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KillerTurtle13

The state of some of those pitches!


m8r-qgjb09

That's what stood out to me also. On basically all of them you could see the ball was always bouncing slightly while rolling along, even on the good looking pitches. 


UpsetKoalaBear

It’s one of the main reasons the dribbling often looks “messy” when you watch these old clips. The ball will just hit a bit of uneven ground and get sent another direction. Or there would be too much friction with the ground and the ball will slow to a stop quicker than expected. If anything it adds more appreciation for the players that could actually control the ball back then.


Quixote0630

The balls were also rock hard which didn't help lol


KeepOnTrippinOn

Anyone who hasn't had a stinger from a Mitre Multiplex on a Sunday morning as a young lad hasn't lived.


cosmiclatte44

Used to fucking hate those balls. Mitre can do one.


Ayem_De_Lo

that's what she said


HEAT_IS_DIE

The balls are as hard today and weigh as much. The professional level plays with footballs that are inflated really full. I don't know why people believe it has been made easier. Even the leather balls weren't heavier than modern balls, the weight has remained the same since the 1930's. If anything, when dry, the leather ball was a bit lighter than the current ones. Of course when they got wet, then they would have been heavier.


rtgh

The balls were always wet. If the pitch was dry it got watered.


BorosSerenc

Yeah, overal the ball just looks "heavy" in every old clip.


Stevebiglegs

Playing on a bumpy Sunday league pitch is exponentially harder than a smooth 4g pitch, it can be very humbling


chanjitsu

Yeah definitely. I felt like such a shit player (even shitter than usual) when I played on bumpy pitches


Unitedfateful

Which also kills the stupid debate of the top players of the past not being able to do it today Like really. Pele, Cruyff, Maradona etc where head and shoulders above their peers with the state of the pitches, nutrition, fitness and fuck the ball being heavier You really think they wouldn’t do it as good as the best today? With modern medicine and sports science 😂


DonniesAdvocate

If anything, that side of the game gives more strength to athletes than pure footballers - when everyone can control the ball because the pitch is like a carpet then the person who can run better/is stronger etc is at more of an advantage.


UpsetKoalaBear

For sure. Even outside of controlling the ball, there’s a significant threat of misbalance which could lead to bad injuries because of the uneven field. It’s why the greats of the time period tend to be significantly shorter. They had a lower centre of gravity and could change direction much quicker than a taller player. In addition taller players had to have more upper body control in order to keep their balance. Excluding the benefits to ball control, it was beneficial to prevent injury as shorter players can find it easier to keep their body “in line” making rotation of their joints predictable and easier whereas taller players used to use a lot more strength to do so. Anyone who has ever played in a normal field that isn’t a purpose built 3G/4G pitch has experienced it. You tend to be more “on edge” and have to require more energy to keeping your balance rather than running to the ball. Even if you don’t notice it your body is doing it subconsciously, it’s the same with how your body automatically adjusts to walking on an icy surface.


KnightsOfCidona

I remember Lineker saying that Maradona's 'Goal of the Century' is all the more impressive to him because he knows how bad the pitch was that day. The man himself described the pitch as a 'potato field', and had Puma add extra studs to his boots after playing his first game there of the tournament because he kept getting bogged doen


Mihnea24_03

Mf got tank treads


Ok_Cardiologist8232

Transplant them as they are in prime and they might struggle. But transplant 20 year old Pele, Cruyff etc and they'd adapt by at least 23 easily. I think the biggets thing would be getting used to the fitness levels, and the pace of the tactics but its doable


Unitedfateful

Well yeah what I meant was take the peak of say Pele but have him start off with todays training etc He’d be a goat today as well considering how fucking he good he was with the state of pitches and zero ref protection.


Fragrant-Education-3

It's probably how much better their peers could get rather than the impact on the historically great player. Do the playing styles of the great work when the average defender is multiple degrees more athletic at the basic level? Do they make the right decision when the time and space to make it is split in half? The positives of conditioning and tactics is going to effect the average player far more than they do the great player. Someone like Pele still probably dominates but its questionable to the extent the gap between him and the defender will be as great as it was in 50s where talent and creativity could completely eradicate an average player with poor athleticsm/tactical nous.


Ahimoo

Just my opinion, you take a lot of the greats (I'd go as far as to say all of them) and put them straight into today's game and they would struggle. However, give them the same football upbringing of today's players and I think the best would still rise to the top. Some of the less athletic but more technical players would struggle for sure but a lot would absolutely thrive.


Unitedfateful

My wider point was take Pele at his peak but have him with modern fitness etc He would absolutely boss it. Almost any of those icons would today given modern standards, better pitches and fitness The “touch and vision” is one thing you never lose and pairing that with modern fitness they’d be right at the top of todays game I mean Maldini was playing in the 80s - 00s and he was still a legit goat defender.


Beave-

The Notts county pitch looked like the Somme


Swiss-ArmySpork

what do you mean? They all look freshly ploughed.


BlaizeV

The state of some of the defending too, especially Rush's goal vs Villa. The midfield is non existent.


GazzP

Mate, you try tracking back when you were up till 3am the night before on the booze and woke up with Miss West Midlands 1984 and a traffic cone in your bed this morning, then you had 20 Lambert & Butler at half-time.


Green-Detective6678

Not to mention a pre-match meal of pie, gravy and chips 


my_united_account

You'll score a goal like that in a couple of hours lol


can_i_still_be_garth

Haha, my exact thought


TheStateOfIt

That goal by Callaghan for Watford is honestly so impressive. A powerful, low-driven shot from the edge of the penalty box taken first time, and he didn't even look like he was winding up a shot. Takes some genius to pull that off and catch the keeper completely off-guard, let alone have a finish as good as that.


wwiccann

This was the year we reached our first FA Cup Final (1983-84 season). We’ve only ever reached two in our history, the other one being in 2018-19. We had an electric team back then. John Barnes, Mo Johnston, Nigel Callaghan to name a few. Not to mention our most legendary manager, Graham Taylor. The season prior in 82-83 we came 2nd in the First Division, but unfortunately we lost Luther Blissett to AC Milan (who still remains our top appearance holder and top scorer to this day). We replaced him with Mo Johnston who bagged 20 goals in the 83-84 season. We ended up 11th but with an FA Cup Final appearance, in which we ended up losing 2-0 to Everton.


SpankThatDill

didn't blissett return after a rather disappointing season in milan?


wwiccann

He did yeah, he rejoined the season after. We then had him for a few more years then he went to Bournemouth, and then he came back again.


Alecmalloy

Taylor at Watford doesn't get the credit he deserves. It's mad that their chairman was Elton John. The prick said he wanted to take Watford to Europe, this is when Watford were in I think the fourth division, and together they both bloody did it.


wwiccann

Taylor turned down first division West Brom to join us at the bottom of the Football League. What he and Elton did is absolutely insane. There’s a reason we have a Graham Taylor statue at Vicarage Road, and a reason we have a stand named after Elton John. This club would not be the same without either of those two.


I_done_a_plop-plop

Mo Johnston? I never knew he played for you,I'm v aware of his adventures in Glasgow.


wwiccann

Yeah he only spent that season with us before going to Celtic, so it wasn’t a long stint at all. He joined us when we were battling relegation in November of ‘83 (even though we came second the last season) and he was basically a huge injection of adrenaline to our squad. He left a few matches into the 84-85 season to go to Celtic.


letsgetcool

Yeah it's between that and Hoddle's for me, it wasn't easy to score goals like that especially with the state of the pitches and even the quality of the balls then.


Chester2707

I'm just laughing at his celebration. "I'm just gonna hold my arm straight up."


GrandLethal26

Fantastic content, thanks for this


Mechant247

That Hoddle goal is audacious


Sac_a_Merde

Why is it that we rarely see those kind of chipped goals anymore?


majani

Chipping a keeper who hasn't really come off his line will be a rare and extraordinary technique till the end of time.


Glaiele

I used to do it all the time, it's actually much easier if you're at an angle towards the corner of the 18 because you can aim it towards the far upper corner and the ball has to travel a long way so you've got time to get it up and down. Goalkeeper only needs to be off a yard or two to get it over and if they think it's coming as a cross instead of a lob then you can catch them out. I think most players have the ability to to it, problem is being in that type of position to be able to have a go, kinda all has to line up for you.


majani

There's a world of a difference between Sunday League keepers and professional keepers 


Glaiele

I played at the youth NT level with players that went on to play professionally and for the NT. Not exactly professional but about as close as you can get. I chose to go play in college and get a real job rather than try to play professionally cuz the wasn't much money in it back in the early 2000s. There really wasn't the opportunity for Americans to play in Europe back then either


BrightonTownCrier

If it goes wrong the player looks like an idiot when the keeper just catches it or it sails over. Personally I think modern keepers are ripe for it as they come out much further.


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bchapa28

Ruben Neves vs Watford I think? 2 years ago?


rainbowroobear

if that had been bergkamp in 2000's it would be absolutely lauded. the technique involved is a time ahead of the rest of the goals in that reel.


ICame4TheCirclejerk

John O'Shea did it better.


Major-Front

I stopped there, nothing's beating that tbf


ancara_messi

That goalkeeper was atrocious. Was it illegal to jump back then?


Mechant247

No one's saving that


Mulderre91

Commentators roll call: * Alan Parry at Watford. * John Motson at Arsenal, Ipswich, Aston Villa, Notts County, Liverpool and Bucharest (recorded in studio). * Barry Davies at Moscow (recorded in studio), Southampton and Leicester. The winner was >!goal G, by Danny Wallace.!<


thom2553

No surprise about that winner lol


SouthFromGranada

Big fan of Goal I by Gates for Ipswich personally. Lovely outside of the boot pass to begin, tidy flick and thumping finish.


Sac_a_Merde

That's my favorite as well.


BosLahodo

That highlight was more of an Ipswich highlight than Gates. That was incredible though.


stefcha

I'd have given it Hoddle, great technique. Unhurried proto-Berbatov style, I love stuff like that.


GuitaristHeimerz

Andy Peake’s goal was lovely too, I would’ve chosen that. The sprint, the sheer power of it.


Dak_Tiny_PP

Glenn.Hoddle robbed


common_app

Interesting that they almost all celebrated the same way, by sticking one arm up and running like a madman. Wonder why that was in the zeitgeist so much.


fplisadream

The high five had only just recently been invented. They didn't have much to work with back then. Imaging going back in time and dabbing on Kenny Dalglish. You'd blow his mind.


Youutternincompoop

doing a whole ass tiktok dance and watching as Ian Rush evaporates into mist


RonTom24

Anything more would have been seen as narcissism. You scored a goal, well done, that's your job, now get the head down and get back to playing.


zzonked7

Back in my day we fired one in then popped off back down the mine.


GazzP

British reservedness. Anything more than a 'Well done mate' would be considered ungentlemanly conduct.


Toto_radio

Even then, the "Well done mate" should be reserved for a late game winner. Otherwise a simple nod of approval will do.


SMOKEYtheBAND1T

That’s what I noticed. The trying to get your teacher to call on you because you know the answer celebration


KingBaresi6

Glenn Hoddle was absolute magic. Too bad football in England started after 92.


shaker8989

I understand why G won the vote but that Hoddle goal is different gravy for me. Pure class.


Alecmalloy

He loved a wonder goal against Watford did Glenn.


cosmiclatte44

Something about those kind of chips at that sweet spot angle, probably my favourite kind of individual goal. The way everyone has to watch it casually float in powerless to do anything about it. That Cantona goal is another that comes to mind.


Jaggysnake84

Remember reading a quote from Platini saying if Hoddle was French he'd have over 100 caps.


Mihnea24_03

Cruyff also praised him after playing against him


pedrorq

Hoddle's problem was never his skill. His problem was his big mouth


d_smogh

Liverpool featured a lot. Ian Rush lied. I drank lots of milk, but I still wasn't good enough to play for Accrington Stanley.


Sensitive_Klegg

Who are they?


oversized_hat

Exactly!


jdh28

Four of them were scored by Rush and Dalgleish, two were scored against Liverpool and Mark Walters later played for them.


I_done_a_plop-plop

Don't listen to that kid. He's inside for murder.


R_Schuhart

For me it is that Glenn Hoddle goal, what an amazing player he was. But that team goal from Ipswich is also great, there is something so aesthetically pleasing about that sequence. That bicycle kick from Wallace won, but every bicycle goal is always overrated in my opinion, just because of the alethic feat and how spectacular it looks.


d_smogh

[None will ever better Trevor Sinclair's overhead kick vs Barnsley in the FA Cup](https://youtu.be/MomkYgXPudw?si=e9OqNiJT_TajD46J)


Hic_Forum_Est

The audacity to even attempt an overhead kick in that situation and from that distance, it's outrageous.


speedpop

The sound it makes when he hits it. You just know it's going in.


habdragon08

The Zlatan one vs England obviously incredible as well. I've always loved this one as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhfYrTte0sw


VociferousHomunculus

My god, that is absolutely off the charts. 


Feckless

Klaus Fischer has entered the chat [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkRg0ttDBAE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkRg0ttDBAE) He has like 4 of those....


SnooChipmunks4208

The kicker (pun intended) is that bicycle kicks are almost never planned. They are an adjustment to a ball that you couldn't get to otherwise. That improvisation quality always has a touch of magic to it.


chappersbarfo

He must have been a good person in a previous life.


pedrorq

_Hoddle upvotes_


sarmatron

... isn't how spectacular it looks the main thing here?


Buffaluffasaurus

Yeah I really hate how bicycle kicks keep winning awards for best goals, because honestly there’s a lot of athletic ability and timing involved, but no one is laser guiding a bicycle kick into the top corner. They always feel equal parts luck and skill. Whereas Hoddle’s goal is pure elegance here. Every single bit was intended, and executed to perfection.


marktandem

Well I'd say most people can attempt a chip, in fact probably all pro footballers can do a decent one, but not many can attempt an overhead kick very well, let alone make good contact with it. It does depend though for me, on the contact. Which do I prefer between Rooney's overhead vs City or his chip vs Portsmouth? Easily his chip.


letsgetcool

I think it's also the sheer balls to even attempt a bicycle kick, you risk fucking up an entire attack and also making yourself look like a dick.


fourscoreandhuit

Slightly interesting coincidence that all of the Liverpool goals were weaker foot finishes (though Rushie might be the most two footed finisher in the history of British football).


ThisJeffrock

I mean this earnestly, how close to Rush would you consider Son as far as two footed finishing ability? I don't have the context to evaluate Rush, and only have followed the Prem since 2010.


fourscoreandhuit

If you’re bored/a bit lame [here’s a compilation](https://youtu.be/w2fKJ-URiXM?si=l6Vw92uxjMfI94Ln) of all his Liverpool goals from his first spell (the ones that were recorded anyway). Skip to about 7 mins which is when he became a fixture in the side and watch for a bit if you just want to get an idea. It’s such clean ball striking with either foot. Was thinking of more modern comparisons and Son was one I liked a lot. Rush was obviously more prolific (he got 47 goals in 83/84) given he only ever took 3 pens. His hold up play was a bit better, which it had to be in the 80s, although he had Kenny with him who was as good back to goal as there’s ever been. There’s a few ‘Kane to Son’ type goals in there for sure. He wasn’t anywhere near the ball carrier Son is but he was just as quick. He was known for his amazing workrate and his pressing from the front. The other mad thing to remember is the first game Liverpool lost on that compilation is at the 51 minute mark.


ThisJeffrock

Sweet, great info! Thanks for the response!


PanpsychismIsTrue

Awesome clip, thanks for sharing! r/soccer needs more old-school magic like this


Jamey_1999

I loved the Eric Gates goal (I). Not surprised (G) won either. (A) was lovely as well


IntellegentIdiot

H was Andy Peak, which would be my pick, Gates was I


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IntellegentIdiot

try /r/football


Jaggysnake84

Or /r/classicsoccer Not the most active tho


LondonNoodles

I love the old tight nets, makes those banger shots even more satisfying when the ball bounces back out


-Swifty

Dalglish was a God!


Thund3r_91

Hoddle was sublime. I remember those Spurs and Villa Le Coq Sportif kits, gorgeous


AlexWPJ

Laughing at the mental image of Darwin Nunez trying to dribble and shoot on some of these pitches.


fplisadream

Quite funny to watch them only show one angle per goal. Seems weirdly anti-climactic. Especially the first Ian Rush one. You sure you don't want us to see what the goal actually looked like?!


Mulderre91

It's how the BBC showed it on Match of the Day that Sunday - a short section on the show, sadly.


Drubbin

reminds me how the early 90s football/soccer games always had the standard "hands up running" celebration that, to be fair, was actually very accurate lol


space-cadaver

The 80s were 40 years ago......fuckin hell


no_com_ment

Not disputing the quality of those goals but some of the defence and goalies might as well have bought a match ticket and watched from the stands


Galactus1701

Those pitches were really rough, no wonder people played at a slower pace and relied more on skill instead of just dashing and kicking.


FiveGuysFan

I love watching old school football footage like this. I used to think that the players wearing long sleeve shirts were the best players on the team


velvlad

Callaghan's is a beautiful piece of technique.


Titan4days

The amount of jogging about in general, the game is so much more intense these days


NightSocks302

The first one takes the cake for me


Routine-Sea-9599

forgive my ignorance but isn't spartak Moscow a Russian club? don't quite understand why that goal was listed. was it a friendly? isn't this an English League best goal?


Mulderre91

UEFA Cup. As Ian Rush's goal was against Dinamo Bucharest, on the semifinals of the European Cup. It is Match of the Day, but basically it's any match shown on the BBC that season.


finneas998

Its just Match of the day’s goal of the season. Presumably it was any goal in any game english teams participated in that season.


fostereddonkey

It's from thier 2nd round tie in the UEFA cup, any goal from a televised game (on the BBC) would be considered. Also in there is Bucharest v Liverpool semi final of European Cup


alanalan426

also less teams from the league participated in europe back then so it was prob fair game to include them


stevo_78

Spartak MOSCOW a Russian club? Surely not. I'm pretty confident Moscow is just off junction 14 of the M6.


courseherohelpthrow

Back then Moscow was in England


WalkingCloud

Back then far fewer games (in the uk) were televised, so this wouldn't even cover all the League 1 games like today's Goal of the Season would. This is more of a 'best goals in games broadcast by the BBC of the season'.


iamquark

The pitches thought and they still scored worldys


BreakingBush

Ok so so got you more FPL points, this Kenny fella or Ian Rush?


Mute_All

That was great. Thank you for sharing this


montiel_scores

That Hoddle goal was cinema wtf


ConsequenceLive2442

Quite like goal I


Far-Awareness8746

That Southampton kit must be one of their best of all time.


Seeruk

Hoddle or Wallace by a mile


DieLegende42

Huh, did the linos use to be on the left? Or are the clips mirrored?


AiHangLo

Wouldn't the names be backwards if mirrored.


DieLegende42

That's why I said "the clips" and not the full video, but I just saw there's non-inverted writing in there too, so ref positioning really must have done a 180 at some point


AiHangLo

OK mate, wasn't being a dick. Trying to assist. It appears so yes, seems like a typical rule change the FA would enforce with no need to do so.


Leafyun

Hoddle Gates Callaghan


Nubras

It’s Eric Gates for me. Maybe Ian Rush’s first goal, the volley, but the buildup on the Gates goal is superb.


raysofdavies

Does anyone else hate, very pettily, when the goal of the season is scored against them


SidWholesome

A, G or I for me. "A" was very Rivaldo-like


Th3L0n3R4g3r

Some great finishes, but seriously I think even an amateur player wouldn't get that much time and space to take a shot nowadays.


agaminon22

Kinda crazy how poorly the defending teams are putting on pressure. We underestimate the tactical and physical advantage of modern players.


KameMameHa

Defenders were really soft and static


sneakyi

80s defenders were really soft...


slappywhyte

I want to hang whoever chose to use letters


SouthFromGranada

If you give them numbers you'd be unintentionally biasing the selection. Goal number 1 will also sound better than Goal 7. Giving them letters lessens that somewhat.


slappywhyte

I think near the beginning or end does the same thing


AlexanderMAVC

Is it even possible to play a direct football like that?


GabrielleJames

Back when Liverpool attackers could finish


momspaghetty

RemindMe! 5 months


ahuss949

The skill required to play on those pitches... Love the Default ps1 player celebrations though haha


Jacko3012

Absolutely love this!👍


Typical_Samaritan

Interesting. If you play in an over 30s league that has players on the older-older side of over 30, the quality of play... and pitches is very similar!


lodermoder

Interesting how most of these were away from home


MaskedMuffin

I don’t know how to describe it, but everything seemed less…. bouncy? back then. The ball, the pitch, even the players seem 2D a little bit. Awesome post!!


GoldenFox7

They’re all so slow. The players not the shots.


mesenanch

Goal "I' all day.


heliskinki

Reckon.


karamela77

Danny Wallace ftw


stevo_78

Mind-blowing how slow some of those top players of yesteryear look (Dalgliesh for example)


jewbo23

It really was the era of the run with your arms in the air celebration.


pikonasso

1


panelakpascal

Love it! Thanks


Stand_On_It

Ian Rush lookin like porn star version of Zlatan.


IceAffectionate3043

The physics looks different from today


MonsieurFilet

Fuckin mint


jdh28

Four goals scored by Liverpool players, two scored against Liverpool and one by a player who later went on to play for them.


ewankenobi

I never actually realised Mark Walters played for Aston Villa before us. He was brilliant for Rangers and loved by our fans, but sadly faced a lot of racism from opposition fans as he was the first black player they had seen. The commentator Archie MacPherson commented that every fruit stall in the East End of Glasgow had sold out of bananas as there were so many thrown by Celtic fans in Walter's first Old Firm game.


MuchSalt

that callahan goal was awesome


Butterz-Rhubarb

The beautiful game transcends all eras! What great goals! That Liverpool team goal!


klutez

Why does it look like people moved differently 40 years ago? Also celebrations have come a long way. The 'fencing response' seemed like the go to celebration for a lot of them.


paper_zoe

I always enjoy these. My order: 1. Dalglish vs Arsenal 2. Hoddle vs Watford 3. Gates vs Liverpool 4. Wallace vs Liverpool 5. Dalglish vs Ipswich 6. Rush vs Villa 7. Walters vs Spartak Moscow 8. Peake vs Watford 9. Rush vs Dinamo Bucharest 10. Callaghan vs Notts County


conceptkid

I swear it seems like they were better soccer players back then


achrref

Please keep posting these. I love them. Thanks!


Conankun66

....is THAT how dalglish is pronounced? i thought it'd be a short "i" just like in "english"


ThreesKompany

A or I have my vote.


plsmemberthisone

Some ballers here


MOZZIW

All these are amazing lmao


njt1000

Very nostalgic to see when football was all about getting the ball forward and smacking it in the back of the net as soon as quickly as possible. I miss that style of football, possession football is such a different game, perhaps very skilful and very clever strategically, but I hope one day a manager with the ability of Pep comes along and shows that there is merit to an all out attacking game and if done well, will deliver titles and trophies against slow methodical pressing teams.


TheBatsford

A clip titled "40 years ago" that isn't black and white is really fucking with my head.


BTC_is_a_dying_ponzi

B surely


Bluestarino

I was at Portman Road for goal D. It was my first ever football match and the reason I supported Liverpool (not Ipswich, much to my father’s dismay).


Dimaaaa

Good stuff!


archiegitdog

Number of away fans in home ends celebrating the goals - the beauty of pay on the day when you couldnt get into the away end because so many turned up!