Allan Simonsen of Charlton.      Yes Charlton !

From Barcelona to Charlton has to be one of football's less well-trodden paths.

In 1982, former European Footballer of the Year Allan Simonsen walked it.

Despite scoring in Barca's 2-1 European Cup Winners Cup final victory the previous season, Simonsen was told his time at Camp Nou was up. Diego Maradona had arrived and with league rules permitting teams only two foreign players, Bernd Schuster and Maradona were the future, Simonsen the past. Real Madrid  showed interest but it was second division Charlton who offered more money!
With Charlton struggling to attract crowds of 4,000 to the dilapidated Valley, young chairman Mark Huyler soon faced questions as to how they could afford to pay Simonsen one of the best wages in footbalL

They couldn't. Simonsen managed an impressive nine goals in 16 games before activating a clause in his contract to depart the Valley. The club itself would soon follow. Engulfed in financial crisis, Charlton were forced into a ground share at Selhurst Park.

Played for Borussia Monchengladbach winning the 1975 and 1979 UEFA Cup and in the 1977 European Cup Final. In which he scored. 
Moving to Barcelona and winning the 1982 European Cup Winners Cup.

The  only footballer to have scored in the European Cup,UEFA Cup, and Cup Winners' Cup Finals.

Still amazes me that he played for Charlton for a short time in 1982.

 

Edited November 21, 20205 yr by erskblue

Scottish Cup Quarter-final, 14 March 1953. Rangers beat Celtic 2-0. What an iconic stand.

Some great players in this picture. All the players are standing or sitting straight with one exception: Slim Jim. Typical of him. Wanted to be different, I read the other day that he tried to get Charlie Cooke to sign for Rangers. Can you imagine a side with Baxter, Cooke and Henderson in it. Would have run defences ragged.

5 hours ago, Boyne said:

Scottish Cup Quarter-final, 14 March 1953. Rangers beat Celtic 2-0. What an iconic stand.

An official crowd of 95,000 saw Rangers win 2-0.

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5 hours ago, Boyne said:

Some great players in this picture. All the players are standing or sitting straight with one exception: Slim Jim. Typical of him. Wanted to be different, I read the other day that he tried to get Charlie Cooke to sign for Rangers. Can you imagine a side with Baxter, Cooke and Henderson in it. Would have run defences ragged.

Rangers approached Charlie Cooke when he was a 17 year old at Renfrew Juniors 
However, he’d just given his word to Aberdeen he’d sign for them and he did.

 

 

Duncan Edwards on England duty alongside the legendary Tom Finney.

 

 

FootballRetroPlus Twitter.

 

 

Edited November 21, 20205 yr by erskblue

A few classic cars in this picture.

Dennis Wise playing for Wimbledon in the 1988 FA Cup Final.

FooballMemories. Twitter

 

 

Football Grounds of Scotland: Bellslea Park, Fraserburgh. Home of Fraserburgh FC. Cap. 3,000.

Picture this Scotland on Twitter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cappilelow Park , home of Greenock Morton.

Edited November 22, 20205 yr by erskblue

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Michel Platini.     Inter v Juventus in 1984/85.
Culture of Football Classics Twitter.

On 19/11/2020 at 18:04, Boyne said:

It is. At the end of that season, Stewart Kennedy had a nightmare at Wembley when England beat Scotland 5-1. Derek Parlane in the top row. He went to Leeds and I don't think it was a success for him.

No Derek Parlanes time at Leeds wasn’t a success. Recently read an interview where he said the fans would be on his back if he hadn’t scored a goal inside the first 15 mins!

Derek Parlane races round the course at Gullane Sands in 1976.

On 20/11/2020 at 20:22, erskblue said:

John Wark  scoring v England at Wembley in May 1979. (He’d hit the woodwork 3 times (!)  in the 1978 FA Cup Final for a Ipswich v Arsenal.)      England won this match 3-1. The late Ray Clemence, seen in picture, made a world class save at 1-0 Scotland.

 

 

 

 

Remember that save, took a deflection and he seemed to change direction in mid air, I was always a Peter Shilton fan, and the two alternated until we played Hungary at Wembley in a qualifying decider game, Paul Mariner tripped over and scored and England won 1-0, from then on Shilton was the England no1 all the  way through until Italia 90, but Clemence was a great keeper as were the other England understudies Joe Corrigan and Phil Parkes. Going back to that England v Scotland game, I seem to remember Keegan and Brooking did a great one two and Keegan scored, these are all distant memories

10 hours ago, chi blue said:

Remember that save, took a deflection and he seemed to change direction in mid air, I was always a Peter Shilton fan, and the two alternated until we played Hungary at Wembley in a qualifying decider game, Paul Mariner tripped over and scored and England won 1-0, from then on Shilton was the England no1 all the  way through until Italia 90, but Clemence was a great keeper as were the other England understudies Joe Corrigan and Phil Parkes. Going back to that England v Scotland game, I seem to remember Keegan and Brooking did a great one two and Keegan scored, these are all distant memories

Yeah good memory of yours re Ray Clemence save. I admit to being a Clemence fan out of the two great keepers.

. Agreed distant memories...

 

 Jimmy Greenhoff and Ray Clemence.    FootballRetroPlus on Twitter 

Ibrox in the 1920s

 

Brazil 1982 ... What a superb team. 

FootballRetroPlus Twitter.

 

The great Hungary side of 1953/54.

 

 

England captain Billy Wright exchanges pennants prior to kick-off with Hungarian counterpart Ferenc Puskas. Wembley  Nov 1953.
 

The Hungarian goalkeeper Gyula Grosics jumps to make a save at Wembley Nov 1953.

Paolo Rossi  celebrates with Giancarlo Antognoni and Roberto Bettega after scoring v France in 1978 World Cup Group Match.

 

 

 

Edited November 23, 20205 yr by erskblue

Ray Wilkins for England v Eire in Oct 1978.

 

 

 

 Tom Boyd has just scored for Brazil. Jim Leighton can’t quite believe it.    Opening game of France 1998.

Danny McGrain tackles Derek Parlane iat Ibrox in the 1970s.

 

 

Rangers' Gordon Smith battles with Celtic defender Roddie MacDonald at Ibrox in 1977.

 

Edited November 24, 20205 yr by erskblue

Parlane and McGrain: two fine players. For me Danny McGrain was one of the best full backs of the last fifty years.