The 78th episode of
my podcast with Mr. Paul Whittle of https://the1888letter.com/, @1888letter,
'Soccernostalgia Talk Podcast’ is up.
For this episode, we interview Spanish Author and Historian Mr. Sergio Vilariño Ferreiro as we discuss Real
Madrid’s ‘La Quinta del Buitre’ generation of the 1980s.
Mr. Sergio Vilariño Ferreiro has been on the
podcast before discussing the Spanish National Team.
For any questions/comments,
you may contact us:
You may also contact me on
this blog, on twitter @sp1873 and on facebook under Soccernostalgia.
For this interview, I look back at the atmosphere of English
Football at the Post-Heysel era.
The Interviewee is:
Mr. Paul Whittle
Mr. Whittle is my
podcast partner for the ‘Soccernostalgia Talk Podcast’. He is also a blogger https://the1888letter.com/ and Author of
‘Before the Premier League: A
History of the Football League's Last Decades’
Soccernostalgia
Question: Before we get into the immediate post-Heysel era, can you describe
the atmosphere in Football matches in general in the preceding years?
Mr. Paul Whittle Response:My biggest early impressions were the size of the stadiums (Elland
Road, Old Trafford, the City Ground in Nottingham) and that there was a lot of
noise and singing at First Division matches. It could be difficult to see the
full pitch, but it was an exciting atmosphere to be part of, standing on the
big terraces. That said, even as a child, you knew there were hooligans and it
could potentially be dangerous to be in the wrong place, in or around the
ground.
Soccernostalgia
Question: What were generally the most dangerous grounds to visit?
Mr. Paul Whittle Response:For me, that would have been Leeds – I went to my first games at
Elland Road but my dad, who wasn’t a fan of theirs, wasn’t very keen on me
going. Some of the London clubs were also notorious (Millwall, West Ham) but I
never went there.
Photo
From: Onze, Issue 58, October 1980
Photo
From: Onze, Issue 58, October 1980
Soccernostalgia
Question: Was there apprehension from your parents to go to Football matches
in this period?
Mr. Paul Whittle Response:My dad had been going to games at Old Trafford and Boundary Park,
Oldham, since the 1950s but he could see there was more trouble at matches
during the 70s and 80s. We started going to Oldham after that, in the early-mid
1980s, where the crowds were only a few thousand.
Soccernostalgia
Question: As young as you were, were there any indications that such a
tragedy might occur?
Mr. Paul Whittle Response:There had been incidents when people had been killed before and
after matches, there could be an undercurrent of violence and the stadiums
weren’t in great condition. At bigger grounds, the crush barriers on the
terraces and perimeter fences in particular were a bit scary. In retrospect, I
think there was always going to be some kind of tragic event involving English
football.
Photo
From: Onze, Issue 70, October 1981
Soccernostalgia
Question: The Bradford Stadium fire had occurred shortly before, I presume
that was not categorized under the rubric of Football violence but as an
accident?
Mr. Paul Whittle Response:That was definitely in the category of neglected stadiums and
under-investment in crowd safety. I remember going to a charity match for the
Bradford fire, replaying the 1966 World Cup final at Elland Road that summer,
it was a very sad atmosphere.
Soccernostalgia
Question: What was the atmosphere in the grounds in the first season
post-Heysel (1985-86)?
Soccernostalgia
Question: What were the noticeable changes for the match-going public, in
terms, police presence, security, seating, etc?
Mr. Paul Whittle Response:[to answer both] At that time I would have gone
to a couple of games at Nottingham Forest as well as Oldham, I’m not sure I
noticed any immediate change. There were always a lot of police at matches,
maybe that increased a little more after Heysel. There were no fundamental
changes in the grounds themselves at that point.
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 2047, July 2, 1985
Soccernostalgia
Question: What were noticeable changes in terms of television coverage in
the post-Heysel era?
Mr. Paul Whittle Response:There was actually a television ‘blackout’ for a chunk of the
following season, no football was shown at all until early 1986. It was just a
coincidence after Heysel though and of course it was about money. After that
coverage was back to normal, then improved and gradually expanded over the next
few years.
Soccernostalgia
Question: The Post-Heysel verdict by UEFA, forbade English teams from
participating in European club matches? Do you think most English clubs’ fans
took notice or only those of the top teams that regularly qualified in Europe?
Mr. Paul Whittle Response:I would say it affected all of English football – at the time of
only the League Champions representing the country in the European Cup, and
English clubs doing so well, it was a really big thing. Everyone would watch
the European ties and finals, especially as otherwise there was very little
coverage of football outside England.
Photo
From: Onze, Issue 117, September 1985
Soccernostalgia
Question: I remember Phil Neal stated that Liverpool reduced the number of
lightbulbs at Anfield to save on electricity because of lost revenue in Europe?
Were there other such examples?
Mr. Paul Whittle Response:Crowds were falling anyway, and the 1985-86 season actually proved
to be the worst for attendances in Football League history. Sponsorship and TV
deals were a fraction of what they are now, and football’s image was at an
all-time low. Money was short at all levels but obviously the top clubs who
missed out on European competition were affected most by Heysel specifically.
The attempts to replace it were fairly disastrous – no-one was interested in
the Screen Sport Super Cup and then there was an attempt to revive the
Anglo-Scottish Cup between Coventry and St Mirren in 1987, which was abandoned
after a single leg.
Soccernostalgia
Question: What was the atmosphere in the grounds in the final season
post-Heysel (1989-90)?
Mr. Paul Whittle Response:Definitely improved from what it had been at the start of the
decade, in my experience. Most clubs had family stands and hooliganism had more
or less gone from the grounds themselves. Especially when the perimeter fences
were removed after Hillsborough, it felt different, and safer, going to games –
less menacing.
Soccernostalgia
Question: What were the positives and negatives in those five years?
Mr. Paul Whittle Response:The only positive might have been a focus on finally dealing with
hooligans and violence around grounds, but unfortunately it took another
tragedy (Hillsborough) to fundamentally change the experience of going to an
English football ground. The negatives were in the missed opportunities for clubs
and players to develop in European competition; the English game remained
essentially the same while in Italy, for example, Sacchi and Milan were playing
a different style and Serie A was attracting the world’s best players (although
it was already more attractive than England, before Heysel).
Photo
From: Onze, Issue 136, April 1987
Soccernostalgia
Question: Was there a particular season in those five years that you felt,
the atmosphere was safe enough for the ban to be lifted?
Mr. Paul Whittle Response:Certainly, by the end of them, 1989-90 as mentioned, there was a
general feeling that changes had been made, the worst days of hooliganism were
over, and the ban had gone on long enough.
Soccernostalgia
Question: It has often been said that those five years away from Europe, impeded
the progress of English teams and players. What is your opinion?
Mr. Paul Whittle Response:In some ways it did, but then you had England reaching the
semi-final of Italia ‘90 after five years banned from Europe (it was always
strange that the national team was never excluded as there had been a lot of
trouble when England travelled). It was a real shame for clubs which might
never get the opportunity to play in Europe again – Oxford, Coventry,
Wimbledon, Luton – and probably held back some players too. The number of
internationals moving to Rangers, and also abroad, like Lineker, Rush, Hughes,
Hoddle and Waddle, was obviously influenced by not being able to play in
European competition.
Soccernostalgia
Question: Do you feel the ban was necessary and helpful or was it ultimately
unnecessary and why?
Mr. Paul Whittle Response:Unfortunately, I think there had to be some action taken, it
wasn’t just an isolated incident at Heysel but years of trouble at football
grounds domestically and when England played abroad. It wasn’t every club by
any means, but violence just seemed accepted in the football culture, it took a
high-profile tragedy on that scale to address it. Maybe it was harsh to have a
blanket ban for that length of time, it’s hard to say but some changes would
have taken place anyway, especially due to Hillsborough. That was what
finally forced an overhaul of the stadiums, and the fan culture to some extent,
by moving toward all-seating.
The
country was different by the early 90s, attendances had risen every season
since 1985-86 and there was a new audience after Italia ‘90. English football
would have moved on as money was coming in, but at the very least the ban gave
it a push in that direction and an incentive to change.
When Mike Walker was
appointed as Everton Manager on January 7, 1994, the general feeling was that
things could only get better. At this point Everton was at its lowest ebb and
eyeing relegation.
Legendary Manager Howard
Kendall had left on December 4th, after a run of eight losses in the
first half of the season. According to some reports, he was fed up with the
Everton Board refusing his request to sign Dion Dublin.
Caretaker Manager Jimmy
Gabriel was even more catastrophic. He oversaw six losses in a month.
At the start of the new
year 1994, Everton was just above the relegation zone.
Former Norwich City Mike
Walker was charged with the task to save Everton from relegation.
Photo From:World
Soccer, December 1994
Walker was very much in
demand at this point. He had qualified Norwich City to the UEFA Cup after
finishing third in the 1992/93 season. The UEFA Cup run included the memorable
elimination of mighty Bayern Munich.
He had transformed
players such as Chris Sutton and Ruel Fox to near international level quality.
He had surprisingly left
the club just a month after UEFA Cup elimination vs. Internazionale Milano.
Walker believed Norwich
did not share his ambitions and chose a new challenge at a bigger club with
more cash to spend.
At Norwich, he was
resigned to the fact that his best players would be sold off.
He also felt his salary
at Norwich was below the standing for a manager who had qualified a team to
European Competition.
Photo From:World
Soccer, January 1994
Walker had a core of
veterans at Everton rely upon. These were Welsh goalkeeper Neville Southall,
Dave Watson, Barry Horne, and Paul Rideout.
Despite elimination in
the FA Cup by First Division Bolton Wanderers, the first month was satisfactory.
There were a couple of
wins and draws and a loss to eventual Champions Manchester United.
Unfortunately, Walker’s
Norwich magic did not work at Goodison Park.
The free fall started in
March as Everton lost three straight matches (further four more losses until
the end of the season).
Photo From:World
Soccer, February 1994
Walker had sanctioned
former Southend United Brett Angell’s permanent signing, followed by the
signing of Cambridge United defender Gary Rowett. Just before the transfer
deadline, Bournemouth midfielder Joe Parkinson signed along with Arsenal’s talented
but inconsistent Swedish star Anders Limpar. Walker also offloaded Billy Kenny,
and Peter Beagrie.
These signings did not
inspire any recovery as Everton slid towards relegation.
On the penultimate round
of the season Everton were in relegation zone with only one match left to save
them. The Final round of the season on May 7th, would be a dramatic
event as Everton would produce their great escape. Wimbledon were leading
Everton (2-0) at Goodison Park, and Everton seemed set for the drop. However,
Everton would produce a memorable comeback and win (3-2) and save themselves by
the skin of their teeth.
Walker had hardly
improved Everton’s fortunes but stayed on for the new season (1994/95). It
would be his first full season in charge, therefore no room for excuses.
Photo From:World
Soccer, January 1994
He offloaded former West
Ham United striker Tony Cottee, who never fulfilled his promise in his six
years at the club. The other players offloaded included Mark Ward and Preki. He
signed former Tottenham midfielder Vinny Samways. For a while it seemed like
Brazilian striker Luis Muller was about to sign, until the deal was off.
Instead, he signed, the young Nigerian striker Daniel Amokachi from Club
Brugge. Former Liverpool defender David Burrows also arrived from West Ham
United as part of the Cottee deal.
The new season was just
as disastrous as the previous one, if not more. Everton lost eight matches in
its first eleven matches (without a single win). In a panic move, Walker signed
on loan the Scottish duo of Duncan Ferguson and Ian Durrant.
The minor recovery in
November was too little too late and Walker was sacked on November 8th,
1994.
Photo From:World
Soccer, January 1994
Former Oldham Athletic
Manager Joe Royle replaced him, and he would slowly stabilize the team and win
the FA Cup at the end of the season at the expense of Manchester United.
The Walker experiment was
a complete fiasco and further weakened Everton’s standing as one of the biggest
clubs (and a recent Champion just seven years prior).
At the time of his
sacking Everton were at the bottom of the Premier League and had made its worst
start ever in a League season.
In his brief time in
charge, Everton had only won six League matches. He had the worst record of any
Post-War Manager at Everton.
Walker disappeared from
top level Management afterwards. He returned and had a brief stint at Norwich
in the First Division and later managed Cypriot club APOEL.
There are similarities to
Italian Manager Luigi Maifredi. He had masterminded the rise of Bologna from
the Serie B to the Serie A and eventual UEFA Cup qualification. He was rewarded
with the management of Juventus, but his disastrous season in charge (1990/91),
similarly curtailed his prospects.
Walker’s departure from
Norwich to Everton was detrimental to both clubs. Norwich did not find a
suitable replacement and suffered relegation in 1995 and Everton did not get
the Walker they were looking for.
For a brief time, Walker
seemed set for a long future at the top. But the Everton experience destroyed
his credit and/or it shattered his taste for the profession.
Note:
1-There were rumors that
Everton Chairman Peter Johnson had signed the Rangers Glasgow duo Duncan
Ferguson and Ian Durrant without Walker’s knowledge. However, Walker dismissed
these reports.
2- Norwich City Chairman
Robert Chase claimed Everton had illegally approached Walker. He sent a letter
of protest to the Football Association demanding an inquiry.
England faced the
Netherlands for an important World Cup qualifier at Wembley on April 28th,
1993.
Just a year prior, no one
would have imagined that the two would be fighting it out for the second place
behind Norway in the race to qualify to the American World Cup in 1994.
England’s form under
Manager Graham Taylor had been unspectacular since the 1990 World Cup to say
the least, yet not qualifying to the World Cup would have been un-imaginable.
This calendar year would get
worse and worse for Taylor and this match would be the first step on the road
to dismissal at the end of the year.
This was a match at home
that England had to win to have an edge in qualification as they had lost a
lifeline with a home draw vs. Norway in October 1992. England could not afford
any more dropped points at home.
But worse was yet to come to another busy end
of season/summer for the National Team.
For the English, Alan
Shearer was out with a long-term injury, but Les Ferdinand had been called up to
deputize for these early 1993 matches. Despite not starting for Juventus as the
extra foreigner (pre-Bosman days remember), David Platt, had been exemplary for
England and the best avenue for goals. Paul Gascoigne had been back after an
entire year out injured and had been slowly finding his feet at Italian side
Lazio.
There were the customary
criticisms for the inclusion of far from fit John Barnes and the continual
selection of Carlton Palmer, that many believed was not International material.
Photo From: World Soccer, June 1993
(John De Wolf and Les Ferdinand, April 28,
1993, World Cup Qualifier, England 2-Holland 2)
The Dutch were missing
Ronald Koeman and Ballon d’or Winner Marco Van Basten. Ruud Gullit was also far
from ideal in a season, where he had also been the victim of the extra-foreign
player rule.
Holland’s new star was
Ajax’s Dennis Bergkamp, on his way to the Serie A himself the following season
to Internazionale Milano.
He had impressed in the
1992 Euros and was becoming a global star.
Photo From: Soccer International,
Volume 4, Issue 8, August 1993
(Des Walker and Dennis Bergkamp, April 28,
1993, World Cup Qualifier, England 2-Holland 2)
For the match itself,
given their predicament, England came out more determined. The much-criticized John Barnes scored
from a free kick in the very first minute.
In the 23rd minute, England doubled
the lead, with Platt knocking in a rebound after Ferdinand’s shot had hit the post.
England seemed headed for a win but an injury to Gascoigne
would perhaps change England’s fortunes in this match.
Jan Wouters elbowed the
Gascoigne and fractured his cheekbone. He would wear a face protective mask for
the rest of the first half before being substituted.
Photo From: Het Nederlands Elftal, de
histoire van oranje, 1989-1995, Authors Matty Verkamman and Henk Mees
(Jan Wouters elbowing Paul Gascoigne, April
28, 1993, World Cup Qualifier, England 2-Holland 2)
The Dutch would take
advantage of this dis-array in England’s play by pulling a goal back in the 34th
minute with a brilliant volley through Dennis Bergkamp.
This goal gave the
Dutch some hope as England went into the break somewhat dejected after the
goal.
England held onto to
this slim lead until Walker gave away a penalty as he was unable to keep up
with the pace of Dutch winger and future Gunner Marc Overmars.
Photo From: World Soccer, September
1993
(Des Walker fouling Marc Overmars in the box,
April 28, 1993, World Cup Qualifier, England 2-Holland 2)
Peter van Vossen scored
from the ensuing penalty kick to earn the Dutch an important away point and
perhaps the psychological edge in the battle for qualification.
A distraught Taylor
told the media afterwards that he had felt like crying after a win eluded them
in the closing stages.
An opportunity had
slipped by England, at the time it did not feel immediately catastrophic, but
was clearly the start of the end of the qualification hopes, even if many
matches still remained.
Note:
1-In the Italian Serie A that season (1992/93), clubs
could have as many foreign players as they liked, but only three would be
authorized to feature on the teamsheet for a given match.
Questions
and Analysis
I have asked my friend and podcast partner Mr. Paul
Whittle of https://the1888letter.com/, @1888letter for his memories of this match.
Link to Mr. Paul
Whittle’s book (Before the Premier League: A History of the Football League's Last
Decades):
Soccernostalgia Question:Going into this match, what was
your pre-match feeling for the result?
Mr. Paul Whittle
@1888letter Response: I was certainly not too
optimistic, as England had never really been convincing under Graham Taylor,
and the Dutch were obviously one of the best teams in Europe at the time.
Soccernostalgia Question:Do you remember watching the
match?
Mr. Paul Whittle
@1888letter Response: I can’t actually remember
where I watched it, not at home as it was on Sky. I still watched most England
games, and with it being an important qualifier I would have seen it somewhere.
It hasn’t remained in the memory as strongly as the return game in Rotterdam…
Soccernostalgia Question:It was a match of contrasting
fortunes. Did you believe England could hold on after a (2-0) start or
cautious?
Mr. Paul Whittle
@1888letter Response: It was definitely one of
the better, if not the best, performances by England under Taylor and got off
to a great start but always cautious, especially against such dangerous
opposition.
Soccernostalgia Question:I assume Ruud Gullit and Rijkaard
would have been well-known in England, do you remember if Dennis Bergkamp was
known in England at the time?
Mr. Paul Whittle
@1888letter Response: He didn’t yet have the
profile he would later on, but he was known from his impact on the 1992 Euros
and as another outstanding young player produced by Ajax.
Soccernostalgia Question:The sight of Paul Gascoigne
playing with a protective mask is another indelible image of this match. What
are your thoughts on the clash with Wouters and had VAR been in use at the
time?
Mr. Paul Whittle
@1888letter Response: The game between the
countries at the 1990 World Cup really established Gascoigne on the
international stage, the Dutch would have known he was England’s main (if not
only) creative force by this time. Wouters was the obvious player to mark him
and only he knows if the elbow was deliberate. It didn’t look good – VAR and a
sending-off might have changed this result, and the group.
Soccernostalgia Question:Des Walker losing his foot race
with Marc Overmars is often referenced. Did you feel as well that he was no
longer the same player?
Mr. Paul Whittle
@1888letter Response: Yes, he seemed to lose so
much confidence during the season in Italy and it was very unusual to see him
outpaced. In hindsight, he might have tried to bring down Overmars before he
got into the penalty area!
Soccernostalgia Question:Did you feel at the time, this
was the reference point that England’s WC qualification hopes crashed?
(Bearing in mind, the loss vs. Norway
would be in June)
Mr. Paul Whittle
@1888letter Response: Qualification got off to
a bad start with the draw at Wembley against Norway, who were really England’s
main rivals for the second qualifying place as I think the Dutch would have
been clear favourites. However, dropping points after being 2-0 up was another
blow, and winning this game would have been a big boost.
Soccernostalgia Question:Historically, the return fixture
in October is much referenced for obvious reasons, but do you think by then the
die was already cast with this match in April?
Mr. Paul Whittle
@1888letter Response: To some extent, as I
think the confidence from a win over Holland can’t be underestimated.
Gascoigne’s injury was a disruptive factor too, but qualification was still in
England’s hands at this point. They never played as well again under Taylor,the
remaining performances (especially in Norway) were more and more disjointed, I
don’t think Taylor knew his best team or tactics.
Soccernostalgia Question:From a historical standpoint what
was the takeaway for England, vis-à-vis Graham Taylor’s reign? As a follow-up,
was that your opinion at the time as well?
Mr. Paul Whittle
@1888letter Response: It was a missed
opportunity to beat a major rival and get some confidence ahead of the rest of
the qualifiers. Graham Taylor unfortunately never seemed to fit as England
manager, even when winning you always felt a bad result or performance was just
around the corner. My feeling was (and is) that even had results gone their way
in the key games and they somehow qualified for the World Cup, it could have
been embarrassing.
Date: April 28, 1993
Competition: FIFA World Cup Qualifier-Group 2
Result: England 2-Holland 2
Venue: London - Wembley
Attendance: 73,163
Referee: Peter Mikkelsen (Denmark)
Kick-off
time:-
Goalscorers:
(England): John Barnes 1, David Platt 23
(Holland): Dennis Bergkamp 34, Peter van
Vossen 85 pen
Summary of goals:
1:0 (1st minute, England): John Barnes scored
from a free kick
2:0 (23rd minute,
England): From the middle, Gascoigne advanced and attempted a
combination play with Platt, he received the ball back, but mis-kicked and the
ball reached Ferdinand on the right shot, his ground-level shot hit the post
and Platt knocked in the rebound.
2:1 (34th minute,
Holland): From the middle, Wouters lobbed a ball at the edge of the box
and Bergkamp volleyed it first time.
2:2 (85th minute,
Holland): On the right side, Overmars advanced into the box before
being pulled down by Walker. Peter van Vossen scored from the ensuing penalty kick.
Lineups:
England:
1- Christopher Charles Eric
Woods (Sheffield Wednesday Football Club)
2- Lee Michael Dixon
(Arsenal Football Club-London)
6- Anthony Alexander Adams (Arsenal
Football Club-London)
3- Martin Raymond Keown (Arsenal Football
Club-London)
5- Desmond Sinclair Walker (Unione Calcio
Sampdoria-Genova / Italy)
4- Carlton Lloyd Palmer (Sheffield
Wednesday Football Club)
11- Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince (Manchester
United Football Club)
10- John Charles Bryan Barnes (Liverpool
Football Club)
7- David Andrew Platt (Juventus Football
Club-Torino / Italy)
8- Paul John Gascoigne (Società Sportiva
Lazio-Roma / Italy) (14-Paul Charles Merson (Arsenal Football
Club-London) 46)
9- Leslie Ferdinand (Queens Park
Rangers Football Club-London)
Coach: Graham Taylor
Booked: Martin Keown 74
Other Substitutes:
12-Nigel Howard Clough (Nottingham
Forest Football Club)
13-David Andrew Seaman (Arsenal Football
Club-London)
15-Lee Stuart Sharpe (Manchester
United Football Club)
16-Edward Paul ‘Teddy’ Sheringham
(Tottenham Hotspur Football Club-London)
Team Captain: David Platt
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Umbro
Uniform Colors: White Shirts, Navy
Blue Shorts, White Socks
Holland:
1- Eduard Franciscus ‘Ed’ de Goey
(Feyenoord Rotterdam)
2- Dirk Franciscus ‘Danny’ Blind
(Amsterdamse Football Club Ajax-Amsterdam)
3- Franciscus ‘Frank’ de Boer
(Amsterdamse Football Club Ajax-Amsterdam)
4- Jan Jacobus Wouters (Fußball-Club
Bayern München e.V. / Germany)
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