Golden goals: David Narey (1982)

If you are going to score one goal at international level then you might as well make it special. Argentina's Jose Luis Brown scoring in the 1986 World Cup takes some beating, yet there could be honourable mentions for many others, such as Kieran Trippier (World Cup semi-final), Scotland's Gary Mackay helping Ireland reach Euro 88, and the general hilarity of Davide Gualtieri's sole strike for San Marino.

Another player who can be added to this list is Scotland's David Narey. The fact that Narey scored his only international goal at the 1982 World Cup finals is part of the reason it is so memorable. Add into the mix that Narey scored a screamer against Brazil and it is obvious why it the goal is still talked about. But it was also the response to Narey's moment of glory that made an impact.

Golden goals: Ian Stewart (1982)

There have been worse home international debuts. As Ian Stewart collected a layoff from Billy Hamilton, the 21-year-old Northern Ireland winger cut inside as West German defenders retreated. Stewart drew back his right foot.

Despite their World Cup heroics, not many could see Billy Bingham's Northern Ireland beating the mighty West Germany as the two nations met at Windsor Park for a Euro 84 qualifier in November 1982. Northern Ireland had only won one match in their last ten - admittedly that one in ten was the memorable victory over Spain in Valencia - yet Jupp Derwall's West Germany looked an intimidating prospect.

Golden goals: Neil Webb (1989)

It was quite the way to announce yourself. In front of the Stretford End, Manchester United supporters looked on as the ball hit the back of the net. The new boy beamed as he soaked up the adulation of the crowd. The future looked bright. 

Enough about Michael Knighton. For the potential new owner of the club was not the only man to make the headlines at Old Trafford on a sunny August day in 1989. The opening day of the season was memorable for anyone associated with the club, yet for one man making his debut it was the dream start.

Golden goals: Peter Shirtliff (1987)

It is hard to think of the Football League without the play-off system in place. The drama provided by the end of season fixtures is a perfect conclusion to the league season - for neutrals at least - with the race to reach the play-offs just as exciting. Gaining promotion via this method is the sweetest thing; losing, the bitterest pill.

The first season of the play-offs was a mere appetiser for the feast that has followed since. There would be no Wembley showpiece final - this was introduced in 1990 - yet this did not take anything away from the entertainment, suspense and intrigue surrounding the new end of season events. Change can sometimes be good; the 1986/87 play-offs proved this point emphatically.

Golden goals: Trevor Steven (1985)

"If you talk to any Evertonian who was there that night, who actually got in this ground that night, and you said, 'You can take one game to the grave with you'. Say there was 55,000, I'm betting you 50,000 would take this game with them."

The words of Andy Gray during the brilliant Howard's Way film regarding the 1985 European Cup Winners' Cup semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich are not hyperbole. Admittedly the official crowd figure was 49,476, but that apart, Gray was accurate in his belief that the majority of Everton fans would view April 24, 1985 as the ultimate night in the history of Goodison Park.

Golden goals: Paul Gascoigne (1989)

English football was facing a period of introspection during April 1989. As the world in general tried to digest the full horror of the Hillsborough disaster, the future of the national game seemed at a crossroads. Surely this was the tragic tipping point for the sport, a time for English football to get its house in order. 

For too many years the safety of spectators had been taken for granted. Crumbling stadia, perimeter fences and generally poor facilities provided a hostile environment in which to attend matches. The shocking policing of Liverpool fans at Hillsborough, shamefully covered up for decades, combined with this disregard for safety, led to a tragedy beyond comprehension. 

The Taylor Report leading to all-seater stadiums would prove critical for the future direction of the sport, but it would be the success of the national team at Italia 90 that was perhaps the turning point regarding the image of football on the pitch. One man in particular would make his mark on that tournament, yet for both player and country the future looked a little uncertain in April 1989.

Golden goals: Andy Rogers (1984)

There is nothing wrong with a fluke in sport. Cliff Thorburn will forever have a place in Crucible history, achieving the first 147 at the venue in the World Championships. But how many people will recall that the first of his 36 balls was a fluke? From good luck to good luck, mate in a little over 15 minutes of pure theatre.

Football is no different. There are numerous examples down the years of a touch of fortune playing a key part in memorable matches. Jimmy Greenhoff's winner in the 1977 FA Cup final, denying Liverpool the chance of a treble; Darren Bent's beach ball goal; Tommy Boyd in France 98; Bruno Bellone's penalty at Mexico 86.

Another example that may or may not slip under the radar depending on your age or nerd levels happened at the Baseball Ground on the evening of March 14, 1984. A significant moment in the history of Plymouth Argyle that added another chapter in their fairy tale FA Cup adventures in the 1983/84 campaign. Step forward Andy Rogers.

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: Zbigniew Boniek (1983)

Some times you just have to hold your hands up after a defeat in sport. You recognise that maybe your loss was more down to the skills of your opponent rather than your own failings. Sport hurts, but it can ease the pain a little when true quality or a genius such as Warne or Maradona do something that mere mortals can only dream of achieving. 

Take Aston Villa's defeat against Juventus in the 1983 European Cup quarter final first leg. Thousands of home fans would have left Villa Park on that March evening disappointed to have their club's grip on the European Cup loosened. Yet there was no disgrace in losing to that Juventus team, their calibre clear for all to see in the sublime winning goal that combined grace and power. 

Golden goals: Peter Withe (1982)

Dalglish, Francis, Robertson and Kennedy. Not a group of solicitors, but a list of players who scored winners in European Cup finals between 1978-1981. A time when English clubs ruled Europe. After Liverpool's 1977 triumph, four 1-0 wins continued England's continental dominance. Yet there was more to come.

The name of Peter Withe would soon be added to this merry band of players. But there is a lot of ground to cover before we arrive at the right boot/shin of the England centre forward at the De Kuip, Rotterdam. Someone has kindly covered the story of Aston Villa's 1982 European Cup glory before. However, a recap might be useful.

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."

Golden goals: Johnny Metgod (1986)

Thunderbastard. A football goal scored usually from long-range with high degrees of velocity and power. Think Davie Cooper in the 1987 Scottish League Cup final. Steven Reid for Blackburn against Wigan. Roughly 93% of Tony Yeboah's goals for Leeds. You can volley your xG into the stands. Here is a football term that should be celebrated.

Helpfully the Urban Dictionary definition in the opening sentence above gives an example of a memorable goal that happens to be the subject of this piece: "Metgod's free kick against West Ham in 1986 was an absolute thunderbastard of a strike. Probably the thunderbastard of all thunderbastards." Phil Parkes would probably agree.

Golden goals: Steve MacKenzie (1981)

There are moments in sporting history that are often forgotten. For all Kevin Pietersen's heroics, the contribution of Andrew Strauss on the first day of the final Ashes Test in 2005 should not be underestimated. Ian Poulter may have stolen the headlines late on Saturday during the 2012 Ryder Cup, but please remember the role played by Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald in the previous match. And then there is Gordon Smith.

Smith deserves a lot more than being the man remembered for spurning a golden opportunity to win the 1983 FA Cup for Brighton. Scoring a goal in an FA Cup final - the opener at Wembley against Manchester United - should have been the standout moment in Smith's career. Yet subsequent events will always overshadow this.

Golden goals: John Hewitt (1983)

It seems some footballers are not content with just one golden goal in their career. Some get a little greedy, gorging on the glory, delighting at making their mark in history. In 1983, Aberdeen's John Hewitt achieved this and some, inflicting pain on two European giants and cementing his place in the Dons' Hall of Fame.

This piece could just as easily be about that winner on that rainy night in Gothenburg. But before Hewitt's header against Real Madrid came a goal on a memorable evening in the north east of Scotland that surely must rank as the most remarkable in the history of Aberdeen's Pittodrie stadium. You can't have one without the other.

Golden goals: Peter Beardsley (1987)

It seems a bit strange to consider that Peter Beardsley was under pressure at the start of his Liverpool career in 1987. Admittedly the forward had only scored three league goals in his opening nine league matches for the club. But Beardsley had always been more a scorer of great goals rather than a great goal scorer.

Obviously the £1.9 million Liverpool paid Newcastle had a lot to do with the added scrutiny. The record deal between British clubs was part of a summer spending spree by manager Kenny Dalglish, with John Barnes and Ray Houghton also arriving. John Aldridge had joined in January 1987, as Liverpool aimed to prepare for life without Ian Rush.

Golden goals: Tony Morley (1981)

Generally there are always matches that a team will look back on at the end of a title winning season as the moment they knew something special was happening. The belief-affirming victory that convinced players, fans and media alike that this team could last the duration. Think Everton at Anfield in 1984/85; Arsenal at the same ground in 2001/02; Chelsea at Blackburn in 2004/05; Leicester at the Etihad.

In February 1981, Aston Villa travelled to Goodison Park neck and neck in a title race with Bobby Robson's Ipswich Town. A month earlier hopes had been raised in the claret and blue section of the second city that the title could be coming to Villa Park for the first time in 71 years. The 2-0 victory over champions Liverpool was a vital step towards the ultimate goal, and another would come at Everton.

Golden goals: Steve Nicol (1987)

After a rare trophyless season in 1986/87, there were some voicing the opinion that the Liverpool dynasty was showing signs of cracking. The departure of Ian Rush to Juventus for £3.2 million left a sizeable hole in the team, as Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish was tasked with replacing the seemingly irreplaceable.

"The coming season is going to be Dalglish's biggest test yet as a manager," the Guardian's David Lacey wrote in his preview of the 1987/88 campaign. Others waded in too. "Dalglish has a lot to live up to this season," John Bond commented in an exclusive Express article. "Time will tell whether he really can do it."

Golden goals: Paolo Rossi (1982)

As the 1970s progressed, it seemed that the star of Italian forward Paolo Rossi would continue to shine brightly. Top scorer in Serie B for Vicenza in the 1976/77 season, Rossi became the first man to repeat the feat in Serie A the following season. And then came the 1978 World Cup.

Scoring three goals as Italy finished fourth, Rossi claimed the Silver Ball award for the second-best player in the tournament. 

Golden goals: Gary Mackay (1987)

As the tributes flooded in for Jack Charlton after the recent news of his death, his achievements as Republic of Ireland manager were rightly lauded. Prior to his appointment, Ireland's national team had never qualified for a major tournament. Under Charlton, that situation was about to change.

Charlton's reign of almost ten years saw him lead Ireland to the finals of Euro 88 and two World Cups, and narrowly miss out on qualification for two European Championships tournaments. Creating memories for supporters, boosting the national economy, and becoming a national hero in the process, Charlton squeezed in a lot during his tenure.

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.