Well, we're halfway through the festive football schedule. And for Leicester City, it's been a case of so far, so not very good. A come-from-behind home draw with Leeds and a weak away defeat at Millwall. Whatever the results though, it's nice to get to a match over Christmas.
Boxing Day has always been the big favourite for football fans. Two or three hours away from overheated houses and turkey leftovers is never a bad thing. Almost all the Boxing Day matches I've attended have been in Leicester. Filbert Street in the old days, the Walkers Stadium more recently. Perhaps the most memorable of all though, didn't involve Leicester at all. And it's no exaggeration to say that the match very nearly changed the whole course of English football history.
In the late 80s and early 90s I lived in Birmingham for three years. During this time I quite often went to watch Aston Villa, standing on the old Holte End terracing. And so, on Boxing Day 1989, I joined over 41,000 others for the visit of Manchester United.
The Manchester United of 1989 were nothing like the global footballing superpower they are today. In 1989 they hadn't won the League in over twenty years and their fans were getting restless. Their manager, in particular, was under big pressure. He'd been in charge for more than three unsuccessful years, and many people were calling for his head. You might recognise his name. Alex Ferguson.
That afternoon at Villa Park, United were woeful. Villa ran out 3-0 winners, and the match ended with Villa fans gleefully singing "Fergie, On the dole, Fergie, Fergie, On the dole." More than a few Mancunians joined in.
As it turned out, Ferguson avoided the chop. Thirteen days later, Mark Robins scored the goal that beat Forest in the 3rd round of the FA Cup. United went on to win the trophy, and three years later won the first of their Premier League titles. I don't suppose we'll ever know how close Ferguson came to the end of his time at Manchester United that day back at the end of the 80s. But just imagine if he had. Just try to visualise the last twenty years of the English game without Sir Alex.
What's that you say? You can't?
No. Me neither.
http://www.dantunstall.com/
Argghhh. If only...
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