European Super Football

Barcelona and Real Madrid. Enough said. El Clásico has been around for over a hundred years. It is one of the most exciting and talked about football matches. This not only because of the passion that each games brings, but because of its history as well. Do you remember the first time? The first time the two teams ever met to play each other was in 1902. But the first League El Clásico was in 1929. It was played in Barcelona at their Les Colts stadium, but the Barcelona fans had to endure their first El Clásico loss when Real Madrid beat them 2-1. They got the last word though, winning the reverse fixture 1-0 and thus the first LaLiga title. There have been a combined total of 281 El Clásicos and Barca currently leads in wins There have been 248 competitive matches and 33 exhibition matches between Madrid and Barcelona. Of the 248 competitive matches, Real Madrid has won the most, with 100 wins to Barca’s 96 (and 52 draws). Barcelona has more wins in exhibition matches with 19 to Madr

 It's time to have a look at the history of Women's Football.  The original article was posted on GM Footy 0161 back in 2020. Women may have been playing football for as long as the game has existed. A similar game was played by women during the Han Dynasty.  The modern game of football or soccer (as it's also known) has documented the early involvement of women. It is believed that French women played a form of the sport around the 12th century. An annual competition in Mid-Lothian, Scotland during the 1790s is reported, too. In 1863, football governing bodies introduced standardised rules to prohibit violence on the pitch. This made it much more socially acceptable for women to play. Women's football became popular on a large scale at the time of WW1, when employment in heavy industry spurred the growth of the game, much as it had done for the men's game several decades earlier. Despite being more popular than some men's football events, women's footba

The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions.  The Cup Winners' Cup was for a long time regarded by UEFA as the second biggest European club competition, behind the European Cup (now Champions League) but ahead of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (later the UEFA Cup and now Europa League). The video below explores some of the most iconic matches and moments in the competition.  One of those iconic moments in more detail 1983 final: Aberdeen 2 - 1 Real Madrid Yes you read that correctly. Aberdeen once beat Real Madrid in the final of a European competition. It was a match and occasion that put a certain Alex Ferguson in the spotlight.  Aberdeen took the lead early in the first half with a goal by Eric Black, but Real Madrid drew level following a penalty scored by Juanito in the fifteenth minute.  It remained 1-1 so the match went into extra time. The winning goal was scored for Aberdeen by John Hew

Looking at the tables of the English Football League in recent seasons, it's really hard to believe that Bolton Wanderers were once playing in European competition. The match itself Because Bolton were actually in a relegation battle at the time, Gary Megson selected a weakened side for the match. This was how they lined up: Bolton: Al Habsi, Andrew O'Brien, Cid, Michalik, Gardner, Alonso (Giannakopoulos 56), Nolan, Guthrie, McCann, Braaten (Teymourian 77), Davies. Bolton shocked the German giants eight minutes into the game. Ricardo Gardner's effort was deflected past the iconic Oliver Kahn to give them an unlikely lead. It was Gardner's first goal in almost five years. As expected, Bayern eventually upped their game, with Lucas Podolski, Franck Ribery and Bastian Schweinsteiger terrorising the Bolton defence. 30 minutes into the game, Bayern were level as Podolski beat Al-Habsi with a driven shot. Just four minutes into the second half, Podolski scored his s

Before Sir Alex Ferguson took over at Manchester United in 1986, they very rarely performed well in Europe. They did have the occasional great night though. Context:  United lost the first leg of the 1984 Cup Winners Cup Quarter Final 2-0. A Barcelona side, featuring the late Diego Maradona, were expected to comfortably hold out on the night. Watch: 2 minute highlights What do people say about the game? In 2014, Arthur Albiston told the Guardian: "The atmosphere inside Old Trafford that night as the most intense he has ever experienced."  Read More  One United fan was asked on Twitter about his favourite United, he replied: "A bit obvious but United versus Barca 1984, cried like a good one !!" This interesting article from the Manchester Evening News  explores the match in a different way. It contains more quotes from players involved in the game. Goalkeeper Bailey said to the local news organisation: "Graeme Hogg came in because we were missing both centre bac