Best soccer matches you have watched

[Norf Tyrone]

Probably the best game I was at...

1997 FA Cup 3rd or 4th round... Chelsea 0 Liverpool 2 (HT)

Guillit unleashes Hughes from the bench at HT, and Chelsea score 4 in the second half to win 4-2. Still can picture Mark Wright's shell shocked face, and the Liverpool supporters as the whole stadium turned to the away section 'two nil down, four two up, poor old scousers out of the cup'!

That's 12 years ago now.... geezus.

[pedro]

For those who have a country, hard to better witnessing your country win a big game even if technically it was not the best football.
Ireland v Holland 2001  Keane's last hurray, a perfect day.
the rest in order of time
Irl 3 Russia 0   1974,  Brady's debut, took over playmaker CM from Giles who went into holding role, almost bigger impact than the stunning result. Rock and Roll.
Irl 1 France 0  1977   Brady genius,  we had a dream.  
Irl 2 Holland 1  1979 Lansdowne gale & semi darkness, win orchestrated by Brady.
Irl 3 France 2   1981       When Brady had yer man in his pocket all game long
Irl 2        Bulg 0 1987      Brady master performance then gets sent off, game sealed qualification but it was a secret.
Bulg O   Scotland 1    1987      


Best game on TV
Brazil 1 England 0    World cup Mexico, slow motion excellence. (Did Brady score for Brazil by any chance?? )

[deaconblue]

the brillent french team of early to mid 80's were involved in a host of crackers, v portugal in euro s/f '84, v brasil in w/c in 86 and of course the night that nobody over 40 will ever forget v west germany w/c 82,the game that had everything except the right result . a truely great team .

[Norf Tyrone]

the brillent french team of early to mid 80's were involved in a host of crackers, v portugal in euro s/f '84, v brasil in w/c in 86 and of course the night that nobody over 40 will ever forget v west germany w/c 82,the game that had everything except the right result . a truely great team .

Probably the team that I pretended to be in the playground, Giresse, Tigana, Platini, Six, Rocheteau, Battison, Bossis, Battiston. And you can be under 40 too and remember that 82 classic 

[brokencrossbar1]

You can is right Norf.  The 1982 WC was my first real exposure to soccer.  I was only six and we were more or less a football house.  Norn Iron fever gripped the country and I remember I wanted to be Pat Jennings.  I had a brief (thankfully ) flirtation we being a Spurs fan at the time on the back of it.  My best friend was his nephew and both of us played goals in the playground game so we just wanted to be like the big man, (bar the haircut although I did follow it in later life too!)

[Doogie Browser]

The 1986 and 1989 FA Cup finals were the stuff of nitemares   Ian Rushe was the bane of blue men for years. The 4-4 draw was good tho  I can still see King Kenny jumping ship before the replay 

I always enjoy these type of 'where are they now' features.  Players like Derek Mountfield back in Liverpool teaching, how many current players have to worry about jobs after their career finishes!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/7827167.stm

[brokencrossbar1]

The 1986 and 1989 FA Cup finals were the stuff of nitemares   Ian Rushe was the bane of blue men for years. The 4-4 draw was good tho  I can still see King Kenny jumping ship before the replay 

I always enjoy these type of 'where are they now' features.  Players like Derek Mountfield back in Liverpool teaching, how many current players have to worry about jobs after their career finishes!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/7827167.stm

I read that one earlier, Pat van Den Hauwe landscape gardener!!!

[Minder]

The 1986 and 1989 FA Cup finals were the stuff of nitemares   Ian Rushe was the bane of blue men for years. The 4-4 draw was good tho  I can still see King Kenny jumping ship before the replay 

I always enjoy these type of 'where are they now' features.  Players like Derek Mountfield back in Liverpool teaching, how many current players have to worry about jobs after their career finishes!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/7827167.stm

Rob Jones, ex Liverpool runs a few creches. Micky Hazard, ex Chelsea and Spurs i think, is a London Cabbie..............

[Tony Baloney]

Bobby Mimms, now there is a blast from the past. I remember you got called Bobby Mimms if you were a shit keeper!

Even a very average Premiership player can make 30k a week so i don.t think many of the current generation will be running appliance shops, teaching or doing a bit of landscape gardening. Having said that I can't think of many I'd want as an after dinner speaker!

[Doogie Browser]

Mickey Thomas ex United, is a very well renowned printer nowadays.

[Minder]

Mickey Thomas ex United, is a very well renowned printer nowadays.

I could do with some of his merchandise if it is of a high enough quality...........

[Doogie Browser]

Now now don't be going all Dave Boy on me Minder

[Tony Baloney]

From the Sunday Times. I think his wife is called "missus"....

A Day in the Life of... Rio Ferdinand

I don't need an alarm these days because the sound of the boys usually wakes me up — Tate's only 19 weeks old and Larenz is two. The missus, Rebecca, usually sees to Tate while I take Larenz down at about 7 and sort out his Weetabix. We'll watch a bit of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and then I'll get him ready for nursery. I take him in three or four times a week myself, so we're in the car by 8.15 chattering on about trucks and motorbikes on the way. He's at that wonderful age now where he's coming out with new words every day, so I love it. It's one of the best parts of the day.

Once I've dropped him off it's another 20 mins to the Man U ground. That's when I just chill and put on some music — anything from pop to old-school reggae. Kids and autograph-hunters are usually waiting outside the ground, so I'll sign a few books and then head up to the canteen for a bit of breakfast — tea with two sugars and two slices of toast. I'll look at the tabloids, have a bit of a banter with whoever's in, and then do 40 mins in the gym before training begins.

At 10 the whole team start on exercise bikes. They're lined up in rows, so there's lots of chitchat and a TV at the front — always on Sky Sports, so if anyone's on it you can bet they'll get an absolute hammering. We then move outside and kick off training with "box"— a piggy-in-the-middle type thing where two players are in the middle and the rest of us try to keep them off the ball. We'll work on strategy for the game ahead, and often end with an eight-a-side game. The session finishes at about 12.30 or 1, and after a shower I might have a chinwag with [Nemanja] Vidic in the steam room, or give one of the lads stick in the changing rooms about something mad they're wearing.

I usually go up to the canteen for lunch — yesterday I had pasta with chopped chicken, topped with parmesan, followed by banana cake. Except for Fridays, when we have a full day, I get back home around 2ish, say hello to Tate and the missus, and then go and put Larenz to bed for his afternoon nap. What's great is that when he nods off, I nod off too. But by 4 he's up again and it's playtime. He can be pretty boisterous — he wants to play-fight and jump on the sofa, which the missus doesn't like. He's also stubborn and he knows what he wants — a bit like me at that age.

Having kids has been a massive turning point in my life. Sometimes I wish that I'd had them earlier, but in terms of my own maturity they have probably come at the right time. I just hope that as they grow up I can instil in them the work ethic that my parents instilled in me and my younger brother, Anton. Our mum was a childminder. She looked after kids on the Peckham estate where we lived. Dad was a tailor and worked as a bouncer at night. He'd often be out at 6 in the morning and return long after I'd gone to sleep. When I started playing football, though, he took me to training religiously. Then when I was 12 he left home, but the positive thing to come out of that was I got to know him a lot better. Mum, too. Both of them are with other partners now, and I've got another five siblings.

They're still in London, and though I miss being down there, signing to Man U in 2002 was obviously a massive thing for me — a huge moment in my life — and, like my family, I want to give it everything. We live in a lovely old house in Alderley Edge and a few of the other footballers are nearby.
At 5 I'll start the dinner, which I tend to make more than the missus. I'll sort out Larenz first and then do ours. Maybe I'll rustle up a bit of sea bass wrapped in foil with mushrooms, courgettes, peppers and seasoning. I'll stick it in the oven, then put on some rice and make an avocado salad.

At 7pm we'll get the kids ready for bed. The missus feeds Tate and I'll give Larenz his bottle. He'll often fall asleep in my arms. Then we'll both crash in front of the TV and watch EastEnders and something mad like Big Brother. Rebecca goes up at 10, but I'll stay up a bit longer and have some fruit and a couple of chocolate biscuits. Then I'll give Tate his 11pm feed, wind him and put him back to sleep.

I'm normally in bed by 11.20 and usually out for the count. In every sense I'm in a great place right now, and I know, like watching the ball, that I don't want to lose sight of that for one second.

[brokencrossbar1]

From the Sunday Times. I think his wife is called "missus"....

A Day in the Life of... Rio Ferdinand

I don't need an alarm these days because the sound of the boys usually wakes me up — Tate's only 19 weeks old and Larenz is two. The missus, Rebecca, usually sees to Tate while I take Larenz down at about 7 and sort out his Weetabix. We'll watch a bit of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and then I'll get him ready for nursery. I take him in three or four times a week myself, so we're in the car by 8.15 chattering on about trucks and motorbikes on the way. He's at that wonderful age now where he's coming out with new words every day, so I love it. It's one of the best parts of the day.

I'm sure Rio does love it, all those new words, increasing his vocabularly all the time, next thing wee Larenz will teach Rio how to read!!!!

[Tony Baloney]

From the Sunday Times. I think his wife is called "missus"....

A Day in the Life of... Rio Ferdinand

I don't need an alarm these days because the sound of the boys usually wakes me up — Tate's only 19 weeks old and Larenz is two. The missus, Rebecca, usually sees to Tate while I take Larenz down at about 7 and sort out his Weetabix. We'll watch a bit of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and then I'll get him ready for nursery. I take him in three or four times a week myself, so we're in the car by 8.15 chattering on about trucks and motorbikes on the way. He's at that wonderful age now where he's coming out with new words every day, so I love it. It's one of the best parts of the day.

I'm sure Rio does love it, all those new words, increasing his vocabularly all the time, next thing wee Larenz will teach Rio how to read!!!!

Making me laugh in work!

I can just see Rio pulling a dictionary out and saying "Say that word again son but a bit slower this time!". 

It seems he has a hectic schedule to earn his £120,000 a week