FA Cup Shocks Special

Happy New Year.

Following the weekend's FA Cup shocks of Forest beating Arsenal and Coventry defeating Stoke, the History of Goal Nets kicks off 2018 with a glance back at FA Cup shocks of the past, and the terrific goal nets architecture that hosted the matches.

Sutton United v Coventry City 1987

Great white saggy nets, Chelsea-style crooked A-frames. Two goals from corners.


Wrexham v Arsenal 1992

Strict triangular Continental D's as per the early 1990's fashion at the old Racecourse Ground (and check out David Seaman being beaten on his post by Mickey Thomas' free-kick.)


Manchester United v Southampton 1976

The grandfather of upsets and the grandmother of old goal nets. Always - always - loved the way Bobby Stokes shot rebounded off the old Wembley stanchion...

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 - FA Cup Quarter Finals

On the weekend of the FA Cup quarter finals, Match of the Day comes from the old Valley Parade, Bradford.

The tie is the 1976 FA Cup quarter final between Bradford City and Southampton and it's extra special for two reasons:

1 - The Peter Osgood / Jim McCalliog free kick routine - pure class

2 - The wonderful, arched A-frames of Valley Parade - pure magic

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.

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 - Bobby Stokes

Bobby Stokes shot off the stanchions at Wembley in the '76 Cup final won him a car, and has won him a place in our sometimes-on-a-Friday series.

Why is it important for the goalnet to retain the ball when a goal is scored? #5

Two great free-kicks are your last example.





The le Tissier goal is probably superior, but would it be even better if the ball didn't rebound round the goals like a pinball?

Southampton FC

At The Dell, Southampton used to have the littlest of Little Ones.



Little Ones may not be your cup of tea, but you could look at this goal and know immediately it was Southampton.

Now at St Mary's, the goalnets are boxes made of trampoline like everybody else's.



But spy the fancy red and white tubing, and the obvious decision to let the nets hang loose, and, in their own way, the St Mary's nets might be thought as distinctive as the old ones at The Dell. A goal scored into them is certainly more aesthetically pleasing.

Loftus Road - Keira Knightley

Sexy only if skinny and spindly float your boat though surprisingly popular, with similar stanchions at West Ham and Southampton. Nil points for ball retention.

QPR



West Ham



Southampton