Footballing Myths

[Dennisons Wrong Foot]

The above has a lot of myths attached to it, even John Motson patronising comments are completely wrong.
Zaire qualified on merit ahead of Morocco, they were also ACN champions at the time.
Backdrop to this was Zaire was under the dictatorship of Mobutu at the time.
Zaire played Scotland first and lost 2-0 but caused Scotland a lot of nervy moments.
Mobutu was heavily pissed off tho all the funds that had been put aside for players whilst in Germany vanished. They initially refused to play Yugoslavia in the second due to this only because of threats to family back home did they play but were not arsed and lost 9-0.
The final game v Brazil was a dead rubber for them and they were threatened if they lost more than 3-0.
They lost by that scoreline, the player who kicked the ball away Ilunga Mwepo was very vocal in the players protest and it was believed he want to get sent off in a way of protest.
What it does is it puts the myth to bed that the Zaire players didn’t know the rules and were at the World Cup on some sort of charity qualification.

Scotland, Yugoslavia, and Brazil drew their matches against each other, so scores against Zaire determined who qualified for the next phase. Scotland were unlucky to play Zaire first - Brazil knew they only had to better 2-0 to go through. Scotland ended up as the only team not to lose a game in the tournament, but could not get out of the first group phase.

 

[Alan]

Scotland, Yugoslavia, and Brazil drew their matches against each other, so scores against Zaire determined who qualified for the next phase. Scotland were unlucky to play Zaire first - Brazil knew they only had to better 2-0 to go through. Scotland ended up as the only team not to lose a game in the tournament, but could not get out of the first group phase.

Didn't something similar happen with New Zealand in 2010?

 

[Kenny]

Didn't something similar happen with New Zealand in 2010?

Yep. Played 3, drew 3, went home

 

[Tony Towner]

England played 5 games in 82 without defeat W3 D2

 

[jd1981]

The way people delete and distort history in football to suit their own argument. Seen it a lot this week with Grealish going to Man City.
Numerous people saying that City have no history it’s mainly from fans of Villa, Liverpool and Man Utd.
Common statement is “before the oil money they’d won nothing” firstly not true secondly why do people delete the last 12 years?
All of Cities trophies since are part of their history.
Another is “if it wasn’t for the money City would be a nothing club” we’ll they have and obviously Sheikh Mansoor saw something worth investing in.
Firstly history doesn’t have to exist in black and white images or pre the year 2000.
It’s a huge myth that’s portrayed also that City had a small fan base prior to all this. Their crowds generally throughout history have been very healthy.

 

[Sniffer]

The way people delete and distort history in football to suit their own argument. Seen it a lot this week with Grealish going to Man City.
Numerous people saying that City have no history it’s mainly from fans of Villa, Liverpool and Man Utd.
Common statement is “before the oil money they’d won nothing” firstly not true secondly why do people delete the last 12 years?
All of Cities trophies since are part of their history.
Another is “if it wasn’t for the money City would be a nothing club” we’ll they have and obviously Sheikh Mansoor saw something worth investing in.
Firstly history doesn’t have to exist in black and white images or pre the year 2000.
It’s a huge myth that’s portrayed also that City had a small fan base prior to all this. Their crowds generally throughout history have been very healthy.

Thought exactly the same when reading comments earlier in the week. I’ve always thought of City as similar to us in terms of history except with a bigger following. Vile fans complaining about City’s successes due to their owners seem to love bragging about their own billionaire owners.

 

[Paul]

Mate I spent 20 years trapped in an office with a Villa STH there's only so many times you can hear the 'Gary Shaw to Tony Morley to Peter Withe 1982 story'

 

[WolfmanOz]

Up until the Sky Greed 6 domination (ie say the last 15 years), I'd have had Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal and Everton as heading the list of the biggest clubs in England for consistency, largely across the 20th century.

Following that 4, the next group would consist of Spurs, Man City, Newcastle, Sunderland, Aston Villa and ourselves (Wolves).

Take out the Abramovich years, Chelsea have been a trendy club but not overly successful (apart from the early 70s).

 

[jd1981]

You can dissect a clubs history and shift timelines to make them look bigger or smaller.
Example Liverpool prior to the early 60’s were a nothing club who’s trophy haul was tiny.
Leeds grand history spans most over a 11 year period and have more seasons out the top flight than in it.
More than 50% of Villa trophies came before WW1.
Wolves have won more league titles since the end of WW1 than the whole of the West Midlands combined.
Newcastle no trophy in over 50 years.
There’s 2 clubs that have very big status and I really struggle to see why. Won’t take much guessing who one plays in East London the other in North London.

 

[jd1981]

Wasn’t sure where to post this but just seen the highlights of Netherlands 2-0 England WCQ 1993 I remember watching it but erased just how incompetent the referee was that night.
The big one of course is Platt being in on goal and dragged down by Koemen on the edge or inside the area today it would be deemed a continuation foul and penalty. Ref gives only a yellow because he thought it wasn’t deliberate, even back then that was irrelevant.
Also the resulting free kick Dutch players are allowed to charge down the free kick.
3 minutes later Dutch get a free kick in the same position England players charge it down it’s ordered to be retaken. The retaken free kick is scored by Koemen.
Bergkamp makes it 2-0 with a clear control of his arm also.
To balance things up Dutch have a goal probably wrongly ruled out for offside.

 

[Tony Towner]

I went to that game...it was lively

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I remember it pretty well. England were probably slightly the better side for chunks of the game. Blaming non qualification on it seems to ignore that England should have done better in other group games.

 

[Sniffer]

I went to that game...it was lively

I didn’t make it out of the train station by the ground.

 

[Sniffer]

I remember it pretty well. England were probably slightly the better side for chunks of the game. Blaming non qualification on it seems to ignore that England should have done better in other group games.

Should have beaten them at home. I think we were 2 up and qualification wouldn’t have relied on a result there.

 

[Tony Towner]

I didn’t make it out of the train station by the ground.

We went straight to Rotterdam from Harwich so didn't have the Amsterdam issues beforehand and went to Amsterdam afterwards. Went to Palace away on the way back, think we drew 1 1

 

[jd1981]

To add Brian Moore commentary is of the highest level. “ he’s going to flick one, he’s going to flick one” seconds before Kidman scored. Not by chance apparently Moore watched Koeman practicing that exact free just after the press conference the day before the game.

 

[Sniffer]

Quite jovial In Amsterdam on the Monday, went to Utrecht for the u21s on the Tuesday. Listening to the game on the Wednesday in Dutch, under guard on coaches at a military barracks wasn’t the best way to follow the game. Stupid thing was that I joined the England Travel club hoping to get tickets but the details required in the application form put me off of applying. Spoke to loads who got tickets by bullshitting who weren’t members.
Yes I was at Palace too for the Sunday afternoon fixture. Can’t remember who scored but were Regis and Simkin playing?

 

[jd1981]

Apart from the last game in the group the rest were played as and when you can in midweek periods no international breaks then I think.
Biggest damage was done in the early summer of that year and two awful away performances 1-1 in Poland and being taken apart by Norway in Oslo 3 days later

 

[jd1981]

Quite jovial In Amsterdam on the Monday, went to Utrecht for the u21s on the Tuesday. Listening to the game on the Wednesday in Dutch, under guard on coaches at a military barracks wasn’t the best way to follow the game. Stupid thing was that I joined the England Travel club hoping to get tickets but the details required in the application form put me off of applying. Spoke to loads who got tickets by bullshitting who weren’t members.
Yes I was at Palace too for the Sunday afternoon fixture. Can’t remember who scored but were Regis and Simkin playing?

Wasn’t that the same season we had to play Tranmere away on 27/12 & Oxford Home on 28/12 picking up 4 points?

 

[Sniffer]

Wasn’t it Peterborough over Christmas? Seemed to think it was big Cyrilles only goal for us.