AT the start of 1971-72, England’s football fraternity was still clinging to the idea that the nation was a major power in the game. The 1970 World Cup defeat at the hands of West Germany was mostly seen as an … Continue reading 72 Classic: Lessons from Europe for English football
SAD news from Germany that the most famous footballer to remove England from the World Cup without cheating is no longer with us. Gerd Müller, a legendary figure in the Bayern Munich story, World Cup winner and goalscoring machine, has … Continue reading Grey Neutral Weekly: The very mighty Müller
The European Championships evolved from a four-team event to an eight team affair in 1980 and although that particular edition was somewhat tame, in 1984 and 1988, Europe was treated to two excellent tournaments in France and Germany respectively. Prior … Continue reading The Euros – 1976 to 1988: Penalties, Platini and volleys
THE FIRST four winners of the European Championship were the Soviet Union, Spain, Italy and West Germany. The competition didn’t really take off until 1972 when a brilliant German side captivated the continent with its progressive football. When the USSR … Continue reading The Euros – 1960 to 1972: From Netto to Netzer
WE ALL look to the influences of our childhood or formative years as being the “best of times”. The things that informed our thinking, philosophy, social position, relationships and work ethos act as benchmarks later in life. The exception is … Continue reading All hyped up – the myths and legacy of Italia ‘90
AT THE age of 11 and a half, my football career probably peaked. In fact, you could say that 1970 was my Annus mirabilis in terms of the beautiful game. In 1969-70, I was leading scorer for my primary school, … Continue reading 50 years ago, Mexico 1970 was a game changer
Game of the people 