Graham Dunn

Penalty shootouts were still a bit of novelty in 1986 - the first of them had come in 1970 in the glamorous surrounds of the Watney Cup at Hull City's Boothferry Park, but with the impressively iconic claims to fame of George Best being the first player to score and Denis Law the first to miss

This was an incredible shootout - the first four kicks all saved and Barcelona failing to score with any. Barca were managed by Terry Venables at the time, who was sacked a a year later and presumably thought his penalties hard luck tales were done. They were not

Barcelona could not beat Steaua keeper Helmut Duckadam

By far the worst penalties Barcelona v Steaua Bucharest 1986 European Cup Final

@couchpundito.bsky.social No AC Milan blog to go with the By Far The Greatest Team #football #podcast this week, but in honour of Champions League final penalty shootouts, a dive into the worst one of them all - Barcelona v Steaua Bucharest in 1986
byfarthegreatestteam.substack.com/p/by-far-the...

AC Milan 2002-2008

@couchpundito.bsky.social and myself were joined by @guskras.bsky.social on this week's By Far The Greatest Team #football #podcast to look at Carlo Ancelotti's AC Milan - a tale of three Champions League finals
open.spotify.com/episode/2zBV...

The chap at Ofcom policing the porn sites seems to have gone native and adopted his porn name😬

The bizarre kicking the ball away overshadowed the bigger mystery as to why Zaire switched from the all green kit used against Yugoslavia to yellow shorts when playing a team in, err, yellow

There is so much more going on when IIunga smacks the ball away at the free kick - an objectively funny moment, but motivated out of defiance and gamesmanship rather than ignorance as Zaire's World Cup adventures became increasingly chaotic

Zaire World Cup dream ends in farce and fear Zaire 1974

@couchpundito.bsky.social A piece to go with an archive episodes of By Far The Greatest Team #football #podcast - the incredible story of Zaire at the 1974 World Cup - a mix of farce and fear, producing one of the most bizarre World Cup moments

byfarthegreatestteam.substack.com/p/zaire-worl...

So much to talk about here with this team, but the highlight is definitely the 'this town ain't big enough for the both of us' relationship between the German giants of Klinsmann and Matthaus, which the latter suggested should be settled by a duel on tv (a debate rather than an actual duel)

@couchpundito.bsky.social and myself are joined by @beneosl.bsky.social on this week's By Far The Greatest Team #football #podcast to look at the 'FC Hollywood' years of Bayern Munich - incredible array of players on the pitch, but a soap opera off it

open.spotify.com/episode/38VA...

Huddersfield won the 1923-24 title on goal average margin so tight it went to a second decimal point

By far the tightest title winners Huddersfield Town 1923-24

@couchpundito.bsky.social @philip-craig.bsky.social We looked at Herbert Chapman's Huddersfield Town on By Far The Greatest Team #football #podcast this week, and here's a dive into the 1923-24 season, which is by far the tightest title race ever

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This period also coincides with the change in the offside law - from it being the last two rather than three players - which @couchpundito.bsky.social suggests is the most significant rule change in the game ever (though I maintain only keepers being able to handle the ball was pretty big!)

It is a team and time of great names - Hilton Crowther, Ambrose Langley, Clem Stephenson (yes I can hear you Clem Stephenson)

Not only is this a chance to look at how Chapman revolutionised the way a manager organised a football team with Huddersfield Town, it also means we can dive into the 1923-24 football season - statistically the tightest title win ever (look away now Cardiff City fans)

Huddersfield Town 1921-1928

@couchpundito.bsky.social and me are joined by @philip-craig.bsky.social on By Far The Greatest Team #football #podcast to look back at where it all began - or at least where the modern day football manager/tactics started - with Herbert Chapman's Huddersfield Town

open.spotify.com/episode/6lpf...

I don't think Souness was ever sent off for Liverpool, and potentially hadn't had a red card before joining Rangers full stop (I can't find a record of one). If so, it shows both the intensity of Scottish football at the time and the way Souness warmed to his task once he had got sent off

Souness dives into Rangers challenges Rangers 1986-91

@couchpundito.bsky.social Here's a piece to go with the By Far The Greatest Team #football #podcast on Greame Souness' five years at Rangers - he tackled everything head-on, including several Hibs players in getting sent off 36 mins into his debut
byfarthegreatestteam.substack.com/p/souness-di...

Souness guided Rangers to the title in his first season in 1986-87, their first in nine years and ending a run of four consecutive seasons finishing outside the top three as Aberdeen and Dundee United gatecrashed the Old Firm's dominance

This is an incredible period as Rangers exploited the opportunity of English clubs post-Heysel ban from Europe to reverse the trend of Scottish players heading south of the border, tempting a host of English stars up to Ibrox and setting the foundations for their own 9-in-a row

@couchpundito.bsky.social @stumuz.bsky.social join me this week on By Far The Greatest #football #podcast to look at Graeme Souness and Rangers - kicking down the barriers off the pitch, as well as players on them
open.spotify.com/episode/7yvD...

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Norwich journeymen go on European adventure Norwich City 1992-94

To go with the latest By Far The Greatest Team #football #podcast here is a piece about Mike Walker's Norwich City, who having been cruelly denied the chance of European football three times, made up for it when they finally got there

byfarthegreatestteam.substack.com/p/norwich-jo...

Incredibly Norwich had missed out on European football three times during the post-Heysel ban on English clubs, but made up for it was a stunning win against Bayern Munich thanks to a geometrically perfect volley from Jeremy Goss (who scored 14% of his career goals against the German giants)

Norwich earned their place in Europe after finishing third in the inaugural season of the Premier League. This was not part of the script for the big clubs that split from the Football League, nor did it seem likely given Mike Walker inherited a side that finished 18th and sold their top goalscorer

Norwich City 1992-1994

@couchpundito.bsky.social and myself are back from our winter break, this week we are joined on By Far The Greatest Team by @guskras.bsky.social to look at Mike Walker's Norwich City - who made their mark when they finally got to actually play in Europe
open.spotify.com/show/7erZQ9q...

This is how it feels to be Oldham Oldham Athletic 1989-90

From what I can tell through a scroll through IMDB, bizarrely this means Holden has made the same Question of Sport appearances as former England captain Steven Gerrard and ex-Countdown host Richard Whitely😀 More on this and other nonsense here...
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