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.