AK90S get into the Euros spirit by reliving the wonderful summer of 1996 and the tournament that was Euro 96. Ash Rose is joined by regular and freelance football writer Richard Buxton, writer and author Roger Domenghetti and an author who’s literally written the book on the tournament Michael Gibbons. The team chat through the build-up and group stages of the tournament and are joined on the phone by Statto himself Angus Longhran
A West Twelve Media and JKR Media production
1
You still believe that 4-4-2, and 3-5-2 are the most functional formations. Seeing a team come on to the pitch without a striker in a ‘false 9’ is basically your idea of hell.
2
To you Alan Hansen was on the only pundit who made some actual sense – despite his famous ‘You won’t win anything with kids’ quip. Even Trevor Brooking seemed more knowledgeable than some of today’s tired lot.
3
You’re adamant no one can quite commentate on a game like Brian Moore, Barry Davies or Tony Gubba. While John Motson isn’t nowhere as good as he used to be.
4
When you hear Ronaldo, your first reference is the phenomenon who played for Brazil. R9, not CR7.
5
Despite playing for six Premier League clubs and winning 18 England caps, you still think of Scott Parker as that boy in the McDonalds advert.
6
Even though it’s not accepted anymore, you can’t waive the undying urge to collect Premier League stickers in 2016. However, you’re quids-in when it’s tournament time and everyone else is doing it.
7
Your Christmas isn’t complete without someone buying you the Shoot Annual. Even if you only open it once on Boxing Day.
8
You think today’s football kits are just too boring. What happened to the ‘bruised bananas’ and tiger print? Why does it feel like all the clubs have the same kit, just in different colours?
9
Even though it’s one the most defensive tournaments ever, you can’t be swayed by saying how Italia 90 was the best ever World Cup. Only USA 94 comes close.
10
You have no problem seeing a two-footed challenge, after all you were quite happy in an era that included Vinnie Jones and Terry Hurlock.
11
Friday Night Games are just plain wrong. Monday Night Football is where it’s at, even if you miss the cheerleaders and dancing Sumo wrestlers.
12
The only matchday shirt you ever consider wearing is your replica away shirt from 1994. None of this ‘retro range’ knock-offs, the real thing – even if it’s a bit snug.
13
Blackburn, Leeds, Coventry all still feel like top-flight clubs to you, even if it’s been years since all three were top-tier teams.
14
You’re still trying to recreate Rene Higuita’s Scorpion Kick whenever you’re put in goal. That moment will come.
15
For you the FA Cup Semi-Finals being played at Wembley is sacrilegious; it should always be only the final.
16
Talking of Wembley, you much prefer the twin towers stadium to that arch. Who cares if the toilets were a mess and there were 20,000 less seats.
17
You know that the reason the Europa League is seen as such a secondary tournament is because they got rid of the Cup winners Cup. True Thursday football.
18
FIFA was so much more fun when you could foul the keeper, and play with the EA All Stars. Ken Law, was a superstar.
19
You still say CHAMPIONSHIP Manager or ‘Champs’. Not Football Manager, even if it’s the same game.
20
Young players getting England caps after three good months seems ridiculous, when you recall how long Alan Shearer had to wait.
21
All players should wearing black boots, and they should be Predator’s, Tiempos or Puma Kings. Coloured boots are what Valsport should be blamed for.
22
You shouldn’t treat the League Cup with distain; you should bring back the Zenith Data Systems Cup.
23
Whenever you see a player make an almighty gaffe you are still sure it will end up on the next Danny Baker VHS.
24
League Ladders are a must at the start of every season, and it has to be the ones from Match magazine.
25
You think it should be compulsory for teams to record FA Final songs, no matter how bad they are. Where would be without ‘Blue Day’ and ‘C’mon You Reds’.
26
Whenever you see someone in a bad suit, you compare it to the cream threads worn by Liverpool at the 1996 FA Cup Final.
27
Coke-a-Cola, Rumbelows and Worthington seem to roll-off the tounge better than Capital One when talking about the League Cup.
28
You haven’t made it until you’ve been made into a Corinthian Football Figure. That’s the dream.
29
No one needed Sky Sports News when we had Clubcall for every team in the Football League.
30
The days of waiting for Teletext to turn to the page your team’s score on seems so much more of achievement than just checking Twitter.
31
‘Do I Not Like That’ is still a very much an important part of your vocabulary.
32
For you, all European football coverage should involve James Richardson outside a café.
33
Every time you see Carla from Coronation Street you shout ‘Lynda’ in a fake Spanish accent at the screen. Harchester is a real place after all. Go Dragons!
34
Kicking a drinks can (preferably Lucozade) into a bin is better than any skill you’ve seen anyone do on a football pitch.
35
You still proudly own football Pogs and any World Cup coin collection. Is there anything more 90s than Pogs?
36
Whenever football stats are relayed to you, you have to point and chant ‘Statto, Statto’ at them as if Baddiel and Skinner were right next to you.
37
The greatest rap of all time is John Barnes on World in Motion. Will Smith can only dream
38
Match and Shoot are still better than any form of social media.
39
You still drink out of a SMUG Mug, and you don’t care who knows it.
40
And above all else no one in sports broadcasting is or will ever be as cool as the oracle Des Lynam.
For more 90s football nostalgia, check out our podcast on that subject, Alive and Kicking; The 90s Football Podcast. You can also follow us on Twitter.
You may have listened to our listened to our latest pod on Strikers this week – If you haven’t, you really should and links are at the end – well that is the first in a series of weeks where we’ll be discussing different positions that will ultimately lead to us picking our ‘Team of the 90s’. The planned ‘Team’ podcast is penciled in for 21 December’s pod, and before then we’ll have pods on Midfielders, Defenders and Goalkeepers where we’ll be discussing contenders and picking a shortlist of five to bring forward to the final pod.
After some lengthy discussions on this weeks pod, the guests unwittingly – as we’ve only since decided on the forthcoming team element – shortlisted these five strikers who will pick from in 2015’s final pod. So as they say, in no particular order;
Dennis Bergkamp
Having already nabbed the AK90s ‘goal of the 90s’ gong (read here!) the non-flying Dutchman is a contender for team of the decade as well. He began the 90s at Inter Milan, but it was at Arsenal where Bergkamp not only became one of the best players in Europe at the time, but also one of the best to ever grace the Premier League. The 1997-98 double season was perhaps Dennis at his very, very best, as he scooped PFA Player of the Year and scored more memorable goals in one season than most do in a lifetime. However he left his crowning glory to THAT goal at World Cup 98. Not the typical striker in the 90s sense of the term, but more than worthy on this shortlist.
Ronaldo
For anyone like us who lives the 1990s, then there really is only one Ronaldo. R9, ‘the phenomenon’ or Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, whatever you want to call him Ron was a bona fide superstar of the decade. Where as we’re used to the goal stats that a certain namesake now produces, the Brazilian was tallying them up at ridiculous speed long before anyone heard the name Cristiano. In his one season at Barcelona he notched 47 goals in 39 games, and was the true star of World Cup 98 (if you forget what happened in the final). A born goal-scorer and I quote from this weeks pod ‘If it weren’t for injuries, would have been talked about in the same breath as Pele and Maradona’.
Alan Shearer
A man simply born to score goals, and lots of them – over and over again. I think thanks to Alan’s later day role as the bordering annoying Match of Day pundit, we forget just how bloody good Shearer was in his heyday. Twice a British record transfer holder (and once world), money was always well spent when it came to Alan Shearer. His goals and partnership with Chris Sutton led to title success with Blackburn in 1995, while his exploits at Euro 96 saw a record-breaking move back home to Newcastle – where he became the clubs record goal-scorer. His 260 Premier League goals record is unlikely to be beaten, and in an era of truly great English strikers Shearer was the very best.
Jürgen Klinsmann
Perhaps not talked as much on the pod as perhaps he should have been – even if we did speak about old Jurgen during our transfers show back in episode three – there wasn’t much Klinsmann didn’t do successfully in the 1990s. The decade kicked-off with a World Cup winners medal at Italia 90, before becoming a key man in Inter’s Serie A charge. Somehow he was persuaded to join Spurs in 1994, and lit-up the Premier League in his solitary season picking up the FWA Player of the Year in the process. More international success was gained at Euro 96, before more goals and medals at Bayern Munich. An ice cool finisher, and one of the decades very best.
Gabriel Batistuta
A legend in Florence and a scorer of 184 goals in 318 Serie A matches, ‘Batigol’ is the best striker Diego Maradonna has ever seen – that’s a direct quote too. Ok, so Diego is a little biased but that’s no discredit to Gabriel, who is still his country’s record goal-scorer with 56 Argentina goals to his name, a feat not even Lionel Messi has reached. Spent nine years with Fiorentina, even staying when they were relegated in 1993, and now has a bronze statue of himself in the clubs town. To this day possibly still underrated, but there’s no questioning his place on our final shortlist.
To listen to Ash Rose and guests Rob Gallagher, Peter Hunt and Xaiver Cantegreli talk through the decade’s very best strikers, you can download this weeks pod on iTunes or listen here. Don’t forget you have your say on Twitter to, tell us who you would have up front in your dream 90s XI
This week the team try to fit in talking about all the best strikers from the 1990s, both at home and abroad. Ash is once again joined by Rob Gallagher, as well Ian Wright enthusiast Peter Hunt and from across the channel Xavier Cantegreli. On the phone is former Coventry, Blackburn and Newcastle forward Kevin Gallacher.
A West Twelve Media and Burble Media production sponsored by Classic Football Shirts http://ift.tt/1pnmE1v