1982: The Ashton Gate Eight

As the coronavirus continues to have an impact on the world economy, the relationship between sport and money has come under the spotlight recently. On the one hand, there was the news of Juventus players agreeing to take a pay cut during the crisis; conversely, it was also reported that nine players at Swiss club Sion were sacked for refusing to do follow suit.

Some may argue that the Juventus players were in a financially sound position when push came to shove, and that the players of Sion were not quite so comfortable. Yet when it comes to making career and financial sacrifices, surely nothing can match the story of the Ashton Gate Eight in 1982.

1987 FA Cup final: As it happened

Preamble

Good afternoon. What are we in for today? Will Coventry end their 104-year trophy drought and put their name on the FA Cup for the first time. Or will Chas and Dave be proved right? Seven times Tottenham have won the cup, and is number eight coming up? The bookies certainly think so, with Tottenham at 4/9 and Coventry 7/4.

Marathon seasons: Arsenal 1979/80

Looking back at Arsenal's marathon 1979/80 season; 70 matches, triumph and despair, fixture congestion, fatigue, and desolation.

May 12, 1979: as Graham Rix prepares to strike the ball, Arsenal’s season hangs in the balance. Playing their 59th match in nine months, the team are in danger of falling at the last, with nothing to show for all their efforts. Rix pulls his left foot back.

Fast forward 368 days. May 14, 1980: as Graham Rix prepares to strike the ball, he finds himself in an even more precarious situation. Playing their 68th match in nine months, the team are in danger of heaping more pain upon despair, a heavy sprinkling of salt into their gaping wound. Rix pulls his left foot back.

Football songs of the 1980s: Part 1

We all remember the classic football songs of the 1980s, those that made the top ten in the UK charts and are constantly mentioned when discussing the best and worst in this genre. But what about the lesser known tunes that may be lurking under the surface?