The Big Match - Week 28

The Big Match from the past weekend is Chelsea v Blackpool, from the first week in March, 1977.

Check out the ball hitting the much-loved and much-missed Bridge stanchions at the two Chelsea goals, and the remarkable ball retention of the nets at Blackpool's opener - scored today, it'd have rebounded to the halfway line!

Match of the Day - Week 9

Match of the Day previews this weekend's Chelsea v Manchester United, by looking back at the same fixture in late 1992 and the iconic Stamford Bridge hardware (then in its second last season before being replaced by box nets).



Cantona's equaliser is particularly awesome, the way the ball is attracted to, then sticks to the stanchion, like a magnet.

UEFA Champions League - FC Spartak Moscow

Tanked up on oil money, The Meat are moving out of the Luzhniki to a new stadium for the 2018 World Cup and there should be little doubt what the chosen method of goal net suspension at the Spartak Stadion will be.

But Back in the USSR Spartak Moscow were winning their last Soviet era title with a free-kick as curvy as Luzhniki's old stanchions that look a little like Chelsea's...

Blackpool FC

Back in the big time, Blackpool's nets are big, brash and colourful.

Back in the 1970's, Blackpool were in the old Division 2 and the nets hung on these, extra-kinky stanchions (similar to the old Stamford Bridge.)

World Cups - Mexico 1970

The 1970 finals were the first to be broadcast live in colour and they're rightfully remembered for the champions Brazil's kaleidoscope of 19 goals from 6 games - including the four in the final against Italy, into the L supports at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City -


 and 15 goals in their five games at the Estadio Jalisco in Guadalajara - 16 if this one had gone in!


(spy those Stamford Bridge lookalikes. And while you're at it, (see the influence of colour TV at Manchester City).