The Big Match - Week 15

Where else this weekend but the Manchester derby?

Forget Mourinho and his fighting-in-the-tunnel look-over-there attempt to divert attention from his unsuccessful defensive tactics at home and revel in the History of Goal Nets at the Manchester derby.

This week's Big Match comes from Old Trafford and Maine Road because, why not? Isn't it Christmas?

1970 - Old Trafford

Check out United's old red stanchions and netting, and the Mike Doyle goal for 1-2 City - straight back out of the hardware!



Maine Road - 1975

1975/76 saw United return to the First Division and was the swansong for City's grand white stanchions, here with nets dropped short and pulled taut.



Maine Road - 1979

A 2-0 win for City featuring a beautifully curled goal by Michael Robinson - "fit to grace any derby match," according to the excited John Motson commentary - and the trendy Continental D supports City installed after the 1976 European Championships. What's not to like?



Old Trafford - 1982

Straight after the Spain World Cup, United went into copycat mode and dropped their nets waaaay short of their white stanchions. Check out the first of Frank Stapleton's brace for the afternoon - great goal - and note the nets' dreadful ball retention, caused by their being pinched in the corners.



Old Trafford 1990

United might have looked cool with their new Continental D's - their last change of goal nets before the box nets of Euro '96 - but it was Ian Brightwell's equaliser for City that stole the show!

My Top 3 - Duncan Spencer

Continuing our series of My Top 3, where members of the History of Goal Nets community nominate their Top 3 goal nets of all time.

This week's contributor is Duncan Spencer and Duncan's Top 3, in his own words, are:

Maine Road 1977

First up is the classic D frame from the 1977 FA Cup semi-final between Everton and Liverpool. Sheer white tight netting. The first goal displays the most magnificent ball retention.



Elland Road 1974

Next up is the old A-frame classic at Elland Road circa 1974, made even slightly quirkier as they had a small pouch of loose netting to catch a well-drilled low shot.




Estadio Santiago Bernabeu 1980

Thirdly, and for sheer European quirkiness, check out the 1980 European Cup final. Outstanding round stanchion.



Picking a Top 3 was very difficult so could I make an honourable mention of Blackpool 1974? I think it was the goal of the season against Newcastle, a mini version of the Stamford Bridge nets.



Wow, that's a top Top 3, Duncan - thanks very much for sharing!

Would you like to contribute your Top 3 to the community? DM Tony on Facebook.

Match of the Day - Week 8

This week's Match of the Day previews this weekend's Manchester City v Everton clash at the Etihad by looking back at three previous fixtures and the History of Goal Nets at Manchester City's old home, Maine Road.

In April 1971 City beat Everton between big A-frames with blue nets dropped just behind the goal line and pulled taut, similar to West Ham at the old Boleyn Ground with similar ball retention properties.




Fast forward to March 1982. City are still hanging taut blue nets but this time they are suspended by the Continental D's installed just after Euro 76.



By the mid-1990's City have replaced the taut blue nets with saggy white software that responds beautifully to the four goals (the pick of which may be Paul Walsh's for 3-0).

Match of the Day - Week 7

Match of the Day previews a fixture from the forthcoming weekend by showing a previous meeting between the chosen sides, and the History of Goal Nets on display in the clip.

This week - two clips of Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, nearly 20 years apart.

The first clip is a 2-3 City victory from 1973 and there are two things to note.

First,  the regular, sturdy, totally unmistakeable White Hart Lane stanchions, then in white.





Secondly,  the nets-within-nets that were in vogue at the time. The photo below is of Colchester v Leeds at Layer Road in 1971 and clearly shows the net-within-nets phenomena in all its glory.

The second clip is from 1990. Spurs with Lineker and Gazza in their post-Italia 90 pomp, ran out 3-1 winners between White Hart Lane stanchions now painted blue.

Match of the Day - Week 6

Match of the Day previews a fixture of the forthcoming weekend. It shows a previous meeting between the sides featured, and highlights the History of Goal Nets on display in the clip.

This week - Swansea City v Manchester City from 1984.


Two great goals right into the goalkeeper's left hand corner and both shots killed by the superb A-frames at Vetch Field, meaning the ball stays behind the beaten goalkeeper.

A great start to the weekend.

Match of the Day - Week 4

This week's Match of the Day is the Manchester derby, United v City, from April 1974.


Tear yourself away from Denis Law's face of regret.

 See how the Old Trafford nets just kill his backheel.

 An irrefutable note of finality to United's plight.

A-list A-frames - Huddersfield Town FC

Huddersfield Town boasted a proud history of on-field hardware at their old Leeds Road ground.

In 1971 they welcomed the Manchester United of Best, Law and Charlton with black stanchions (and perhaps the "double-netting" seen at Colchester about the same time?)




Ten years later the Leeds Road hardware was white and slightly off the shoulder.



Later that decade, by the time the Terriers hosted Manchester's other club, the stanchions have made way for Continental D's.

Brazil - Esporte Clube Vitoria

E.C. Vitoria hail from Salvador in Bahia.

While their Bahian league games are hosted at WC 2014 venue Arena Fonte Nova with it's box-nets, the bread and butter of Serie A is played out between these wonderful A-frames at their home Estadio Manoel Barradas.




Aren't these similar to the mid-70's stanchions at Manchester City?

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?

Off the stanchions at Wembley - Dennis Tueart

Resuming our Friday series with Dennis Tueart's famous goal in the 1976 League Cup final.


A Newcastle fan as a boy, Tueart's overhead kick rebounded off  the stanchions at Wembley and won the cup for City.

Off the stanchions at Wembley - Glyn Pardoe

Not the most dramatic of rebounds off the Wembley stanchions - you'll see Glyn Pardoe's toe-poke rolls juuuuust far enough to trouble the architecture:




But really, the Pardoe goal is just a good excuse to show the highlights from the 1970 League Cup final in full.

The snow piled up behind the goals and along the sidelines.

The Wembley turf churned up like Aintree on Grand National day.

The stanchions and the nets, never looked better.

Will we ever see the likes again?

Newcastle United

In 1968, Newcastle lost 3-4 at home to Man City and the goalnets at St James' hung on distinctive, curved, Continental D's .



Twenty years later, Newcastle and a young Paul Gascoigne humped Swindon in the FA Cup and the nets were still hanging on the same D's.

Manchester City

Manchester City won the League Cup in 1975/76 and finished the season at Maine Road with the old stanchions and light blue nets.



Then, for the UEFA Cup in 76/77 - after Panenka's penalty and Euro '76 - they kept the light blue nets but ditched the stanchions for groovy Continental D's.