More FA Cup Semi Finals and Goalnets

Make no mistake - being able to identify a football ground (by any means) while watching on TV gives the viewer a sense of place and more fully engages them with the match being played.

It has been argued that so much of that which is boring about football today is due to the McDonaldisation of the sport and its rendering of the game as a placeless spectacle for those watching on TV.

The goal nets - or more accurately, the hardware clubs formerly employed to support their goal nets - were a major on-field differentiator for those watching football on TV.

FA Cup Semi Finals played on neutral club grounds were at once a novelty and TV quiz - a novelty to see two sides playing between hardware neither employed to suspend their goal nets at home; a quiz of venue that could be solved only when the TV cameras panned to the goals.

Can you guess where this Semi Final (third replay!) was played?

FA Cup Semi Finals and Goalnets

Though the FA Cup Semi Finals of today are played at Wembley, they used to be played at a neutral club ground.

Before the mid-nineties and the takeover of the homogenous box-nets, the FA Cup Semis made for perfect petri dishes in experimenting with identifying a ground by the goal nets.

Watching on TV - or on YouTube at a distance of nearly 50 years - you may recognise the teams playing but the part of your brain acquiring and processing that information suddenly scrambles when trying to place the game.

Try these two - can you recognise the venue by the goal nets?

The Big Match - Week 26

This week's Big Match is the FA Cup 5th Round tie between Luton Town and Leicester City on 16 February 1974.

While a star-studded line-up for Leicester (including Peter Shilton and Frank Worthington) won through to the quarter finals, the winners on the day were the remarkable Continental D-A-frames holding up the goal nets at either end of Kenilworth Road.

Has anyone seen their like before - or since?

FA Cup Special - Manchester City v Leeds Utd

This weekend's fifth round of the Cup has Man City and Leeds squaring up to one another at Etihad.

In respect of the aesthetic value-add goal nets can bring to the game, Etihad's black, almost invisible nets are among the worst around.



This wasn't always the case at City. They used to LOVE their goal nets.

Nearly 40 years ago the sides met at Maine Road in the old First Division. Similar to the way City responded to Euro 76 by installing Continental D's, so after the West Germany World Cup they found a way to follow the free-hanging fashion while keeping their A-frames, and went for the hybrid design.

Hot Tub Time Machine - FC Halifax Town

The reformed and reconstituted FC Halifax Town play out their non-league promotion fairytale between an unworthy pair of box goal nets.


But jump in the old Hot Tub Time Machine and we see the Shaymen knocking Man City out the FA Cup in front of a set of A-frames modelled on - what do you think? - Manchester United's?



Then, jump 10 years further back we see the old Halifax beating Man United with what may be the same stanchions, just painted black?

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.

A-list A-frames - Bradford City AFC

A football ground in one guise or another has stood on the Valley Parade site since 1886, a long history sadly distilled for many into the 10 minutes it took to burn down live on TV in 1985.

Ten years earlier in the old ground's history, Bradford were shooting into a classic set of no-nonsense A-frames.


Despite renovations to the stadium as late as 2001, the Bantams have resisted the homogenous urge for box nets and kept faith with a set of stylish Continental D's (that bear a resemblance to those once at Newcastle).

Off the stanchions at Wembley - Paul Gascoigne

We're back - with a bang!

We're back with Paul Gascoigne's rocket in the 1991 FA Cup semi against Arsenal.

Cue Barry Davies - "Is Gascoigne going to have a crack? He is you know..."