tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16428219926172500482024-03-18T06:17:40.828-07:00That 1980s Sports BlogA blog about anything to do with sport in the 1980s.That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.comBlogger468125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-34875000873152805402024-03-07T08:11:00.000-08:002024-03-07T08:11:48.302-08:00Golden goals: Bryan Robson (1985)<p>It wasn't by accident that Bryan Robson earned the nickname Captain Marvel. Constantly putting his body on the line for club and country during the 1980s, Robson often inspired those around him, dragging every inch out of his ability in order to deliver for Manchester United and England. </p><p>"I have been fortunate to work with some exceptionally gifted footballers, many of them magical, world-class talents," Ron Atkinson explains in Andy Mitten's <i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Were-Famous-Man-United-Trafford/dp/1907637095" target="_blank">We're The Famous Man United</a></i>. "But Robbo, without a doubt, is the finest, the greatest, the most rounded and accomplished footballer I have ever worked with."</p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2024/03/golden-goals-bryan-robson-1985.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-80693862847050553212024-02-22T09:50:00.000-08:002024-02-22T09:50:23.051-08:00Ray Stewart: Penalty king<div>Admittedly it doesn't take much, but my mind immediately rewound to the 1980s as I watched Rangers' James Tavernier fire home two penalties against St Johnstone recently. Tavernier's expertise from the spot was clear for all to see, his goals sealing a 3-0 win for Rangers that took the club to the top of the Scottish Premiership. The second penalty that day was Tavernier's <a href="https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/james-tavernier/elfmetertore/spieler/62094" target="_blank">64th success from the spot</a>. Not bad for a right back. </div><div><br></div><div>But a right back who enjoys taking penalties is nothing new. For in the 1980s there was a man who was prolific from 12 yards out, a player renowned for this ability from the spot. A Scottish full back that will forever be remembered for his penalty prowess. Step forward Raymond Strean McDonald Stewart.</div><div><br></div><div><span></span></div><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2024/02/ray-stewart-penalty-king.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-30831873311193816542024-02-08T04:50:00.000-08:002024-03-07T08:13:09.171-08:00Golden goals: Johnny Metgod (1986)Thunderbastard. A football goal scored usually from long-range with high degrees of velocity and power. Think Davie Cooper in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPsAY3woRlw&t=53s" target="_blank">1987 Scottish League Cup final</a>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vYr0Z2lYAw" target="_blank">Steven Reid for Blackburn</a> against Wigan. Roughly 93% of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNLl_NVUgX8" target="_blank">Tony Yeboah's goals for Leeds</a>. You can volley your xG into the stands. Here is a football term that should be celebrated.<div><br></div><div>Helpfully the <a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Thunderbastard" target="_blank">Urban Dictionary</a> definition in the opening sentence above gives an example of a memorable goal that happens to be the subject of this piece: "Metgod's free kick against West Ham in 1986 was an absolute thunderbastard of a strike. Probably the thunderbastard of all thunderbastards." Phil Parkes would probably agree.</div><div><br></div><div><span></span></div><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2024/02/golden-goals-johnny-metgod-1986.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-39372666019134107942024-01-16T04:30:00.000-08:002024-01-17T02:13:41.694-08:001983: Thames Valley Royals<p>The current nightmare faced by Reading supporters should leave any true lover of the sport feeling cold. Putting any club allegiances to one side, you can only have sympathy for the plight of the club under the ownership of Dai Yongge. The recent on-pitch demonstration <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/jan/13/reading-match-abandoned-as-fans-occupy-pitch-in-protest-against-owner" target="_blank">that caused the abandonment of their match against Port Vale</a> shows just how desperate these fans are to highlight their predicament.</p><p>Enough is enough. Struggling at the bottom of League One, Reading fans would most probably accept relegation if it paved the way for a new owner at the club. It would be the first time since 1983 that the club suffered the fate of falling into the bottom tier of the Football League. Coincidentally, back then the future of Reading was hanging in the balance.</p><p>When the news broke on Saturday April 16, 1983, of a possible merger between Oxford United and Reading, it was met with a mixed reaction. The brainchild of Oxford United chairman Robert Maxwell, the proposal would see the two form a new super club called the Thames Valley Royals, with a new stadium to be built situated between Oxford and Reading.</p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2024/01/1983-thames-valley-royals.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-74652385070806940432024-01-09T12:03:00.000-08:002024-01-09T12:03:41.986-08:001984 Masters: Kirk Stevens' 147Is it possible for one video on YouTube to sum up a sport at that particular point in time? Something highlighting the key components of a sporting era in one neat package, demonstrating to the uneducated just what it was like to have lived through that time. Yes seems to be the obvious answer. <div><br></div><div>Just take football in the 1980s as a case study. Sadly there are numerous clips illustrating the impact of crowd violence on the sport and the lack of safety inside stadiums at the time. Any sporting documentary covering football in this period will inevitably include footage of hooligans, generally accompanied by the Two Tribes soundtrack.</div><div><br></div><div>If you wanted a similar experience with snooker then look no further than the Masters semi-final between Jimmy White and Kirk Stevens in 1984. Played at Wembley Conference Centre, here was the sport in a nutshell. A tournament sponsored by a tobacco company; a memorable match covered on BBC television during the glory days of the sport; Stevens in his white suit; two stars who would fill column inches for years to come.</div><div><br></div><div><span></span></div><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2024/01/1984-masters-kirk-stevens-147.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-59703338615552247122024-01-04T05:55:00.000-08:002024-01-04T05:55:23.269-08:001986/87 League Cup: Liverpool v Fulham<p>Fulham travel to Anfield for the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday with the enticing prospect of reaching a first Wembley cup final since 1975. Making sure that they are still in the tie for the return leg at Craven Cottage will be crucial. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/dec/03/liverpool-fulham-premier-league-match-report" target="_blank">Even a repeat of the recent league meeting at Anfield</a> would be a decent result.</p><p>A defeat by two goals or more would surely leave the west London club with too much to do in the second leg. But it is hard to imagine Marco Silva's current team suffering a thrashing that completely destroys their hopes of keeping the dream alive.</p><p>This certainly was not the case when the two clubs met at Anfield in the first leg of the 1986/87 Littlewoods Cup second round. Currently Fulham are a stable club looking to establish themselves as a Premier League outfit. Back in 1986, the club managed by Ray Lewington was spinning out of control.</p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2024/01/1986-87-league-cup-liverpool-v-fulham.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-38419836357911654542023-11-27T03:13:00.000-08:002023-11-27T03:13:29.811-08:001989 UK Championship: Stephen HendryThe evening of Sunday December 3, 1989 seemed significant in the world of snooker. As a 20-year-old Stephen Hendry won the UK Championship at Preston there was an overwhelming sense that the baton of power was being passed from one great champion to the next. The end of the decade painted a worrying picture for the dominant figure of the sport in the 1980s.<div><br></div><div>Steve Davis had lost finals before. Yet this felt different. Since turning professional in 1985 Hendry had been seen as the future of snooker, the boy who could knock Davis off his perch. Winning the 1987 Grand Prix and 1989 Masters, Hendry was flying up the world rankings and justifying the hype surrounding him.</div><div><br></div><div><span></span></div><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/11/1989-uk-championship-stephen-hendry.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-79807895978635412942023-11-19T23:56:00.000-08:002023-11-19T23:56:03.856-08:001984: Viv Richards' 189<p>"I think that's the greatest ODI innings," Australian skipper Pat Cummins said, regarding Glenn Maxwell's stunning unbeaten 201 against Afghanistan in the 2023 World Cup. "It's the best I've ever seen, probably the greatest ODI innings ever." Former New Zealand wicketkeeper and commentator Ian Smith seemed to agree. "I've never seen anything like it."</p><p>Sport naturally sets itself up for debates about the greatest or worst, be it competitor, match, series, tournament, goal, try, shot, insert as appropriate. As soon as anything happens in the sporting arena, you can be fairly confident that within minutes or hours pundits and social media experts will be discussing the merits of what we have just seen.</p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/11/1984-viv-richards-189.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-15829121937878839852023-11-15T07:59:00.000-08:002023-11-15T07:59:45.420-08:001983: Spain v Malta<p>There are some football matches in the distant past that will forever be shrouded in suspicion. Those results that give growth to conspiracy theories, accusations, and general doubt over sporting integrity. Often first impressions are proved right - not much consolation to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/that-1980s-sports-blog/2018/apr/13/europe-semi-finals-liverpool-tottenham-dundee-forest-aberdeen" target="_blank">Nottingham Forest fans in 1984</a> - but there are others that may <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina_v_Peru_(1978_FIFA_World_Cup)" target="_blank">never be confirmed one way or the other</a>.</p><p>Fans of the Dutch national team could be forgiven if they cast their minds back to one particular match in December 1983. On the brink of qualification for Euro 84, there was only one possible result that could prevent an orange invasion of France as Spain prepared to play Malta in the final Group Seven match in Seville.</p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/11/1983-spain-v-malta.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-58066940329904432022023-11-06T00:11:00.001-08:002023-11-06T00:11:29.975-08:00A Question of Sport: Princess AnneNot all appearances involving the royal family on the BBC have been cringeworthy. Long before Prince Andrew, Pizza Express, and his revelations of being sweat free, and just prior to the toe-curlingly terrible <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgHUaCesZws" target="_blank">It's a Royal Knockout</a>, there was a television programme that managed to paint the royal family in a positive light.<div><br></div><div>Princess Anne appearing on the 200th edition of A Question of Sport was a memorable moment in so many ways. With just four channels to choose from there were many shared television experiences like this throughout the decade, as the likes of JR, Charles and Diana, Den and Angie, and <a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2020/04/1985-steve-davis-black-ball-final.html" target="_blank">Taylor and Davis</a> attracted millions of viewers.</div><div><br></div><div><span></span></div><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/11/a-question-of-sport-princess-anne.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-457496638808964102023-10-25T04:32:00.002-07:002023-10-25T04:32:32.515-07:001987/88: Liverpool v Nottingham Forest<p>There are always debates relating to greatness in sport. Constant comparisons between individuals and teams from various eras spark conversations in pubs, on phone-ins and social media, as those involved dig their heels in and present evidence supporting their case. </p><p>Arguing about the greatest football team to ever play the sport could prove tiring. Judgement is often clouded by club allegiances, recency bias, or the more mature among us refusing to believe that a team from the distant past will ever be surpassed.</p><p>Take the Liverpool team in the 1987/88 season. Surely there can be no argument that Kenny Dalglish's side were great, as they swept aside the rest of the First Division with football that seemed to be from a different planet. The last great Liverpool team of that era has to enter a competitive field as the best to hail from Anfield during the glory years.</p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/10/1987-88-liverpool-v-nottingham-forest.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-20527930796648130642023-10-05T00:58:00.001-07:002023-10-05T00:58:43.265-07:00Cricket World Cup quiz<div><iframe frameborder="0" height="8824" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" onload="window.parent.scrollTo(0,0)" src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdiEWYttK5xmu8UuVNjtQsuP3MTwfHyKX-yhsG9wl0TF0RZwA/viewform?embedded=true" width="100%">Loading…</iframe></div>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-53967777284377143082023-09-25T05:12:00.004-07:002023-09-25T05:59:35.590-07:00Ryder Cup quiz<i>A bit of a change this week, as have a crack at writing my first quiz on this site...</i><div><i><br /></i></div>
<div><iframe frameborder="0" height="8824" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdg1p8RubXXUYCDsV_0HTXHMOW0nIOzqmlcl9SnQZuXLoxngg/viewform?embedded=true" width="100%" onload="window.parent.scrollTo(0,0)">Loading…</iframe></div>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-13450832011023616892023-09-14T01:41:00.001-07:002023-09-14T01:41:35.306-07:001983 Ryder Cup: Seve's miracle shot<p>It had all been going so well for Seve Ballesteros and Europe. Going into the final day of the 1983 Ryder Cup at Palm Beach Gardens in an alien position of parity, two hours into the singles Europe were ahead in six matches and level in four, with Ballesteros three up after 11 holes in the opening contest against Fuzzy Zoeller. The unthinkable was becoming a real possibility.</p><p>But some Ryder Cup Sundays are never that easy. The quest for those magical 14½ points becomes a real test of nerve, stamina, and mental toughness, both for players and spectators. The ebb and flow between red and blue, the cheers ringing around the course, and the magnitude of every single shot becomes suffocating.</p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/1983-ryder-cup-seves-miracle-shot.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-55894641950718171112023-08-03T00:37:00.000-07:002023-08-03T00:37:32.802-07:001980 Challenge Cup final: Hull KR v Hull<p>Roger 'The Dodger' Millward had enjoyed a stellar rugby league career. Winning with Great Britain in Australia in 1970; captaining his country in two World Cups; skipper of Hull Kingston Rovers as the club <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1978%E2%80%9379_Northern_Rugby_Football_League_season" target="_blank">won their first Championship for 54 years</a>. But there was one thing missing off the CV of the 32-year-old.</p><p>Millward had never appeared in a Challenge Cup final. "It was the match that I'd waited sixteen years to play in," Millward revealed in his autobiography, in one of the three chapters dedicated to the 1980 Challenge Cup final. "It didn't arrive until my very last season - and my last ever game as a first team player."</p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/08/1980-challenge-cup-final-hull-kr-v-hull.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-79501381119436571922023-07-17T00:00:00.001-07:002023-07-17T00:00:36.593-07:001981 Fifth Ashes Test: Tavball<div><i>Forget Bazball. In August 1981, England needed a dash of Tavball to clinch the Ashes.</i><br><br></div>As glorious and euphoric as they were, there could be no disputing that England's wins over Australia at <a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/headingley-1981-preview.html" target="_blank">Headingley</a> and Edgbaston had papered over some widening cracks. Batting frailties had been constantly exposed in the face of some excellent bowling from Dennis Lillee, Terry Alderman and Geoff Lawson. The Botham/Dilley "let's give it some humpty" approach had been a rare bright spot in a gloomy series.<div><br></div><div>Nothing emphasised England's struggles more than the number three position in their batting line-up. Bob Woolmer, Mike Brearley and David Gower had all been tried at first drop during the Ashes, with consistent results. Sadly for England, the returns were consistently poor. Just 77 runs from eight innings at an average of 9.625 highlighted that a different approach was needed. Prior to <a href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/australia-tour-of-england-1981-61357/england-vs-australia-5th-test-63293/live-cricket-score" target="_blank">the Old Trafford Test</a>, England turned to Tavaré.</div><div><br></div><div><div><span></span></div></div><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/1981-fifth-ashes-test-tavball.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-73159724883756031892023-07-06T02:26:00.002-07:002023-07-06T02:26:41.826-07:00Headingley 1981: Day Five review<p><i>A review of day five of the third Ashes Test of the 1981 series at Headingley, written from the perspective of an English cricket fan at the time.</i></p><p><i><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/headingley-1981-preview.html" target="_blank">Preview</a><br><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/headingley-1981-day-one-review.html" target="_blank">Day one</a><br><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/headingley-1981-day-two-review.html" target="_blank">Day two</a><br><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/headingley-1981-day-three-review.html" target="_blank">Day three</a><br><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/headingley-1981-day-four-review.html" target="_blank">Day four</a></i></p><p><b>Wednesday July 22</b></p><p>Australia 401/9d (Dyson 102, Hughes 89, Botham 6/95)<br>England 174 (Botham 50, Lillee 4/49)<br>England f/o 356 (Botham 149*, Dilley 56, Alderman 6/135)<br>Australia 111 (Dyson 34, Willis 8/43)<br><br><b>ENGLAND WIN BY 18 RUNS</b></p><p>Wow! Simply wow. Forget everything I said about this team. Delete those posts I wrote when in the depths of despair. Of course I never doubted Robert George Dylan Willis. England won the third Ashes Test at Headingley to level the Ashes series. What a way for Peter Willey to win his first Test in his 19th appearance. What a boost for the country. Never in doubt. </p><p>We only needed five more runs in the morning to set Australia an insurmountable target of 130. And although Beefy took the first wicket - obviously, naturally, inevitably - when Australia neared lunch on 56/1 it looked like normal service was about to be resumed.</p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/headingley-1981-day-five-review.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-89256052543239017482023-07-05T05:05:00.003-07:002023-07-06T02:27:11.917-07:00Headingley 1981: Day Four review<p><i>A review of day four of the third Ashes Test of the 1981 series at Headingley, written from the perspective of an English cricket fan at the time.</i></p><p><b>Tuesday July 21</b></p><p>Australia 401/9d (Dyson 102, Hughes 89, Botham 6/95)<br>England 174 (Botham 50, Lillee 4/49)<br>England f/o 351/9 (Botham 145*, Dilley 56, Alderman 5/131)</p><p>I'll be honest; I was expecting this blog to be my last covering this Test match. But I reckoned without taking the Beefy factor into the mix. It may be delaying the inevitable, but you never know. What is certain though is that a bit of pride has been restored to English cricket.</p><p>None of this looked possible early on. With Brearley, Gower, and LBW Gatting back in the pavilion, England were 41/4 and making 100 looked a distant dream. Boycott (46) and Willey (33) battled hard, but when Bob Taylor departed we had slumped to 135/7.</p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/headingley-1981-day-four-review.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-15488452743855096802023-07-04T06:05:00.001-07:002023-07-05T05:06:17.014-07:00Headingley 1981: Day Three review<p><i>A review of day three of the third Ashes Test of the 1981 series at Headingley, written from the perspective of an English cricket fan at the time.</i></p><p><b>Sunday July 19</b></p><p>Australia 401/9d (Dyson 102, Hughes 89, Botham 6/95)<br>England 174 (Botham 50, Lillee 4/49)<br>England f/o 6/1 (Lillee 1/4)</p><p>Pathetic. Pitiful. Spineless. Feeble. Woeful. Deplorable. Lamentable. Wretched. Contemptible. Despicable. Mournful. Harrowing. Mortifying. These are some of the polite words I found in my thesaurus to describe that England batting display yesterday.</p><p>You can probably handle losing to Australia if the team showed a tiny bit of fight. Yet what we witnessed yesterday was a staggering display of ineptitude in both technique and heart. Only Ian Botham came out of the episode with any credit on a day of despair.</p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/headingley-1981-day-three-review.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-32855274343591783202023-07-03T07:18:00.001-07:002023-07-04T06:05:56.431-07:00Headingley 1981: Day Two review<p><i>A review of day two of the third Ashes Test of the 1981 series at Headingley, written from the perspective of an English cricket fan at the time.</i></p><p><b>Saturday July 18</b></p><p>Australia 401/9d (Dyson 102, Hughes 89, Botham 6/95)<br>England 7/0</p><p>Pain pain go away. Despite heroics from Ian Botham, the next few days feel like they could drag on and on. Australia declared their innings just over 400 and look well set to put the Ashes to bed. The scary thing is that without Beefy it would have been a lot worse.</p><p>At one point Kim Hughes' men had reached 332/4. Naturally England shot themselves in the foot along the way, Graham Gooch dropping Australia's skipper when he was on 66. At this point you wondered if the Hughes-Yallop partnership would ever end. Botham decided to take matters into his own hands.</p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/headingley-1981-day-two-review.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-21631238835216460702023-07-02T08:25:00.001-07:002023-07-04T00:05:36.213-07:00Headingley 1981: Day One review<p><i>A review of day one of the third Ashes Test of the 1981 series at Headingley, written from the perspective of an English cricket fan at the time.</i></p><p><b>Friday July 17</b></p><p>Australia 203/3 (Dyson 102)</p><p>Oh well. I'm not sure I care that much about the Ashes anyway. Australia, aided once again by some inconsistent bowling and yet more charitable fielding, have strengthened their hold on this series. Quite where England go from here I don't know.</p><p>The decision to leave out spinner Emburey is looking questionable. The seam attack appeared toothless on what looks a tricky surface to bat on, and when they did create chances then the butterfingers boys returned. Seeing Peter Willey turn a few deliveries on day one must have raised the eyebrows of Emburey too.</p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/headingley-1981-day-one-review.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-49749384598352334702023-07-01T08:12:00.002-07:002023-07-07T02:23:29.216-07:00Headingley 1981: Preview<p><i>A preview of the Ashes Test at Headingley in 1981, written from the perspective of an English cricket fan at the time.</i></p><p><i><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/headingley-1981-day-one-review.html" target="_blank">Day one</a><br><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/headingley-1981-day-two-review.html" target="_blank">Day two</a><br><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/headingley-1981-day-three-review.html" target="_blank">Day three</a><br><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/headingley-1981-day-four-review.html" target="_blank">Day four<br></a><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/headingley-1981-day-five-review.html" target="_blank">Day five</a> </i><i> <br></i></p><p><b>Thursday July 16</b></p><p>Say what you want about English cricket, but it is never dull. After losing at Trent Bridge, England arrived at Lord's 1-0 down in the series. They left HQ with a draw and without a captain. Understandably, Ian Terrence Botham decided enough was enough.</p><p>As Botham said on the Lord's balcony, the match-by-match captaincy tenure was not helping him or the team. Undoubtedly the key player in our XI, his loss of form has been hugely damaging. Botham the captain needed Botham the player to perform. That never seemed likely.</p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/headingley-1981-preview.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-77156443814868188412023-06-25T10:10:00.000-07:002023-06-25T10:10:47.454-07:001981: Second Ashes Test<p>The end was near, the final curtain closing on Ian Botham's spell as England captain. <a href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/australia-tour-of-england-1981-61357/england-vs-australia-2nd-test-63290/full-scorecard" target="_blank">As the second Ashes Test at Lord's</a> approached it was becoming clear that the clock was ticking. Appointed skipper on a match-by-match basis, the situation for Botham and England was far from stable. </p><p>"By appointing Botham from Test to Test the England selectors are giving the inescapable impression that they would dearly love to get rid of Botham but cannot find a satisfactory method of completing the dreadful deed," Paul Fitzpatrick wrote in the Guardian. Even for English cricket, the whole environment seemed a joke.</p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/06/1981-second-ashes-test.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-36554192911415259062023-05-31T05:24:00.000-07:002024-02-08T05:03:10.673-08:00Golden goals: Steve MacKenzie (1981)<p>There are moments in sporting history that are often forgotten. For all Kevin Pietersen's heroics, the contribution of Andrew Strauss on the first day of the final Ashes Test in 2005 should not be underestimated. Ian Poulter may have stolen the headlines late on Saturday during the 2012 Ryder Cup, but please remember the role played by Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald in the previous match. And then there is Gordon Smith.</p><p>Smith deserves a lot more than being the man remembered for spurning a golden opportunity to win the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/that-1980s-sports-blog/2023/apr/21/manchester-united-brighton-fa-cup-final-40-years-ago-wembley-1983" target="_blank">1983 FA Cup for Brighton</a>. Scoring a goal in an FA Cup final - the opener at Wembley against Manchester United - should have been the standout moment in Smith's career. Yet subsequent events will always overshadow this.</p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/05/golden-goals-steve-mackenzie-1981.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1642821992617250048.post-30154776268994220832023-05-09T03:09:00.000-07:002023-05-09T03:09:29.569-07:00Book review: Everybody Wants to Rule the WorldSome of you that may have read this blog in the past will possibly have come to the conclusion that I have a slight obsession about sport in the 1980s. So when an opportunity came to review a book on the subject then I jumped at the chance, in true Carl Lewis style.<div><br></div><div><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Everybody-Wants-World-Roger-Domeneghetti/dp/178729059X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1SDMPGNDYIQSX&keywords=everybody+wants+to+rule+the+world+book&qid=1683626368&sprefix=everybody+wants+to+rule%2Caps%2C94&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Roger Domeneghetti</a> looks back at Britain, Sport and the 1980s, providing a fascinating review of a turbulent decade from numerous angles. Split into four distinct sections - Culture, Identity, Conflict, Politics - the book dives deep into a number of key topics.</div><div><br></div><div><span></span></div><a href="https://that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/05/book-review-everybody-wants-to-rule-the-world.html#more">Read more »</a>That 1980s Sports Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13862978693090783638noreply@blogger.com0