1984/85: Nottingham Forest v Manchester United

Frustration by Manchester United. Since 1967 the club had tried and failed to win the Division One title, the wait not aided by the success of rivals Liverpool. As the years rolled by and the eighties arrived, the scars became deeper with every false dawn. 

The 1983/84 season was a prime example of the varying emotions experienced by United fans at the time. Going toe to toe with Liverpool through almost the whole campaign, there was hope, expectation, excitement, anticipation, before the inevitable disappointment. Somehow finishing fourth in a two-horse race, United had blown a great opportunity to end the drought.

Golden goals: Keith Houchen (1985)

Think of a dramatic goal scored by Keith Houchen in the FA Cup and inevitably your mind will rewind back to May 1987, that diving header for Coventry against Tottenham, his fifth goal in Coventry's memorable cup run. But Arsenal fans can vouch for the fact that Houchen's love affair with the competition truly started just over two years earlier.

Bootham Crescent, York on January 26, 1985, was about as far removed from Houchen's Wembley exploits as you can imagine. A tight ground, a rock hard playing surface, and freezing conditions greeted Arsenal's players and supporters as third division York City awaited in the FA Cup fourth round. All the ingredients required for a giantkilling were lined up.

Golden goals: Bryan Robson (1985)

It wasn't by accident that Bryan Robson earned the nickname Captain Marvel. Constantly putting his body on the line for club and country during the 1980s, Robson often inspired those around him, dragging every inch out of his ability in order to deliver for Manchester United and England. 

"I have been fortunate to work with some exceptionally gifted footballers, many of them magical, world-class talents," Ron Atkinson explains in Andy Mitten's We're The Famous Man United. "But Robbo, without a doubt, is the finest, the greatest, the most rounded and accomplished footballer I have ever worked with."

1984/85: Aberdeen

There are places I'll remember, all my life though some have changed. Some forever, not for better, some have gone and some remain. Sometimes it is difficult to start a new blog, but for some reason the lyrics of Lennon and McCartney sprung to mind when choosing to look back at Aberdeen winning the 1984/85 Scottish Premier Division.

At the time, Aberdeen's fourth top flight title seemed to be the continuation of a new chapter in Scottish football. Never before had the championship remained out of the clutches of the Old Firm for three consecutive seasons. Between 1983 and 1985, the New Firm of Dundee United and Aberdeen had changed the footballing landscape.

1985: England in Mexico

If you're a football lover who doesn't like cricket then I feel for you, as Chaka Khan might say. Those long summer months can be hellish without any action, as you count down to pre-season tours, friendlies, and the beginning of a new campaign that may just be the year that your club shines (or not).

The last few summers have been slightly unusual. Euro 2020 took place in 2021, and due to money the climate in Qatar, the 2022 World Cup has been pushed back to November/December. We do have the World Cup play-off and the Nations League to keep us going, but there is nothing quite like a proper summer tournament.

1984: Watford v Everton goalfests

If you wanted full value for money from your football in the 1983/84 season, then a season ticket at Watford would have been a wise choice. The strike partnership of Mo Johnston and George Reilly, ably supported by the skilful wide men John Barnes and Nigel Callaghan, were providing the excitement from an attacking perspective. However, defending seemed an afterthought at times.

For a while it appeared as if the club had contracted a serious bout of second season syndrome. They may have finished second in 1982/83 but by December, Graham Taylor's team were in the relegation zone with just four league wins. Yet everything would change in 1984.

1984: Pat Nevin and that penalty

We all had our footballing heroes during our childhood. Maybe Jorginho was a big Pat Nevin fan, and he would spend hours reading about the diminutive Scottish winger and his time at Stamford Bridge. Certainly the tribute act performed by the Brazilian against West Ham last weekend would suggest this.

Jorginho's weak effort saved by Lukasz Fabianski immediately got many of us older football lovers rewinding our memory banks back to Nevin's tame attempt at the same ground on November 21, 1984. Fortunately for both Jorginho and Nevin, their awful misses did not matter ultimately. But it doesn't stop smart-arse bloggers like me writing a few words on the subject.

1984/85: Newcastle United v Everton

Comparing football in the 1980s to the shiny product we witness today is a fairly pointless exercise. When Eddie Howe was appointed Newcastle manager in November 2021, he arrived in the knowledge that the Saudi Arabian owners would provide an open cheque book to help the club stay in the top flight. It was a little different for Jack Charlton in the summer of 1984.

Despite being promoted to Division One at the end of the 1983/84 season, nothing was ever straight forward at Newcastle. Kevin Keegan retired, but worse was to follow when manager Arthur Cox departed after a dispute with the board. The club was also reportedly in debt to the tune of £700,000, something that surprised Charlton when he was appointed Cox's successor.

1984/85 Scottish Cup first round: Stirling Albion 20 Selkirk 0

There are no easy games in international football. Well the recent results of both England's men's and women's teams may have assigned this particular cliche to the recycling bin. As the men won 10-0 against San Marino, the debate reignited about the merits of weaker teams participating in qualification for major tournaments. Hold my energy drink, said the women's game.

The 20-0 annihilation of Latvia saw Lauren Hemp score four goals and Ellen White's hat-trick enabled the striker to establish a new scoring record for the women's national team. Whether these two results are good adverts for the game is questionable. Thrashings will always be a part of sport, but a team scoring twenty possibly should be confined to the preserve of children's football.

Immediately the mind rewinds to hammerings of the past. But putting aside the nines and tens I can recall, there is a match that instantly zooms into focus. Normally the 1984/85 Scottish Cup first round was not extensively covered by English newspapers. But one particular fixture resulted in Selkirk becoming a hotspot on the UK footballing map.

1984/85: Everton v Tottenham

It was hard not to get carried away by the rise of Everton in 1984. Supporters were swept along as a team previously struggling under Howard Kendall turned the corner and hit the road to Wembley twice. There may have been disappointment in the Milk Cup final, but an FA Cup triumph pointed to a brighter future.

"It will be remembered joyously by those who love Everton, as the day this great club emerged again from the gloomy shadows cast by their conquering neighbours," Frank McGhee wrote in the Express, after the 2-0 win over Watford. A Charity Shield win against Liverpool increased the belief that Everton were now real contenders for the big prize.

FA Cup: Manchester United and West Ham clashes

The forthcoming FA Cup fifth round match between Manchester United and West Ham is the latest chapter of a story that has seen the two clubs face each other in the competition. From the first instalment in 1911 - won 2-1 by West Ham - to Manchester United's third round replay win in 2013, the ties involving both clubs have provided many talking points.

West Ham's 1-0 win at Old Trafford in 2001 is often remembered for Paolo Di Canio outwitting Fabien Barthez, although some West Ham fans may wistfully recall how their midfield trio of Lampard, Carrick and Joe Cole shone. Two years later, there was no such joy in Manchester; current Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scoring the last goal in a 6-0 hammering.

1984/85: Everton v Manchester United

October 1984 were exciting times for Everton fans. Having beaten Liverpool at Anfield for the first time in 14 years, the momentum behind Howard Kendall's team rolled on as they went to Czechoslovakia and defeated Inter Bratislava 1-0 in the first leg of the European Cup Winners' Cup second round. 

Many felt that the win across Stanley Park was confirmation that Everton were bona fide title contenders. But another examination of their credentials was just around the corner. Manchester United had only conceded nine goals in their eleven league matches before arriving at Goodison Park, and with Liverpool struggling, Ron Atkinson's outfit were seen as title favourites.

Golden goals: Graeme Sharp (1984)

Every sports team needs that belief-affirming victory, the win that makes them feel like they belong. For England's rugby union squad, the backs to the wall win in New Zealand in June 2003 was a vital step along the path to World Cup glory. In 2005, that nail-biting win at Edgbaston saved a summer and made Ashes heroes out of those involved.

Football has produced a few examples of this. Manchester United edging past Sheffield Wednesday during Fergie Time in 1993; Arsenal winning at the same ground in 1998; Chelsea finally defeating Arsenal in the 2004 Champions League quarter final.

Golden goals: Mark Hughes (1985)

The rising star of Mark Hughes showed no signs of fading as the 1984/85 season progressed. Establishing himself as a Manchester United regular, the Welsh forward scored 24 goals in all competitions, as he helped the club win the FA Cup. Awarded the PFA Young Player of the Year, Hughes had gained recognition for his aggressive and committed style.

1984/85 European Cup Winners Cup: Wrexham v Porto

The term David versus Goliath is often used in a sporting context. But when it came to the 1984/85 European Cup Winners' Cup first round tie between Wrexham and Porto, it was hard not to return to the often quoted tale from the bible. If it had been a boxing bout, the tale of the tape would have left you wondering if this was one of the biggest mismatches of all time.

In the blue corner was a heavyweight of European football, a club that had pushed Juventus close in the previous Cup Winners' Cup final, had won the Portuguese Cup final in 1984, and had provided Portugal with nine players of their squad that reached the 1984 European Championship semi-finals.

The BBC and live top flight football

As news broke that Premier League football would be returning from June 17, one bit of the announcement stood out to me. Live top flight football would be returning to BBC television after an absence of 32 years.

In fact, the relatonship between the BBC and live Division One football was a relatively brief affair. Between December 1983 and March 1988, 26 live league matches were shown - plus a Division Two match between Manchester City and Chelsea - as a revolution swept the game.

1985: Chelsea's electric fence

Football pitch invaders have been making the news in recent weeks. In April 1985, Chelsea chairman Ken Bates chose a rather controversial method to address the problem.

Preventing football violence during the 1984/85 season was proving a thankless task for the authorities. Events at Derby, Chelsea, and Luton provided examples of the problems facing the sport, and cures for the English disease seemed thin on the ground.

Great saves of the 80s: 1985 Neville Southall

The sad passing of Gordon Banks has inspired me to start a new series: great saves of the 1980s. The first entry involves a Welshman at the peak of his powers, and a defining moment in the 1984/85 Division One season.

Although he is often regarded as one of the world’s best goalkeepers of the 1980s, it had actually taken Neville Southall a few years to establish himself as Everton’s number one. Making his debut in 1981, a spell out on loan at Port Vale in early 1983 suggested that his days at Everton were numbered.

1984/85: QPR 5 Newcastle 5

It goes without saying that a 5-5 draw is a rare but spectacular beast. The recent thriller at the Villa saw two past European champions share ten goals, a reminder of many a game contested on the playground in my distant past. I’m sure Forest were glad that the “next goal’s the winner” rule was not invoked.

Talking to my son, I was trying to recall other 5-5 draws, until a bell chimed in the dusty vault of my memory banks. A match played on the skin-shredding plastic pitch at Loftus Road on September 22, 1984. QPR 5 Newcastle United 5.

1984/85 UEFA Cup: Tottenham v Real Madrid

With Tottenham and Real Madrid going head-to-head in the 2017/18 Champions League, this week I am taking a look back to their 1985 UEFA Cup quarter final, and two particularly harrowing games for Steve Perryman.

It said a lot regarding the recent fortunes of Real Madrid that, in the eyes of many, they went into their 1985 UEFA Cup quarter final with Tottenham as underdogs. A recent run of just one win in ten matches had seen the club slip out of the race for La Liga, something not made easier by the fact that Terry Venables' Barcelona were on their way to the title. Manager Amancio Amaro was under heaps of pressure, especially with President Luis de Carlos standing down, and Ramon Mendoza expected to take his place in the summer of '85.