FIFA World Cup - 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.



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



Away from the fiesta in Guadalajara there were notable net supports in Puebla:

World Cup - 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...


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



17 if this one had gone in!

World Cup - England 1966

Awarded the 1966 finals for forming the FA a hundred years prior,  England became champions with no-wingers, a formation that firmly turned its back on Hungary and the lessons of '53 and - with goalnets hung mostly on stanchions as English as World Cup Willie - the 1966 finals could be seen as the empire's last hurrah.

But with journalists from a greater diversity of countries than ever before attending the tournament, the matches broadcast live to the world for the first time and these Continental D's supporting the nets at Hillsborough, Sheffield, the 1966 World Cup finals could as easily be seen as the first of the modern era.



Games for the 1966 finals were held at (among others) Wembley, Old Trafford and Hillsborough. White City Stadium and their temporary A-frames was used only because - get this - Wembley refused to cancel the scheduled greyhound racing for the same night as Uruguay v France.  Like I said, the empire's last hurrah.



My favourite hardware at the finals was the marvellous A-frames at Ayresome Park, Middlesborough, where North Korea famously knocked out Italy; what's yours?

World Cups - Chile 1962

Revisiting The History of Goal Nets series on World Cups - starting with Chile 1962

The Chilean FA told FIFA they had to give Chile the World Cup "because we have nothing else." So Chile won the rights to host the 1962 tournament and they got plenty in return: Garrincha in his prime, the Italy v Chile Battle of Santiago and these stanchions of almost perfect quarter circumference on which to hang the tournament's nets.




Though football on TV was in its infancy and the matches at the '62 finals were not broadcast live, the influence of the tournament could be seen in the stanchions installed at stadia as diverse as Estadio Bernabeu, Madrid -



and Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh

Match of the Day - International Special

This week's Match of the Day is a World Cup qualifying special.

It previews this weekend's England v Malta match by looking back at the teams' previous game at the old Wembley Stadium, in May 1971.

It was back in the day when England could be expected to run riot against opposition such as Malta and they (particularly Martin Chivers) did, winning 5-0.

Much has changed since then, not least the Wembley goal nets.

Life was simpler then...




In retaining the ball behind the goalkeeper, the Wembley nets of 1971 keep things simple and, as such, are perfectly in keeping with a routine win for England over Malta.

At least three of the goals scored in 1971 would rebound round the goal like a pinball or out to the penalty spot if scored into the Wembley nets of today.

I read this week online that such rebounds add a "spectacular" element to the goal scored.

If true - it's not, but if true -  this would change the optics of the five goals scored in 1971 from the mundane to the spectacular and would distort the nature of the England victory over a then lowly Malta.

Simple can be beautiful too.

UEFA Champions League - Sporting de Gijon

Until the 1982 World Cup, los Rojiblancos had a great history of goal nets at El Molinon, the oldest professional football ground in Spain.




If you sight the way the nets are supported in La Liga, post Espana '82, do they remind you of a famous upset at that World Cup?



Yes, El Molinon was the venue for West Germany v Algeria.



Just another example of how the goal nets can instantly identify a stadium.

Spain 1982 - FIFA World Cup revisited

The forthcoming World Cup tournament in Brazil is not the first time FIFA has ripped out the existing on-field architecture and replaced it with anonymous and homogenous boxnets.

The 1982 finals in Spain are a prime example of FIFA insisting on non-native hardware for a World Cup tournament. As I posted some time ago - and re-posted in full below - the hybrid format of the 24 team tournament was matched by hybrid goal nets that added no flavour of Spain to the Spanish World Cup (exactly the result the global brand managers at FIFA had in mind).

Barcelona played out season 1981/82 between their classic Chelsea-style A-frames at the Nou Camp.



But by the time the opening game between Argentina and Belgium kicked off, the stanchions - the style of which had followed Barcelona from their previous stadium, Camp de Les Corts - were gone.




Similarly, the instantly recognisable curved stanchions of Real Madrid greeted teams to the Bernabeufor season 1981/82.




Yet Marco Tardelli's unforgettable goal in the World Cup final was scored into completely forgettable goal nets.

World Cups - Spain 1982

A hybrid 24-team format, neither the 16 team tournament of old nor the monstrous 32-team affair promised by FIFA.

With hybrid goalnets -



Neither the L-supports of '78 nor the monstrous box goalnets monopoly promised since 1974.

Cue Sil doing Pacino doing Michael from Godfather 3

101 Great Goals - Eder

Perhaps with 101 Great Goals in mind for the future, I posted the below on Eder in August 2012. Here it is in full again.




The Brazil side at the 1982 World Cup is historically viewed as the successor to the wonderful title-winning side of 1970, so it is fitting that, since our first Iconic Goal has come to represent Brazil at the first Mexico World Cup, so our second iconic goal has come to symbolise the side 12 years later at the World Cup in Spain.

Brazil netted 15 gems at the '82 finals, the Beau Sancy among them being Eder's winner versus the Soviet Union.

The beauty of the goal is in it's simplicity, from Falcao's outrageous school-yard dummy to Eder's keepy-up and sublime half volley. It looks more like a training routine than Brazil's opening World Cup game.

How do the goal nets contribute to this goal's place in the Pantheon of Iconic Goals?

The World Cup organisers had seemingly paid little heed to the goal nets at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Hanging green coloured nets that rendered them near invisible, and pulling them taut, the nets contributed all the aesthetic of kicking a ball against a wall in training.

Yet, while the nets soured Socrates' magnificent equaliser, scored 10 minutes earlier, the "training wall" nets amplify the ease, simplicity and Joga Bonito of Eder's winner, raising it to the status of the Iconic.

Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha - World Cup 2014 Venue

With bent legs and the air of a man playing simply for the joy of playing, Manuel Francisco dos Santos - called a wren, or garrincha by his big sister - is the mazy dribbling embodiment of diversity over conformity, of the individual over the team, of what Brazilians call futebol arte. 





Following Garrincha's retirement the CBF named the Estadio Nacional in Brasilia after him and, out of respect to the nation's most Brazilian of players, hung the goal nets from Brazilian L-supports.




However the old stadium has been replaced by a shiny new one for the 2014 World Cup, and the Brazilian L-supports have disappointingly been replaced by box-nets.

The famous Brazilian playwright Nelson Rodrigues wrote, "He is considered a retard but Garrincha proved in the (1958) World Cup that we are the retarded ones - because we think, we rationalise."

Yet no thought has gone into junking Brazilian heritage by installing uniform box-nets in the stadium named after Brazil's most diverse player and there's no rational reason Brazil can't celebrate it's own World Cup between goal nets suspended in the traditional Brazilian way.

UEFA Champions League - Paris Saint-Germain FC

In this era of the homogeneous free-hanging boxnet, full credit to PSG for having identifiable goal nets.

The white tape at the seams of the nets don't specifically identify the Parc des Princes, but you get one glance at Ibra's penalty and you know you're in France...




The white seams were much in evidence at FIFA World Cup 1998 in France, as in Lyon.




Some instantly identifiable French music to finish, courtesy of Saint-Germain...

Heart of Midlothian FC

Too curvy by far to be included in any A-list A-frames series, the old stanchions at Tynecastle defy a Scottish or British categorisation even in an era of great diversity in goal design.


Might the possible source of inspiration for the Gorgie stanchions be those at the Bernabeu?

And might those at the Bernabeu have been inspired by the goals at the 1962 World Cup in Chile.

Brazil - CSA and CRB

CSA and CRB - or to give them their Sunday best names, Centro Sportivo Alagoano and Clube de Regatas Brasil - are the City and United of Maceió in Alagoas.




Though separated by two divisions, CSA and CRB share the Estádio Rei Pelé and the most marvellous set of stanchions.

Check out CSA's recent monstering of Feirense


And CRB's Rodada 14 win over Ipatinga



And dig those goalnets baby!

Iconic Goals - Eder

How the goal nets helped frame the most famous goals ever scored

The Brazil side at the 1982 World Cup is historically viewed as the successor to the wonderful title-winning side of 1970, so it is fitting that, since our first Iconic Goal has come to represent Brazil at the first Mexico World Cup, so our second iconic goal has come to symbolise the side 12 years later at the World Cup in Spain.

Brazil netted 15 gems at the '82 finals, the Beau Sancy among them being Eder's winner versus the Soviet Union.

The beauty of the goal is in it's simplicity, from Falcao's outrageous school-yard dummy to Eder's keepy-up and sublime half volley. It looks more like a training routine than Brazil's opening World Cup game.

How do the goal nets contribute to this goal's place in the Pantheon of Iconic Goals?

The World Cup organisers had seemingly paid little heed to the goal nets at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Hanging green coloured nets that rendered them near invisible, and pulling them taut, the nets contributed all the aesthetic of kicking a ball against a wall in training.

Yet, while the nets soured Socrates' magnificent equaliser, scored 10 minutes earlier, the "training wall" nets amplify the ease, simplicity and Joga Bonito of Eder's winner, raising it to the status of the Iconic.

Brazil - Mogi Mirim Esporte Clube v Associação Atlética Ponte Preta

Like clubs in every other country, Ponte Preta have just been promoted to Serie A and, in an attempt to look like Big Time Charlies, they've gone Dr Frankenstein on their oversized L-supports and made them into box goal nets. Their mothers would be proud.

Meanwhile Mogi Mirim - Rivaldo's old side - play out their existence in the lower echelons of Serie D, happily shooting between an original set of oversized L-supports.

We're all proud.

Brazil - Atlético Clube Goianiense

AC Goianiense - or Atlético-GO as they're more popularly known - sport a pair of classic L-supports for their sparsely attended matches at the Estádio Serra Dourada.

 Join the 1,112 fanatics who turned up to watch the recent 3-2 victory over Figueirense.

 

In a game of three penalties, you may be reminded of a famous game of two penalties and one of the World Cup's most famous goals, all scored into goal nets identical to those at Atlético...

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Brazil - Associação Olímpica de Itabaiana

On our Youtube travels round Brazil we came across Itabaiana, a Serie D side from Sergipe with the most amazing stanchions you'll see anywhere in 2012.



Viewing the goals at the Estádio Presidente Emílio Garrastazu Médici we were inspired to re-post Grand Designs from October 2010, which re-stated the premise of this blog and celebrated the diversity and beauty so evident at Itabaiana.


Grand Designs  

When we started this blog, we began by writing about what a stadium's goalnets said about the character of that stadium or its home club (eg Arsenal) or what part the goalnets played in the club's history (eg Manchester United). We also ran a series on the World Cups, demonstrating how the evolution of goalnet fashion and technology has been every bit as interesting as tactics, or rules (or strips).

More recently we've simply celebrated great goalnets, by which we hope to remind readers that goal design doesn't happen by accident. Somebody somewhere - either within the club or, if the posts, stanchions and nets are bought 'off the shelf,' at the manufacturers - designed the architecture. Did a drawing. Turned the drawing into reality. Ensured reality entered history.

Such great designs didn't just follow what went before, nor were they obviously fashionable at the time. But in the second decade of the new century, when everybody's got box goalnets and everything looks the same, we'd like readers to remember that football can look different to how it looks today, and difference can be beauty in itself.

Brazil - Sport Club do Recife

Nautico's biggest rivals - the derby between the two Pernambuco sides dates back to the early 20th century and is known as the Classico dos Classiscos - Sport Recife kick between two classic L-support structures at the Estadio Ilha do Retiro.



The same stadium hosted the Chile v USA group game at the 1950 World Cup.

Spy the fledgling L-supports at that game.

Brazil - Clube Náutico Capibaribe

Nautico have played at the Estadio dos Alfitos since 1939 and today shoot into a pair of classic South American L-supports with fancy red and white nets.



Nautico are due to move to the purposely-built Arena Pernambuco after the 2014 World Cup.

Odds-on they won't be taking their quaint L-supports with them.

We should enjoy them while we can.

Return to Echo Beach - Brazil 2014

As Euro 2012 disappears in the rear-view mirror, and the eyes of the International game turn to the 2014 World Cup, The History of Goalnets re-boots it's Brazil series which highlights and celebrates the diversity of goal nets design that can still be seen in the country many think of as the game's spiritual home.

To remind you the premise of the Brazil series, let's go back to the start, and the original Echo Beach post.

I know it's out of fashion, and a trifle uncool.
But I can't help it, I'm a romantic fool.



From nine till five I have to spend my time at work.
From nine till five I watch football on Youtube.
My job is very boring, I'm an office clerk.
It's very boring, all I see is box goalnets.
The only thing that helps me pass the time away.
Is knowing I'll be back at Echo Beach some day.
Is knowing there must be a blue-blooded member of the football Royal family who haven't installed box goalnets across the board.

Brazil.



Echo Beach, far away in time...

Iconic Goals - Carlos Alberto

How the goal nets helped frame the most famous goals ever scored

Forget the melina and the elaborate build-up play against an Italy side exhausted and in disarray after the controversial late introduction of Gianni Rivera; the goal that symbolises the greatest team in history begins with Pele.

From there you'll see this famous goal described in terms of Pele's pass and Carlos Alberto's shot, as though this was a goal of two movements - pass / shot - when in fact, it has three movements - pass / shot / net.

Carlos Alberto's shot is often described as a thunderbolt or cannonball, where a firework might be a better metaphor:

Pele lights the fuse (first movement) - and stands well back - and the ball shoots from Carlos Alberto's boot like a rocket (second movement).

But rockets can be duds, can shoot into the night sky and fail to explode. At which times, two movements is insufficient and the sense of disappointment is palpable.

The last goal scored in the 1970 World Cup, the goal that came to symbolise the greatest team in history is no disappointment. Carlos Alberto's shot is no dud. It's aim is true.

But only when the ball hits the back of the net - and the net explodes (third movement) - does the celebration truly begin.

You'll have seen this goal hundreds of times - it's one of the most famous goals ever scored - but look at it now with fresh eyes and ask, two movements or three?