We all love a bit of nostalgia and football fans of my age are no different. In this sanitised, dispassionate, greed-is-good world of top-level football, it’s heart-warming and a little sad to be be reminded of how it used to be.
BT Sport has a series called PlayBack and it broadcasts games from the 70s and 80s. The game was completely different in that era and being a football fan during the 80s was often a chastening experience. Football hooliganism, awful facilities and decidedly poor quality fare (especially if you were an Arsenal fan) was commonplace. But looking back, I enjoyed myself immensely. It was raw, honest and a whole lot of fun for an impressionable youngster.
Every blog must have a list…..and here’s the things I miss most from watching football as a youngster.
- Pay-on-the-gate: None of this having to book months in advance for the big fixtures. Just roll up on the day and pay cash at the turnstiles. Even the away games at Spurs were pay on the day in the early 80s
- Terraces: Loved the freedom of standing where you wanted. Terraces helped to create a vibrant, edgy atmosphere. I loved the tension as a youngster
- Affordable matches: Money earned on a paper/milk round on a Saturday morning, paying for the whole day: travel/admission/programme/burger
- Huge away followings: Seeing the likes of Spurs, Utd and Chelsea packing out the Clock End at Highbury (up to 17,000 fans) created a great buzz around the ground
- British Rail Football Specials: My dad worked for British Rail and I got free travel to support Arsenal all over the country. Visiting Merseyside as a 14 year old was a scary but unforgettable experience
- Teams coming on the pitch separately: Hearing the abuse when Spurs took to the field was magical as a 12 year old. None of this pre-game handshake and hugging between the players
- Proper tackling: Seeing the likes of Peter Nicholas and Graham Roberts kick lumps out of each other in the opening minutes of a North London derby chilled the bone
- Watching the scores on Ceefax: I adore watching Jeff and the boys on Soccer Saturday but I loved checking the football scores on Ceefax (google it all you youngsters)
- Unfit footballers: They don’t exist now but back then, many teams were carrying players who turned up in no fit state to last 90 minutes. Watching Alan Sunderland in his final year at Arsenal impersonate an athlete was probably the funniest thing I’ve seen on a football pitch.
- Football magazines: Such as Shoot! and Match
- The old Wembley: A dump but a dump with some many special memories
- 3pm Kick-offs: Every week. Remember those??
- The Big Match: The excitement of seeing the TV cameras and knowing you could watch the highlights that evening. If you were not selected as a televised game, you simply did not see any of the goals broadcast.
- FA Cup Semi-Finals at neutral venues: Trips up to Villa Park with over 20,000 other Gooners were special. The buzz at Euston station was electric
I’m blessed to have watched football during that era. Sure, the Emirates is a magnificent stadium, with great sightlines from every seat. But it often resembles sitting in a theatre. I only go to a handful of games per season these days and I find watching games in the pub is more fun. Please drop me a line if you wish to add to the list. I’m off to watch us play Derby on a mudfest at the Baseball Ground.