Howard's Way

[CrustySack]

Not going to spoilt it for anyone who hasnt watched, but just listen to Brian Cloughs word at the end of the ECWC final. He knew.

They were a young side as well with years ahead of them. I always say they played as a telepathic unit in motion, and they could play any brand of football.

 

[Duncan’s Pigeon Loft]

Before my time unfortunately, but a great watch. Not gonna lie, I’m extremely jealous of you old farts who got to witness those years.

FAO Chairman Bill - THIS is what ‘good times’ really means

 

[the golden visionary]

Before my time unfortunately, but a great watch. Not gonna lie, I’m extremely jealous of you old farts who got to witness those years.

FAO Chairman Bill - THIS is what ‘good times’ really means

Kim Jong bill doesn't care about that because it didn't involve him. His ego won't allow it. He probably thinks 'David's' 4th place in 2005 trumps Howard's whole reign

 

[peteblue]

Before my time unfortunately, but a great watch. Not gonna lie, I’m extremely jealous of you old farts who got to witness those years.

FAO Chairman Bill - THIS is what ‘good times’ really means

We were a bit blasé about it tbh…the 60’s titles and cup was where it was at…sorry, you missed that as well……

 

[DualityNSNO]

Only in Eastern Europe, where Dynamo Berlin and CSKA Sofia, for example, were sporting arms of the state. But it's not at all true in Western Europe were IFK Gothenburg, FC Porto, Aberdeen, Dundee United, Austria Vienna, and Club Bruges were all powerhouse clubs.

To prove that point, each of those sides had huge rivals in their own countries to overcome - and the league title in those countries was anything but a foregone conclusion. Malmo, Benfica, Celtic, Rangers, Rapid Vienna, and Anderlecht were all top clubs in those countries and in European competition.

Eastern Europe was corrupt. Today, well, it's no longer constrained to that part of the continent...

Was it just there, or are you listing the 1-of-2 teams that all those countries had, basically a mono/duopoly?
Celtic and Rangers. Aberdeen with a 1-off because of an actual freak manager, Dundee with, what 1 or 2 appearances themselves, ever?
IFK in a league consisting of 12 teams, either them or Malmo winning some bizarrely formatted tournament for about 15 years straight?
Not gonna touch Portugal or Belgium as it's just a repeat of Scotland - Porto, Benfica, maybe a third team as a one off; Anderlecht, Brugges, maybe Mechelen or Standard for a year if they're lucky.

All the teams you've listed have 30 or so domestic titles and a bunch of cups, to say it's down to not being basically the biggest/richest is mostly silly.

Also despite everything nearly every semi-final and final still had a pick of like 5 teams that have to be there anyway lol

I love it that people romanticise those times a lot, on paper they're fantastic for the neutrals, but they were also full of inequalities like now and the CWC/ECC was still a rich boys only exclusive club*.


*or in a few cases - Soviet teams.

 

[Billy Dean]

Was it just there, or are you listing the 1-of-2 teams that all those countries had, basically a mono/duopoly?
Celtic and Rangers. Aberdeen with a 1-off because of an actual freak manager, Dundee with, what 1 or 2 appearances themselves, ever?
IFK in a league consisting of 12 teams, either them or Malmo winning some bizarrely formatted tournament for about 15 years straight?
Not gonna touch Portugal or Belgium as it's just a repeat of Scotland - Porto, Benfica, maybe a third team as a one off; Anderlecht, Brugges, maybe Mechelen or Standard for a year if they're lucky.

All the teams you've listed have 30 or so domestic titles and a bunch of cups, to say it's down to not being basically the biggest/richest is mostly silly.

Also despite everything nearly every semi-final and final still had a pick of like 5 teams that have to be there anyway lol

I love it that people romanticise those times a lot, on paper they're fantastic for the neutrals, but they were also full of inequalities like now and the CWC/ECC was still a rich boys only exclusive club*.


*or in a few cases - Soviet teams.

I think the money was spread out more evenly then across the continent

 

[DualityNSNO]

I think the money was spread out more evenly then across the continent

But that's not really a football issue - and as football got involved it was still a mono/duopoly pretty much everywhere.

 

[Billy Dean]

But that's not really a football issue - and as football got involved it was still a mono/duopoly pretty much everywhere.

Yeah definitely, what's happening in football is a reflection of what's happening generally across the world

 

[jazzy]

Not going to spoilt it for anyone who hasnt watched, but just listen to Brian Cloughs word at the end of the ECWC final. He knew.

Clough was a genius, but like many geniuses was deeply flawed. What a character though.

 

[Ferguson1878]

I can’t bring myself to watch anything about a glorious past cos it annoys me too much about our present

Nice one kenwrong

Exact same reason i haven’t watched it yet

 

[Drico]

But that's not really a football issue - and as football got involved it was still a mono/duopoly pretty much everywhere.

It wasn't a mono or duopoly "pretty much everywhere". Portugal was Benfica, Sporting and Porto. Belgium was Anderlecht, Standard, and Club Bruges. Holland was Feyenoord, Ajax, and PSV. Greece was Panathinaikos, AEK, Olympiakos, and PAOK. All of these clubs - and others - had opportunities: Beveren in Belgium, AZ 67 Alkmaar and Twente in Holland, Sturm Graz in Austria, and that's before we mention the multiple clubs with opportunities in the big leagues - HSV, Werder Bremen, VfB Stuttgart, Borussia Mönnchengladbach, Bordeaux, Marseille, Saint-Etienne, Real Socieded, Athletic Bilbao, Valencia etc., etc. Many of these clubs made European semi-finals in the 1970s and 1980s, and won domestic championships.

There is no comparison whatsoever between then and now. Finance and competitiveness is now concentrated in a handful of clubs in a handful of leagues - which themselves are now becoming one or two-horse races.

 

[Blue peter]

I can’t bring myself to watch anything about a glorious past cos it annoys me too much about our present

Nice one kenwrong

It’s the only glory we can watch, I lapped it up…but after it had a reality check hangover

 

[Paul Rideout]

Only in Eastern Europe, where Dynamo Berlin and CSKA Sofia, for example, were sporting arms of the state. But it's not at all true in Western Europe were IFK Gothenburg, FC Porto, Aberdeen, Dundee United, Austria Vienna, and Club Bruges were all powerhouse clubs.

To prove that point, each of those sides had huge rivals in their own countries to overcome - and the league title in those countries was anything but a foregone conclusion. Malmo, Benfica, Celtic, Rangers, Rapid Vienna, and Anderlecht were all top clubs in those countries and in European competition.

Eastern Europe was corrupt. Today, well, it's no longer constrained to that part of the continent...

Ladies and gentlemen I present evidence to the contrary in the form of Real Madrid. As close to a state sponsored home team as you can get.

 

[LEONARD]

Clough was a genius, but like many geniuses was deeply flawed. What a character though.

Fully agree, he would not function in this day and age football world, with it's 'political' sensibilities.

 

[knowing your history]

One thing that always bemuses me is why didn't Kendall get the England job after leaving the first time?

Of course Sir Bobby Robson stuck around until 1990 but even then Kendall was still seen as top level manager and was only early 40s.

Taylor had done well at Watford and Villa but hadn't won anything and he played far more percentage football which was always going to be exposed at international level.

Perhaps the FA had word of drinking issues which obviously would've been a problem with Gascoigne around. Pretty sure Joe Royle was also linked with the England job in 1996.