1984

[TijuanaTim]

Thinking about Steve Williams post Alan Ball and Mickey Channon etc got to thinking about Southampton's best ever team/season.

 

In my humble opinion, feel that it was quite clearly the 1983-84 campaign...what do you think about it and what do you think cost us winning one or even both major domestic trophies.

 

Here was our most regular starting XI

Shilts

Mills, Wright, Ruben, Psycho;

Holmes, Williams, Armstrong;

Danny W, Frank, Steve Moran:

 

Cannot help believe there were two factors:

1) Huge Frank Worthington fan, however despite enabling Danny and Steve Moran and displaying an enormous array of flicks, touches and supreme technique his contribution was more aesthetic than value-added...just a thought, but if we had managed to pick up some old goalscoring cf (Bob Latchford was available on a 'free') it may have been a good option...even if we had got Big Joe a few months earlier??

2) We had absolutely no depth, we were quite clearly the best footballing team in the nation...however one, let alone two injuries and we were fuct...do the words Kenny Armstrong mean anything to you? Curtis and the rest were ¢rap also...Big time team - small time club and set-up???

[krissyboy31]

Liverpool had David Fairclough to come off the bench. We had David Puckett!

[beatlesaint]

Thinking about Steve Williams post Alan Ball and Mickey Channon etc got to thinking about Southampton's best ever team/season.

 

In my humble opinion, feel that it was quite clearly the 1983-84 campaign...what do you think about it and what do you think cost us winning one or even both major domestic trophies.

 

Here was our most regular starting XI

Shilts

Mills, Wright, Ruben, Psycho;

Holmes, Williams, Armstrong;

Danny W, Frank, Steve Moran:

 

Cannot help believe there were two factors:

1) Huge Frank Worthington fan, however despite enabling Danny and Steve Moran and displaying an enormous array of flicks, touches and supreme technique his contribution was more aesthetic than value-added...just a thought, but if we had managed to pick up some old goalscoring cf (Bob Latchford was available on a 'free') it may have been a good option...even if we had got Big Joe a few months earlier??

2) We had absolutely no depth, we were quite clearly the best footballing team in the nation...however one, let alone two injuries and we were fuct...do the words Kenny Armstrong mean anything to you? Curtis and the rest were ¢rap also...Big time team - small time club and set-up???

 

Tend to agree with all that except your view on Alan Curtis. He was a good player, far far from crap

[NickG]

Frank Worthington was the last player who I asked for an autograph!

[saint_bert]

Dancing to electropop like a robot from?.

[The Majestic Channon]

Osher williams was another dodgy fringe player from that time, was he at saints in 84?

That was the season of being so agonizingly close to the league title and a cup final v watford, should half fit steve williams of played in the semi?

The cup run was fun visting farton, eawood and highbury on the way , the climax left a bitter taste in the mouth though.

[Badvoc]

what do you think about it and what do you think cost us winning one or even both major domestic trophies.

 

Failing to get the title was down to losing to Notts County home and away. From memory, weren't Liverpool uncatchable by early April anyway? Seem to remember we had an amazing run in(including the good fortune to play Spuds a few days before their UEFA cup final), but it was all academic quite early on because of the number of points L'pool had amassed. We were just playing catch up and finished much better than everybody else.

 

Re' the FA Cup, then some say playing Stevie Williams at Highbury was the reason. I was a bit too young to really remember but wasn't he carrying an injury? If that little sh*te Adrian Heath had not got that late winner, I am convinced we would have swept Watford aside in the Final...

[The Majestic Channon]

what do you think about it and what do you think cost us winning one or even both major domestic trophies.

 

Failing to get the title was down to losing to Notts County home and away. From memory, weren't Liverpool uncatchable by early April anyway? Seem to remember we had an amazing run in(including the good fortune to play Spuds a few days before their UEFA cup final), but it was all academic quite early on because of the number of points L'pool had amassed. We were just playing catch up and finished much better than everybody else.

 

Re' the FA Cup, then some say playing Stevie Williams at Highbury was the reason. I was a bit too young to really remember but wasn't he carrying an injury? If that little sh*te Adrian Heath had not got that late winner, I am convinced we would have swept Watford aside in the Final...

I'm pretty sure we beat Notts county away in the final match of the season and didn't we finish only 2 points behind liverpool?

As for heath :mad: christ he got some abuse the following tuesday at the dell.

[Tamesaint]

I'm pretty sure we beat Notts county away in the final match of the season .

 

I agree.

[Badvoc]

I'm pretty sure we beat Notts county away in the final match of the season and didn't we finish only 2 points behind liverpool?

As for heath :mad: christ he got some abuse the following tuesday at the dell.

 

Deffo 3 points behind L'pool.

 

Sorry mate, I stand corrected re' Notts County away (we did that 3-1 afterall). It was just at home that we lost (0-2), and they were relegated at the end of the season!!!

[Tamesaint]

I agree with the OP that Frank Worthington was our weak link that season. From memory, I think that he only scored 1 goal.

 

But what a great season it was. The cup run was magnificent. I think that we were drawn away from home every time & only needed 1 replay. Forest away in the 3 rd round was good as was Blackburn on a friday night but how could anything compare with the victory at nottarf krap ?? I have never witnessed such an atmosphere!! Pure hatred from the neanderthals!!

 

We were kept in for so long afterwards that Steve Moran came out onto the pitch for his MOTD interview and we were all still there. Brilliant!! I really hope that younger fans can experience the same joy with Saints.

[Fowllyd]

A great season indeed - certainly our best ever, or at least in my lifetime. A couple of points...

 

Once the team had settled, we played with three at the back - Reuben Agboola sweeping behind Holmes and Wright (an indication of Nick Holmes' ability was how well he adapted to that position). Mills and Dennis were as much midfielders as full backs (I remember Mick Mills saying as much in an interview at the time); Williams and Armstrong formed a pretty awesome central midfield partnership. That makes three up front, though you could argue that Frank Worthington actually played just behind Wallace and Moran. So, we had wing-backs and a player in the hole, well before those terms came into popular use!

 

We played some superb football; our defence was as good as I can remember it being, though I think we scored fewer goals than we had in previous seasons. I don't recall Allan Curtis being with us that season; he was a classy player, but had a lot of injury problems and never really looked as good for us as he had done for Swansea. I'd agree with TT about Kenny Armstrong though - and Ian Baird was our backup for Moran or Worthington!

 

A final word on Frank Worthington. I'll never forget his pass to Dennis in the build-up to Danny Wallace's first goal against Liverpool at the Dell (the BBC's goal of the season). Frank received the ball from Mark Wright in the centre circle, facing his own goal. He took one touch, then flicked it over his right shoulder with his left foot; the ball landed right in the path of Dennis, who was haring down the left wing. Hardly what I'd call a weak link.

[St Landrew]

Sadly not for us, but for one of Frank Worthington's many other clubs. But this was what he was all about. Bags of great touch and skill:

 

[TijuanaTim]

what do you think about it and what do you think cost us winning one or even both major domestic trophies.

 

Failing to get the title was down to losing to Notts County home and away. From memory, weren't Liverpool uncatchable by early April anyway? Seem to remember we had an amazing run in(including the good fortune to play Spuds a few days before their UEFA cup final), but it was all academic quite early on because of the number of points L'pool had amassed. We were just playing catch up and finished much better than everybody else.

 

Re' the FA Cup, then some say playing Stevie Williams at Highbury was the reason. I was a bit too young to really remember but wasn't he carrying an injury? If that little sh*te Adrian Heath had not got that late winner, I am convinced we would have swept Watford aside in the Final...

 

Losing at home to Notts County was pivotable...Chedoze and Justin Fashanu tore KENNY ARMSTRONG up for @rse paper...but we won there on a Thursday night after the rest of the league was over...I think we lost at home to both Nottingham clubs tho'

[St Landrew]

 

A final word on Frank Worthington. I'll never forget his pass to Dennis in the build-up to Danny Wallace's first goal against Liverpool at the Dell (the BBC's goal of the season). Frank received the ball from Mark Wright in the centre circle, facing his own goal. He took one touch, then flicked it over his right shoulder with his left foot; the ball landed right in the path of Dennis, who was haring down the left wing. Hardly what I'd call a weak link.

 

Couldn't agree more mate. Absolutely superb pass. I have it on Youtube. If you don't want to watch the lot, start the video from about 1m20s in:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olMkzxlU3ms

[Fan The Flames]

I remember the blackburn game on telly, for the beeb matches you could send away for the programme which arrived on the day of the match. Who else did we play on telly that year we seemed to always get chosen. I went to all Plymouth cup games that season (apart from the semi as my dad took my uncle, cheers dad) each cup draw we thought we would draw each other. We almost had the perfect final ruined by heath and jackett.

[Mustapha Fag]

I remember the blackburn game on telly, for the beeb matches you could send away for the programme which arrived on the day of the match. Who else did we play on telly that year we seemed to always get chosen. I went to all Plymouth cup games that season (apart from the semi as my dad took my uncle, cheers dad) each cup draw we thought we would draw each other. We almost had the perfect final ruined by heath and jackett.

 

I was there that night, not many of us but the noise was something, non stop singing from start to finish

Wasnt this also the year of the Sheffield Wednesday game on TV?

[TijuanaTim]

I was there that night, not many of us but the noise was something, non stop singing from start to finish

Wasnt this also the year of the Sheffield Wednesday game on TV?

 

Yeah, a friend of mine Shep was frisked by the old bill (and remember this was over 25 years ago) he several hundred sovs in cash, a dozen large cans of Carlsberg extra, a bottle of voddy and 200 Bensons...the old bemused looking Yorkie rozzer said something like "For Christ sake, you coming for the game or for a week...?"

[hutch]

I heard that Big Brother was watching, too.

[Fowllyd]

Couldn't agree more mate. Absolutely superb pass. I have it on Youtube. If you don't want to watch the lot, start the video from about 1m20s in:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olMkzxlU3ms

 

Wonderful - thanks for that. Nick Holmes' superb winner in the 3-2 victory against Liverpool at the Dell the previous season is on the same clip, between Keegan talking and Wallace's goal. Not that I needed to tell you that, of course! Now that 1983 game was an amazing match, won by a great goal.

 

And Worthington's wonder goal for the Trotters against Ipswich - I could watch that over and over. When asked about the goal afterwards, Frank said that he thought about passing back to the keeper, but decided to do the simple thing. Priceless.

[Badger]

A great season indeed - certainly our best ever, or at least in my lifetime.

 

Once the team had settled, we played with three at the back - Reuben Agboola sweeping behind Holmes and Wright

We played some superb football; our defence was as good as I can remember it being,

 

A final word on Frank Worthington. I'll never forget his pass to Dennis in the build-up to Danny Wallace's first goal against Liverpool at the Dell ..... Hardly what I'd call a weak link.

 

Yes,I recall we had a fairly patchy start to the season,and a bit of an injury crisis in October/November.Didn't we have to resort to playing Phil Kite in goal at one stage? Wasn't that the season he clattered into Mark Wright in a League Cup tie at Rotherham,a match we duly lost ?

 

Despite that,there were great times that season especially with Dennis,Agboola,Williams, Armstron,Moran and eventually Worthington.

 

Worthington was regarded when he first arrived as an over the hill name,and many fans were disgruntled by Lawrie signing him for £20,000 when Pompey had shelled out 'bigger' money for Mark Hately.Worthington eventually won everyone round,especially in the second half of the season,with some classy displays.

 

Remember the 'Frankie goes to Wembley' t-shirts ?

 

But for that little c^nt Heath.

[70's Mike]

hate to say it but Lawrie Mac lost us the FA Cup that season by playing Steve Williams in Semi Final, when he was not fit.

I do not think he played another game that season and the side went unbeaten in the last league games

[krissyboy31]

After the thread on the '76 cup run and who went to every game. I did it on this cup run, including the final (which unfortunately Saints didn't manage to match).

[Gemmel]

Thinking about Steve Williams post Alan Ball and Mickey Channon etc got to thinking about Southampton's best ever team/season.

 

In my humble opinion, feel that it was quite clearly the 1983-84 campaign...what do you think about it and what do you think cost us winning one or even both major domestic trophies.

 

Here was our most regular starting XI

Shilts

Mills, Wright, Ruben, Psycho;

Holmes, Williams, Armstrong;

Danny W, Frank, Steve Moran:

 

Cannot help believe there were two factors:

1) Huge Frank Worthington fan, however despite enabling Danny and Steve Moran and displaying an enormous array of flicks, touches and supreme technique his contribution was more aesthetic than value-added...just a thought, but if we had managed to pick up some old goalscoring cf (Bob Latchford was available on a 'free') it may have been a good option...even if we had got Big Joe a few months earlier??

2) We had absolutely no depth, we were quite clearly the best footballing team in the nation...however one, let alone two injuries and we were fuct...do the words Kenny Armstrong mean anything to you? Curtis and the rest were ¢rap also...Big time team - small time club and set-up???

 

If we could have kept Keegan for one more season, I think we would have been there. I'm not sure on my dates, but wasn't Keith Cassells part of that squad?

If he was then theres your answer, any squad with Cassells in was never going to win anything. He must have had some serious pictures of LM to even be let in the ground let alone play

 

I'm sure this is just an urban myth, but remember from the old board someone saying that if in the 83/ 84 season the points for a win were 3 points instead of two (As it was then - Changed the following season i think) we would have actually won the league - Any statos out there no anything about that

[ecuk268]

Remember standing behind the Milton Road goal on a sunny afternoon when we put 8 past Coventry who had in their team a very young Stuart Pearce. Hat tricks for Danny Wallace and Steve Moran.

 

Frank Worthington might not have scored many but he created an awful lot of chances for others. I would have loved him to have stayed but Lawrie didn't approve of his activities with the ladies.

[redkeith]

I went to every single game that year, home and away, the only time I did a whole season.

 

Looking back, I used to think that it was Notts County at home that cost us the title, but it was probably the Cup run.

 

After the replay against Wednesday, Lawrie rested loads of players, and we lost at Everton and QPR. Four points from those games, and the top spot could have been ours.

 

Mind you, after the Semi defeat we were mid table, and it was probably the hurt of that loss that spurred us on, starting with the 3-1 revenge on Everton 3 days later. I don't think I can remember a night at the Dell where everyone was so up for it, baying for blood. I doubt if Everton won a 50-50 all night.

 

Looking back, we were probably not quite good enough to win the league, but the cup should have been ours. I still blame the groundsman at Highbury. A late bobble put Wallace's shot on the post and a weird bounce when straight to Heath for the goal. If only ..

[sotongomad76]

If we could have kept Keegan for one more season, I think we would have been there. I'm not sure on my dates, but wasn't Keith Cassells part of that squad?

If he was then theres your answer, any squad with Cassells in was never going to win anything. He must have had some serious pictures of LM to even be let in the ground let alone play

 

I'm sure this is just an urban myth, but remember from the old board someone saying that if in the 83/ 84 season the points for a win were 3 points instead of two (As it was then - Changed the following season i think) we would have actually won the league - Any statos out there no anything about that

 

Think it is an urban myth. It was 3 points for a win that season- rule had come in around 81-82.

[Fuengirola Saint]

what do you think about it and what do you think cost us winning one or even both major domestic trophies.

 

Failing to get the title was down to losing to Notts County home and away. From memory, weren't Liverpool uncatchable by early April anyway? Seem to remember we had an amazing run in(including the good fortune to play Spuds a few days before their UEFA cup final), but it was all academic quite early on because of the number of points L'pool had amassed. We were just playing catch up and finished much better than everybody else.

 

Re' the FA Cup, then some say playing Stevie Williams at Highbury was the reason. I was a bit too young to really remember but wasn't he carrying an injury? If that little sh*te Adrian Heath had not got that late winner, I am convinced we would have swept Watford aside in the Final...

 

We beat Notts county away to clinch second place, we lost to Forest at home as well though.

[Lets B Avenue]

hate to say it but Lawrie Mac lost us the FA Cup that season by playing Steve Williams in Semi Final, when he was not fit.

I do not think he played another game that season and the side went unbeaten in the last league games

 

Williams got injured in the Sheff Wed replay and we didnt win any of the next 3 games. QPR + Everton away and Leicester home. It was essential that he played at Highbury, although I always felt that Lawrie should have substituted him during the second half.

[The9]

A final word on Frank Worthington. I'll never forget his pass to Dennis in the build-up to Danny Wallace's first goal against Liverpool at the Dell (the BBC's goal of the season). Frank received the ball from Mark Wright in the centre circle, facing his own goal. He took one touch, then flicked it over his right shoulder with his left foot; the ball landed right in the path of Dennis, who was haring down the left wing. Hardly what I'd call a weak link.

 

To be fair, it was basically a massive hoof, in line with most football of the era.

[SO5 4BW]

I think the main problem was that the mindset was that we could win the cup and probably qualify for the UEFA cup, but the league wasn't really on our radar.

 

Twice that I can think of we chose cup over league - the game against Forest at home was rearranged so that Steve Williams could serve a suspension then rather then miss a cup game. We lost. Against Everton away Lawrie rested Williams, Dennis and Worthington (I think!) as they would have missed the next cup game if booked. We lost.

 

All part of having a small squad I suppose - although by the latter part of the season Golac & Curtis were both quality additions to the regular XI

 

No doubt that it was our best ever season though - and the reason was that it was the only season when we had a decent defence (only time less than one goal conceded per game in the top flight). People have happy memories of the Keegan/Channon/Ball team - me included - but the '84 team was better because of the likes of Mills, Holmes, Wright and the incomparable Shilton

[The9]

Think it is an urban myth. It was 3 points for a win that season- rule had come in around 81-82.

 

Saints

1983-84 D1 42 22 11 9 66 38 77

Liverpool

1983-84 D1 42 22 14 6 73 32 80

 

It's definitely an urban myth as we won the same number of games !

[SO5 4BW]

Ha ha ha - you really are joking aren't you? In the unlikely event that you're not - when did the hoofing era stop then? I loved Matty's couple of hoofed clearances in that sky game against Newcastle in 1993....

[St Landrew]

To be fair, it was basically a massive hoof, in line with most football of the era.

 

Clueless..! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olMkzxlU3ms

[The9]

Ha ha ha - you really are joking aren't you? In the unlikely event that you're not - when did the hoofing era stop then? I loved Matty's couple of hoofed clearances in that sky game against Newcastle in 1993....

 

No, I'm serious, it was a no-look thwack [edit: it wasn't ] into the general vicinity of an overlapping full back who he knew would probably be there, the kind of pass about half of any given parks team could perform, and the sort of general long pass and high-speed endeavouring that still worked at the time when conceding possession didn't matter as the other team would give it back a few moments later anyway.

 

The only skill in that was in not booting it off the pitch. As a generalisation, the hoofing era ended circa 1990, except for Wimbledon. Partially linked to England playing a more passing game at international level after getting embarrassed by Ireland being better at hoofball than them in Euro88 - and more importantly the change in the backpass rule which meant fewer keeper-based launches to base a gameplan around.

 

THIS is a Frank Worthington "pass" worth appreciating :

Edited 8 December, 2009 by The9

[The9]

Clueless..! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olMkzxlU3ms

 

Well, okay, it was a better pass than I remember, and he did have a look - but it still wasn't anything special until the overhead kick. I think I was thinking of a different over the shoulder pass.

 

I also noted the nice long distance shot at about 1:17 of that video that came from 2 25 yard headers without the ball bouncing which supports my hoofball era theory nicely...

Edited 8 December, 2009 by The9

[MbaleSaint]

I was there that night, not many of us but the noise was something, non stop singing from start to finish

Wasnt this also the year of the Sheffield Wednesday game on TV?

 

I was also at Blackburn and thought there was a good turnout for a Friday night match live on the BBC.

 

It's a bit misleading to say we only finished three points behind Liverpool and, therefore, just missed out on the title, because we played our last three matches (all away, I think) after Liverpool had completed their fixtures.

 

Still it was a great season. Have to agree that Worthington was not as good as some people seem to suggest he was. A few more goals from his shirt and it may all have been very different.

[MbaleSaint]

As a generalisation, the hoofing era ended circa 1990, except for Wimbledon.

 

Not true. Saints played the best flowing, passing football I have seen (in 35 years of watching) in the eighties and have rarely reached those standards since.

[TopGun]

We did lose at home to Notts County and Nottm Forest but we lost a total of nine games that season. I have a feeling we lost to West Ham at home as well that season. If that is the case I was there for all those defeats.

[SO5 4BW]

No, I'm serious, it was a no-look thwack [edit: it wasn't ] into the general vicinity of an overlapping full back who he knew would probably be there, the kind of pass about half of any given parks team could perform, and the sort of general long pass and high-speed endeavouring that still worked at the time when conceding possession didn't matter as the other team would give it back a few moments later anyway.

 

The only skill in that was in not booting it off the pitch. As a generalisation, the hoofing era ended circa 1990, except for Wimbledon. Partially linked to England playing a more passing game at international level after getting embarrassed by Ireland being better at hoofball than them in Euro88 - and more importantly the change in the backpass rule which meant fewer keeper-based launches to base a gameplan around.

 

 

It was against Liverpool - who were European champions that season and the one English team absolutely schooled in the style of keeping possession

 

Worthington did something similar in the build up to the winning goal at Fratton that season - the goal was in reverse - Worthington played the ball over his shoulder with his right foot for Armstrong to run onto and cross with his right, to Moran to put in with his left. Still sends shivers....

[WGC Saint]

I started supporting Saints in the early 80's having moved down with my parents from Tottenham and remember this season well.

 

Without a doubt our best season in my living memory (I was too young and lived in London in 1976) but this season could match it....albeit in very different league!

 

Funnily enough I have a laminated team photo from the 83/84 season on my desk and refer to it as the best Saints team ever.

 

Happy memories........

[St Landrew]

It was against Liverpool - who were European champions that season and the one English team absolutely schooled in the style of keeping possession

 

Worthington did something similar in the build up to the winning goal at Fratton that season - the goal was in reverse - Worthington played the ball over his shoulder with his right foot for Armstrong to run onto and cross with his right, to Moran to put in with his left. Still sends shivers....

 

Don't just talk about it:

[Fowllyd]

As a generalisation, the hoofing era ended circa 1990, except for Wimbledon. Partially linked to England playing a more passing game at international level after getting embarrassed by Ireland being better at hoofball than them in Euro88 - and more importantly the change in the backpass rule which meant fewer keeper-based launches to base a gameplan around.

 

Look at the more successful English teams of the era in question - Liverpool and Forest to name but two - and you'll see very little, if any, hoofing going on. A long-ball craze gained some ground in the early eighties, when Watford got promoted to the first division and stayed for a few seasons playing that way. They were emulated by a few other sides, most notably Wimbledon and Sheffield Wednesday. In the replay against Wednesday in 1984 they played their usual highly muscular long-ball game; we passed the ball around them and won 5-1. Saints did indulge in hoofball under Branfoot, but had never done so prior to that.

 

I also noted the nice long distance shot at about 1:17 of that video that came from 2 25 yard headers without the ball bouncing which supports my hoofball era theory nicely...

 

You'll see long-distance headers just like those throughout the game now, just as you did then. It's a question of whether that type of play is the rule or the exception; for both teams in that particular clip it was very much the latter. The best part of the clip (obviously enough) is Nick Holmes bringing the ball under control and curling a shot round Brucie from miles out.

Edited 8 December, 2009 by Fowllyd

[Hatch]

Not only was it our best season, I think it was the only year I completed the Panini Sticker album.

[Hatch]

http://www.craigcullen.co.uk/asp/club84.asp?club=Southampton

 

as luck would have it, someone has put them online

[Kenilworthy]

At Highbury for the semi-final I was sat right behind the dugout and Lawrie had Puckett stripped and ready to come on for Williams but just couldn't make his mind up to do it. My main memory is of the final three away games in the Midlands in a week - Birmingham Saturday, West Brom Monday, Notts County Thursday.

 

At West Brom in front of a tiny home crowd the game seemed to be heading for a 0-0 draw. Then we had an attack and you could clearly hear Mick Mills shout 'we can win this'. We duly won 2-0.

 

What was most pleasing was that according to the press the title was between Liverpool and Manchester United. And that's how the VHS video of the season's highlights 'Race for the Championship' bills it. Thanks to us and Forest, United became the first team ever to finish fourth in a two-horse race.

[The9]

Look at the more successful English teams of the era in question - Liverpool and Forest to name but two - and you'll see very little, if any, hoofing going on. A long-ball craze gained some ground in the early eighties, when Watford got promoted to the first division and stayed for a few seasons playing that way. They were emulated by a few other sides, most notably Wimbledon and Sheffield Wednesday. In the replay against Wednesday in 1984 they played their usual highly muscular long-ball game; we passed the ball around them and won 5-1. Saints did indulge in hoofball under Branfoot, but had never done so prior to that.

 

You'll see long-distance headers just like those throughout the game now, just as you did then. It's a question of whether that type of play is the rule or the exception; for both teams in that particular clip it was very much the latter. The best part of the clip (obviously enough) is Nick Holmes bringing the ball under control and curling a shot round Brucie from miles out.

 

Can't disagree with the first bit - other than that the craze lasted for getting on for about 10 years and basically included any teams who couldn't play football, which was most of them. Thinking about it, the pitches can't have helped the passing as they were still pretty poor back then.

 

Even that passing Saints side still played a very high tempo "balls into space behind the full-backs" game (usually with Dennis hurtling in), whilst most other sides were just "helping it on to the big man". Most of the teams of the day would be happy to whack it into space out wide and swing it in the area, and Liverpool were no different, though they tended to cross low for Rush. Like Saints, they also had the ability to pass down the middle, which a lot of other sides didn't.

 

Someone else mentioned that Liverpool and Forest were the kings of possession. I have strong memories of a lot of Liverpool's possession being of the nature of Hansen to Grobbelaar to Hansen to Grobbelaar...

[The9]

Not only was it our best season, I think it was the only year I completed the Panini Sticker album.

 

Football 1981 for me... my grandad found a load of boxes of unsold stickers in his shop's storeroom a few years later and I got the lot, found the album in a cupboard at my nan's and it took me about 4 hours to open all the packs in order to get that last one or two... I had about 3 albums' worth of doublers by then too.

[The9]

http://www.craigcullen.co.uk/asp/club84.asp?club=Southampton

 

as luck would have it, someone has put them online

 

Finding the option to search on "facial hair" on the home page extremely amusing.

[Winnersaint]

That game against Everton was some performance following so closely from the semi defeat. cue abuse of John Bailey also!