Them Olden Days

Football existed before the Premier League?!

http://www.asromaultras.org/tribu_chelsea_shed.jpg

I like how English people say "the PREH-meer League".

Just when you think you've figured out that they always put the accent at the end ("SingaPORE", "hot SAUCE") they switch it up.

Man that photo makes me want a short-sleeved gingham shirt that I can wear untucked.

I like how English people say "the PREH-meer League".

Do they?

It's shocking.

they pronounce prem as prem

SPL is the Premier League. EPL is the Premiership. To me, that is.

from footage, hoddle is a godlike genius that was unmatched for ten-odd years as a creative force in english football, which is what i wanted to be schooled on.

Gazza has been offered, but i've never been convinced that he was anything but a wasted talent, i don't think he's as good as english memory has him down as.

En revanche, Le tiss is better than seems to remembered

But sure it's all debatable

Gazza a wasted talent AND as good as English memory has him

ok, the fat ron argument, i can see that

Gascoigne was incredible, the best raw talent i've seen. he's the reason why English fans/journos got so excited about Rooney.

John Barnes is the one who is often forgotten nowadays. He was stunning. The Liverpool side of 1988 is probably the best English side I have ever seen - Houghton, Beardsley, Barnes, Aldridge were remarkable, so fluid and strong. Obviously it is hilarious that they failed to win the double in 1988 and got dicked by Arsenal in 1989, but also a total travesty.

Le Tiss always seemed oafish to me and then he went out and worked a certain ineffable magic that left me speachless.

Gazza played for Rangers and put Scotland out of Euro '96, so praise coming from me is hard won

I think of Barnes as being a lot earlier than he was - five whole years in Division One with Watford, didn't join Liverpool 'til 87, statistically his top seasons were '90 and '91 (22 and 16 goals from midfield). It's probably because he missed out on 1990 world cup, though he still provided its iconic moment.

English football produced some wonderful footballers at that time: Beardsley, Rocastle, Barnes, Le Tiss, Gascoigne, Steven, Hoddle, Waddle. Then the Scottish and Irish players like Dalglish, Sheedy, Nevin, Houghton.

A British XI c1990 would be better than a British XI c2010.

people need to started repping for some old-timey matches that would be fun to watch in 2011

via the magic of illegal downloading, obvz

I see Barnes destroy Chelsea at Anfield in 1990 in about ten minutes. Terrifyingly good.

'I see Barnes'

Flashbacks. It was that bad.

people need to started repping for some old-timey matches that would be fun to watch in 2011

Can we do that? Let's synchronise and liveblog one during the summer/next international week.

I feel kind of bad for never having really made an effort to investigate the great Liverpool teams of old, such as the 1988 team that you've mentioned, Pete. I mean I've seen clips and heard stories about the glory days and all, but I'd like to try to properly understand what was going on at the time. I've got loads of books and DVDs, but I usually end up revisiting the 2001 Treble or Istanbul - my stories, my experiences, my Liverpool. I've started reading a Bob Paisley biography anyway. Got married down the road from me he did.

whelan was also very good...god the irish midfield in the 90s makes a total mockery of today's jokers.

Yeah, Whelan was amazing. Also McStay, Collins, McAllister in Scotland.

British XI c1990

Southall
Staunton Hansen Adams Nicol
Barnes Houghton Gascoigne Steven
Aldridge Lineker

Subs: Adams, Whelan, McGrath, Beardsley, Hughes, Waddle, Shilton

mcgrath, beardsley

prod waddle/bonner too imo

Oops, "British"

I dunno, maybe I'm misty-eyed, but do a British XI now and it would be shit. Obv a best of prem XI now would be better than that 1990 team though.

Hate to say it, but Goram was a better keeper than Packie Bonner

Er, British & Ireland innit.

Probably the best keeper I've ever seen in Scottish football (xp)

Some of those Irishmen were actually Irish, so can't use that excuse xp.

you prob hate to say it because it's p foolish i dunno?

In 1990 bonner was top 3 in world gk

Uh, Barnes isn't British at all, of course

you prob hate to say it because it's p foolish i dunno?

In 1990 bonner was top 3 in world gk

No way was Packie that good. Goram was awesome, bastard that he was.

Trying to think who Northern Ireland had at the time and coming up empty....

Ian Dowie? Yes, they were rubbish.

the barren years between bestie and gillespie

18th May, 1990 Venue: Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland 1-0 Uruguay
Att: 3,500
Coach: Billy Bingham

Team: Tommy Wright, Colin Hill, John Devine, Nigel Worthington, Gerry Taggart, Alan McDonald, Anton Rogan, Steve Morrow, Robbie Dennison, David McCreery, Danny Wilson, Kevin Wilson, Iain Dowie, Kingsley Black

Uruguayans no match for the old 4-3-3-3

David McCreery was still playing in 1990??!?!?

Kevin Wilson, the human tache.

http://www.sporting-heroes.net/files_football/WILSON_Kevin_19871219_GH_R.jpg

McAllister in Scotland

Shite for Scotland, great for eveybody else

Liverpool should've signed him to go with Rush & Aldridge xps

have fond memories of jan molby from the barely remembered liverpool glory days of yore. out of shape and fat as a fool but boy was he some passer of the ball.....

sounds like im contradicting myself there.

couldn't take the ball off him in a phone box iirc

fairly difficult to move at all in a phone box with molby, imo, but nonetheless it is held to be a Good Thing so

I'd second Goram as being a better keeper than Bonner any day of the week as well, tbh.

except on saturdays, 3pm maybe

packie was mad overhyped...given is ten times the keeper packie was. and the backpass rule really fucked him too.

packie was like a rabbit in the headlights everytime a backpass was played

hope you didn't say that on the radio man

He did but Humphries slapped him down

humphries was a big chris woods fan

thread is forgotting - or too late? - the great players who went abroad (other than hoddle). wow that was a terrible sentence. where are the hateleys and co in all of this?

brady, so

where are the hateleys and co in all of this?

Too many Rangers players on this thread already

how good was john aldridge

the only thing i remember from him was being recorded swearing in 1994

very good ferret in the box

like a miniature francis jeffers?

like a budget rush, rly

how good was john aldridge

He's on Twitter. Ask him!

God, he ain't half a tool on Twitter, though.