Youtube Blowout 3: Ajax and Best
It’s difficult to pick on one moment that exemplifies the Dutch moment in football. Two successive World Cup Final defeats were more than they deserved, and perhaps their 1974 demolition of then-champions Brazil is a better choice. Or the evening they ran riot at Wembley. But for atmosphere and feel, step down to the club game, and enjoy this:
Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player Manchester United have had since Best. But George Best wasn’t just skill: there was so much warmth, fun, charisma. Some courage, too, although nothing to what Ronaldo and Beckham have had to come up with to survive the neckless bigots who throng the English game. Best’s greatest moment came in the NASL, of course, and Europe had to settle for his performance in the ‘65 game against Benfica away. It’s hard to find this on Youtube, but it’s here, about halfway through.
Youtube Blowout 2: Old Favourites Rehashed
Repeated because I like them. First up, India’s 1936 hockey team demolish the Nazis:
So does Jessie Owens. There he is, at the end, in colour, streaking away as if by doing so he could on his own prevent everything we know was to happen from happening…
In far better days, England’s second greatest ever international squad play Brazil’s second greatest ever international squad. For me, this is all about the brilliant sunshine of that late sixties-early seventies period, that I remember so well coming through the hair of miniskirted blondes leaning into my pram to tickle my nose:
The 1953 England team establish that passion and commitment win out over skill and intelligence every time except this one:
Youtube Blowout 1: Brian Clough
The BEST Clough clip has been pulled by ITV. A pointless step backwards by them; it was only about two minutes long after all. But this is a fine substitute, with some very rare material:
Celtic v Inter: 1967 European Cup Final in Colour
A large chunk, amounting to about one-tenth of the entire game, of Celtic’s ‘67 triumph, which took place in one of the most beautiful arenas then used for football.
The same game watched first in black and white, then in colour, is faster, more skilful and less muddy the second time around. The moral of this for managers and coaches is, encourage your teams to play in colour.
A few weeks earlier, this:
1954 World Cup Final : Hungary v West Germany
It was the most important World Cup Final in European football history - and the most meaningful for the country that won. For the neutral, a Final has never been more dramatic or emotional. Here is a largely successful colourization of the Final, which illustrates just how distancing and alienating black and white film can be. That one change out of greyscale makes it “look like football” in the way we’d understand it today:
And here, in four parts, is the bulk of that Final, along with what seems to be the original German radio commentary. About which, plus ca change.
Part one:
Part Two:
Part Three:
Part Four:
I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ll reiterate - for what it’s worth - that on this evidence, the Hungarian complaints, about disallowed goals, goalkeeper obstruction and offside, seem bottomless.
A Football Folksong
The blog’s not dead: I’m just very busy at the moment, happily stitching my life back together. New career to build, and all that. And I have what I think is the best post of this place’s history bubbling away in the background. You’ll like it - but it’s long.
In the meantime, I have a song for you, and with it, a challenge : listen once, and see if you can get the tune out of your head before the end of the week. It’s a Geordie thing -
I don’t hold myself responsible for the accompanying images, btw., for obvious reasons. Catchy tune, though.
West Ham 2 Manchester United 1
A great game - victory for the underdogs, plenty of skill on display, and a crowd riot at the end.
But you won’t find the highlights at 101 Great Goals. They’re here instead:
Scottish Football in 1973
It was no small peak: the national side made it to the World Cup Finals for the first time since 1958, and took a genuinely competitive squad. Holland aside, it’s hard to identify who, really, were better than Scotland player for player at that time. Rangers were European Cup Winners Cup holders, and Celtic still had the pre-crash Jock Stein at the helm.
This German documentary (in English) ought to be an out and out celebration, then:
Late in the year, Scotland played a friendly at Hampden against the hosts of the forthcoming tournament, West Germany. Netzer and Beckenbauer against Bremner and a young, young Dalglish. You’ll have to watch it if you can’t remember the score:
Gordon Banks
A beautiful video tribute to Gordon Banks:
You can read more about Don Mullan’s brilliant Banks biography here.
Sir Stanley Matthews Scores For Stoke City
Pretty much what it says on the tin.
