Football and Fashion |

OLD TRAFFORD IN THE ’80s: THE PLAYERS’ STORIES

With: Bryan Robson, Frank Stapleton, Gordon McQueen,

Arnold Muhren, Alan Brazil, Clayton Blackmore, Gary Bailey,

Arthur Albiston, Bill Garton, John Gidman and Ron Atkinson

NEW PAPERBACK EDITION!

Published by Vision Sports Publishing, Out Now!

RRP £7.99, ISBN 9781907637094

The 1980’s was certainly a barren decade for Manchester United as far as league titles were concerned, but they did bag two FA Cups during that time. The teams that conquered did so with grit, determination and some seriously dodgy perms. Eleven key players from that time have been tracked down by author Andy Mitten to tell their own stories in this new book.

They played hard on the pitch, and many played just as hard off it. Working class lads who got to live their childhood dreams by playing for the biggest and most glamorous team in the country. There are 11 chapters in the book, each one a mini-bio of the players involved. Through their stories we get the chance to build up a picture of what life was really like at Man Utd.

The football, the fights, the boozing sessions and the childish pranks are all recorded for posterity. This was an era when footballers were still one of us, they lived alongside the fans who turned out to watch them and went for a pint after training. These footballers weren’t celebrities and played for the love of the game, as there wasn’t much money to be made back then. When they retired they were lucky if they had a few medals to show for their efforts.

As a football player, Kenny Dalglish can be proud of his achievements with Liverpool, winning four League Cups, six League titles, the FA Cup and three European Cups. In his first spell as a manager he has been equally successful in leading his team to two FA Cups and three League titles. He has treasured each of these moments when reflecting on the good old days at Anfield.

As his second spell as a manager gathers pace and the chanting of his name gets louder on the Kop, even the normally taciturn Scot must admit to a surge of excitement and some humility. It is as if he has never left. It would be better for me if the punters chanted the names of the players rather than mine, says Dalglish, as they are the ones doing the work on the field.

After his promotion from caretaker to manager, confirmed by American owners, Fenway Sports Group, Dalglish said that if he could help he would and he has returned. He felt it is an honour to have been asked and to be here.

Birmingham manager, Alex McLeish, has said that there is no other conclusion to make. Kenny has returned and has made everyone happy. He has them all laughing again, he just has that way about him. Players respect him and his decisions and they pay attention to his orders shouted from the touchline. McLeish cannot see Dalglish not getting the job.

Under the leadership of Roy Hodgson, Liverpool held 12^th position in January and chances of a challenge for a European place were slim. Now after 27 points and 14 matches they are in 6^th spot and are in a very good position to take full advantage of any blunder by an unsteady Tottenham Hotspur.

It would only be telling a small part of an incredible story by suggesting that club cricketer, champion cyclist, professional footballer and record-breaking sprinter, Arthur Wharton could play a bit.

The story is finally receiving the attention it deserves after being lost for over 60 years where it ended in a pauper’s grave in 1930 hear Doncaster after having started in the Gold Coast of present day Ghana, in 1865. Now an appropriate ending will be written to Wharton’s story with his final chapter being written thanks to Shaun Campbell, a Darlington businessmen and Sheila Leeson a Rotherham grandmother.

A ceremony prior to Tuesday’s friendly between England and Ghana will be attended by the two and will celebrate the legacy of Wharton and him being the first black in professional world football.

Wharton came to England at aged 19 in 1884 the son of a Ghanaian princess and renowned half-Grenadian half-Scottish Methodist minister. Darlington FC proved to be impossible to resist even though he was supposed to study at Cleveland College to be a missionary.

He was spotted by Preston North End in his first season at Darlo as the fixture between the sticks and he joined the team from Lancashire the following year and helped them to their semi-berth in the FA Cup, football’s premier competition at the time in 1887.

He was much more than just a goalie, holding the world record for 100 years that he set in 1886 at Stamford Bridge at a first every 10 seconds flat and he set a record time for a bike race from Preston to Blackburn in 1887.

Even though most people recognise the French corset as something that is great for the bedroom or for creating the hourglass figure, the truth is that French corsets have a rich history dating back to Ancient Greek and Cretan societies.

In fact, during these ancient times men wore corsets as well as women in order to provide the waist with support during athletic activities.  At this time corsets were made of leather and metal, but nowadays the corsets in the markets are made of stiff thread and elastics in most cases.

It was in the 17^th century that the French started to produce their own French corsets and soon everyone began to wear the clothing items from women to men to young children that were learning to work.  The French were the first people to use the corset to emphasize the chest instead of flatten it resulting in the highly seductive item that is now most popular in lingerie shop windows and the bedroom.

Today it is rare to see someone wear a corset as a part of their regular clothing options, but they are still popular in formal dress styles and of course for seductive play. Corsets today are rarely used simply alone, as most are sold with equally sexy underwear to match and offered with garter belts and tights.

It is not uncommon to see celebrities strut the stage in corset like outfits that bring sensuality to the media eye.  Some celebrities in particular that are known to show off in French corsets include Fergie, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga.

Due to the celebrity focus on corset dresses that have corset tops etched into them are becoming much more popular on the runways and in department stores.  Outside of the celebrity factor, a great deal of their appeal is the fact that they slim and create a sleeker body figure on those who wear them.

One more popular use for French corsets today is as supportive underwear for wedding gowns.  It is no secret that every bride wants to look like a princess on her wedding day, which is why many brides choose to wear white lace up corsets under their dresses for extra support around the breasts and to create an hourglass figure under the dress.  In fact, corsets are so popular for this reason that many bridal shops have an entire collection of corsets to choose from for your special day.

Legendary ex-international and premiership referee Graham Poll answers questions submitted by Coral Dugout fans on Facebook. Visit Facebook to join the debate and see the personal video responses. Watch the video for more information.

Martin Peters answers some questions from England fans on the Coral Dugout site.

You can check the www.facebook.com/coraldugout site to ask Graham Poll a question and get your personal video response.

A new England Football Rattle app for iPhone and iPod Touch is now available to download from Apple’s AppStore.  This new app means you can now support the England football team the way your dad and grandad used to…. but with an iphone.

It works just like a normal football rattle. You wave your iPhone or iPod Touch as if were a football rattle handle and the rattle sound is created. The rattle will speed up or slow down according to the speed and vigour with which you wave your device. It really is great fun.

England Football Rattle App can be found here.