MY!FOOTBALL!LIFE
A fan’s best and worst
Eric Morgan, a lifelong Arsenal fan and a proud Welshman, reflects on his favourite and least favourite football things…
BEST MATCH EVER SEEN:
Something at Highbury in 1964 - no idea... Consciously, Arsenal v Chelsea 1967. Bobby Tambling, what a sun tan!
BEST MATCH:
On TV, May 26th, 1989 Anfield... say no more. They said it wouldn’t happen but it did! Live... beating the Spuds to win the league at White Hart Lane. Which one you ask? 1971 or 2004? I’ll take the Invincibles’ win.
WORST MATCH EVER SEEN:
Losing to the Spuds at Wembley in the 1991 FA Cup semi-final. Then finding my car was blocked in by Spurs fans. And waiting for them to finish celebrating before I could go home and cry!
BOYHOOD HERO:
Bobby Gould. Mr 100%.
BEST BRITISH PLAYER EVER SEEN:
George Best. Honestly, on those pitches to dribble like he did... brave, strong, good in air for his size, two-footed, quick. He had the lot!
BEST PLAYER EVER SEEN:
Cruyff. He threatened your goal when taking a corner. Wirey. Quick. And hugely talented. On telly... Messi. Simples.
BEST SINGLE PERFORMANCE:
Beckham v Greece.
BEST BRITISH TEAM EVER SEEN:
Arsenal anytime around the Invincibles era. Power, pace, could play too. But a paper thin squad thanks to the board so didn’t win the Champions League.
BEST TEAM EVER SEEN:
On TV, Brazil 1970. Live, the Barca of Messi, Iniesta, Xavi etc with a nod to Cruyff’s Ajax.
BEST GOAL EVER SEEN:
Vokes v Belgium, Euro 2016. C’mon, it’s context…
THE WORST THING EVER ABOUT FOOTBALL:
Obviously Sepp Blatter is not about football, so ruled out of order here. So what about the scum that booed black players for a generation.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT:
Arsenal’s continuing failure to build on the promise we show about once a decade on average.
MOST ANNOYING:
You mean everybody doesn’t think Steffen Freund?
MOST OVER-RATED PLAYER:
Dele Alli. England fans will realise this.
DREAM TEAM:
I have seen all these – David Seaman; Danny McGrain; Alan Hansen; Peter Simpson; Kenny Sansom; Liam Brady; Patrick Vieira; Lionel Messi; Kenny Dalglish; Robert Pires; Thierry Henry.
BEST OF THE OLD GROUNDS:
I loved Highbury obviously, as a Gooner. To be less parochial, Goodison Park. Raw when it needed to be but with a touch of class.