tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post6501899285463169086..comments2024-03-28T00:15:25.354-07:00Comments on That 1980s Sports Blog: Euro 1984: English turmoilThat 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-17231374564172624972013-01-23T07:12:25.401-08:002013-01-23T07:12:25.401-08:00Love it that there are so many videos of the Dynam...Love it that there are so many videos of the Dynamite team on YT, even though I don't understand any of the Danish commentaries. Even ones from the 82 qualifying that they lost, like Yugoslavia away, you can see the basis of a great team forming. <br /><br />Their kit in the 1986 WC finals was legendary - it screamed out 'we are different, look at us!', along with the unique style of shirt numbering they had. I even still liked them after Jesper Olsen and John Sivebaek had joined United... I just felt annoyed as to why City couldn't have any Danish players. <br /><br />Aston Villa and Southampton then signed up with Hummell, and by 88 the magic had gone... :( <br /><br />I went off Denmark after 1992. Didn't like the goalkeeper. ;-) Aldanitihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01499608459599126959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-57032678370770224352013-01-23T06:52:32.707-08:002013-01-23T06:52:32.707-08:00Best Euro finals ever actually. I had one of those...Best Euro finals ever actually. I had one of those short wave radios and was listening to commentary of Spain v Denmark in Spanish... I was 14, we'd only just started doing Spanish in school, and I hardly understood anything apart from the names of the players, 'pelota' and Goooool. I could tell how attacks were going through the excitement in the commentator's voice if it was good for Spain, or the worry if Denmark were on top.<br /><br />Penalty shoot-out was tough to listen to, I really wanted Denmark to win, the Spanish commentator's glee annoyed me. <br /><br />On the same evening, ITV were showing 'Surprise Surprise' and the second half of England's friendly in Brazil (John Barnes with the highlight of his career), but now people would recognise that the Spain v Denmark match was way more important. I remember looking at the TV listings in the paper with exasperation...<br /><br />Belgium's team was poor in 84 cause there'd been some scandal involving Gerets and a few of the players were given short suspensions. Everyone was back for 86 though and they played great. Belgium will hopefully be back to that level for 2014, if they qualify and get out of the group, they could even win it, the 86 side showed what could be done. Aldanitihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01499608459599126959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-68532023789825641762012-05-29T14:20:57.467-07:002012-05-29T14:20:57.467-07:00And yet the abiding memory of the 84 finals is the...And yet the abiding memory of the 84 finals is the lack of abiding memories. The lack of home nations qualifying led to the, now unbelievable, fact that we were denied live coverage by the BBC and ITV until the final. I remember sitting in a university common room (we didn't all have telly in our room back then) with about 10 others watching the late night highlights of the classic France/Portugal semi final. Yet these finals made a natural follow up to Spain '82. A classic French Team trying to right the wrongs of Schumacher's brutality with Platini, Girresse, Tigana and my favourite Rocheteau; Spain trying to get over the disappointing performance as hosts in 82; West Germany determined to continue their strong finals performance; a Belgian team in their golden period; emerging talents who were a delight to watch for Portugal and Denmark and Yugoslavia unveiling a young Dragan Stojkovic on the world.Derek Bellhttps://twitter.com/derek2bellnoreply@blogger.com