Sportscene - Celtic v Hearts

Up to Scotland for end-of-season celebrations at Celtic Park where unbeaten champions Celtic close out their league season against Hearts. To commence celebrations we preview the match by reviewing past match-ups and the History of Goal Nets in the fixture.

1967 - first, a match from 50 years ago, in Celtic's European Cup winning year 1967. The hardware at Parkhead was standard A-frames, the software ill-fitting nets that would have fitted - and wouldn't have looked out at place at - the European Cup final of 1960.


1972 - four years later Celtic had installed the Continental D supports that would instantly identify games at Celtic Park on TV throughout the 1970's and 1980's, while Hearts were identifying with the legendary Ajax - then in the midst of their three European Cups in a row - with their shirt design



1988 - flag day at Celtic Park as Paul McStay, Frank McAvennie and pristine, opening day goal nets team up to down the Jambos.



1992 - four years later Hearts enjoyed a rare triumph in Glasgow after Celtic had replaced the organic Continental D's - where the hardware (supports) was separate from the software (the nets) - with a green supports and nets combo, complete with ground supports that did for the aesthetics.


I've looked everywhere but can't find it - can anyone supply footage of the goal at Parkhead when the ball went in off Henry Smith's head?

Match of the Day - Week 38

This week's Match of the Day previews the end of season clash between Southampton and Stoke City by looking back at the same fixture from 1982.

Then the sides played out a ding-dong 4-3 classic, featuring a Dave Watson rocket (at 5:30) and the unique, much-missed A-frames / Continental D's combo at the old Dell.

Match of the Day 3 - Week 36

The last Match of the Day of this weekend's matches is the once-were-giants clash at the Emirates between Arsenal and Manchester United.

While so much has changed in the 20 years Arsene Wenger has been Arsenal manager that he may no longer be Arsenal manager come the summer, we can look back at two games, 20 years apart and seeing how little changed in that time.

Check out the two clips below - between 1973 and 1994, all that changed in the old Highbury rigging was someone painted the hardware red.

1973 (check out Ray Kennedy's opener rebounding off the stanchions!)


1994

Match of the Day 2 - Week 36

Another top Match of the Day this forthcoming weekend - the clash of managerial styles that is Manchester City v Crystal Palace!

We preview the game by first looking back at the 1970 fixture between the sides, when the wide white A-frames of old Maine Road were so Big Sam Allardyce yet the nets hung loose, Continental-Pep Guardiola-style.




Next we look at the FA Cup tie from 1981, where the City nets are now blue Continental D's, but lurking in the Palace dugout is old-style Malcolm Allison, minus hat, pulling on a cigarette.

Match of the Day - Week 36

An early Match of the Day, previewing the West Ham v Tottenham derby this forthcoming weekend.

This season West ham have sucked almost as badly as their new lifeless new stadium and it's reported that manager Slaven Bilic will struggle to retain his job should things go awry against high-flying Spurs on Saturday.

How Bilic could do with a Tony Cottee! Cottee scored 92 goals in 212 games for the Hammers, the first coming in the New Year's derby of 1983, below.

Goal nets aficionados can marvel at how the old Boleyn Ground's nets retain the ball, despite their notorious shallowness.