1986/87: Manchester United v Norwich City

The mid-80s had been a topsy-turvy experience for Norwich City fans. Winning the 1985 Milk Cup at Wembley was a joyous occasion, yet soon the experience would turn sour. Relegation at the end of the season, and the European ban placed on English clubs after Heysel, left Norwich in Division Two with their UEFA Cup spot taken away from them.

There would be a couple of crumbs of comfort after these twin disappointments. Ken Brown remained in charge to lead the club to the 1985/86 Second Division title, and with rivals Ipswich passing them on the way down, the club bounced back just as they (and Alan Partridge) regularly do in recent Premier League years.

1989/90: Arsenal v Norwich City

As November 1989 progressed, it seemed as if every day there was a new story of football in crisis, as the behaviour of players and managers came under scrutiny. Freedom, joy and love may have been emotions filling the air as the Berlin Wall began to fall; there wasn't much of this in evidence on football pitches in the Football League during the same period.

A brawl involving the players of Wimbledon and West Ham in a Littlewoods Cup match; a similar incident during a League fixture between Crystal Palace and Tottenham; Paul McGrath fined £8,500 for writing a newspaper article criticising his former manager Alex Ferguson; York manager John Bird arrested after a confrontation with Scarborough boss Ray McHale.

1985/86: Norwich bounce back

As spring turned to summer in 1985, Norwich City fans must have felt emotionally drained. The footballing Gods may have provided the ecstasy of a Milk Cup win with one hand; they were about to take away plenty with the other.

1989 FA Cup Fourth Round: Norwich City v Sutton United

Sutton United will play Leeds United in the FA Cup fourth round this weekend, and they will be hoping it goes a lot better than the last time they reached this stage of the competition in 1989.

Mention Sutton United to football fans, and many will justifiably recall that day at Gander Green Lane in January 1989, when the Conference team shocked 1987 FA Cup winners Coventry. But how many remember the following act in Sutton's FA Cup story that year, the difficult second album, if you like? If Coventry had been Sutton's successful debut in the eyes of the public, then Norwich City away was their Neither Fish Nor Flesh moment.

1984/85: Coventry City's great escape

1985 had been a fun time to be a Norwich City supporter. Victory in the Milk Cup final had seen the club qualify for the UEFA Cup, the run to the final including a delicious semi-final win over local rivals Ipswich, and a win over Coventry the week after Wembley saw the team move up to 13th in the table and seemingly moving towards a solid mid-table finish. But sometimes it's funny how quick the milk can turn sour. Come May, these canaries would fall from their perch with a bump.

1980s League Cup finals

This week I am taking a look back on the League Cup finals of the 1980s. A decade which saw the final shown live for the first time, the competition sponsored by two different companies, Liverpool end their league Cup drought (and some), as heroes and villains aplenty were made during a time when the competition thrived.

1980s: Football debuts

Throughout the years, football debuts have come in many shapes and sizes. From the sublime (Wayne Rooney against Fenerbahce) to the ridiculous (Jonathan Woodgate for Real Madrid), a footballer is often remembered by their first appearance for club or country. This week I'm taking a look back on some footballing debuts of the 1980s. Some memorable for all the wrong reasons, others the stuff of dreams.

As ever, this is not a definitive list. So please feel free to contribute your own ideas in the comments section.

1980s: Match of the Day Goal of the Season

Whilst watching the recent 50 years celebration programme about Match of the Day it struck me how big a deal the Goal of the Season award was during my formative years. So this week I am taking a look back on the ten winning goals during the 1980s, a collection of volleys, headers and screamers that I could watch again and again and again.