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: 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.

Into the 90s: Gary Crosby (1990)

The start of an occasional dip into the second best sporting decade ever, with a look back at a controversial goal scored by Gary Crosby in March 1990.

The first division match between Nottingham Forest and Manchester City on March 2, 1990, was in truth a drab affair. As the clock ticked over into the 52nd minute, Forest's Garry Parker swung in a high cross from the right that City goalkeeper Andy Dibble claimed after a slight fumble. Nothing to see here it seemed, very much like the rest of the match.

For City the afternoon was going according to plan. Struggling at the wrong end of the table, the new manager bounce under Howard Kendall - 11 points from his first 18 available - was fading. Without a win in three matches, a point would nevertheless be very welcome against a Forest team holding slim hopes of edging back into the title race.

Dibble shaped to throw the ball, but held it in his right hand before all too brief look over his shoulder. It was then that a nightmare unfolded in slow motion for the Welsh keeper. Looking down at the ball, a split second later a sudden look of horror spread across Dibble's face, indicating that something had gone horribly wrong. 

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.

1985: The Chris Whyte experiment

You didn't need to be a genius to work out what was coming. Two transfer windows without purchasing a centre forward was always going to be a gamble for Arsenal, especially when you consider that their one remaining option was clearly out on his feet in recent weeks. The injury to Kai Havertz was depressingly inevitable.

Already discussions have been rife about how Mikel Arteta copes with this crisis. Using Leandro Trossard through the middle seems the obvious answer, yet browsing social media - dangerous, I know - has thrown up various suggestions ranging from playing Raheem Sterling as a false nine, getting Mikel Merino to evolve into Havertz Mark II, to throwing defender Riccardo Calafiori up front and getting it in the mixer.

Playing Calafiori as a centre forward seems a long shot to say the least. Yet if Arteta did take this unusual step he would not be the first Arsenal manager to follow this path. Arsenal fans of a certain vintage will remember the Chris Whyte experiment in 1985, not a band plugged by John Peel on Radio One, rather the brainchild of Don Howe and John Cartwright.

1980/81: Exeter's FA Cup run

Exeter City take on Nottingham Forest in the final match of the 2025 FA Cup fourth round, hoping to pull off a shock against the Premier League high flyers. With victories over Barnet, Chesterfield and Oxford United, Gary Caldwell's team have exceeded expectations in reaching the fourth round. But the current team has a lot more work to do if they want to match the achievements of the 1980/81 squad.

Promoted to Division Three in the 1976/77 season under Johnny Newman and then Bobby Saxton, Exeter consolidated their position over the next two campaigns. When Saxton made the move to Plymouth during in January 1979, new manager Brian Godfrey arrived with a solid platform to build on.

1985/86: Chelsea v West Ham

Football may have been in the doldrums in England during a troubled time for the sport, but there could be no doubting that on the pitch the excitement provided by the 1985/86 title race was a welcome distraction. A glance at the Division One table at the end of March reveals that six clubs still held hopes of claiming championship glory.

Two of the contenders would meet during the Easter weekend as squeaky bum time neared. Chelsea and West Ham were enjoying fine seasons and, along with Arsenal, were trying to bring the title back to the capital for the first time in 15 years. Their clash at Stamford Bridge was a potential title eliminator, especially for the visitors.

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.