Quote:
Originally Posted by Xudong
That reminds me, I also watched many English FA's Cup games (live!) way before I got to see Milan's game on TV. The first teams I watched were actually Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur (with Lineker and Gascoigne, still love them very much), Sheffield Wednesday (what a funny name, back then I thought). Still remember 1991 FA Cup final. An extremely exciting game in which I supported Hotspur. Lineker was very unlucky with disallowed goal and saved penalty, just couldn't score. Gascoigne went off with injury. Just when Hotspur seemed already given up, their luck all changed and eventually came back from behind and won with an own goal. Absolutely one of the most memorable football games. Hopefully I could somehow find the link to that video. (Thanks, Rick, for helping me remember.  )
I guess I could've or should've become a Hotspur fan? I am not sure why I chose to love Milan; or I guess, when it comes to love, you don't get to choose - you are stuck, happily of course.  |
The first one I remember seeing when I was just a kid was the 1972 final between Arsenal and Leeds. For whatever reason I cheered for Arsenal, but they ended up losing. I remember liking Frank McLintock, their captain, and a striker named Charlie George. But I remember being amazed in those days to see this big sporting event from an exotic place across the Atlantic called England -- the land of King Arthur and Robin Hood -- and maybe 100,000 people going crazy at Wembley. Until then, aside from some vague memories of the 1970 World Cup final (Pele!), the only games I had seen were the local college in our town, which had recently won two national championships among the small colleges. I suppose had we had more access to the games from England in those days I would have remained an Arsenal fan as I was on that day, but it was impossible to even get information about European games in those days, much less see them on television.
It is strange how you end up being drawn to a club as we were to Milan. For me, just seeing the way Milan played in those days of Van Basten, etc., hooked me immediately. There was just such a special beauty to it all. So I watched them whenever I could (which still wasn't often) and I knew this club was the right fit for me.
I remember thinking the same thing as you about Sheffield Wednesday. I always assumed they must have once played on Wednesdays and apparently that was the case. But then England has so many clubs with funny sounding names when you think about it.
Good to share some memories with you.
