From the publisher:
Football in the 1980s is an unmissable collection of fascinating moments capturing what it was like going to watch your team in England and Wales in the 1980s.
Football fans of a certain age have differing opinions on the game in 1980s. Some look back with affection at a time when you could just rock up at a moment’s notice, pay the old fella chewing on a roll-up behind the turnstile, grab yourself a burger, cup of Bovril and a programme on your way up to your usual spot on the terrace, cheer on your team and set off after the final whistle with change in your pocket from that tenner you brought with you.
Sure the terraces were crumbly and, after a few half time beers you’d have to watch your step – and going to the toilet was a health hazard that would normal be treated with wading boots and a chemical suit, but we didn’t know any different.
Others, with some justification, remember being herded and caged in like animals; at the mercy of the wind, rain, sleet and snow; and of course, the hooliganism and tragedy that scarred the 1980s as a very dark decade for the beautiful game.
Whichever particular 80s football team you’re on, this book is right up your street. Whether you want to remember those pre-Sky and Premier League days with affection, the quirkily cobbled-together architectural charm that preceded the soulless breeze block identikit out-of-town arenas, or thank your lucky stars that we no longer have to watch the match like battery chickens or transported cattle, often soaked to the skin with rain – and often something else too.
Football in the 1980s captures the good, the bad and the ugly of a decade that should never be forgotten – for better or worse.
So come with us on a trip to grounds that are no longer with us, whether they have been redeveloped or bulldozed. Remember what it was like to be a fan, approach the stadium and experience football played on mudbath pitches to a crowd full of characters.
Whatever your memories of football in the 1980s, we guarantee you will love this..
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