Graham Dunn

Me last night: That #OUFC game v Blackburn game was one of the worst games I've ever watched;

Me this morning: Two tickets for Portman Road please!

Note to self: Must stop doing this

It's counter-intuitive because while Bassett is the driving force of this Wimbledon side, he neither gets them promoted into the Football nor wins the FA Cup - in fact while the Dons won at Wembley, Bassett was taking his second club down that season as Sheffield United and Watford were relegated

Bassett's Wimbledon sort all in rise to top-flight Wimbledon 1977-88

To go with the latest By Far The Greatest Team #football #podcast here's a piece on Dave Bassett and the rise of Wimbledon from non-league to the top flight and FA Cup glory. Don't worry, the piece isn't as tortuous as the pun in the headline

byfarthegreatestteam.substack.com/p/bassetts-w...

Despite his close associations with Wimbledon, Dave Bassett actually ends up managing Sheffield United for longer - though admittedly he does fill the Blades up with so many ex-Wimbledon players it is possible Basset thought he was still there and they had just found another ground to share with

Plus we go down our biggest rabbit holes yet, as a dive into the future showbiz careers of various Wimbledon players turns into some serious footballers on I'm a Celebrity, Dancing on Ice and Strictly data trawling

This rags-to-riches-to-rags again story is pretty well known, and we try not to labour the Crazy Gang stuff too much, but it is an incredible story - from the opaque mystery of the football re-election process, Dave Bassett, his brief move to Palace, and Wimbledon's Cup Final tactical masterclass

Wimbledon 1984-1988

Myself and @jamierooney.bsky.social were joined by Stu Burgess on the latest By Far The Greatest Team #football #podcast to take a look at the incredible rise of Wimbledon, from the non-league to FA Cup winners
open.spotify.com/episode/6udd...

OMG - they just switched to the pre-flight safety briefing - and we’ve lost one already. Long flight home😮 #ashes25 #mysport24

Yikes

Ferguson floors the Old Firm Aberdeen 1978-86

Amid all the, admittedly short-lived Ashes excitement, I am only now publishing a piece about Alex Ferguson's amazing triple title-winning Aberdeen @afc.co.uk which @jamierooney.bsky.social covered on the By Far The Greatest Team #football #podcast
byfarthegreatestteam.substack.com/p/ferguson-f...

I also dive into various other FA Cup shocks including speculating how much better Ronnie Radford's Hereford cup shock vs #NUFC would have been if reserve keeper and conspiracy theorist David Icke had been in goal for the Bulls that day

When Harry met Big Ron's Man United....

Here is a blog to with latest By Far The Greatest Team podcast about the time Harry Redknapp first made a name for himself as a manager, leading third tier Bournemouth to FA Cup victory over Ron Atkinson's mighty #MUFC - a result that doesn't look that odd any more

open.substack.com/pub/byfarthe...

that one was incredible - i think we played 5 at the back that day and still conceded 7😂 Bot sure Hardwick played for #OUFC much after that, but in fairness the plastic pitch made all keepers look like your mate from 6aside rather than a professional footballer😂😂

I mean surely there is somewhere else they could have set up?

YouTube video by gr8footy 26/01/1985 York City v Arsenal

There is a great moment in that York game against Arsenal where they genuinely have to move a catering trolley to take a corner (5.22m) - and the game has everything you want from a cup shock - giant-killing, snow on the pitch and Keith Houchen
youtu.be/Pw3CemSTctA

We also dive into what makes a great cup shock through the prism of York and Wrexham beating Arsenal, Kevin Ratcliffe's Shrewsbury written in the stars win against Everton, Colchester beating Don Revie's Leeds and look at why there were no TV cameras to see non-league Wimbledon win at Burnley

This of course was a time when Bournemouth beating Man United was still a surprise. Bournemouth had no stars in that team and top flight teams still took the FA Cup seriously - United were cup holders and went on to win it the following season too

It's FA Cup third round day in about 5 weeks - what better time for @jamierooney.bsky.social @pompeygnr.bsky.social to go back to 1984 on By Far The Greatest Team #football #podcast to look back at Harry Redknapp's Bournemouth beating #MUFC and other cup shockers
open.spotify.com/episode/3Ufp...

Things to do in Perth when you're broken by the cricket

Things to do in Perth when you're broken by the cricket Ashes 2025

Here's a slightly off-topic piece I've written on why following England in the #Ashes25 is a bit a like watching pretty ropey #EFL teams playing away from home and why roaming around Perth on day 3 of the test was like a scene from Day of the Dead

byfarthegreatestteam.substack.com/p/things-to-...

YouTube video by GB MUFC Sir Alex Furious after Aberdeen Scottish Cup Win vs Rangers- Sir Alex Ferguson Never Give In (2021)

Oh, and the best on-field post-match interview ever😄 youtu.be/x1SzECHR3Dg?...

Plus lots of love for captain Wille Miller - who plays at least 40 games a year in 15 consecutive seasons, and 58, 60 and 60 games between 82-84 - just relentlessly reliable.

Incredible period in Aberdeen and Scottish football history where they were indisputably the best team in the country, won shedloads, including European glory in surely the wettest final ever

Aberdeen 1978-1986

A little distracted by the cricket, but a reminder this week @jamierooney.bsky.social and myself were joined by Stefan Shaw to look at Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen on the latest By Far The Greatest Team podcast

open.spotify.com/episode/2VH0...

That is a burning question … which decade produced the greatest teams ?
I think there’s more variety, or maybe it was just because I was 10 🤷‍♂️ and obsessed with it , that I too love everything 80’s
❤️

Big Ron's Man United nearly men - Manchester United 1981-86

Big Ron’s Man United nearly men Manchester United 1981-86

Following on from this week's By Far The Greatest Team #football #podcast here's a piece I wrote about Ron Atkinson's time at #MUFC - particularly their incredible 10-game winning start to the 1985-86 season

byfarthegreatestteam.substack.com/p/big-rons-m...

They win two FA Cups under Atkinson, but get knocked by #OUFC and Bournemouth in 1983-84 - pure entertainment. That Oxford-Man United trilogy and even if its doesn't rank as the greatest cup tie ever, this picture certainly ranks in the all-time great category