</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Israel has always had a difficult time in the sporting arena. Mainly through struggling to find teams to play against. After the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, sporting contests were frequently hampered by the Arab League boycott. The national football team found several Muslim countries refused to compete against them. They were […]
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com/israels-gameless-1958-world-cup-qualifying-campaign-how-wales-stopped-the-madness/">Israel’s gameless 1958 World Cup qualifying campaign: how Wales’ stopped the madness</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com">Football Pink</a>.
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[Israel has always had a difficult time in the sporting arena. Mainly through struggling to find teams to play against.
After the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, sporting contests were frequently hampered by the Arab League boycott. The national football team found several Muslim countries refused to compete against them.
They were one of the founding members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), but in the late 1950’s things became rather farcical as they tried to qualify for the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.
Unlike today when Africa and Asia have their own separate qualifying section, the two Confederations were lumped in together when qualifying began in 1957.
FIFA was still trying to convince nations to compete in the World Cup. For the first time the number of qualifying entries past the 50 mark. Africa/Asia had just 11 entries. FIFA rejected Ethiopia and South Korea, leaving just nine.
The competing teams were split into groups, but for some inexplicable reason they needed a preliminary group first. Indonesia, China and Taiwan were drawn together, but Taiwan soon withdrew so the other two went through without having to play.
The remaining eight countries were drawn into four groups of two. Indonesia and China eventually made it onto the pitch, and both won their home matches. They then had a play-off in neutral Burma which ended goalless. Rather than put on another tie, FIFA declared Indonesia the winner on aggregate over the original two legs, so they progressed through to the next stage.
Syria and Sudan played their two ties and Sudan’s draw in Syria was enough to get them through after they won their home leg.
The other two groups didn’t see a ball kicked. Egypt were up against Cyprus. Pre-independent Cyprus competed in this Confederation. But the Cypriots refused to take part, so Egypt were through.
Then Israel were up against Turkey and the Turks refused to compete against Israel, so the same thing happened.
The Second Round saw all four qualifiers drawn into one group. Political unrest prompted Indonesia to request a neutral venue for their game against Israel. FIFA refused, awarding the match to Israel. Egypt decided they couldn’t possibly take on the Israelis after continuing tensions over the Suez crisis, so they pulled out. This meant Sudan and Israel continued on.
But then this presented another problem in that Sudan weren’t going to play Israel because of the Arab League boycott. Israel were now winners of the Africa/Asia section despite not having played a match!
Finally, FIFA decided enough was enough and they needed to do something about this. They couldn’t sanction a team turning up in Sweden not having played for the privilege of being there.
In the embryonic days of the tournament there were many withdrawals from countries who decided they couldn’t travel vast distance for one or two matches. In addition, you had the tit-for-tat behaviour of the first winners, Uruguay, refusing to take part in the next two European tournaments due to the lack of interest from that continent when it hosted in 1930. This meant there were often teams arriving at the World Cup without having earned the right to qualify.
But what to do?
They eventually hit upon the idea of a play-off against a runner-up from one of the qualifying groups from the other Confederations. Uruguay gave up again and with Northern Ireland and Italy still having to play each other to decide their group, ten nations were put into a draw to find an opponent for Israel.
Belgium was drawn out but they refused to take part, so another team was drawn and this time Wales were chosen. The Welsh had never made it to the Finals before. Having finished second in their three-team group to Czechoslovakia they must have thought their chance had gone. But they hadn’t reckoned on the farce in Africa/Asia and the lottery of a draw.
Wales campaign in itself had been interesting. They were managed by Matt Busby’s right-hand man at Old Trafford, Jimmy Murphy. They beat the Czechs in their opening game and then travelled to East Germany. This was the East Germans first ever competitive fixture, but to save money Wales only took 12 players. You can probably guess this backfired. Arsenal’s Derek Tapscott was injured and couldn’t play, and John Charles arrived late due to commitments with Juventus. Wales lost 1-2.
Just six days later Wales tried to take the same group of players to Prague but eventually called up two reinforcements. They lost 0-2 and so when the Czechs beat the East Germans twice, Wales thought they were out.
Then came the withdrawals and the short-straw draw and Wales had a reprieve.
In January 1958 the two met in Ramat Gan, to the East of Tel Aviv. As if to illustrate the slightly primitive nature of international football back then, an administrative error meant the Welsh squad arrived in Israel without a ball.
With only physical training the option, they also had to contend with the heat. But Swansea’s Ivor Allchurch put the visitors in front before the break. Arsenal’s Dave Bowen grabbed their second midway through the second half and Wales had won their first match outside the UK.
Three weeks later the two rocked up at Ninian Park, Cardiff where Israel struggled to lay a glove on their opponents. Goalkeeper Hodorov won plaudits for his performance in keeping out the Welsh attacks. His bravery was particularly noticed as at one point he received a broken nose and concussion from a collision.
The tie was goalless going into the final quarter of an hour before Allchurch put Wales further ahead on aggregate. With just ten minutes to go Cliff Jones made things certain for the Welsh. A week later Jones was a Spurs player and would go on to become a club legend in their famous double side.
Wales won 2-0 on the night and 4-0 on aggregate.
So, Israel were finally out without having scored a goal. The Welsh celebrated long into the night looking forward to their first ever appearance in the World Cup Finals.
It remains the only time a team has qualified for a World Cup having been eliminated from the normal qualifying process. It also meant all four British nations had qualified for the final stages for the one and only time.
The second leg soon earned a particular poignancy. Many will recognise the significance of the date, 5th February 1958. Manager Jimmy Murphy’s attendance at the match meant he was unable to join his club, Manchester United for their European Cup tie in Belgrade. On the trip home United’s plane crashed on the runway at Munich and 23 lost their lives.
Murphy was safe purely by a twist of fate.
Wales first, and at the moment, only ever appearance at World Cup was a relative success. They made it through the group stage, drawing all three matches. They then won a play-off against mighty Hungary, who were runners-up four years earlier. The revolution in Hungary two years before had seen most of the big names leave, but they still had Hidegkuti and Bozsik. Wales came from behind to win a place in the knockout stage.
Waiting for them was Brazil and a 17-year old Pele. The most talked about player in world football at the time, scored the only goal of the game and the Welsh were out.
If they beat Austria in another play-off in March they’ll be a step closer to their second appearance at a World Cup finals.
To emphasise how chaotic the qualifying stage was for Africa/Asia in 1958, just five of the scheduled 28 matches were played to produce the one representative.
Israel did eventually reach a World Cup finals tournament in 1970. Again, their qualification was beset by withdrawals. North Korea, who’d performed admirably in England 1966, refused to play them. But New Zealand did, and Israel won both games.
They then beat Australia over two legs and made it to the finals in Mexico. They were drawn into a group with Italy and Uruguay, both who’d won the trophy twice by then. They drew against Italy and the other team in the group, Sweden, but finished bottom.
In 1974 the country was excluded from AFC competitions, due to a proposal from Kuwait. They were allowed back in for 1978 but went out in the First Round. For the next qualifying campaign they transferred to UEFA and since then have suffered no withdrawals, or political consequences.
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com/israels-gameless-1958-world-cup-qualifying-campaign-how-wales-stopped-the-madness/">Israel’s gameless 1958 World Cup qualifying campaign: how Wales’ stopped the madness</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com">Football Pink</a>.
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<title>Book review – Get It On: How The ’70s Rocked Football by Jon Spurling</title>
<link>https://www.thefootballpink.com/book-review-get-it-on-how-the-70s-rocked-football-by-jon-spurling/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Fernando Romero]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Mar 2022 11:23:24 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Latest]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Nostalgia]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thefootballpink.com/?p=26239</guid>
<description><![CDATA[It is often the praise we give talented writers that they “paint with their words”. Places and people seem to appear in front of our eyes and we’re engulfed by them. What can we say then about Jon Spurling, who in ‘Get It On: How The ’70’s Rocked Football, manages to transport us back in […]
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com/book-review-get-it-on-how-the-70s-rocked-football-by-jon-spurling/">Book review – Get It On: How The ’70s Rocked Football by Jon Spurling</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com">Football Pink</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[It is often the praise we give talented writers that they “paint with their words”. Places and people seem to appear in front of our eyes and we’re engulfed by them. What can we say then about Jon Spurling, who in ‘Get It On: How The ’70’s Rocked Football, manages to transport us back in time and presents us in front of the characters and personalities that defined and redefined the world around them?
Spurling makes a fascinating job explaining and showcasing the times and the personalities, but also of letting the protagonists, of which he’s interviewed a great deal many, tell it themselves. In their own words, interviewed across a lifetime in journalism, the men who shaped (and were shaped) by this era give their take on what happened and how it went down. It offers incredible insight into their minds and how were taken the decisions that ended careers, scored historic goals, and transformed football.
Society was changing in the 1970s, and football with it. Much in the same way, football was changing society. There was a new generation of players who not only adored the limelight but were also ready to reap the benefits of their popularity. Names like George Best, Alan Ball, Rodney Marsh, or Charlie George were cut from a different cloth than their predecessors and knew what they wanted. New icons for a changing society, they enjoyed the first flashes of superstardom but struggled with its consequences. Spurling shows us the highs and lows fame brought for football’s first superstar in Best, but the explosion in popularity and fame opportunities for footballers, as told through the eyes of iconic photographer Terry O’Neill and the participants on his famous clan portrait
There was also a new generation of managers, who embraced their role not as stern-faced dictators but as bombastic showmen who could just as well enjoy their time on the headlines. The brash and loud, bigger than life personalities of men like Brian Clough, Tommy Docherty and Malcolm Allison differed fundamentally from the way Sir Alf Ramsey o Bill Nicholson had run their ship. Spurling takes us, for example, through the rise and fall (and rise) of Clough’s career, his irruption into the scene, both as a manager and as a TV personality; how his detail-oriented management style made him successful and his controversial outspoken personality made him popular, but also how reckoning came for him as his antics get him (in all but name) sacked from the Derby job, his erratic 44-day stint at Leeds and his rebirth as a manager at Nottingham Forest.
There were smart men around the sport, who recognized the times were changing and were quick on their feet to grab their opportunities, be it on TV, marketing or the sportswear business. The introduction of the opinion panel, club brand awareness and the branded kit, were the first steps into the exploitation of football’s commercial appeal that we live today, with the good and the bad. Spurling tells us the story of Paul Trevillion, the man who masterminded the Super Leeds to make Revie’s team more marketable, and of the early boom of the replica kits market, as Bert Patrick’s Admiral tempts first Leeds United and then most of the English league into changing the kit market.
Just as well, there were smaller clubs hitting way above their weight, turning the leagues upside down and producing shocking results, be it the meteoric ascension of the likes of Derby County and Nottingham Forest under Clough, the building of a European powerhouse in Liverpool under Shankly and Paisley, or the giant-killers in the FA Cup, it was a time where traditional powers as they were could not be confident to be left to their own devices. Spurling goes in-depth into Bill Shankly, the culture he built at Liverpool and his struggles to find an enjoyable life after football, but also on how Liverpool entered the Paisley era, with changes to the style of play, the player recruitment and the pre-match preparation. Just as well, he dives into some of the most famous giant-killing fixtures in the FA Cup during the 70s and the FA Cup triumphs of Ipswich Town and Sunderland.

It is also perhaps the first time the issues of racism in the game and the rising problem of hooliganism are taken into account. It’s about the profound sense of injustice, how it affected those involved and the strange sense of camaraderie that arose from them when everything else failed. Spurling chronicles the rise of Hooliganism as the economical crisis in the UK worsens and the discrimination suffered by first black stars in Millwall and West Bromwich Albion.
All of this was thrown into one giant blender and what came out was a new era, one fascinating and exhilarating (as well as often misguided and at times dark), which Spurling narrates masterfully
Much in the same way, Spurling goes over the struggles of the older generations, as some of the most laurate men of the previous era struggle to remain on top, perhaps failing to recognise that the very ground below their feet is shifting, and resistance is as futile as insurmountable the distances. Spurling shows us Sir Alf Ramsey wrangling to replicate his success with the generation that followed the World Cup Winners of ‘66, and how even Don Revie’s message fell on deaf ears during his stint with England.
In an era as we live today, where the traditional role of the manager is all but a relic of the past, and even some of those who but a decade ago were on the cutting edge of the tactical game struggling to remain relevant and connect with a new generation of players, it does perhaps work as a cautionary tale. With transfers fees climbing and rule changes allowing for the first foreign players to impact the English game, it could very much be that it was in the 70s that the seeds of the game as we know it today were planted.
It is, fundamentally, the story of a generation of non-conformists challenging the status quo, masterfully told and interwoven. There is always some light and some dark to every chapter; no blissful innovation goes without the lamenting of something lost, no sparkling personality goes without a troubled downfall, no merry band of winners can ever challenge indefinitely under the ever-changing circumstances of the sport. Get It On is a transversal cut through the ethos of an era, a snapshot of seismic changes that forever transformed the landscape of English football. There are a lot of insights to take from it, as well as so much to reminisce about from a time that, with its own heroes and villains, shaped the years to come and pushed the game forwards.
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com/book-review-get-it-on-how-the-70s-rocked-football-by-jon-spurling/">Book review – Get It On: How The ’70s Rocked Football by Jon Spurling</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com">Football Pink</a>.
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<title>Football Pink exclusive interview: Clive Evans</title>
<link>https://www.thefootballpink.com/football-pink-exclusive-interview-clive-evans/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[The Football Pink]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Mar 2022 14:00:27 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Latest]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Nostalgia]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thefootballpink.com/?p=26458</guid>
<description><![CDATA[My guest for the latest edition of my Player Profile series is Clive Evans. He played for several clubs in the English Football League, before moving into the non-league game towards the end of his career. Age: 64 Place of Birth: The Wirral, Merseyside Previous Clubs: Tranmere Rovers, Wigan Athletic, Crewe Alexandra, Stockport County, Lincoln City Position: Midfield/Defender Life After […]
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com/football-pink-exclusive-interview-clive-evans/">Football Pink exclusive interview: Clive Evans</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com">Football Pink</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[My guest for the latest edition of my Player Profile series is Clive Evans. He played for several clubs in the English Football League, before moving into the non-league game towards the end of his career.
 Age: 64
 Place of Birth: The Wirral, Merseyside
 Previous Clubs: Tranmere Rovers, Wigan Athletic, Crewe Alexandra, Stockport County, Lincoln City
 Position: Midfield/Defender
Life After Football: Spent 22 years at Adidas UK looking after football sponsorship which included players, clubs and national teams. Also had two years at Derby County Academy, scouting players for Under 12’s to Under 18’s teams and two years at Everton Academy with the same role.
 
 GT: First of all Clive, thank you very much for agreeing to answer my questions, I am really looking forward to finding out about your time in football. For the first question, I would be interested to know where your love of football began, where did your journey in football start for you?
 CE: My love for football began at school when I started playing for the school team. I can also remember my Dad taking me to watch my local club, Tranmere Rovers. Other strong memories I have are from when Liverpool won the FA Cup at Wembley in 1965 and when England won the 1966 World Cup.
 GT: With Tranmere Rovers being your local club, did you always have an early ambition to play for them at some point? It was Tranmere Rovers who were to become the first professional football club of your career but how did you end up signing for them?
CE: My ambition was just to play professional football. I previously had trials at Liverpool and could have gone to Wolverhampton Wanderers at the age of 15 but eventually, Tranmere Rovers offered me the chance to sign as an apprentice pro after playing in their youth team. The Liverpool legend, Ron Yeats was the Player/Manager of Tranmere at the time and he came around to my parent’s house to sign me.
GT: After you signed for Tranmere Rovers, what was a typical week like for you at the club as an apprentice pro?
CE: As an apprentice pro in the early 1970’s it was hard work, you had to prepare the pro’s training kit before training and clean their boots after training. In addition to this, you had to clean the dressing rooms as well as collecting all of the kit for washing. After all of this was done you could then spend some time yourself out on the practice field. To be honest it provided good discipline and was a good experience for future work environments.
GT: Sounds a million miles away with regards to what young footballers are used to today and like you rightly say, what you had to do provided you with good life experience. How long were you at Tranmere Rovers for, before you made your first team debut, and could you describe the feeling you had when that day arrived?
CE: I signed for the club as a full time pro at the age of 16 and then progressed through the Youth and Reserve teams. I was drafted into the first team squad towards the end of the 1976/1977 season. 
I had just turned 20 years old when the manager, Johnny King told me that I had been selected to play against Northampton Town. In those days teams used to blood young players towards the end of the season. I didn’t have a lot of time to think about it, to be honest, but I called my Dad from the ground so he could be there.
I had a decent game and we won 3-1, I managed to keep my place in the team for the following season and played in all 46 league games.
GT: How long did you stay at Tranmere before you signed for Wigan Athletic, and what are your fondest memories from your time at Prenton Park?
CE: I had four years in the first team at Tranmere Rovers before moving to Wigan Athletic for the sum of £25,000.
The best memories I have from playing for Tranmere are, firstly, scoring my first league goal in a game against Wrexham.
Secondly, playing against Liverpool in the second round of the League cup. Liverpool were the then reigning European Champions, the first leg was an amazing night at Prenton Park where we managed to draw 0-0 in front of 16,000 spectators! We lost the second leg 4-0 at Anfield, they fielded a full first XI against us, that wouldn’t happen nowadays!
GT: It sounds like you had a brilliant time at Tranmere Rovers, so this leads nicely onto my next question – what was the reason for your move to Wigan Athletic?
CE: The reason for the move to Wigan was really down to the fact that they came in for me and offered £25,000. Tranmere were desperate for cash and were struggling to pay players wages, etc. 
Wigan were an ambitious club and had their eyes on promotion, also it was a better deal for me and I was still only 24 years old at the time.
GT: How did you find adjusting to playing for a new club after spending the best part of ten years at Tranmere Rovers?
CE: It was very difficult, to be honest! A new manager, new teammates, and a completely different environment. We managed to get promoted to the old third division but I didn’t get on with the manager and my confidence was low, I wasn’t enjoying it at all. 
I was desperate to get away, Crewe Alexandra came in for me and I jumped at the chance to join them which was a bad decision in hindsight!
GT: What were the reasons behind the move to Crewe turning out to be a bad choice?
CE: We started well at Crewe the following season but results started to go badly after ten games or so. The manager was sacked and Peter Morris was appointed as the club’s new manager. He wanted his own team and brought in a lot of new players and for some reason he didn’t give me a chance to play. The other players couldn’t understand what his reasoning was for this.
 I was on a free at the end of the season, I’d gone from one bad move to another in two years. Earlier in the season I had a good game against Stockport County and they offered me a contract, so I signed for them. 
Looking back at those two bad moves, I could have done with a player agent to help me with negotiating contracts, etc. But in my day agents didn’t exist, it was just me, a young player sitting in front of an experienced manager, trying to negotiate a deal for myself.
GT: So, following those two bad experiences at Wigan and Crewe, I bet you couldn’t wait to get started at Stockport County! Tell me about your spell at the club, was it a more of an enjoyable time for you?
CE: Yes, I enjoyed my spell at Stockport County, I settled down much better and moved to Cheshire, we had some good players in our side at the time.
One particular highlight for me was again playing against Liverpool! We drew them in the 2nd Round of the League Cup in the 1984/1985 season and drew 0-0 against them in the first leg at Edgley Park in front of 11,000 spectators. We narrowly lost the second leg at Anfield by 2 goals to 0 after extra time. 
Under the management of Colin Murphy, we narrowly avoided relegation on the last day of the 1986/1987 season at the expense of Lincoln City. This was the first time that a club had been automatically relegated into the Conference League! 
Colin Murphy had two spells as manager at Stockport and at first, we didn’t like his style of play. Training was hard and good fitness was required to play his preferred style of route one football. We were all glad when he left to work in the Middle East. However, he returned for a second spell in charge, and to be fair he worked a miracle by keeping us up!
GT: More great memories Clive and thank you for sharing them – it was of course Lincoln City that was to the next club in your career. I see that Colin Murphy was the club’s manager when you signed for them, was this a factor in you joining them?
CE: Yes, Colin Murphy being the manager at Lincoln was a big influence on me signing for the club. As well as myself, he also took five or six players from Stockport County with him. 
At first, I wasn’t sure about dropping down into the non-league game but Colin Murphy kept asking me to sign for Lincoln. Five games into the following season Lincoln paid a small fee for me and offered me an improved contract. With this in mind, I made the big decision to join the club in the top tier of non-league football.
Playing for Lincoln in the conference was the toughest season I had ever had! Every game was like a cup tie for us, all of the teams we came up against really wanted to beat Lincoln City! The club had stayed full time and spent money on players, we had big crowds at every game, especially local derby games against the likes of Boston United. 
Winning the league on the last day of the season was unbelievable! There was a huge crowd at Sincil Bank to watch us play the final game of the season against Wycombe Wanderers. I played in 44 out of 46 league games but unfortunately in a game against Scunthorpe United the following season, I ruptured my Achilles tendon and that was the end of my professional football career. After I recovered from my injury I then went on to play for several semi-pro clubs before retiring.
GT: It sounds as if you had a great time at Lincoln City despite the fact that it was a tough but ultimately very successful campaign. I am really sorry to hear about the injury you sustained, if this hadn’t had happened what would have been your plan going forward?
CE: Yes, it was a great achievement in helping Lincoln get back into the football league. 
I didn’t have a plan to be honest, I hadn’t prepared for life after football but I was very fortunate to find a job in sales and marketing. Then after this I had a fantastic job working for the Adidas sports brand in football, working with top elite England players and clubs.
GT: That leads me nicely onto the next question Clive – I am intrigued to know what your job with Adidas involved, which players did you come across whilst working for the company?
CE: I was responsible for sports marketing in the football industry which basically saw me looking after players who had Adidas UK sponsorship contracts. I had to ensure that sponsorship deals with player’s agents were negotiated properly, ensure that the correct footwear was being worn by our players on the pitch as well as other kit requirements.
Some of the players included the likes of Jamie Redknapp, Steven Gerrard, Neil Ruddock, and a bit of work with David Beckham!
GT: Clive, I have really enjoyed interviewing you, and thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. In closing, I would like to ask you the following – Who was the best player you played alongside, who was the best player you played against, and what was the best ground you played at?
CE: The best player I played with was probably Steve Coppell during my early days at Tranmere Rovers. He went to Manchester United in 1975 and went on to win 42 caps for England.
The best players I played against was probably Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, or Terry McDermott in the league cup ties against Liverpool. On a similar theme, the best ground I ever played at has got to be Anfield!
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com/football-pink-exclusive-interview-clive-evans/">Football Pink exclusive interview: Clive Evans</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com">Football Pink</a>.
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<title>The Best Football Games that Fans Must Play </title>
<link>https://www.thefootballpink.com/the-best-football-games-that-fans-must-play/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Darwen]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Mar 2022 07:51:27 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[British]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.thefootballpink.com/?p=26455</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Computers, consoles and online platforms have a wealth of football-related games for fans to explore. Football titles are often some of the biggest-selling games throughout the world. Big-hitting releases such as FIFA record millions of sales each year. They tap into the global excitement and prestige of the world’s most enjoyed sport. But what are […]
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com/the-best-football-games-that-fans-must-play/">The Best Football Games that Fans Must Play </a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com">Football Pink</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Computers, consoles and online platforms have a wealth of football-related games for fans to explore.
Football titles are often some of the biggest-selling games throughout the world. Big-hitting releases such as FIFA record millions of sales each year. They tap into the global excitement and prestige of the world’s most enjoyed sport.
But what are the games that every football fan should try out? Here are the best of the best stretching from way back to right now.
FIFA 10 
The FIFA series has sold over 300 million titles over its long career. Debuting in 1994, the games detail the buzz of a match with players able to take part in single games or tournaments.
FIFA 10 has been noted as a particular high point for the series. Arriving in 2009, with this release developers EA really pushed the game mechanics to allow for greater movement and fluidity.
Perfectly capturing the essence of the magic of football, it has become a byword for what is possible in footballing game excellence.
Football slots 
Soccer fans can also try their luck on a football-themed slot game. Available to play at <a href="https://www.virgingames.com/">Virgin Games</a>, the slot game is an online variant of a classic slot machine. It offers a fantastic use of football imagery and all the excitement of matchday.
International Soccer
Back in 1983, International Soccer was the best football computer game around. Available to play on the classic Commodore 64 home computer, the game was the first game to truly get a feel of the sport.
Using a revolutionary (at the time) side-on view of the action, the game was the first of its kind to offer <a href="https://www.stuff.tv/features/25-best-football-games-ever/">throw-ins, corners and goal kicks</a>. The game was massively popular and saw players competing against each other for the joy of lifting the 8-bit pixelated trophy.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2017
The long-running rivalry between the FIFA series of games and the Pro Evo ones is a compelling drama that many fans tune into. But it doesn’t have to be either or.
Both of the games have their strengths and in 2017, Pro Evo scored a direct hit.
The game managed to come up trumps with the same beautifully detailed gameplay that fans know all too well. It also secured the official licences of two competitions, something that it occasionally falls behind FIFA with.
With both the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Champions League on board for the game, fans felt a connection to the real world of unfolding football news. The familiarity of this combined with the as usual superb graphics and animation guaranteed it a special place at the football gaming table.
Super Arcade Football 
If you happen to be one of the many football game fans who have a love for retro computing offerings, this could be one to check out.
Super Arcade Football offers a 90’s SNES and Megadrive look of top-down gameplay recalling early classics such as Sensible Soccer and Italia 90.
The game is <a href="https://www.pcgamesn.com/best-football-games-pc">suitably fast paced with an in-built arcade</a> aesthetic using various options including different types of pitch to offer an all-round experience.
Up to four players can take part in the competitions, making this a great party game to try out. Simple controls of run, pass and shoot mean there isn’t much learning needed – just a desire to get to the essential thrill of the game.
Kick Off
The 1989 Amiga computer game Kick Off brought in a high level of gameplay based around the magical ingredient of pace and acceleration.
Sprites had rarely moved as quickly around a computerized pitch as this before. Football loving computer owners were drawn to the sheer excitement of full-on arcade level speedy gaming. A true turning point for the football sims on computers, Kick Off was always a frenetic experience.
Football Manager 
Football games also look at the management side of things as well as the playing. Football Manager, first released on the ZX Spectrum in 1982 and later having a conversion to the C64, was the first to tap into the fun of managing.
Team selection, tactics and buying and selling were all brought out in detail as you try to top the league. Well recommended for fans to visit to see where it all started. Although thankfully these days we don’t have to rely on cassette tapes or cartridges to load up saved games!
New Star Soccer
This release from 2012 was one of the first to successfully showcase a football manager style game ported straight to mobile devices. Available on iOS and Android, it captures an all-round football simulation including both management and gameplay.
The game offers the player the chance to develop a footballing career. Starting out as a promising teen, the game works like a football RPG, with the player practising playing and signing deals.
Football is always a hugely profitable area for computer game developers to focus on. There are so many fans across the world with many opportunities for massive sponsorship and advertising deals. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that football and gaming are so closely linked
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com/the-best-football-games-that-fans-must-play/">The Best Football Games that Fans Must Play </a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.thefootballpink.com">Football Pink</a>.
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