THE 1974-75 season wasn’t a classic for English football. The country had been suffering a long hangover after the national team’s exit from the World Cup. We were excluded from the 1974 finals in West Germany, pinning our hopes on … Continue reading Docherty’s Manchester United and a hint of total football
IN THE aftermath of the 1974 World Cup, English football was fascinated by Dutch and German football. England’s failure to qualify for that competition and the decline of league football into a physical, defensive product that had started to drive … Continue reading Thwarted genius – QPR’s total footballers of 1975-76
IN THE aftermath of the 1974 World Cup, English football was fascinated by Dutch and German football. England’s failure to qualify for that competition and the decline of league football into a physical, defensive product that had started to drive … Continue reading Great Reputations: QPR’s total footballers of 1975-76
IT’S a gleaming white stadium is the Liberty, you see it very clearly as the train snakes its way into Swansea station, and it still looks clean enough to feature on a TV advertisement for white emulsion paint. These are … Continue reading The parachute men
APRIL 23 1975. A few days earlier, Ray Wilkins had been appointed captain of Chelsea. The Blues had lost 2-0 at Tottenham and the writing was on the wall. I was in the City of London, having an interview with … Continue reading The spirit of ’77 fades away – Ray Wilkins
NON-LEAGUE football used to be a breeding ground for top-class players, but in recent years, the flow of talent has certainly slowed-up. Jamie Vardy has provided a heart-warming story that restores some faith in the notion that players can start at a local level and make their way into the big time. Game of the People looks at some of the players that have made the step up from non-league over the years. What makes Jamie Vardy so special is that he was 25 before he made his Football League debut with Leicester City. Usually, players are picked up much … Continue reading Vardy shows that non-league still has its place
