Who do you want to win the league?

[Ketsbaia 0]

dick wad.

 

That's you, that is.

 

 

Christ on a bike, a relevant yet funny comeback from Gemmill.

Edited January 25, 2007 by Skol

[Renton 21606]

dick wad.

 

That's you, that is.

 

 

Christ on a bike, a relevant yet funny comeback from Gemmill.

 

Don't encourage him ffs.

[Shearergol 0]

I think Steve has a fair point with Euro 96.

 

Hosting a major competition right in the middle of the Sky boom did add to the 'feelgood' factor surrounding football.

Whilst it probably didn't have great impact amongst the usual 'bloke' supporters I think it did play a major part in attracting the women and making it a more family orientated day out (unfortunately*).

 

* Am I allowed to say that in this PC society

 

I don't think it ranks up there that highly tbh but fair do's . I think the Newman and Baddiel song was more influential if anything.

 

And what was that written for?

 

I don't think Euro 96 changed anything fundamentally but it certainly boosted the Sky revolution. Incidentally, I went to both the matches at SJP and despite the capacity only being 36,000 then the stadium was half empty.

Too expensive. I went to the Roumania v Bulgaria game and nee one was there. Shame really. The nation were pretty enthusiastic about the England team though. Although I felt physically sick at hearing "One more for Scotland" during the 4-1 win over Holland . Personally I was delighted Kluivert's goal put them out. Hearing 'Swing Low Sweet Chariot" at Wemberley was a low point too. I went to the 1/4 final against Spain.

 

I was delighted when Southgate took "that" penalty..

 

Was he afraid of falling over the ball during the penalty though?

[Howaythetoon 0]

Another event that had a huge impact in changing English football into the media darling it is today was the 1990 World Cup btw. Following Hillsborough (which altered forever the way we went to the match) it helped provide the impetus for changing the attitude towards football amongst those who were previously not into football (or wouldn't admit to it) and helped pave the way for the Sky / Premier League revolution.

 

Good shout, Italia 90, or rather Gazza's crying had an effect on the game in this country, for certain. If you read the book 'a nation's obsession with the beautiful game' (or somethiong like that) there is a chapter about Italia 90 and the ramifications of it. Funnily enough it hardly mentions Munich...

[Howaythetoon 0]

In terms of the delocalisation/money/metamorphosis of football I think the key things were:

 

Munich Air Disaster

George Eastham getting the minimum wage over turned

Heysel/Hillsborough

SKY

Euro 96

 

Stevie, how can you put Munich above any of those things, I'll give you Euro 96, but the others had massive massive ramifications for the British game. Munich didn't change the whole terrace culture like Hillsborough did where as Heysel brought about a ban on English teams competing in Europe which effectively made our league second rate to other continental top divisions and allowed leagues like Serie A to attain vast wealth while our game headed for bankruptcy. In terms of history changing or history making, Heysel had a far bigger impact on the game than Munich. Prior to Heysel it was English teams the dominant force in Europe. Heysel brought an abrupt end to that and no doubt didn't help England on the international stage whose players were used to playing against top-class opposition and often coming out on top. There are numerous books on Heysel that explore the impact it had on the game, you should google/ebay a few. The removal of the minimum wage made the transfer system in this country and gave birth to agents and much more which is by far a more significant part of the game's history than Munich where as Sky's impact goes without saying.

 

Munich in reality ranks very low in the grande scheme of game changing moments, very low. The off-side law for one stands way above that, as does the introduction of floodlights which enabled night time games to be played and better TV viewing figures - all important in creating new wealth, it also meant European football was possible without disrupting domestic fixtures (too much).

 

There are so many more significant things to have happened to the game than Munich, the introduction of managers, new systems of play, advances in medicine, treatment and rehabilitation for those injured, diet and the advent of season tickets, so many things.

 

I'm surprised these things have been overlooked. You cite Munich for changing the landscape of support in this country, what about the introduction of season tickets? That changed things for fans and indeed clubs far more than Munich ever did, it created support bases and along with it consistent gates, least of all consistent revenue streams that allowed clubs to plan, to set aside transfer budgets for the very first time - all in which brought about a level of consistency in football and helped engender more professionalism and better infrastructure.

 

How can anyone argue all of that, in favour of a tragic accident that involved so few and effected so few?