I remember many years ago watching a game on tv between Anderlecht and West Ham United in the final of the now defunct European cup winners cup in 1976. I have an abiding memory of the TV camera panning over the stadium and showing a glimpse of the Atomium, Brussels famous striking monument, the structure itself was surreal enough but in the context of a continental football match, it took on a kind of magic for me. There were some West Ham supporters on the crowd and the whole concept of going to watch your team play in a foreign country really gripped me.

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A similar scenario occured a few years later when the TV cameras showed the European cup final between Liverpool and Real Madrid played in the Parc des Princes,Paris. Once again the cameraman decided to kindly provide a sweep of the Parisian skyline with the Eiffel Tower in the foreground. For me, there was something special about games in continental Europe and I particularly loved European competitions and International tournaments.

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I have some incredible memories of watching of watching World Cups and European Championships on TV from when I was younger, staying up late to watch the 1976 European Championship final between Germany and what was then Czechoslovakia, made famous by the "Panenka" penalty. The 1978 world cup in Argentina, complete with ticker tape, Archie Gemmill,Mario Kempes and so on. The 1982 world cup in Spain which is probably to this day still my favourite tournament, Mexico 86 and the "Hand of God" goal,Euro 88 with Van Basten's stunning volley, all culminating in Italia 90 which although not noted as a particularly sparkling world cup from a football purist point of view it was however a turning point which captured the public's imagination and heralded massive changes in the game. Perhaps more specifically it brought about a change in the type of people who were interested in the game and who began to go and watch it.

 

In addition to the "highlights" of the game such as international competitions I was also a firm fan of the domestic British game. However the game I loved was before the influx of sky TV which has changed the people's game into a more corporate infested, money orientated over hyped product based pastime in the last 25 or so years. The games maverick and characters (Best Clough Gascoigne) replaced by stoic charmless robots guided by cash obsessed agents and worshipped by fickle tourists charading as football fans.

 

Clasico clothing co celebrates the "good old days" of football, muddy pitches, affordable ticket prices,clubs run for communities and not personal gain, competitions for supporters and not corporations, legends who did their talking on the pitch and not on social media. We reminisce and recall.We champion the days "when football was ace".