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."

80s, 80s, What's The Score?

"I wonder what the latest score is in the Old Firm derby", I thought to myself during walk number 321 of lockdown. About twenty seconds later I had my answer. Reaching for my phone, a few thumb presses gave me all the information I needed. I could have even checked in on the results from the National Division of Luxembourg if I was that way inclined.

1981 FA Cup Sixth Round: Everton v Manchester City

Forty years is a long time in sport. It's a long time in life (sadly, I know this for a fact). When Everton take on Manchester City in the FA Cup Sixth round at Goodison Park this weekend, the tie will see two Champions League winning managers lock horns, as their (rotated) multinational squads strive for a place in the last four at Wembley.

The past is indeed a foreign country. When the two teams met at the same stage of the competition in March 1981, the situation was understandably different. Two mid-table teams clashed in high intensity matches at Goodison Park and Maine Road, on far from perfect playing surfaces and in front of packed terraces. The 1981 tussles would be a very domestic affair that were not for the faint-hearted.

1986/87: The Souness Revolution begins

As Steven Gerrard was unveiled as Rangers manager in May 2018, he would have been fully aware of the challenges ahead of him. Without a Premiership title in seven years - including four seasons spent outside the top flight in that period - toppling Celtic from their perch was the daunting task facing Gerrard in his first managerial post.

In April 1986 another ex-Liverpool captain arrived in Glasgow to dip his toe into the murky waters of football management, charged with turning around the fortunes of the club. Three League Cups and a Scottish Cup in the 1980s were all well and good. But Rangers had not finished above 3rd in the Scottish Premiership in a decade that had seen them eclipsed by a number of clubs.

Saint and Greavsie

There is possibly nothing worse than hearing a load of old people banging on about the past and how great things used to be. Shut up, grandad. Who wants to hear about three channels on UK television, Ceefax, no internet, and mobile phones the size of breeze blocks? Put your typewriter to one side and move on.

If nostalgia leaves you feeling cold, then I might have to question why you have landed on this blog in the first place. A site that rewinds to the 1980s, dons the rose-tinted glasses, and swims in a sea of reminiscence. You may want to look away now if wallowing in the past is not your thing.