1980 European Cup quarter final: Celtic v Real Madrid

Celtic's previous European Cup match against Real Madrid in Glasgow was a glorious occasion. But for one of the goal scorers that evening there would be a tragic tale to follow.

For two great clubs trying to restore glory days in European club football, the 1979/80 European Cup had been a struggle for both Celtic and Real Madrid. The Scottish champions, managed by Billy McNeill, trailed Partizan Tirana 2-0 on aggregate in the first round before rallying to win 4-2. And they were far from convincing in a 3-2 aggregate win over Irish champions Dundalk.

Reaching their first European Cup quarter final since 1974, Celtic would take on the might of Real Madrid, yet the Spanish giants were far from the intimidating prospect of the 1960s. In fact, coach Vujadin Boskov was the latest to try and win a seventh European Cup for the club, their last success coming in 1966.

1984/85: Aberdeen

There are places I'll remember, all my life though some have changed. Some forever, not for better, some have gone and some remain. Sometimes it is difficult to start a new blog, but for some reason the lyrics of Lennon and McCartney sprung to mind when choosing to look back at Aberdeen winning the 1984/85 Scottish Premier Division.

At the time, Aberdeen's fourth top flight title seemed to be the continuation of a new chapter in Scottish football. Never before had the championship remained out of the clutches of the Old Firm for three consecutive seasons. Between 1983 and 1985, the New Firm of Dundee United and Aberdeen had changed the footballing landscape.

The classified football results

It doesn't take much for a media storm to brew. Take something traditional, ditch it without giving any notice, and stand back to assess the damage. Removing the classified football results from the BBC Sports Report programme at 5pm on a Saturday was always going to be a move that would set teeth gnashing up and down the country.

A few caveats: I'm not angry, just disappointed. Yes, I know I'm possibly a dinosaur who should let go of things like this. But I'm still trying to get over the loss of Teletext, so cut me some slack. Yes, I know we all have access to football scores at our fingertips now. Personally I love the fact that checking the latest scores when out and about has progressed since the 80s. But there is surely still a space for something as cherished as the classified football results.

1989/90: Aston Villa v Everton

It would prove to be a pivotal match in the 1989/90 season for both Aston Villa and Everton. A crossroads during the campaign where one team took a wrong turn and the other joined the road that led to a title race. And all of this was played out in front of a live ITV audience on the Big Match.

There was a sense of anticipation as the opening credits rolled and that classic theme tune played on Sunday November 5, 1989. Aston Villa and Everton were potential title challengers, and it was hard to disagree with co-commentator Ian St John when he predicted a score draw between two teams that looked evenly matched.

1987: Trouble in Scarborough

It should have been a day of celebration, an atmosphere befitting an historic occasion for anyone associated with the Football League debutants Scarborough. After winning the GM Vauxhall Conference in the 1986/87 season, the club managed by Neil Warnock was about to step into unchartered territory. 

"Very proud, obviously," Scarborough Chairman Terry Brown declared as the crowd filtered into the Athletic Ground on Seamer Road for Scarborough's opening Division Four match against Wolves. "At present, everyone's behaving themselves. The Wolves fans seem very happy. I just hope it finishes like this."

Defending Chris Tavaré

It's easy to mock. It really is. Take a glance back at a lot of things from the past and the natural reaction is to pour scorn. The Sinclair C5, SodaStream, three channels on British TV, no overnight television, and the national anthem played at closedown. Pound notes. Pah, what a bunch of losers those dinosaurs were in the 80s.

Admittedly some of these things earned derision at the time. But it really is not fair to look back at all our yesterdays through a lens that is obscured by what we live through today. Which is a roundabout way of me attempting to defend an English cricketer of the past that, shall we say, maybe might not have fitted in too well with this brave new world of Bazball that we see today.

1982: The Lost Final

Sometimes life can be full of pleasant surprises. Your day can be plodding along and all of a sudden you discover something that brings a bit of buzz. It says a lot about me as a sad individual that my life can feel a little more exciting when I discover a new documentary about a little-known football tournament 40 years ago.

As a bit of a 1980s sports obsessive - I've kept that quiet - you can probably appreciate my sense of anticipation when I heard news of a BBC Scotland programme called The Lost Final. Presented by Pat Nevin, the 45-minute documentary takes a look back at Scotland's triumph in the 1982 U18 European Championships.