LIONEL Messi’s press conference portrayed a man struggling to keep his emotions in check, an inevitable consequence of the debacle around his contract and eventual departure from Barcelona. It looked very staged, almost false, and in truth, the Barca faithful … Continue reading Messigate: Even heroes move on – and it’s often with a bad taste
MALCOLM ALLISON, that big, brash, iconic figure from the early 1970s, once said the period between 1967 and 1972 was a golden age for English football. Of course, during that time, Manchester City were quite successful, so naturally, Allison would … Continue reading Derby, Leeds, Liverpool and City – anyone could have won the 1972 title race
ANYONE who has attended a “sportsman’s evening” featuring footballers from the 1970s will be familiar with the script: laddish banter, tales of drink, women and gambling, blue jokes and so on and so forth. Sometimes, it’s not worth meeting your … Continue reading Best, Cruyff, Hudson, Keegan: Playboys and smart boys
WE ALL wanted to be George Best. In the playground, on the football pitch, in the disco(!), in the boutique. He seemed to have everything that a virile male, circa 1967-72, needed to be a success in life: looks, women and outstanding ability. But he was a flawed character, and there can be no other assessment as we now look back on his short and problematical life. The film, “Best”, offers nothing new on this tortured individual and anyone watching it leaves the cinema saddened and perhaps a little angry. It is terrible to see a life end prematurely, a … Continue reading The problem with being George Best
MALCOLM ALLISON, that big, brash, iconic figure from the early 1970s, once said the period between 1967 and 1972 was a golden age for English football. Of course, during that time, Manchester City were very successful, so naturally, Allison would … Continue reading 1971-72 – the title chase to end all title chases
WE’VE ALL seen the footage of George Best rounding the keeper, of Bobby Charlton weeping, of Matt Busby embracing the players, remembering the fallen of Munich, and of Eusebio congratulating Alex Stepney on a superb save. It’s an episode in … Continue reading Manchester United 1968 – triumph before the fire went out
