Great Teams
Great Football League Teams 25: Swansea City, 1978-79
Quite frankly, I’m past being irritated with labels like “the first team from outside England to compete in the Premier League” but I’ll still admit to a pang of annoyance at the “It began in 1992” brigade. For Swansea City’s heady and miraculous march to the top division of the late seventies still seems fresh in my memory - even taking into account Huw Richards’ confession in his marvellous
…Great Football League Teams 24: Chelsea, 1983-4
The early eighties were torrid for Chelsea. A decade or so on from their greatest triumph – a Cup Winners Cup victory over Real Madrid in Athens - the club was marooned in Division Two, beset by financial trouble, hooliganism and low gates. Barely more than 8,000 had turned out at the Bridge for a game against Cambridge United in 1982, Paul Canoville was booed on his debut and a
…Great Football League Teams 23: Middlesbrough, 1986-7
Number 23 in our Great Teams series features a club that has virtually come full circle since the tumultuous events of 1986/87. Significant to the fans, ignored nationally, yet this is a tale of survival against the odds and ultimately triumph. For more about Middlesbrough than anyone could ever need, please visit Smog Blog.
We now know for certain that the 25th anniversary of Middlesbrough’s liquidation won’t repeat the …
Great Football League Teams 22: Wycombe Wanderers, 2000-1
Number 22 in our Great Teams series features a club who for most of their life competed outside the Football League. Wycombe Wanderers were always non-league royalty and hence it was no surprise to see them promoted into the top four divisions once the madness of re-election was done away with. Here, the multi-talented Kerry Andrew, curator of two superb blogs, Fever Bitch and De-Composing, pens an ode to
…Great Football League Teams 21: Sunderland 2006-7
Our Great Teams series reaches its adulthood with a look back to Roy Keane’s Sunderland stars of 2006-7, our second analysis of a Black Cats line up. Things haven’t gone too swimmingly for the seafood-averse Irishman since then, but Michael Graham of the splendid Roker Report website and deviser of that website’s Captain’s Blog feature reminds us here of how dominant that Mackems side was that year:
Sunderland fans
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