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...

Wrexham FC

While goal nets aficionados and those with a bent for the spectacular would most readily associate Wrexham's Racecourse Ground with Mark Hughes goal and a pair of classic Continental D's…



A look further back at the Dragons history of goal nets shows A-frames like those at West Ham or QPR in place through the 1970's.






Then, when the Continental D's were finally introduced, rather confusingly they were tied back, box-net-style.




A glimpse of this set-up can be glimpsed in this haunting film from 1979.

Classic Continental D's

Continental D's were so-named because the 'triangle' was deemed to form a D with the posts and bar, and because in the 1970's countries in mid and eastern Europe - the Continent - made an art form out of this design of goal.

Yugoslavia 1976

The Euro 1976 tournament was so influential in goalnet design, that Subbuteo named their sleek new goals Tournament Goals. And while Panenka's penalty has ensured the immortality of these goals in Belgrade -

the goals in Zagreb are less known (though they're similar to those at Sheffield Wednesday)

Austria 1979



Hungary 1981 (same game as Trevor Brooking's goal)



By the 1980's there were a couple of notable examples in the UK;

Aston Villa 1981

Villa Park was one of those grounds that was instantly recognisable from its goalnets.



Wrexham 1982

Great goal, great nets