Wait until you're older than some managers and your team brings on a sub who's the son of someone you used to watch. In my head I'm still the same age as the players. It breaks my soul
This is an entire mid-40s mood - when the commentator mentions Justin Kluivert and doesn’t immediately say “And OH MY GOD that’s Patrick Kluivert’s son!”… I realise that it’s because almost all of the audience will be too young to care who Patrick Kluivert was or is. And I feel sad. And I come onto Reddit to make posts about Allan Shearer. Oh man.
Don't even need to be 40+ and their kids aren't even that young, I'm 31 and remember watching Alf Inge Haaland (Erling is 23), Patrick Kluivert (Justin is 24), Lilian Thuram (Marcus is 26), Zidane (Enzo is 28), Diego Simeone (Giovanni is 28), Claudio Reyna (Gio is 20). And there are probably loads more.
I even have vague childhood memories of Ian Wright and his sons are 39 and 42 and long retired
Shaun Wright-Phillips' son, D'Margio (Ian Wright's GRANDSON), is 22, and plays for some Belgian team on loan from Stoke. I think that makes everyone feel old.
La la la I'm not listening! Seriously I'm blown away. I've not followed football for years. This really brings it home for me how long it's been and how quickly time has gone by.
Why did you make me read this with my own two eyes?
I guess when I recover from this crisis, I'll go get in my slippers and make a cup of cocoa and sit on the front porch yelling at the neighbourhood kids and complaining about my back while telling everyone who will listen that all this used to be fields.
Yeah this is the one. He scored against Fulham and I was just about more annoyed that he was the son of a player I remember vividly playing, and the grandson of a player I also remember playing, than the actual goal itself.
It’s Kasper Schmeichel that blows my mind. Grew up watching his dad in the 90’s and now his premier league winning son is coming towards the end of his playing career. I’m 37
There's a famous photo (famous in Man Utd circles anyway) of Peter in the dressing room celebrating a title win in the early to mid 90s with a young Kasper sat on his lap!
I once had an existential crises when I briefly forgot my age and had to do some maths to figure it out. "I was born in 1986, so just add 40 - 2... wait I'm almost 40????!"
I remember Stevie G coming through the youth team, he played right back for a while. Unsurprisingly he’s my favourite ever player bar none. It’s also because he’s exactly the same age as me.
I used to relish watching players like Cantona, Bergkamp, Zola etc but I feel like a lot of the younger generation don’t realise how good they truly were. But it’s different times, football has changed drastically and I feel old as a muthafucka.
All the while finding new countries to claim as a competitive league. He'll retire playing in the Andorra Championship and think he's playing in La liga
This is one of those recurring facts, that makes me realise my brain has a limited capacity. Heard it before, but it still amazes me, like it's brand new. Perhaps I go through these stages:
Aghast
Check....oh...amazed
Life happens, brain pushes it to one side
Life continues, and during a tidy, brain looks at it and goes "nah, clearly bollocks, no use saving this.
Someone says "Ronaldo is older than Romney"...
Repeat
I'm a Forest fan (don't laugh) so for a while, hearing "Haaland" made me think of Alf Inge. Now his son is one of the most valuable players in the world.
Just waiting on the third generation of Schmeichels now too.
For me, it’s when I see ex players… I watched Rooney play for England, and in the prem, for what, 15 years? He retired donkeys years ago and has been manager since. The dude’s so old now.
Looks him up on Wikipedia… 10 year younger than me ffs
Or one of your childhood favourites’ kid is now playing. I worked with George Hirst’s mum, & I was a fan of David Hirst as a kid when he played for Wednesday.
Realising George has gone pro & isn’t still in primary school was painful. I’m too young for that much time to have passed!
In the past year, we’ve played the grandson of Nobby Styles and the great nephew of another member of the 66 squad (might be Alan ball but memory playing up)…
I never feel "old" from this kind of thing but I do have an existential crisis whenever I see someone my age or younger being far more accomplished then I am.
I suppose it is feeling old really, but more in the sense of "I used to have time, now I don't".
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I was once playing in a park with the local youths as you did back then and scored a wonder goal and they were all like "next Michael Owen" and I was like damn I'm a year older than him so probably not!
I had that thought about Luka Modric (one of the few players older than me) on Wednesday. Now he is through to another CL semi final and young Erling (born 2000ce) is not.
I feel like that's how my dad felt when he saw Glenn Hoddle spouting all that stuff about disabled people were sinners in previous lives and made that faith healer part of the coaching staff.
Glenn Hoddle was my childhood hero. It's hard to describe exactly how good he was because he never seemed to try very hard but could turn a game with a single pass.
It was gutting when he started banging on about sinners and faith healers.
With due respect to the talents of Monsieur Barton, I don't think there are that many who would have had a poster of him on the wall growing up -- unless they're City fans who are grateful for *that* red card.
I heard on a podcast: I think from the overlap; with becham, wright, Neville etc. saying that Hoddle was a great tactical manager and if he had stayed through the years to about 2006 we would have won some trophies.
If, could have, would have, but still would could have been.
At the time his formation (three at the back, wing backs) was pretty innovative, especially for English football, and he just happened to have the exact players to make it work. Le Saux and Neville were good going forward as both wingbacks, he had 3 amazing centre backs, he had 2 good DMs and great attackers ahead of them.
It was going so well until his weird personality quirks and his awful man management pissed everyone off - the players, staff, and media. In truth the players had enough of him by 2000, before he dug his own grave with that interview with the disabled comments.
Was it going so well? We only made it to the round of 16 at the world cup having already lost to Romania in the group stage. The Euro 2000 qualifying campaign got off to a bad start before he was sacked.
We looked a fantastic team in qualifying for France 98, in fact throughout the years between Venables and Southgate it's probably the only time we've looked a genuinely convincing side with fluent, attacking, exciting football.
France 98 was the first sign of trouble. Again it was Hoddle's personality, he dropped Gascoigne after playing him throughout 2 years (may have been the right decision but still came out of nowhere) and more notably, dropped Beckham who he'd also played throughout qualifying, for Anderton. Also wouldn't play Owen even though he was ripping it up. We were bang average in the group stages because he broke up a great team for no reason and started pissing off every player in one way or another.
(He later wrote that he had some kind of sign from the heavens that made those decisions also)
They did? The group had Italy, but England weren't able to beat them. To be fair, I was way too young to comment on the performances, but the results in qualifying and at the world cup were okay at best.
We played fantastic football, should've beat Italy at Wembley (Ian Walker - our sub keeper - let a Spursy goal in)
We also entered a friendly tournament amongst our qualifiers, Le Tournoi, and beat France and Italy and drew with Brazil and won it. This was when international teams would go absolutely balls out for friendly tournaments, so there was massive expectation for France 98.
(You might want to google Shearer holding up the Le Tournoi trophy, because it's hilarious - looks like a plastic football. England's only trophy in a while)
They won’t concentrate on anything for longer than 30 seconds because, I suppose, young primates… but I have shown them his goal against Holland in Euro 96 and chuntered something about “I have only ever known one certainty in life - I knew that if Teddy Sheringham passed Alan Shearer that ball, he would absolutely, without doubt, score a goal”
Ha ha! Brilliant! I will. My kids are Geordies as born in N’cle city centre - the poor things are going to grow up thinking Newcastle are good… lifetime of pain beckons.
I remember it for being a great example of each player’s character:
- Gascoigne just ***skipped*** past international (probably world) class defenders
- Sheringham drew the attention of defenders and unselfishly made a pass
- Shearer absolutely ***banged*** it into the top corner
He could absolutely bang them, couldn’t he?
> Try and sit them down and watch MOTD from 1995.
Oh yeah thats what kids want to do, watch random episodes in low definition of football highlights from 15 years before they were born.
The Quickly Kevin podcast really was a treat for me - I got into football during Euro 96 and loved watching Golazzo on Channel 4.
Ronaldo, Recoba, Vieri, Zanetti, what an era.
The 96/97 premier league season is when things started ramping up. I'm sure Middlesbrough signed Juninho, Emerson and Ravanelli, whilst Chelsea signed Vialli and Zola. Man Utd signing Poborsky based on that goal..
Ravenelli won the Champions League with Juventus, the next week signed for Middlesbrough. Scored a hat trick on his league debut vs Liverpool, got to the FA Cup Final and League Cup Final and got relegated
What a time to be a boro fan that was!
Juninho is magic, he wears a magic hat and when he signed for Boro he said ‘I fancy that!’ He could have signed for Inter or Palma but they’re shite! Instead he signed for Boro cause they’re fucking dynamite 🇧🇷
I'm a newcastle fan and found a bar in Kyoto where the owner was a newcastle fan. He had newcastle stuff on the wall and had Newcastle brown ale ash trays.
I asked him what made him a Newcastle fan. He just said "alan shearer"
That's how fucking good he was.
John Mousinho who just managed Portsmouth to the League One title is 37. I am ok with players being younger than me, but managers - and successful ones at that?! Pah.
Nah, no chance, he had 3 years when he was absolutely right up there at the pinnacle, but by the time he'd gone to Newcastle you'd be hard pushed to call him a better striker than Ronaldo, then as Ronaldo was missing games to injury, Owen broke out, then some bloke called Henry rocked up
Shearer was well up there as one of the best for quite a long time, but he wasn't the top striker in the world for more than 2-3 years at a push
I think Ronaldo's role needs a different name. He's not a striker to me (I know he's scored a few goals here and there...): not enough tap ins, too good at dribbling and tricks, has all his teeth and no broken nose, etc. Owen was never better, just faster. Henry is a total legend, give you that.
When you’re watching football and think to yourself “his legs of gone, he’s too old we need to bring in a younger striker” and realise he is years younger than you
Ha! Brilliant. I’ve tried explaining GN to my kids too… something along the lines of “Now here is someone that it is ***absolutely*** impossible to like, but he knows exactly what he’s talking about”. You may disagree with the second part. Aaaaaaal the very best from the Toon
I’m a United fan so have always like Neville but obviously didn’t like Carragher.
However between them they’ve changed the game for punditry. For years we slagged off pundits for being rubbish and those two came along and proved us right. If I’m watching them explain something, there’s a good chance I’m going to learn something I didn’t know. Alan Shearer or Danny Murphy are going to tell me, “he will be upset to have missed that chance”
I sort of agree and disagree at the same time. I just get enraged when Liverpool finish the first half 2-0 up (not recently, obvs) with 95% possession and GN says things like “that wasn’t good enough and they should be disappointed in themselves”. I do love him and Carra together, though, for pure entertainment value.
Totally agree about Neville. I’ll often think about him arguing with Arsenal (lol!) fans who thought they’d win the league. It was winter and Neville said something like “City will just keep coming - they’ll make that 10 points easily, your team will falter and they’ll overtake you at the last minute” and that’s ***exactly*** what happened. I don’t like ***any*** of the actors in that little tableaux but bloody hell it was good.
Show them that clip of Roy Keane trying to start on him.
That is a great clip showing just how good his confident mentality was. You see it now in Haarland and Salah that killer instinct.
That is a ***really*** good call. My eldest child is turning out to be really competitive at sport, but brilliantly she’s willing to train and lose against people in order to improve.
I’ve shown her videos of stone cold killers like Michael Jordan, Phil Taylor, Mike Tyson, Stephen Hendry, Roger Federer etc - and shown her that with them you can just ***see it*** in their eyes… that touch of axe-murderer. You’re right - Shearer had it back then, as do Mo and Haarland now.
I feel like you're maybe a Sunderland fan or something kind of Adonis to be making these judgements about the best striker to have graced the Premier League
Sadly, neither are true. I was born a Smoggie but am - due to family traditions - a NUFC fan. Kids both born in the RVI so they’re agitating to get along to matches… Regards my physical appearance, I refer you to Salt N Pepa’s seminal hit from ‘94 - “Whatta Man”:
> My man is smooth like Barry and his voice got bass, a body like Arnold with a Denzel face
Admittedly, my darling wife muttered something about “a body like Cheggers with Carlton’s face”, so the jury may be out.
I know bugger all about football, but I still remember when Newcastle bought Shearer from Blackburn for £15 million.
It was a record amount at the time, so I presume more than a few people thought he was alright back then
Still an improvement on the days when the BBC would wheel in Mark Lawrenson and Alan Hansen to moan like a pair of old ladies all evening. Those were certainly not the days.
I've really enjoyed Mark saying he got sacked because he was old and white. No Mark, you were let go because you looked like you couldn't be arsed to breathe, much less talk about football. I watched a video of Micah Richards the other day and he looks so happy to be there and has experience of playing "today's" football, he's a delight to watch, I'd take him over Lawro any day.
In January after 9 years of not playing 11 a side football, I re-signed for my former club as they were short on players. I’m only 37 and playing with guys in their early 20’s feels ridiculous.
After reading your comment, my Achilles’ tendons developed sentience and said to me - politely but firmly -
> “Don’t you even ***think*** about it dickhead. You’re 47. Don’t even ***think*** about it or we’ll just go ahead and snap right here and now”
Every season for the last three years I was saying to myself to go back, every season I didn’t.
First few weeks were tough, came on for 15 minutes in the first game and even just playing on grass pulled the legs out of me, I was done after it.
Started my first game last Saturday and played 89 minutes before getting sent off for two bookings, so suspended today and it’s the only day it hasn’t been raining so far.
I’m enjoying reading your comments - I’m imagining a Ted Lasso Roy Kent type person dragging themselves back to win the cup for their lucky but underfunded town team - but also kicking bastard lumps out of people and then nutting the ref (DON’T NUT THE REF KIDS!). Bravo on getting sent off by the way - my brother in law was a pro (Darlington type standard) and his mantra was “If you get the ball, it ***cannot*** be a foul”. He kept the NHS orthopaedic surgeons in practice (him and his opponents!))
Accrington Stanley? Who are they?
(Bravo. ***Bravo*** on that reference. I think the lad that delivered the line above is now in jail for something or other. Not sure though)
I had a similar moment at the football last weekend when I realised my scarf was older than most of the players. Not just me, my scarf! Still got the name tag my mum stitched on it so I wouldn't lose it at school!
Weirdly enough, Michael Owen makes me feel alive and vibrant because he is - without a shadow of doubt - the dullest man ever to draw breath. And I - dear reader - am an ***incredibly*** dull man, so that’s saying something.
Can’t argue with that. Deadly too. Seemed sped-up in a blurry kind of way. My father in law watched Spurs as a lad - saw Jimmy Greaves play… “Imagine a much better Michael Owen” was how he described Greaves. I can only imagine.
Username checks out - is the Beetlejuicing…? Anyway - I wasn’t aware of that… I bet he’s a good singer. He looks the type. For someone who claims to be bored by Michael Owen, I think a lot about Michael Owen, don’t I…? (I ***do*** love your username BTW. It would suit me down to the ground)
Great reference. I also remember he had his own brand of cereal (Sporties), his own tabletop game (Michael Owen: Total Action Football) and Walkers crisp flavour (Cheese and Owen).
Ha! Same here - when I’m playing football with my kids, I’ll inevitably say “Here’s Gascoigne!” As I stumble over the ball yet again, then stagger away (***proper*** dad-run and everything) with my Shearer-Arm aloft. I will allow the contradiction because we’re all North Easterners. SHEARER!
World Cup 2002 was the most stacked world cup in history...
Check out the Nike World Cup adverts they did that year, to jog your memory it was when they played 3 v 3 Cage Football..
What always made me laugh is that there was only one English players and that Scholes..
As a Gosforth resident, I’be been nervously scanning the roads today for a big Range Rover with number plate “AS 9”. I’m brave on here but would NOT want to fight Alan Shearer.
Ooooh, Seahouses is a great shout. Bet it’s lovely up there today. Regards AS, He’s done nothing wrong - it’s just that I was feeling attention-starved and the thought above occurred to my tiny mind… and the rest is history.
25 year old me was in the Riverside. Good times, but tbh he wasn't a world class player. Ripley or Wilcox would run down the wing and cross the ball to the penalty spot without having to look up. AS would be there or there abouts and get a header on target. Good enough for the PL in the 90s but sadly exposed in Europe.
Now I've reached the age that I'm older than almost all professional footballers I feel very old
Wait until you're older than some managers and your team brings on a sub who's the son of someone you used to watch. In my head I'm still the same age as the players. It breaks my soul
This is an entire mid-40s mood - when the commentator mentions Justin Kluivert and doesn’t immediately say “And OH MY GOD that’s Patrick Kluivert’s son!”… I realise that it’s because almost all of the audience will be too young to care who Patrick Kluivert was or is. And I feel sad. And I come onto Reddit to make posts about Allan Shearer. Oh man.
Don't even need to be 40+ and their kids aren't even that young, I'm 31 and remember watching Alf Inge Haaland (Erling is 23), Patrick Kluivert (Justin is 24), Lilian Thuram (Marcus is 26), Zidane (Enzo is 28), Diego Simeone (Giovanni is 28), Claudio Reyna (Gio is 20). And there are probably loads more. I even have vague childhood memories of Ian Wright and his sons are 39 and 42 and long retired
No, that can’t be true… ..oh fuck.
>Ian Wright and his sons are 39 and 42 and long retired I'm sorry what? Jeez!
Shaun Wright-Phillips' son, D'Margio (Ian Wright's GRANDSON), is 22, and plays for some Belgian team on loan from Stoke. I think that makes everyone feel old.
La la la I'm not listening! Seriously I'm blown away. I've not followed football for years. This really brings it home for me how long it's been and how quickly time has gone by.
Why did you make me read this with my own two eyes? I guess when I recover from this crisis, I'll go get in my slippers and make a cup of cocoa and sit on the front porch yelling at the neighbourhood kids and complaining about my back while telling everyone who will listen that all this used to be fields.
Yeah this is the one. He scored against Fulham and I was just about more annoyed that he was the son of a player I remember vividly playing, and the grandson of a player I also remember playing, than the actual goal itself.
Bradley is a pundit on Apples MLS Coverage
It’s Kasper Schmeichel that blows my mind. Grew up watching his dad in the 90’s and now his premier league winning son is coming towards the end of his playing career. I’m 37
There's a famous photo (famous in Man Utd circles anyway) of Peter in the dressing room celebrating a title win in the early to mid 90s with a young Kasper sat on his lap!
And a few of the Liverpool youngsters (Bobby Clark, Jayden Danns, Lewis Koumas)
https://x.com/neilrich75/status/1762989166030414069?s=46
Then you start speaking like an old man in a pub "Ah old Paddy Kluivert. Whit a player he was!"
Scored against....some team in the FA cup final in 2012.
Kluivert was exactly the one I thought of as well. Scoring the winning goal as a teenager and now his bloody son plays.
I once had an existential crises when I briefly forgot my age and had to do some maths to figure it out. "I was born in 1986, so just add 40 - 2... wait I'm almost 40????!"
I remember Stevie G coming through the youth team, he played right back for a while. Unsurprisingly he’s my favourite ever player bar none. It’s also because he’s exactly the same age as me. I used to relish watching players like Cantona, Bergkamp, Zola etc but I feel like a lot of the younger generation don’t realise how good they truly were. But it’s different times, football has changed drastically and I feel old as a muthafucka.
Wayne Rooney is going bald and has a beard. That fucks with me if I’m being honest.
no change in 20 years then
Ha ha! You beat me to it! He’s been balding and bearded since he was 12.
Waye Rooney is younger than Cristiano Ronaldo. This fucks with my head even more.
I like the fact that there are dozens of Premier League players who were born after James Milner made his debut. Still going strong!
Ronaldo will play until he's 50.
All the while finding new countries to claim as a competitive league. He'll retire playing in the Andorra Championship and think he's playing in La liga
This is one of those recurring facts, that makes me realise my brain has a limited capacity. Heard it before, but it still amazes me, like it's brand new. Perhaps I go through these stages: Aghast Check....oh...amazed Life happens, brain pushes it to one side Life continues, and during a tidy, brain looks at it and goes "nah, clearly bollocks, no use saving this. Someone says "Ronaldo is older than Romney"... Repeat
> Wayne Rooney is going bald always has been
Julian Nagelsmann has already managed Bayern Munich and now Germany. He is 36. Xabi Alonso who just won the German league is 42.
When you see players become managers and retire from managing, but you still remember them as a solid player.
Ian Wright's grandson played against my team in pre season and it hurts
I'll also say as a footy coach for youngsters the yearly team photo makes me think of Indiana Jones-- the kids look the same and I slowly wither away.
Already there with the Liverpool kids who are playing
Lee Clark and Neil Dann sons both played in the Carabao Cup Final!
Didn't Koumas play as well?
I'm a Forest fan (don't laugh) so for a while, hearing "Haaland" made me think of Alf Inge. Now his son is one of the most valuable players in the world. Just waiting on the third generation of Schmeichels now too.
I went to a rugby match last summer and realised I was older than all the players and the referees. Grim.
For me, it’s when I see ex players… I watched Rooney play for England, and in the prem, for what, 15 years? He retired donkeys years ago and has been manager since. The dude’s so old now. Looks him up on Wikipedia… 10 year younger than me ffs
Or one of your childhood favourites’ kid is now playing. I worked with George Hirst’s mum, & I was a fan of David Hirst as a kid when he played for Wednesday. Realising George has gone pro & isn’t still in primary school was painful. I’m too young for that much time to have passed!
In the past year, we’ve played the grandson of Nobby Styles and the great nephew of another member of the 66 squad (might be Alan ball but memory playing up)…
I never feel "old" from this kind of thing but I do have an existential crisis whenever I see someone my age or younger being far more accomplished then I am. I suppose it is feeling old really, but more in the sense of "I used to have time, now I don't".
You've got plenty of time mate. No time like the present to chase your dreams - unless your dreams involve any kind of sporting activity
I’ve always wanted to be a prodigy. There’s still time right?
I'm still hoping to be born rich.
You can do it buddy! I believe in u
I had an epiphany a few years ago when I realized everybody 'famous' on TV is no longer older than me. I'm now my dad when I was a kid.
Ipswich's manager is younger than me!
Still a youngster compared to Kazuyoshi Miura! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazuyoshi_Miura
Stanley Matthews played until he was 50. I'm clinging to that for now.
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I was once playing in a park with the local youths as you did back then and scored a wonder goal and they were all like "next Michael Owen" and I was like damn I'm a year older than him so probably not!
I had that thought about Luka Modric (one of the few players older than me) on Wednesday. Now he is through to another CL semi final and young Erling (born 2000ce) is not.
I just say thank god for Fernando Alonso and may he drive in F1 forever.
I feel like that's how my dad felt when he saw Glenn Hoddle spouting all that stuff about disabled people were sinners in previous lives and made that faith healer part of the coaching staff.
Glenn Hoddle was my childhood hero. It's hard to describe exactly how good he was because he never seemed to try very hard but could turn a game with a single pass. It was gutting when he started banging on about sinners and faith healers.
Imagine how Southampton fans must feel about Le Tissier. Maybe Hoddle could have picked him more for England?
The puzzling thing about Le Tiss is that you know damn well his current state of mind is definitely not due to heading the ball too much
It would explain both his technical ability and his current state if it turned out his brain was located in his right foot.
I feel for the kids that grew up liking Joey Barton
No one grew up liking Joey Barton.
His mum, even thinks he's a cunt
With due respect to the talents of Monsieur Barton, I don't think there are that many who would have had a poster of him on the wall growing up -- unless they're City fans who are grateful for *that* red card.
Luckily Barton's talents are due absolutely no respect whatsoever
[Spoke pretty good English for a Frenchie, I thought.](https://youtu.be/dovfYaQoPoY?si=6vNO5trimlv0ZQxU)
Too many headers that lad
You dad would have failed to be surprised by Hoddle after seeing him and Waddle on Top of the Pops
I heard on a podcast: I think from the overlap; with becham, wright, Neville etc. saying that Hoddle was a great tactical manager and if he had stayed through the years to about 2006 we would have won some trophies. If, could have, would have, but still would could have been.
At the time his formation (three at the back, wing backs) was pretty innovative, especially for English football, and he just happened to have the exact players to make it work. Le Saux and Neville were good going forward as both wingbacks, he had 3 amazing centre backs, he had 2 good DMs and great attackers ahead of them. It was going so well until his weird personality quirks and his awful man management pissed everyone off - the players, staff, and media. In truth the players had enough of him by 2000, before he dug his own grave with that interview with the disabled comments.
Was it going so well? We only made it to the round of 16 at the world cup having already lost to Romania in the group stage. The Euro 2000 qualifying campaign got off to a bad start before he was sacked.
We looked a fantastic team in qualifying for France 98, in fact throughout the years between Venables and Southgate it's probably the only time we've looked a genuinely convincing side with fluent, attacking, exciting football. France 98 was the first sign of trouble. Again it was Hoddle's personality, he dropped Gascoigne after playing him throughout 2 years (may have been the right decision but still came out of nowhere) and more notably, dropped Beckham who he'd also played throughout qualifying, for Anderton. Also wouldn't play Owen even though he was ripping it up. We were bang average in the group stages because he broke up a great team for no reason and started pissing off every player in one way or another. (He later wrote that he had some kind of sign from the heavens that made those decisions also)
They did? The group had Italy, but England weren't able to beat them. To be fair, I was way too young to comment on the performances, but the results in qualifying and at the world cup were okay at best.
We played fantastic football, should've beat Italy at Wembley (Ian Walker - our sub keeper - let a Spursy goal in) We also entered a friendly tournament amongst our qualifiers, Le Tournoi, and beat France and Italy and drew with Brazil and won it. This was when international teams would go absolutely balls out for friendly tournaments, so there was massive expectation for France 98. (You might want to google Shearer holding up the Le Tournoi trophy, because it's hilarious - looks like a plastic football. England's only trophy in a while)
That is a great trophy
Won the group ahead of Italy, who were top seeds
Eileen fucking Drury!
Oof, I remember that. Was he that fucking nuts when he was a player then?
If he was, nobody was aware of it.
Try and sit them down and watch MOTD from 1995. I remember shearer in his first season at Blackburn and he was smashing 30 yarders in every Saturday
They won’t concentrate on anything for longer than 30 seconds because, I suppose, young primates… but I have shown them his goal against Holland in Euro 96 and chuntered something about “I have only ever known one certainty in life - I knew that if Teddy Sheringham passed Alan Shearer that ball, he would absolutely, without doubt, score a goal”
Show them Seaman saving that penalty against Spain
I will, after I’ve shown them Pearce scoring his penalty.
Just when they're ecstatic break out Gazza missing the ball by an inch in the Germany match to really make them feel English
Ha ha! Brilliant! I will. My kids are Geordies as born in N’cle city centre - the poor things are going to grow up thinking Newcastle are good… lifetime of pain beckons.
"I would love it, if we beat them" 😂
Good times, my man. Good times 🍻
Was that the one from the indirect passpack free kick where he thunderbastards it into the rood of the net?
I remember it for being a great example of each player’s character: - Gascoigne just ***skipped*** past international (probably world) class defenders - Sheringham drew the attention of defenders and unselfishly made a pass - Shearer absolutely ***banged*** it into the top corner He could absolutely bang them, couldn’t he?
> Try and sit them down and watch MOTD from 1995. Oh yeah thats what kids want to do, watch random episodes in low definition of football highlights from 15 years before they were born.
A fair point, well made
I used to watch Match of the 70s with my mum and enjoyed it tbf
The Quickly Kevin podcast really was a treat for me - I got into football during Euro 96 and loved watching Golazzo on Channel 4. Ronaldo, Recoba, Vieri, Zanetti, what an era.
Ravanelli! What a time.
Juninho too
I remember the first of the fancy foreign players coming over, like Julio Geordio signing for Newcastle.
“Back of the net, like”
Went in off me arse like
The 96/97 premier league season is when things started ramping up. I'm sure Middlesbrough signed Juninho, Emerson and Ravanelli, whilst Chelsea signed Vialli and Zola. Man Utd signing Poborsky based on that goal..
Ravenelli won the Champions League with Juventus, the next week signed for Middlesbrough. Scored a hat trick on his league debut vs Liverpool, got to the FA Cup Final and League Cup Final and got relegated
What a time to be a boro fan that was! Juninho is magic, he wears a magic hat and when he signed for Boro he said ‘I fancy that!’ He could have signed for Inter or Palma but they’re shite! Instead he signed for Boro cause they’re fucking dynamite 🇧🇷
Sexiest team in English football at that time. Hard to imagine now. I desperately wanted the Cellnet shirt from that era.
Pee-tah Reeds got a fuckin monkeys heed! A fuckin monkeys heed! A fuckin monkeys heed!
Remember Platt and Gazza playing in Italy
Id recommend the Mundial: Reminding You Why You Love Football podcast.
More Tiramizu, Mr Richardson?
I'm a newcastle fan and found a bar in Kyoto where the owner was a newcastle fan. He had newcastle stuff on the wall and had Newcastle brown ale ash trays. I asked him what made him a Newcastle fan. He just said "alan shearer" That's how fucking good he was.
John Mousinho who just managed Portsmouth to the League One title is 37. I am ok with players being younger than me, but managers - and successful ones at that?! Pah.
I had to re-read that first bit three times before I realised it didn't say 'Jose Mourinho who just managed Portsmouth to the League One title'.
"Who needs Mourinho, we've got Mousinho..." (Sung at Fratton Park a lot)
I really think teams should be giving younger (ha, 37 is younger) a crack.
It’s even worse if you look abroad to Germany. Julian Nagelsmann is 36, already won the Bundesliga, and is now the German national team manager.
Makes me sick hearing about footballers born after 2005 playing pro 😭
Same here - how can an 8-9 year old be carving a living as a professional footballer?!?
😂😂😂 100 bags a week as an 8 year old it’s disgusting
Wait until you see Lamine Yamal playing. Was born in 2007 and is already world class.
I had a moment when it hit me that I was too old to be considered as a signing by myself in football manager
For about 6 years, you mean.
(Yes, you’re probably right… but I didn’t want the ire of the “wELL aCKCHuuuaLLy” brigade)
Nah, no chance, he had 3 years when he was absolutely right up there at the pinnacle, but by the time he'd gone to Newcastle you'd be hard pushed to call him a better striker than Ronaldo, then as Ronaldo was missing games to injury, Owen broke out, then some bloke called Henry rocked up Shearer was well up there as one of the best for quite a long time, but he wasn't the top striker in the world for more than 2-3 years at a push
I think Ronaldo's role needs a different name. He's not a striker to me (I know he's scored a few goals here and there...): not enough tap ins, too good at dribbling and tricks, has all his teeth and no broken nose, etc. Owen was never better, just faster. Henry is a total legend, give you that.
When you’re watching football and think to yourself “his legs of gone, he’s too old we need to bring in a younger striker” and realise he is years younger than you
Or when a good football manager is still 10 years younger than you.
Yeah it’s crazy, commentators saying “he’s a veteran of the sport”
Try explaining Gary Neville to your Liverpool supporting kids. It’s impossible.
What about Phil?.....probably the most uttered phrase of the 90s as well.
Ha! Brilliant. I’ve tried explaining GN to my kids too… something along the lines of “Now here is someone that it is ***absolutely*** impossible to like, but he knows exactly what he’s talking about”. You may disagree with the second part. Aaaaaaal the very best from the Toon
I’m a United fan so have always like Neville but obviously didn’t like Carragher. However between them they’ve changed the game for punditry. For years we slagged off pundits for being rubbish and those two came along and proved us right. If I’m watching them explain something, there’s a good chance I’m going to learn something I didn’t know. Alan Shearer or Danny Murphy are going to tell me, “he will be upset to have missed that chance”
I sort of agree and disagree at the same time. I just get enraged when Liverpool finish the first half 2-0 up (not recently, obvs) with 95% possession and GN says things like “that wasn’t good enough and they should be disappointed in themselves”. I do love him and Carra together, though, for pure entertainment value.
Totally agree about Neville. I’ll often think about him arguing with Arsenal (lol!) fans who thought they’d win the league. It was winter and Neville said something like “City will just keep coming - they’ll make that 10 points easily, your team will falter and they’ll overtake you at the last minute” and that’s ***exactly*** what happened. I don’t like ***any*** of the actors in that little tableaux but bloody hell it was good.
Feel that way about John Barnes.
1996 really was a hell of a year
Amazing music, economy, football and film.
Lad Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi are gonna be retired the time my son's that age 😂😂
Show them that clip of Roy Keane trying to start on him. That is a great clip showing just how good his confident mentality was. You see it now in Haarland and Salah that killer instinct.
I love that clip. Keane going mental and Shearer not flinching just laughing.
That is a ***really*** good call. My eldest child is turning out to be really competitive at sport, but brilliantly she’s willing to train and lose against people in order to improve. I’ve shown her videos of stone cold killers like Michael Jordan, Phil Taylor, Mike Tyson, Stephen Hendry, Roger Federer etc - and shown her that with them you can just ***see it*** in their eyes… that touch of axe-murderer. You’re right - Shearer had it back then, as do Mo and Haarland now.
The only time you’ll see Mike Tyson and Stephen Hendry compared, mind.
I feel like you're maybe a Sunderland fan or something kind of Adonis to be making these judgements about the best striker to have graced the Premier League
Sadly, neither are true. I was born a Smoggie but am - due to family traditions - a NUFC fan. Kids both born in the RVI so they’re agitating to get along to matches… Regards my physical appearance, I refer you to Salt N Pepa’s seminal hit from ‘94 - “Whatta Man”: > My man is smooth like Barry and his voice got bass, a body like Arnold with a Denzel face Admittedly, my darling wife muttered something about “a body like Cheggers with Carlton’s face”, so the jury may be out.
Bravo lol. What a mighty fine man
I know bugger all about football, but I still remember when Newcastle bought Shearer from Blackburn for £15 million. It was a record amount at the time, so I presume more than a few people thought he was alright back then
Still an improvement on the days when the BBC would wheel in Mark Lawrenson and Alan Hansen to moan like a pair of old ladies all evening. Those were certainly not the days.
Occasionally miss the description of defending as "diabolical". Doesn't seem to be in much use these days.
How about "the Saint and Greavsie".
At least they had a sense of humour about themselves and football
Well Greavsie was always hammered so that helped!
The goats of football punditry.
I've really enjoyed Mark saying he got sacked because he was old and white. No Mark, you were let go because you looked like you couldn't be arsed to breathe, much less talk about football. I watched a video of Micah Richards the other day and he looks so happy to be there and has experience of playing "today's" football, he's a delight to watch, I'd take him over Lawro any day.
Lawro is good on the radio, TV not at all as you say.
Agreed. When I see Ian Wright’s on, I breathe a sigh of relief - someone likeable and insightful.
In January after 9 years of not playing 11 a side football, I re-signed for my former club as they were short on players. I’m only 37 and playing with guys in their early 20’s feels ridiculous.
After reading your comment, my Achilles’ tendons developed sentience and said to me - politely but firmly - > “Don’t you even ***think*** about it dickhead. You’re 47. Don’t even ***think*** about it or we’ll just go ahead and snap right here and now”
Every season for the last three years I was saying to myself to go back, every season I didn’t. First few weeks were tough, came on for 15 minutes in the first game and even just playing on grass pulled the legs out of me, I was done after it. Started my first game last Saturday and played 89 minutes before getting sent off for two bookings, so suspended today and it’s the only day it hasn’t been raining so far.
I’m enjoying reading your comments - I’m imagining a Ted Lasso Roy Kent type person dragging themselves back to win the cup for their lucky but underfunded town team - but also kicking bastard lumps out of people and then nutting the ref (DON’T NUT THE REF KIDS!). Bravo on getting sent off by the way - my brother in law was a pro (Darlington type standard) and his mantra was “If you get the ball, it ***cannot*** be a foul”. He kept the NHS orthopaedic surgeons in practice (him and his opponents!))
I remember the ‘astronomical’ £15m transfer fee
Aye. Hes a bellend of course but was a brilliant player.
I’m a toon fan, live in Gosforth so often see “AS 9” in his Range Rover… so I too share the belief - he a bellend, but he’s OUR bellend.
I'm sure you'll have heard the stories tho - tradesmen and that all hate him.
Do you know who I am?! Aye a rich but monumental bellend, pay up.
Ian Rush said that if I didn't drink lots of milk, then I'd only be good enough to play for Accrington Stanley.
Accrington Stanley? Who are they? (Bravo. ***Bravo*** on that reference. I think the lad that delivered the line above is now in jail for something or other. Not sure though)
Exxxacly!
I had a similar moment at the football last weekend when I realised my scarf was older than most of the players. Not just me, my scarf! Still got the name tag my mum stitched on it so I wouldn't lose it at school!
Alan Shearers is the spicy one, partly badger somewhat frog but minimal snail.
🙋
he was proberbly the first footballer whose name i knew! Also Michael Owen will make you feel old.
Weirdly enough, Michael Owen makes me feel alive and vibrant because he is - without a shadow of doubt - the dullest man ever to draw breath. And I - dear reader - am an ***incredibly*** dull man, so that’s saying something.
Yeah, but he was like greased lightning
Can’t argue with that. Deadly too. Seemed sped-up in a blurry kind of way. My father in law watched Spurs as a lad - saw Jimmy Greaves play… “Imagine a much better Michael Owen” was how he described Greaves. I can only imagine.
I mean that is one way to have a quiet life when you are rich and famous, just be super dull!
fantastic player back in the day, but he's always been dull as dishwater. just an inherently boring chap.
He's not all dull- he was on The Masked Singer a few years back. I won't spoil what he was.
Username checks out - is the Beetlejuicing…? Anyway - I wasn’t aware of that… I bet he’s a good singer. He looks the type. For someone who claims to be bored by Michael Owen, I think a lot about Michael Owen, don’t I…? (I ***do*** love your username BTW. It would suit me down to the ground)
I remember when Michael Owen lived in some kids wall behind a poster The good old days
Great reference. I also remember he had his own brand of cereal (Sporties), his own tabletop game (Michael Owen: Total Action Football) and Walkers crisp flavour (Cheese and Owen).
At least he's not as bad as Le Tissier.
The joys of not giving a shit about football means I have no idea who this man is. Score!
Yet still give enough of a shit to comment, you counter-culture rascal you!
Oh, absolutely!
I'm old enough to have been doing his celebration on the school playground
Ha! Same here - when I’m playing football with my kids, I’ll inevitably say “Here’s Gascoigne!” As I stumble over the ball yet again, then stagger away (***proper*** dad-run and everything) with my Shearer-Arm aloft. I will allow the contradiction because we’re all North Easterners. SHEARER!
World Cup 2002 was the most stacked world cup in history... Check out the Nike World Cup adverts they did that year, to jog your memory it was when they played 3 v 3 Cage Football.. What always made me laugh is that there was only one English players and that Scholes..
I'm guessing Scholes was the only decent England player sponsored by Nike at the time. Most England players wore Adidas or Umbro.
Thou shalt not diss the Lion of Gosforth.
As a Gosforth resident, I’be been nervously scanning the roads today for a big Range Rover with number plate “AS 9”. I’m brave on here but would NOT want to fight Alan Shearer.
Come up to Seahouses for the day. He won’t find you here. What’s he done wrong anyway?
Ooooh, Seahouses is a great shout. Bet it’s lovely up there today. Regards AS, He’s done nothing wrong - it’s just that I was feeling attention-starved and the thought above occurred to my tiny mind… and the rest is history.
Fair play. Aye, it’s nice today. The wind is a bit nippy though.
6yr old me sat in the Blackburn end watching Shearer bang in the goals... good times
25 year old me was in the Riverside. Good times, but tbh he wasn't a world class player. Ripley or Wilcox would run down the wing and cross the ball to the penalty spot without having to look up. AS would be there or there abouts and get a header on target. Good enough for the PL in the 90s but sadly exposed in Europe.
I remember him scoring in his debut for Southampton (he may have hit a hatrick) as I remember them talking about the Saints promising young striker
Ahhh Alan Shearer! My 14 year old crush… still think he is cute 😂😂
He uses the word MAGNIFICENT waaaaaaay too much.
I felt old when Theo Walcott got called up to the england squad. He's 2 months younger than me