Nostalgia

[OllieGull]

Just a thread for any pieces of nostalgia you wish to share, this song came up the other day and brought back the memories from the world cup! I know it's relatively recent but oh well!

[AustrianAndyGull]

My World Cup nostalgia will always be Italia 90. Nothing can EVER equal that IMO. It was in part due to England too who i don't support and always make me visibly upset whenever they do well. Gazza's tears, the Platt volley against Belgium, the penalty misses, Lineker shatting himself on the pitch. It was all there and to the backdrop of the most iconic musical accompaniment in Pavarotti's Nessun Dorma.

At a time when players actually wore football shorts and not cut off trousers and went out to win every game in the group stages and not hope and pray that they are still in with a shout until the final group game when they nowadays do that then decide to go for it in the last game.

The hosts playing breathtaking football with the fluidity of Baggio and the work and power of Donadoni backed up with the Michael Owen-esque success of a little known striker taking all before him. Toto Schillaci. Maldini, Baresi, Vialli, Wlater Zenga. Amazing. The Cameroon with Roger Milla and all the colour they brought with them and that opening game defeat of Argentina and the Biyik brothers and the 'taking out' of Claudio Caniggia when in full flow ensured i was blown away!

The Germans with Mattheus, Littbarski, Hassler, Buchwald, Brehme, Augenthaler and Klinnsmann backed up by Rudi Voller who was spat at by Rijkaard . Which brings me onto the Dutch with Van Basten, Gullit and the Koeman brothers. The Brazilians with Romario, Careca, Dunga, Branco and Bebeto.

The brutal Argies with Maradona, Caniggia, Burrachaga, Monzon, Troglio and Ruggeri. Then we can mention the Scots but i won't! The whole tournament captivated me and not least as it was the first time i had seen Austria compete in a major finals. I remember being at school and all my mates anticipating the England games and then talking about them for ages afterwards and me being the same with Austria. We lost 1-0 in our first group game against the hosts with Schillaci, the smallest player on the field popping up between two 6 foot odd Autrian defenders in Franz Aigner and Peter Artner and nodding past Lindenberger with the glorious illuminated yellow and green striped goalie top. We lost our second game also 1-0 to the then Czechoslovakia and then knowing we were already out we beat the yanks 2-1 in our fianl game. At least that made me happy.

I also remember the BBC doing a goals roundup with commentary with the background music being VENUS by DON PABLOS ANIMALS ( a 90's dance tune) and me copying the commentaries of goals at school.

"Careca's on siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiddddddddddddddddddddddddeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!....PAUSE as he rounds the keeper.................AND WILL SCORE!"

"Carlos Valderrama, we'll see whether we've got one of the stars of the world cup here or not" ( VALDERRAMA UNLEASHES ONE FROM THE EDGE OF THE AREA ) "OOOOHH WE HAVE!"

"Paul Cagliuri, can he get one? OOOOOOH HE CAN!"

Italia 90 will NEVER be beaten.

[OllieGull]

As much as this pains me to say, I wasn't born then so never got to witness it

[AustrianAndyGull]

Ok don't rub it in.

[Glostergull]

Ehh lad. Nostalgia. Ain't wot it used to be!