I think one of the biggest differences was that nearly every team had a 'maverick' type player who didn't have their skill coached out of them. Players were encouraged to entertain, tackles flew in and some of the pitches were incredibly hard to play on, making more open games.

Another difference is that fans of  the Cup final runners up , didnt leg it from the stadium leaving a barren terrace at one end of the stadium.

dunno when I started, but I've done it myself too many times !

I liked the old days when managers didn't act like lunatics on the sidelines.

Sexton didn't run around like a madman nor John Neal, Eddie etc. 

 Now it's compulsory that they perform a little side show as the game is played.

Bloody hell , England won the World Cup and Ramsey never moved a muscle, !

 

I think the modern stats are a problem with the game. Teams recycle the ball concentrating on possession and not giving it away, looking for the perfect chance at goal. 

This happens at the other end, defenders passing back to the the keeper to kit it long when they’re in a better position to kick up field.  They don’t want the label of hoofing it upfield and giving the ball away.

6 hours ago, The Rising Sun said:

I liked the old days when managers didn't act like lunatics on the sidelines.

Sexton didn't run around like a madman nor John Neal, Eddie etc. 

 Now it's compulsory that they perform a little side show as the game is played.

Bloody hell , England won the World Cup and Ramsey never moved a muscle, !

 

Cloughy could throw a strop if you ran on HIS pitch. I love this story that appeared in the Athletic…

“I was trying to get to Lee Chapman. He’d scored four goals and I wanted to say, ‘Well done’. I had my arm round him and then, all of a sudden, bang! I didn’t know who it was at first. I just knew someone had smacked me round the ear. ‘Get off my pitch, young man.’ I knew that voice. That’s when I turned round and, bloody hell, I saw who it was.”

Then of course their was The Clown

 

 

17 hours ago, Richard P said:

I think the modern stats are a problem with the game. Teams recycle the ball concentrating on possession and not giving it away, looking for the perfect chance at goal. 

This happens at the other end, defenders passing back to the the keeper to kit it long when they’re in a better position to kick up field.  They don’t want the label of hoofing it upfield and giving the ball away.

I think the one who is truly obsessed with stats are fans. Most managers understand you need use stats with context otherwise it is just useless number. 

 

Why do we always go back to our childhood for our favourite World Cup tournaments?

https://thesefootballtimes.co/2018/06/22/why-do-we-always-go-back-to-our-childhood-for-our-favourite-world-cup-tournaments/

I posted this a few years ago in the ‘Non Chelsea Football International Thread.’ 

Thought it might we worth a read regarding this thread. Just my humble opinion.

3 hours ago, erskblue said:

 

Why do we always go back to our childhood for our favourite World Cup tournaments?

https://thesefootballtimes.co/2018/06/22/why-do-we-always-go-back-to-our-childhood-for-our-favourite-world-cup-tournaments/

I posted this a few years ago in the ‘Non Chelsea Football International Thread.’ 

Thought it might we worth a read regarding this thread. Just my humble opinion.

Nice article that, Spain 82 is the first one I can remember too.

The 24/7 coverage of football by the media.

The massive amount of live games from all around the world. 

 In 1977 the only domestic game with live tv coverage was the FA Cup Final. This game wasn’t shown live in most parts of Scotland, despite the Scottish domestic game finishing two weeks previously! 

There was also the European Cup Final. England v Scotland. A couple of South American Tour games of England and Scotland

And  a couple of World Cup Qualifiers in the autumn.

I still watch football and shout out things like " shut him down"

"Don't let him.run atcha , get stuck in "

So when I move to my present seat a bloke in front of  me started  giving me disapproving looks thinking I was a newbie Johnny come lately fan

one day I was urging us to " get rid of it, lash it up the pitch etc"  when he spun round to inform me that " football isn't played like that anymore mate , you won't see anyone do that"

at that very moment we lashed it up the pitch   , everyone guffawed in good nature but the guy made a dismissive gesture to me!but

I got a bit obsessed with the back of his head for a while and wanted to punch him , what a knob ! In fact I'm raging just thinking about it , Jesus

 

Football boots were black in colour for the vast majority of players.

I know there were some white boots in the early 1970s. 

I think from memory, it was the late 1990s, when different coloured football boots became more popular. 

I accept I am an old (grumpy) git when it comes to this !😀

On 01/10/2022 at 13:49, erskblue said:

The 24/7 coverage of football by the media.

The massive amount of live games from all around the world. 

 In 1977 the only domestic game with live tv coverage was the FA Cup Final. This game wasn’t shown live in most parts of Scotland, despite the Scottish domestic game finishing two weeks previously! 

There was also the European Cup Final. England v Scotland. A couple of South American Tour games of England and Scotland

And  a couple of World Cup Qualifiers in the autumn.

In England you would get live important England home qualifying games never away in the 70's. I remember coming home from school to find out England had lost 2-0 to Italy in 77. Changed in the 80's mainly ITV would cover live England away games. Another game shown live was the England schoolboys normally a week after the cup final everyone who was interested in football would watch it coverage stopped about 1983 I would say.

I was going to start a thread about how much football do you watch personally very little apart from Chelsea if it's on in the pub unless it's involving teams with my non Chelsea mates I have an eye on it Sunday's game included. I never watch MOTD it's painfully dull especially as you can get highlights on your phone straight after kick off. I can't listen to football on the radio if for example Leeds are playing Forest or Wolves when someone's name is mentioned chances are I don't know what team they play for. Good example of this I had no idea who Fofana and Cucurella were but even now show me a photo of the Coventry or Boro teams of 1978 I could probably name most of them !

16 hours ago, The Rising Sun said:

I still watch football and shout out things like " shut him down"

"Don't let him.run atcha , get stuck in "

So when I move to my present seat a bloke in front of  me started  giving me disapproving looks thinking I was a newbie Johnny come lately fan

one day I was urging us to " get rid of it, lash it up the pitch etc"  when he spun round to inform me that " football isn't played like that anymore mate , you won't see anyone do that"

at that very moment we lashed it up the pitch   , everyone guffawed in good nature but the guy made a dismissive gesture to me!but

I got a bit obsessed with the back of his head for a while and wanted to punch him , what a knob ! In fact I'm raging just thinking about it , Jesus

 

I once sat next to someone moaning about short corners all game. We then scored from one. I had a big laugh. 

11 hours ago, bisright1 said:

I once sat next to someone moaning about short corners all game. We then scored from one. I had a big laugh. 

It’s nice to know we’ve sat together before 

bluehaze: I’d completely forgotten about the live tv coverage of the England v Scotland schools match. Cheers!

The state of the pitches !

The old skool pitches cut up badly, sometimes by mid October! They were often covered by sand.

Games were also played in conditions simply unthinkable today. 

Spectator ‘facilities’ at grounds were often basic at best. And that is being very kind!!  

Edited October 5, 20223 yr by erskblue

Can’t imagine this game being allowed to be played, with the pitch covered in snow today!

Edited October 5, 20223 yr by erskblue

37 minutes ago, erskblue said:

Can’t imagine this game being allowed to be played, with the pitch covered in snow today!

I'll take that pitch and raise you Stamford Bridge 1957 !

4 hours ago, erskblue said:

bluehaze: I’d completely forgotten about the live tv coverage of the England v Scotland schools match. Cheers!

It wasn't always against Scotland although along with Germany were the most played fixture also played Wales, Holland, Northern Ireland.

http://quietfan.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-first-thrill-of-wembley-schoolboy.html

Generally stick on the Big Match Revisited when I get home from work, which is 81/82 atm. Jesus home many taches in that Liverpool team. Grobbelar, Alan Kennedy, Sounness, McDermott, Rush. It's like watching The Village People... YMCA.

Spurs v Man City yesterday the vermin had a midfield of Hoddle, Ardiles, Ricky Villa and Mickey Hazard. Ardiles was a flair player who could get stuck in, but the rest were flair player powder puffs. No obvious ball winner.

General observation would be the football looks primitive, but at the end of the day no one knew any different, and same as today it was essentially a contest between two teams.

No one had a crystal ball predicting that decades on the game would be played on perfect pitches, with lightweight balls, with teams comprising of the best talent from across the globe.

From a Chelsea point of view the atmosphere was better, no one seemed to take things too seriously, and it was more of a laugh.

Back to football- some of the worst stuff to watch was when back fours used to push up to condense the game, which led to most of the action taking place in a 40 yard corridor in the middle of the pitch. Think Tony Adams with his arm in the air looking for an off side.  

 

39 minutes ago, Fruit Bat said:

Generally stick on the Big Match Revisited when I get home from work, which is 81/82 atm. Jesus home many taches in that Liverpool team. Grobbelar, Alan Kennedy, Sounness, McDermott, Rush. It's like watching The Village People... YMCA.

Spurs v Man City yesterday the vermin had a midfield of Hoddle, Ardiles, Ricky Villa and Mickey Hazard. Ardiles was a flair player who could get stuck in, but the rest were flair player powder puffs. No obvious ball winner.

General observation would be the football looks primitive, but at the end of the day no one knew any different, and same as today it was essentially a contest between two teams.

No one had a crystal ball predicting that decades on the game would be played on perfect pitches, with lightweight balls, with teams comprising of the best talent from across the globe.

From a Chelsea point of view the atmosphere was better, no one seemed to take things too seriously, and it was more of a laugh.

Back to football- some of the worst stuff to watch was when back fours used to push up to condense the game, which led to most of the action taking place in a 40 yard corridor in the middle of the pitch. Think Tony Adams with his arm in the air looking for an off side.  

 

I wrote about that " condensed ' football before it was awful

but you got it dead right about it being a laugh  , we always wanted to do well but it didn't ruin anyone's life when we really poor.

it was still Chelsea, that's all that really mattered .

I liked it when you could wake up on a Saturday morning and decide to go to an away game.

And during a Saturday lunch time session decide to give the Bridge a visit in case we missed a great game .

invariably disappointed,  but it passe d ! the afternoon