1986/87: Manchester United v Tottenham

Manchester United and Tottenham had a history of entertaining BBC audiences. In December 1983, the first live league match shown on the BBC saw the home team come out on top, winning 4-2 in a thrilling if sometimes calamitous Friday evening. A lot had changed in the intervening three years as the teams prepared to face each other at the same ground.

Keith Burkinshaw eight year spell in charge at White Hart Lane had ended, and although his successor Peter Shreeves threatened to win the league at Tottenham in his first year of the club, a new man was in charge come the start of the 1986/87 campaign. David Pleat was the latest man to try and win Tottenham's first championship since 1961. 

1986/87: Clive Allen

As Erling Haaland threatens to break every goal scoring record that exists, a few questions hang in the air. Can he score over 40 league goals in the season? How many hat-tricks will he score? Will he surpass Dixie Dean's mark of 60 league goals scored in the 1927/28 season? Is he a robot? 

Surely even Haaland cannot break Dean's record? But it would not be a complete surprise if the Norwegian manages to exceed the exploits of a notable season in the career of Clive Allen. The 1986/87 campaign would see the Tottenham forward score 49 goals in all competitions, as the club under the new management of David Pleat chased a domestic treble.

1987: Arsenal win four times at White Hart Lane

This is an edited version of my original article that appeared in issue 283 of The Gooner.

Arsenal played their first match at the new White Hart Lane during Project Restart, losing 2-1 to a late Toby Alderweireld header, continuing a poor run of league form at the home of their rivals. Without a league win in N17 since 2014 – Tomas Rosicky’s screamer separating the teams – at least Arsenal fans have the consolation of winning three trophies in that period.

You can’t beat the feeling of winning at the home of your rivals. Therefore, you can understand just how high Arsenal fans must have felt in 1987. In the space of ten months during this memorable year, Arsenal left White Hart Lane with four 2-1 wins, each demonstrating the newfound spirit sweeping through the club.

Golden goals: Raddy Antic (1983)

News broke earlier in the week about the sad death of Raddy Antic. The mere mention of the name brings a smile to the faces of Luton fans, and causes Manchester City supporters to break out in a cold sweat.

Winning the Yugoslav title with Partizan in 1976, Radomir “Raddy” Antic would play for both Fenerbahce and Real Zaragoza before arriving in Bedfordshire in 1980 to ply his trade in the English Second Division with Luton Town. One moment in particular would see Antic leave an indelible mark on the English game.

Sporting celebrations of the 1980s: Part 2

When I wrote a blog in October 2013 about sporting celebrations of the 1980s, I thought there may well be room for a volume two at some point. So without further ado, here it is. Including two world champions, an ecstatic manager, a jig around a corner flag in Yorkshire, and a golfer making a splash. I wonder if there is a volume three in this?