Match of the Day - Week 27

Match of the Day for this weekend is the Championship derby, Wolverhampton Wanderers v Birmingham City.

Until the recent box net era, Wolves had always supported the Molineux goal nets with Continental D's. As such, highlights of the 1996 match below are a Steve Bull late show, two crazy penalties and the classic Continental D's.

Match of the Day - Week 21

This week's Match of the Day is Watford v Middlesbrough at Vicarage Road from late 1999.

Middlesbrough ran out 1-3 winners and, though there is no sound on the clip, what you may find most remarkable is the Vicarage Road nets still hanging off Continental D's for a Premier League game in 1999.

Match of the Day - Week 17

This week's Match of the Day features two Southampton v Tottenham Hotspur games and the history of goal nets at the Dell.

Our first game is on an 1989 gluepot of a pitch. It's a victory for Spurs played out between the much-loved and much-missed old stanchions at the Dell.


Our second game is from ten years later. Though the old stanchions have given way to Continental D's, the ground staff still have very little area in which to hang and pin the nets.

As an early Christmas present, look out for a Matt Le Tissier special to equalise for Saints about 4:00 in. Merry Christmas.

Match of the Day - Week 12

This week's Match of the Day previews the clash between Manchester United and Arsenal by looking back at two previous matches between the sides and the changing History of Goal Nets at Old Trafford.

United took the honours in the 1975/76 season, running out 3-1 winners between the classic A-frames which stood at Old Trafford until Alex Ferguson's time. Check out Steve Coppell's goal for 3-1, the ball striking the stanchion - classic!



The game between the sides in 1990/91 was a 0-1 win for Arsenal played out between the Continental D's with which Alex Ferguson replaced the old A-frames, details mostly forgotten as this game is remembered for The Fight.

The Big Match - Week 11

The Big Match this week is Luton Town v Arsenal from the weekend of 6 November 1982.

While the space available behind the goals at Kenilworth Road didn't change, Luton changed their old A-frames (which were curved and narrow, exactly like those other clubs similarly challenged for space - West Ham, QPR, Southampton etc) for a stylish set of Continental D's.

And though there is little space behind the line for a goal area, Luton have done their best to help with ball retention by hanging too large nets which are permitted to hang loose, making for a great aesthetic experience when viewing the four goals.

Enjoy.

Match of the Day - Week 10

This week's Match of the Day previews Sunderland v Arsenal, a fixture with a long and proud history of goal nets (at Roker Park).

The sides played out a 1-1 draw between the square Roker Park stanchions in October 1969.



The square hardware still there in 1980, but with added spring in the software (spoiler alert: crazy box net-style rebounds).


Just two years later Sunderland had replaced the old square-os with standard A-frames (with better ball retention) and won 3-0.



In 1996/97, the last season at Roker Park, Sunderland won 1-0 between Continental D's and stripey goal nets.

Match of the Day - Week 3

Match of the Day will preview a fixture from the coming weekend by looking back at that same fixture in a previous year.

This week's Match of the Day is Watford v Arsenal from September 1984, played out between the old out-sized Continental D's at Vicarage Road.



Pick of the goals for me is Charlie Nicholas' opener (at 2:30 in the clip). Just love the way the net kills the ball, leaving a long walk for Steve Sherwood, the Watford goalkeeper, to retrieve.

Which is your favourite goal, and why?

Burnley FC

Burnley are one of only three teams to have won all top four professional divisions in English football, the others being Wolverhampton Wanderers and Preston North End.

In 2014 The Clarets are back in the Premier League with generic box nets at either end of Turf Moor.

But Burnley's History of Goal Nets is dominated by Continental D's.

1961

1975

1983

1992

1996 - the last year before box nets were installed

A haunting last look at Turf Moor in the 1970's

Wrexham FC

While goal nets aficionados and those with a bent for the spectacular would most readily associate Wrexham's Racecourse Ground with Mark Hughes goal and a pair of classic Continental D's…



A look further back at the Dragons history of goal nets shows A-frames like those at West Ham or QPR in place through the 1970's.






Then, when the Continental D's were finally introduced, rather confusingly they were tied back, box-net-style.




A glimpse of this set-up can be glimpsed in this haunting film from 1979.

West Bromwich Albion FC

About the time Big Ron and Regis, Batson and Cunningham were thrashing Man United, the Baggies were matching the glamour of visiting sides such Red Star Belgrade with classic Continental D's at the Hawthorns.




Back a further twenty years and you see West Brom were firm proponents of the Continental D.

Goal Nets and the Gaffer's influence

Previously I've suggested Manchester United's modern-day success was down to changing the goals at Old Trafford from A-frames to Continental D's.

I went as far as to suggest that Sir Alex Ferguson - who'd enjoyed so much success at Aberdeen between a pair of Continental D's - was behind the change.

I've also written about how the decline of Liverpool could be dated back to their changing the Anfield A-frames for Continental D's, and the likelihood of Graeme Souness being the new broom behind such a sweeping move.

You may think it unlikely that a manager would get involved with choosing the goal nets but the re-appearance of red nets at Anfield this season is entirely due to the intervention of the Liverpool manager, Brendan Rodgers. As posted on Liverpool's website -

When Fabio Borini hammered home his debut Liverpool goal against FC Gomel last Thursday, the Italian became the first to put the ball in the back of Anfield's newly reinstated red goal nets.

Last sighted in L4 in the mid-90s, the distinctive red nets have been restored on the orders of Brendan Rodgers in the same way as the original 1974 'This is Anfield' sign was re-fitted in the tunnel a month ago.

Liverpool FC museum curator Stephen Done explained: "Brendan and his family were given their first glimpse of Anfield the day after he was unveiled as manager as part of a private tour of the stadium.

"At the end of the tour, we stood on the Kop and Brendan commented that he always remembered the goals at Anfield having red nets.

"The 1980s were formative years for him, in terms of him starting to watch and play football, and he seemed to recall the red nets quite vividly. He suggested we bring them back."

"Kevin O'Shea (of the Liverpool museum) and I agreed. It wouldn't win us a game as such, but if it gave us that tiny extra advantage by making the crowd and the team feel better, then why not?"

John Brodie, a Liverpool civil engineer, invented goal nets in 1889 and from that point on, all nets were required to be of a dark colour, as was the case at Anfield up until they changed to red at some point in the 1960s.

A picture taken during a clash with league champions-to-be Manchester City (above), shows the red nets were in place by at least 1968.

UEFA Europa League - K.R.C. Genk

Genk are a result of the 1988 merger between K. Waterschei S.V. Thor Genk and K.F.C. Winterslag.

Where Waterschei played between a slightly oversize pair of Continental D's (see Belgrade '76?)...



Winterslag went for top marks in the identity stakes - any time you saw these spectacular Continental D's you'd know you were watching Winterslag.

FA Cup 4th Round Special

Of the 32 clubs which embarked on the 4th round of the Cup this weekend, only the two non-league sides show a variation on the standard box net at their home stadium.

Luton Town

Luton were the giant killers of the round, despatching Premier League Norwich City at Carrow Road.




In the previous round, Wolves were beaten at Kenilworth Road, where the Hatters still boast a fine set of Continental D's.

Macclesfield Town

Macclesfield weren't as fortunate in the 4th round, sinking at home to Wigan Athletic. Though the Silkmen also have Continental D's, they've chosen to tie them back in a hybrid box net fashion.

Shame.

This probably confirms what everyone's been telling us - if you want to see some variety, you have to look in the Conference.

UEFA Champions League - Celtic FC

Through the 70's and early 80's big European nights at Celtic Park would be played out between an all too distinctive pair of Continental D's:





But the on-field architecture for the glory glory nights of the late 60's was a long forgotten pair of A-frames:

A-list A-frames - Derby County FC

Those who've seen the movie, The Damned United, will be aware the Rams lost to Juventus in the semi-final of the 1972-73 European Cup.

Not many may know Derby hammered Benfica - Eusebio et al - earlier in that competition, firing three goals into the marvellous A-frames at  the old Baseball ground.




Two years later, Derby were back in Europe and beat Real Madrid. By then, the A-frames had given way to Continental D's (though the pitch hadn't yet become a beach).

Total Goalnets - NAC Breda

We don't speak Dutch so can't be certain, but are the two guys chained to the goals at NAC's Beatrixstraat protesting about swapping the Continental D's for boxnets?


Why not?

Total Goalnets - AFC Ajax

It's peculiarly Dutch that the Ajax side which won three consecutive European Cups 1971-73 and a Champions League title in 94/95 had a home ground - De Meer - that was so small, big games had to be played at the city's Olympic stadium.

"The Dutch think innovatively, creatively and abstractly about space in their football," writes David Winner in Brilliant Orange "because for centuries they had to think about space in every other area of their lives." It's not hard to argue that no-one thought more innovatively or creatively about football within the cramped space of De Meer than Johan Cruyff.



You could find Continental D's at the De Meer right up to the club's move to Amsterdam Arena.

A-list A-frames - Dundee United

Though the Tangerines finally went all Continental for the 1990-91 season, for over a quarter century prior they kicked between the same A-frame stanchions at Tannadice.


From (at least) the mid-60's



To the 1990's


 Then Continental D's (just like Newcastle Utd's)

 

A-list A-frames - Everton FC

Tracing the history of Everton's goal nets, you follow a familiar lineage back from today's box goal nets


Through Championship winning Continental D's



Back to a set of A-frame stanchions straight out the 70's top drawer

Classic Continental D's

Continental D's were so-named because the 'triangle' was deemed to form a D with the posts and bar, and because in the 1970's countries in mid and eastern Europe - the Continent - made an art form out of this design of goal.

Yugoslavia 1976

The Euro 1976 tournament was so influential in goalnet design, that Subbuteo named their sleek new goals Tournament Goals. And while Panenka's penalty has ensured the immortality of these goals in Belgrade -

the goals in Zagreb are less known (though they're similar to those at Sheffield Wednesday)

Austria 1979



Hungary 1981 (same game as Trevor Brooking's goal)



By the 1980's there were a couple of notable examples in the UK;

Aston Villa 1981

Villa Park was one of those grounds that was instantly recognisable from its goalnets.



Wrexham 1982

Great goal, great nets