Going Live - 1984-1985

In an earlier entry, I discussed the first season of live league football, 1983-1984. The second year of the two year deal again saw 14 live games, seven on each of BBC and ITV, to be screened on Fridays and Sundays respectively.

 

Again I must point out how strange it is that this was at the time an exciting novelty, and that it was only ten league games and four FA Cup games, which compares to 154 Premiership games and 37 FA Cup live games that we see on the box this season.

 

Looking at the list of game shown, for obvious reasons, the channels have selected games by the bigger teams that they think will be of interest to neutral fans. Only three games do not feature either Liverpool or Manchester United, most games feature two 'big' teams and all have one. Three of the four cup ties are selected with a potential upset in mind.

 

The end of the season saw an all-time low in British football. The Bradford fire disaster and then hooliganism reaching its height at Luton, Birmingham and Heysel stadium which led to the English club expulsion from Europe. In these uncertain times, a TV deal had not yet been put in place for the next season, with disastrous consequences as we will see.

 

Friday 31 August 1984              Chelsea 0 Everton 1 (BBC)

Friday 12 October 1984             Tottenham Hotspur 1 Liverpool 0 (BBC)
Sunday 28 October 1984           Nottingham Forest 0 Liverpool 2 (ITV)
Friday 2 November 1984           Manchester United 4 Arsenal 2 (BBC)
Sunday 18 November 1984       Newcastle United 0 Liverpool 2 (ITV)
Sunday 25 November 1984       Sheffield Wednesday 2 Arsenal 1 (ITV)
Friday 21 December 1984         Queens Park Rangers 0 Liverpool 2 (BBC)
Friday 4 January 1985              Leeds 0 Everton 2 (FA Cup 3rd Round) (BBC)
Sunday 27 January 1985           Liverpool 1 Tottenham Hotspur 0 (FA Cup 4th Round) (ITV)
Friday 15 February 1985           Blackburn Rovers 0 Manchester United 2 (FA Cup 5th Round) (BBC)
Sunday 10 March 1985             Barnsley 0 Liverpool 4 (FA Cup 6th Round) (ITV)
Friday 15 March 1985               West Ham United 2 Manchester United 2 (BBC)
Sunday 31 March 1985             Liverpool 0 Manchester United 1 (ITV)
Sunday 21 April 1985               Luton Town 2 Manchester United 1 (ITV)

Backpass - Issue 33 - Orient v Chelsea 1972

If you are a fan of retro football, then I can strongly recommend the excellent magazine - Backpass. Some excellent articles and features hit the spot.

One suggestion I could make would for it to come with a DVD showing some footage referred to in the magazine, but not only would this add to production costs - and the price of the mag - but there would be some rights issues.

Fortunately we have youtube and the kind people who donate to it, and it is using this which gives me the first of my links.

In Issue 33 (Christmas/New Year 2013-14) there is a feature 'Great TV Goals of the 1970s' and refers to the FA Cup 5th round match 1972 between the glamorous Chelsea side away to the less glamorous Orient over to the other side of London. Match Of The Day was there, doubtless hoping for an upset, and got one with second division Orient coming from two down to win 3-2. Orient's first by Phil Hoadley being the great TV goal referred to.

Here are some highlights from that game, unfortunately in black and white and not great quality. Note the very 70s muddy pitch. This was the lead game on Match Of The Day followed by other cup ties Cardiff 0-2 Leeds and Man Utd 0-0 Middlesbrough.

In the next round of the cup, the quarter finals, Orient again drew a big London side at home, but this time lost to Arsenal 1-0.