Having said that, this is comparable with the relationship of many fans and stadia across Britain, so what made Maine Road so inimitably unique in comparison? Maybe it’s the records it has achieved? Maybe it’s the scintillating and unexplainable games that have occurred? Or maybe it’s the constant and dramatic 80 year voyage that Manchester City put their supporters through including winning championship titles, gaining promotions and failing in their attempts to avoid relegations. It has to be said that few groups of supporters have ever had to endure what a Maine Road regular was capable of withstanding.

Therefore it should be no surprise to learn that three years following the move to Maine Road after their old Hyde Road stadium was severely damaged by fire; City suffered relegation despite getting to the FA Cup final. The stadium had opened on the 25th August 1923, with 58,159 watching the home team beat Sheffield United 2-1. Initially a brick working named Dog Kennel Lane its title was changed to Maine Road in the 1870’s and was purchased for just £5,500 by the club in 1922.

Manchester City at home to Portsmouth in January 1936

In 1928 the football club won promotion back to the top division and Maine Road was the home of the football league’s best supported club. This was exemplified six years later when on the 3rd March 1934, 84,569 saw Manchester City play Stoke City in an FA Cup quarter final at Maine Road, a record attendance for an English football game of any kind at a club ground. Three seasons on and Manchester City achieved their first league title after beating Sheffield Wednesday 4-1 at Maine Road, sparking jubilant scenes.

After World War II, City continued to play their home games on Moss Side, allowing Manchester United to do the same at a rent of £5,000 per season after Old Trafford was demolished during the blitz. In this time the record attendance for a league game which still stands today was set by Manchester United and Arsenal who played out 1-1 draw in front of 83,260.

Throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s Maine Road hosted first and second division football as Manchester City yo-yoed through the leagues. Then came arguably the club’s greatest ever honour which was achieved for the second time in 1968 by winning the league title, thanks in large to their form at Maine Road. City dropped just 10 points out of a possible 63 at Maine Road winning their final seven home league games. During this period the Kippax Stand (east side) was one of the most notorious parts of any ground in the country, with the club’s ardent supporters congregating to create a raucous atmosphere. This was in itself unique as supporters occupied a full side, as opposed to behind the goal. Due to the Taylor Report that was issued in January 1990 in response to the Hillsborough disaster, Manchester City was forced to say goodbye to the much loved Kippax stand as legislation dictated the end for terracing, making it a fully seated stand. In its day the Kippax stand stood erected as the largest standing area in the country. This completed the regeneration process after the building of the new Umbro stand that replaced the Platt Lane stand at the south end of the stadium. The ground was now one of the most instantly recognisable in the country with all four stands different heights and styles. However, this added a distinctive and traditional quality about the home of Manchester City in contrast to the brand new stadia going up in other areas across England.

Construction of the new all seated Kippax Stand

After yet again fighting their way back to the Premier League in the early part of the last decade, Manchester City announced that they were to abandon initial plans to enlarge the stadium to 45,000. This was in favour of a move to the City of Manchester Stadium in Eastlands, once the arena had been used for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Due to constant refurbishment the average capacity of Maine Road dropped throughout its existence. In the final game against Southampton on the last day of the 2002–2003 season 34,957, said farewell as the Citizens lost 0-1 to an Anders Svensson header. Nonetheless, this failed to spoil City’s festivities as they said goodbye with celebrations and tears induced by the types of emotions felt throughout Maine Road’s existence. The major celebration had come earlier on in the season when they won the final Manchester derby 3-1 against a United side on their way to becoming champions.

The last game against Southampton in 2003

Whilst the City of Mancheser Stadium now serves to provide City with the path to a potentially golden future, there has been no replacing the memories and nostalgia felt towards the club’s previous residence. Indeed they will forever be indebted to the home that helped formulate their identity. Football has missed it as well which is a tragic shame as this sacred area on Moss Side was so often the stage to see a “Maine” event.

Every true Boro fan has their own Ayresome memories, some good, some bad; but all would agree that there have been few occasions where such an atmosphere and buzz has been created like that of Ayresome Park and the ‘Ayresome Angels’ since a move to the Riverside Stadium in 1995. The historic ground was the home of Middlesbrough FC for the best part of 90 years, after they had moved there having played at Linthorpe Road West cricket ground; election to the Football League meant that an improved stadium was required. Ayresome Park was built at Paradise Field, a stone’s throw from the old stadium of Middlesbrough Ironopolis, who had played in the Football League in the 1893–94 season. The ground’s official capacity stood at 26,667, but this was often succeeded drastically, as a result of terraced spacing and poor safety regulations. In fact this figure doubled when Middlesbrough met fierce rivals Newcastle United in 1949.

 The stadium was elected by the FA to host three world cup matches in what turned out to be a memorable tournament in 1966, one of which saw a huge giant killing as minnows North Korea defeated Italy by a goal to nil to knock out one of the most powerful footballing nations and advance the Koreans to the quarter-finals in the process. However the hosting of matches failed to do the tournament justice, with just with just 15,887 fans at the game for North Korea versus Chile, the lowest by far in the entire tournament .

The dark days of 1986 saw the club come close to folding, after suffering severe financial difficulties. The year of 1986 is remembered as a time where the club reached an all time low; the gates of Ayresome were padlocked and the club moved to Hartlepool’s Victoria Park on a temporary basis. Without the £350,000 required for Football League registration, it seemed inevitable that the club would fold permanently. However, Steve Gibson, a member of the board at the time, put together a consortium and with ten minutes to spare before the deadline, they completed their registration with the Football League for the 1986–87 season. Following the registration, a change of club crest and official name to Middlesbrough Football and Athletic Club (1986) Ltd was brought about. This came as a huge scare to the club and its fans, and not long after,  plans were unveiled for a new 35,000 all seater stadium to be built to replace the ageing Ayresome Park.

Ayresome Park witnessed many classic encounters involving Middlesbrough, including the final competitive game it staged, which saw Middlesbrough secure the division one title and secure promotion to the premier league for the first time in 1995, with a 2-1 victory over Luton Town. The final goal scored on the hallowed turf belonged to Boro legend John Hendrie. The game proved to be the turning point in the clubs’ future, with the next few years seeing them reach numerous cup finals, only to return on the losing side.    

Demolished in 1997, the grounds of Ayresome Park have now been turned into a housing estate, leaving little trace of the fortress that became a second home for Boro fans. It was briefly retained as a training ground until a new facility was opened. Much of the memorabilia connected with the ground remains extremely desirable in the area and to commemorate the ground, the original gates of Ayresome Park have been erected outside the main entrance to the club’s new ground, the Riverside Stadium.

The Polam Lane End.

Also around this time the Town End terrace (later known as the ‘Tin Shed’) was built which allowed fans to change ends at half time so they could always stand behind the goal towards which Darlington were attacking.

The ‘Tin Shed’ in all it’s glory.

One of the more unusual features of the ground were the Twin Towers above the main entrance to the stadium which were built in 1913. Similar to the more famous Twin Towers at Wembley they became a popular feature of the ground and still remain to this day at the entrance to the cricket ground.

The ‘Twin Towers’ entrance to Feethams.

Another unusual aspect of the stadium was that fans had to walk around the cricket pitch to get to the ground which made it a far from an idea place to visit in bad weather causing many complaints from disgruntled away fans.

Walking past the cricket pitch was the only way into the stadium.

In 1920 the club were elected as founder members of the Football League Division Three North and as a result they built offices and changing rooms under the East Stand as well as putting a roof on the stand. However these were the last major improvements made to the stadium until the late 1950’s when the Supporters Club then raised £20,000 for a roof to be built at the Town End of the ground and for floodlights to be erected.

These were first used on 19th September 1960 although disaster struck that night when an electrical fault saw the West Stand burnt down and while no one was seriously injured the club had to rebuild the stand exactly as it was before due to problems with the insurance.

The rebuilt West Stand.

The ground enjoyed it’s heyday in the 1960’s as a record crowd of 21,023 squeezed into the stadium for a League Cup tie against Bolton Wanderers in November 1960, while another 20,000 were in attendance for the visit of Arsenal in the FA Cup five years later.

No further improvements were made to the ground until it was decided to rebuild the East Stand in 1997. The new all seater stand gave the ground a far more modern look but the cost of the work crippled the club financially and they were only saved by local businessman George Reynolds who finally took over as chairman in 2000.

The new East Stand built in 1997.

One of his first decisions was to start construction of an ambitious new 25,000 capacity stadium on the edge of the town and this marked the beginning of the end for Feethams.

Despite most fans being against the move, fearing financial meltdown for the club, the new stadium was built and opened in the summer of 2003 at a cost of £27million. The aim was to use the stadium for other sporting events and pop concerts but the local Council put a stop to that and an Elton John concert in June 2008 has so far been the only other event held there.

The last match played at Feethams was against Leyton Orient in May 2003 and in front of a capacity crowd of 8,000 the team fought back from 0-2 down to grab a 2-2 draw and give the famous old stadium a fitting send off.

The fans get a final taste of the Feethams experience in May 2003.

The site then stood derelict until February 2006 when it was finally demolished after an arson attack and it could now become a housing estate after the project was finally given the go-ahead by Darlington Council in November 2009 after many years of delays.

The only part of the ground remaining to remind visitors that a football club once played there is the ‘Tin Shed’ stand which is still used by the cricket club as a sightscreen, despite talk of it being moved to Redcar Greyhound Stadium.

The Feethams site as it looks now with the ‘Tin Shed’ stand still in evidence.

Away from football Feethams was also the venue for Durham County Cricket Club’s first ever home win in the County Championship against Somerset in June 1992. That match also saw the biggest ever sightscreen in first class cricket when the rear of the ‘Tin Shed’ was painted light blue to give the batsmen a better view of the ball.

Unfortunately the move to the Darlington Arena, currently sponsored by The Northern Echo, has not been good for the club. With capacity limited to 10,000 for safety reasons and an average gate that has dropped from 4,000 at Feethams to less then 2,000 now the clubs financial problems have mounted and they find themselves on the brink of relegation out of the League for the first time since 1989.

With the very future of the club hanging in the balance fans are now campaigning for them to sell the new stadium, rebuild the site at Feethams and move back to their old home so maybe we have not seen the end of this famous old stadium after all…

The story of the delle Ailpi is a strange one.  In its twenty year existence Juventus experienced tremendous success, yet it never quite managed to capture the affection of the supporters and as a result its history is short, but interesting none the less. 

Meaning Stadium of the Alps in English the delle Alpi was constructed as venue for the 1990 World Cup. Situated on the outskirts of Turin the stadium had a capacity of 69,000 and was instantly recognisable due to the distinctive arches behind each goal. As well as Juve the delle Alpi also served as home for their city rivals Torino. The stadium was officially opened on the 31^stof May 1990 when a combined Juventus-Torino team defeated Porto 4-3. During the World Cup it would host the entertaining second round clash between Argentina and Brazil as well as England’s painful semi final defeat to Germany. 

While the structure would go on to prove controversial there could be few complaints about the quality of the football it showcased. Juventus would be a dominant force while inside the delle Alpi winning five Serie A titles as well as the Champions League and Uefa Cup.  Furthermore the Old Lady’s famous black and white shirts were donned by such stars as Zidane, Baggio, Del Peiro, Buffon and Nedved. Memorable matches include Juve’s 3-1 sweeping away of Real Madrid in 2003 and Manchester United’s remarkable 3-2 victory in 1999. Even perennial underachievers Torino would manage to gain some silverware, winning the 1993 Coppa Italia. All in all the delle Alpi saw more then it’s fair share of success, as during its 16 year lifespan Juventus and Torino combined would capture a phenomenal 16 trophies.  

Juve celebrate one of their many titles

Despite this on the pitch success the stadium was never accepted by the supporters of either club and this can be attributed to a number of factors. The grounds location on the outskirts of Turin was never popular with fans who preferred the central position of the club’s former home the Stadio Comunale. Furthermore while possessing an official capacity of 69,00 it soon became clear that the pitch wasn’t visible from many of the lower seats and as a result the record attendance was only ever 65,000. In addition to this the running track which surrounds the field of play had an adverse effect on any attempts to create an atmosphere with fans left a sizable distance away from the action. Ironically the track couldn’t even be used as the absence of a warm up track made it unsuitable for major athletics events. The delle Alpi was even held responsible for the weather, with the stadium’s design blamed for the howling mountain winds which whistled through the stands. 

These problems did little to attract spectators and consequently the delle Alpi was often soulless and devoid of atmosphere. This was certainly reflected in the average attendances. Over 16 seasons Juve averaged 41,446 and Torino  20,937 meaning that more often then not the stadium was rarely over 65% full. The most shocking example of this absence of supporters was a 2002 Coppa Italia fixture between Juve and Sampdoria, attended by a mere 237 people. These figures are put into perspective when one recalls the 1995 Uefa Cup semi final and final which Juve relocated to the San Siro in Milan. Both games attracted 85,000 spectators and while this is perhaps indicative of Juve’s mass support across Italy it was also a clear demonstration that something about the delle Alpi just wasn’t right.

The distance between the stands and pitch is clearly visable

Unloved and often half empty this much maligned stadium was put out it’s misery at the close of the 2005/06 season.  Perhaps fittingly this closure coincided with the calciopoli match fixing crisis which saw Juventus stripped of two titles and demoted to Serie B. Thus it would appear that Juve were not only leaving behind the delle Alpi but also the successes they had achieved there. The stadiums demolition was completed in February 2009 and new 40,000 seat venue will be constructed in its place.  The ground will host the Bianconeri alone with Torino taking up permanent residence at the Olimpico. Scheduled for completion in 2011 the new stadium is yet to have been named although it will definitely bear the title of a sponsor. 

Plans for the new stadium

The Stadio delle Apli is unlikely to be remembered fondly. Often cold, distant and soulless the stadium would be in use for a mere 16 years and few if any have mourned its passing. However Juventus supporters will recall the numerous trophies the Old Lady collected whilst playing there, a stark contrast to the clubs current predicament. When moving to their new home in 2011 the Bianconceri will pray that the problems which blighted the delle Alpi do not repeat themselves, yet they will be longing for the action on the pitch to do just that.

The Olympic Stadium

The Olympic Stadium in Northern Munich was the centre-piece at the 1972 Olympics in which the “new” Germany aimed to show the world that it was a cut above the rest, both politically and one on the sporting field. My earliest memories of the Olympic Stadium didn’t really emerge until the late 90s, November 4th 1999 to be precise. One half of Glasgow was buzzing with excitement as a talented Rangers side under Dick Advocaat where 90 minutes away from being the first Scottish club to reach the latter rounds of the UEFA Champions League. A sickening feeling was left in my stomach, even as a 6 year-old, the dream had gone as Bayern struck home a dubious penalty – despite the Scots hitting the post nearly 6 times – and our new-found “god” had succumbed to a crushing knee injury which killed his potential. The image of Dutch striker Michael Mols hobbling with the physio down the Olympic track in Munich still haunts me to this day, who knows how good he could have been? The famous Mols turn was never seen in its prime again.

The Legend Franz Beckenbauer

Reverse back 27 years, I am sure the whole world would have been in awe as the Munich Olympics kicked off in the new home of sport in West Germany. Holding just under 80,000 at the time, it was already penned in as the home of the 1974 World Cup Final, that saw West Germany defeat the Netherlands 2-1  in front of 74,000 spectators. FC Bayern Munich and their local rivals, 1860, held the keys to the Olympic Stadium until 2006 before moving to the even more sophisticated Allianz Arena.  The early 70s was part of the “Golden era” for Bayern, which saw three European Cups following the opening of the Olympic Stadium. It could be said, that the new arena had a positive effect on the Bayern side which included Franz Roth, Gerd Muller, Sepp Maier & the great Franz Beckenbauer. The early years of the Olympic Stadium will be very familiar to Nottingham Forest fans, as this was the scene of their triumphant European Cup win over Malmo.

Recognised as a UEFA Elite Stadium, this would be the scene of some classic football matches including the 1993 and 1997 Champions League finals. For England fans, they might remember a night in 2001? A certain Michael Owen scored a hat-trick that night as the Germans simply crumbled infront of a rampant England side heading for Korea and Japan a year later full of optimism, which ended in failure of course. It was the heart of the Olympiapark in Munich, which contained Swimming halls, Tennis facilities, a tower & a Cycle center: this was ultimately the cream of the crop at the time.

The stadium is still in fine condition, shadowed by the massive acrylic covers which was a striking feature of the stadium. The construction of the Allianz Arena, one of my favourite football grounds, has near enough casted this classic venue aside, which is a bit of a waste considering what it has been through.

The Millers, a club who had entered administration twice in two years and were docked points with alarming regularity, announced their move away from Millmoor, their home since 1907, two years ago.

But to truly understand what drove Rotherham away from their home of over a century, away from their entire history and even away from their own town (the club’s offices remain in Rotherham, they play their home games at Sheffield’s Don Valley Stadium and train at Doncaster Rovers’ Keepmoat Stadium), we must go all the way back to 1987.

Don Valley Stadium – Rotherham’s ‘temporary home’ in Sheffield

A year in which The Simpsons first appeared on The Tracy Ullman Show, Margaret Thatcher was still British Prime Minister and Kylie Minogue released her first song, ‘The Loco-Motion’, was to prove to be equally momentous in the history of Rotherham United.

Ken Booth, a local scrap dealer, took over the club aged 65 in 1987. They were in administration then, too, but the success of Booth’s empire – which eventually turned over £170m – kept them in business. Booth oversaw two successive promotions, with Ronnie Moore in charge, but their relegation in 2005 – coupled with the collapse of ITV Digital – hit the club hard.

The club lost £1million in 2003, while their overdraft – backed by Booth – leapt from around £700,000, to £1.6m – and then to £2.6m. The chairman, now in his 80s, was fed up of abuse from fans of the club he was keeping alive from his own pocked, and decided to cut his losses. On New Years’ Eve 2004 a consortium of Millers fans signed a deal to take over the club, with Booth selling the club for just £1 and writing off the club’s now-£3m overdraft.

But Booth still regained his perks – including ownership of the stadium, adjoining nightclub and training ground, forcing Rotherham to pay him £200,000 a year ‘rent’, as well as retaining an extensive package of benefits including free match tickets, advertising at the ground and even the club’s allocation of FA Cup Final tickets.

“This was for tickets nobody else was taking up and they used them to reward employees,” said Peter Ruchniewicz, the solicitor in charge of the consortium.

“I’m not critical of the Booths. Yes, they kept the ground, but they wrote off the overdraft. We wanted to make the club sustainable, but the economics were hopeless.”

Millmoor – still  with Booth’s cranes in the background, and sponsorship boards on the stand

Relations between the latest Rotherham chief executive, Paul Douglas, and the Booth family failed to improve, and when the two parties failed to reach an agreement in 2008 regarding the lease of the ground they decided to sever all ties.

“Talks between ourselves and the landlords have broken down and we will leave Millmoor by the end of this month,” Millers chief executive Paul Douglas said at the time.

“We have been unable to agree terms to allow us to stay at Millmoor, despite our best intentions. Our initial hope was to buy the ground on a freehold or long leasehold, so that we could get the necessary investment to complete the work at Millmoor.

“We then wanted to have a short-term lease so we could move into a community stadium. Don Valley is a temporary move and obviously we wanted to stay in Rotherham, but everything we do has to be right for the football club.

“And because of this we are now redoubling our focus on a community stadium in Rotherham.”

The progress on that new stadium, designed to take Rotherham ‘home’, is slow – and all Millers fans are left with now is memories. Memories of the first ever League Cup Final, which was staged at Millmoor; a famous win over Arsenal in that competition; a 6-0 thrashing of Chelsea in the 80s; 25,000 crowds for games against local rivals Sheffield United in the 1950s.

Liverpool lost 1-0 on both their last two visits to Millmoor – but will never return again. There is a great sadness when a club loses part of its soul, loses its entire history for an equivalent sum of money earned by an average Premier League footballer in no time at all.

Memories of Millmoor

The Millmoor Lane stand, erected in 1929, was the first of its type in Britain and followed American practice, but many Rotherham fans were dismayed when the old wooden main stand was demolished and seating was installed in the famous Tivoli End.

They said it destroyed the atmosphere at the ground. But having to currently put up with the athletics-minded Don Valley Stadium, it may have been a case of better the devil you know for those long-suffering Millers supporters.

Rise and Fall of Rotherham United – Timeline
1870 – Formed, as Thornhill United
1905 – Became Rotherham County
1907 – Moved to Millmoor
1925 – Merged with Rotherham Town, to become Rotherham United
2001 – Promoted to Championship, second successive promotion
2005 – Relegated from Championship
2006 – Club enters administration, incurring ten-point deduction
2008 – Enters administration for a second time
2008 – Rotherham move to Don Valley.

A solitary goal from Basile Boli was enough for l’OM as they sent the superstars of A.C Milan back to Italy empty handed, much to despair of their vocal travelling support.

LOYAL FANS: Marseille supporters, draped in blue and white, cheer their team on.

The pre-match talk had been focused on two subjects. Firstly, whether Marseille could banish the demons of two years ago when they lost to Red Star Belgrade on penalties. Secondly, whether the French team possessed the ability to slay the goliath, star-studded Milan side.

For Milan, the match looked to be the cementing of their great destiny. Chairman Silvio Berlusconi had invested a mammoth £30 million over the summer, turning the ‘Rossoneri’ into world beaters. The squad was jammed with six foreign stars, twice the limit imposed by FIFA, and featured legends Marco Van Basten, Jean-Pierre Papin and Frank Rijkaard.

FOND FAREWELL: The world bids goodbye to football idol Marco Van Basten.

Milan Coach Fabio Capello named veteran Daniele Massaro upfront, ahead of Ruud Gullit and Papin. The two though, could only watch from the sidelines though as Massaro squandered three gilt-edge chances inside the opening 20 minutes. A sixth-minute header first shaved the post, before the striker forced a crucial reflex save from l’OM ‘keeper Fabien Barthez.

Despite the early Rossoneri domination, Rudi Voller sent the Italians scrambling near the half-hour mark. The German burst down the pitch with lightening pace, however he could only direct his shot at the feet of Sebastiano Rossi, much to the annoyance of Alen Boksic who was begging for the simple pass.

That chance only ramped up the pressure on Marseille’s defence as Milan pressed on for the opener. Van Basten, who was playing his final professional match, could have finished in a blaze of glory, but his audacious volley was matched by Barthez’s brilliant save.

As half-time beckoned, l’OM stepped up and silenced the vibrant Milan ‘Ultras’ in the crowd. Abedi Pele whipped in a delicious corner before reeling in delight as fellow African Boli climbed highest to thunder the ball goalwards.

FIGHTING FOR GLORY: Milan’s Franco Baresi and Marseille’s Alen Boksic battle it out for control of the ball.

Milan, noticeably shell-shocked by the goal, seemed thankful for the half-time whistle as Capello whisked his team into the dressing room to regroup. Strong words must have been said during the interval, as the Rossoneri returned to pitch visibly fired up, hoping to level the score quickly.

The passion in their eyes was indeed matched by their feet as Milan pelted Barthez with more shots from the restart. Marcel Desailly’s backline defended stoutly whilst launching numerous counter-attacks. In an effort to make the breakthrough, Capello replace a lacklustre Roberto Donadoni with Papin, but the Frenchman struggled to make an impact against his former side.

The clock ticked down, and the pressure seemed to get to the superstars of Milan. Having gone an incredible 58 matches unbeaten before the final, the prospect of defeat seemed too much for the Rossoneri. Papin could of sent the match into extra time, but his hooked shot from the right flew wide of the post.

Marseille to their credit, fractured the Italian side’s attack, never allowing them to recapture the fluid football they played in the first half. Upon the final whistle, came scene of both joy and heartbreak. Boli, who collapsed in tears after the heartbreak of 1991, proudly displayed a broad smile in front of the ecstatic l’OM faithful.

BEYOND WORDS: Marseille players fall to their feet in joy as they secure their first European Cup.

The distraught Milan team didn’t know where to look. Their fans’ deafening cheers were now distant memories. The players’ glum faces looked on at the sea of swirling blue and white flags. An incredible European campaign had come crashing down around them.

Boli described the feeling in one word: ”extraordinaire”. Marseille Chairman Bernard Tapie pronounced himself speechless before saying: ”French clubs have flirted with this trophy but it never wanted to smile on us. At last, a French victory. I was very confident before the match, but we also had some luck. This triumph makes up for previous disappointments.”

CHAMPIONS: Didier Deschamps lifts the trophy in front of the ecstatic Marseille fans.

The club’s coach, Raymond Goethals, agreed, saying: “We deserved to win the final two years ago, but this is more important because we have beaten the world’s greatest team.”

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 1993 FINAL IN MUNICH

Both sides had impressive wins in their respective semi-finals. Eintracht Frankfurt put twelve past Glasgow Rangers over two legs, conceding four in an entertaining encounter which seen Glasgow Rangers dreams of playing a European Cup final in their own country thwarted by the Germans. In the other semi-final, Real Madrid had to overcome their bitter rivals, Catalan giants Barcelona. They did so in comfortable fashion, winning 6-2 on aggregate. The scene was set for a high scoring encounter in the final, and that was what these two teams produced for a bumper 135,000 crowd that packed themselves into Hampden Park.

A quiet start to the game from both sides was unexpected but this was to be the calm before the storm. Despite being massive underdogs, Eintracht Frankfurt took the lead via a well constructed goal by the German side. A measured pass from the midfield found Erwin Stein at the bye-line who crossed for Richard Kress at the near post to slot past Argentinean goalkeeper Rogelio Dominguez. This 17th minute goal could be compared to the David Narey goal for Scotland against Brazil in the 1982 World Cup in the sense that it seemed to get the opposition team angry. In Real Madrid’s case, really angry!

Alfredo Di Stefano got into the right positions in order for the Spanish side to take the lead for the first time in the match. The Argentinean pounced on defensive errors from the Eintracht Frankfurt’s three man defence and goalkeeper Egon Loy.

Alfredo Di Stefano puts Real Madrid 2-1 up as the huge Hampden Park crowd watches on

Despite these first two goals being simple finishes for a player like Di Stefano, there was some sublime approach play with Ferenc Puskas at the hub of the creative play for Real Madrid. Puskas then took over the role of goal scorer after another sweeping move from the pre match favourites. It was Puskas’ flick that sent Luis Del Sol clear, and despite Del Sol messing up his lines, Puskas was on hand for the follow up, comprehensively powering his shot into the roof of the net in spite of an acute angle to give Real Madrid a 3-1 lead at half time. There was no let up from Real Madrid after the break as they put together another passing move that baffled their German counterparts although it did lead to a dubious penalty after a defence splitting pass by Ferenc Puskas to Alfredo Di Stefano, the latter being obstructed on the edge of the box. Puskas stepped up and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way, surely giving Real Madrid their fifth successive European Cup.

Puskas went on to notch up another two goals, one of which was a cracking strike into the top left hand corner which gave Egon Loy no chance in the Eintracht Frankfurt goal. A great deal of credit must be reserved for the fighting qualities of the German side as they continued to press the Spaniards. This pressure paid off in the form of two consolation goals from Erwin Stein either side of a seventh goal for Real Madrid as Alfredo Di Stefano completed his hat trick with a clinical finish from just outside the box.

Real Madrid hold aloft the European Cup at Hampden Park

Ten goals, superb build up play, competitiveness from both sides and two hat tricks resulted in this football match being dubbed, ‘the greatest game’. With Eintracht Frankfurt giving a good account of themselves, most of the plaudits went to the champions for the fifth time. One of the most influential coaches of all time, Bill Shankly, said that “Real Madrid are the greatest club side the world has ever seen” and who would argue with him.

Real Madrid would not win the European Cup again until 1966 despite another final appearance in 1962 where Ferenc Puskas scored another hat trick in a European Cup final, a feat that has still never been reproduced.

The legacy of this match was not just the brand of football that was on display but it also began the transformation of the British game.  A young Alex Ferguson was present at this unforgettable game; Don Revie adopted the all white kit for his Leeds United team in the early 1960’s.  Not only that, established British managers like Jock Stein began to look at the European approach to football, whether it be the ‘Catenaccio’ style used by Helenio Herrera’s Inter Milan side or the ‘Harlem Globetrotter’ mentality used by Real Madrid in this magical European Cup final.    

As one football journalist put it after the match, “it was in that game when Real Madrid made football into art”. 

Long live the artists.

Both teams impressed throughout the competition, with Monaco overturning a 4-2 deficit to knock out nine-time winners Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, and then defeated Chelsea in the penultimate hurdle. Whilst Porto’s route to the finals included the famous image of Jose Mourinho celebrating down the Old Trafford touchline, as the Portuguese side overcame Manchester United. But Porto’s semi-final was not quite as convincing, as they relied on a penalty to defeat Deportivo 1-0 on aggregate.

Mourinho celebrates his side’s goal at Old Trafford

Having won the UEFA Cup the previous season, Porto went into the game hoping to win Europe’s superior competition. Monaco captain Ludovic Giuly made an instant impact on the game, with his pace too much for the Portuguese defence. But the French side were to suffer an early blow after just 22 minutes, as Giuly limped off. Lucas Bernardi was threading dangerous balls through to Morientes, who was leading the attacking line.

With little time left of the first period, Monaco were made to rue their missed chances. Paulo Ferreira’s cross fell to Carlos Alberto. With his side to goal, and tight marking from the Monaco defense, the Brazilian attempted to square it to Derlei. The ball bounced off the defender, and Carlos Alberto hit a stunning volley from the rebound.

Carlos Alberto gives Porto the lead

The second half started in similar fashion to the first, as Monaco continued to push forward; although somewhat lacking cutting edge after the retirement of Giuly from the match. Morientes looked sharp, and was only denied a fantastic opportunity by the offside flag. Mourinho knew he had to do something and, by replacing goal scorer Carlos Alberto with Dmitri Alenichev, he began a reputation of making early and unprecedented substitutions.

As Monaco took the risk of committing an increasing number of players forward in search of an equaliser, it was only a matter of time before one of the sides grabbed that important second goal. And it was, indeed, Porto who got it, with Deco the driving force behind a telling counter attack. With a three versus three situation, the playmaker pushed the ball wide to Alenichev, before receiving the return ball and using the time the Monaco defenders gave him on the ball to tuck it away.

Just four minutes progressed before Porto put the game beyond their opponents. Alenichev playing the role of receiver this time, after Derlei’s deflected pass fell into his path. The Russian duly delivered, stroking the ball under the onrushing Flavio Roma.

Well the build up to the match was all about the managers, and so was the aftermath. It took just two days for Jose Mourinho to accept the enticing offer to leave Porto for Chelsea; a club where he went on to achieve hero status. Monaco coach Didier Deschamps did decide to stay, but resigned early on in the following season due to a poor start.

The 2004 final was one in which reputations were built

The players of both clubs also reaped the rewards of a brilliant campaign. Porto’s Paulo Ferreira and Ricardo Carvalho followed Mourinho to Stamford bridge, whilst Deco and Pedro Mendes also sought lucrative moves that summer, to Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur respectively. Numerous other players from that final squad also went on to leave the Dragão in seasons to come.

For Monaco, captain Giuly was off to Barcelona, Jérôme Rothen earned a move to PSG, and Fernando Morientes returned to Real Madrid after his loan spell. Notable players such as Emmanuel Adebayor and Patrice Evra followed the trio out of the exit door after a further two seasons in France. So the 2004 Champions League final was very much a match in which players and staff alike made a name for themselves. It may not have been the battle of Europe’s two greatest clubs, but both sides deserved to be there, and played out a fantastic final.

The game itself was exciting and action packed as witnessed by the 46,000 fans crammed into the Feyernoord Stadium in Rotterdam. Peter With may have been the goalscoring hero for the Villains but it was the performance of 23 year old goalkeeper Nigel Spink that stole the show and bore a massive influence on his team mates as they wrote another new chapter in the Club’s history.

For Spink, 23, it was a dream come true as he had only made one first team performance in two seasons, this game was a baptism of fire for him as he was thrust into the action as a replacement for the injured Jimmy Rimmer after only 10 minutes due to the latter unable to continue after failing to overcome an injury he picked up earlier in the game.

Villa to their credit stuck to their task even though they could’nt get their normal game going as Bayern settled into their stride from the first whistle and were playing at a frantic pace. Munich, led by Rummenigge, Hoeness, Breitner et al were relentless in their play and it was Breitner who was the main instigator as it was his inventful play which began to carve up the normally resolute Villa defence at will. This is where Spink came into his own thwarting the Germans attacks time after time after time, as he produced a series of magnificent saves which left Munich players shaking their heads in disbelief.

Until Aston Villa scored, the heroics of Spink notwithstanding – it seemed very unlikely that England’s five-year hold on the trophy would be lost as Villa struggled to find any fluency in their play as the Germans began to dictate the game.

The midfield of Villa were at times invisible and they just had no answer to the midfield mastery of Breitner who at times was running amok, and the service to Withe and youngster Shaw was non-existent.

Meanwhile Bayern continued in their efforts to breakdown Villa but again Spink was equal to what they could throw at them. Spink grew in confidence as Bayern’s frustrations began to show as he again thwarted them with two excellent saves within seconds of each other.

First Durnberger cut in past Swain on the left and, although his low shot almost beat the goalkeeper, Spink was quick to reach back and grab the ball. Next, Spink blocked a shot by Rummenigge and Mathy’s shot from the rebound cannoned back off Evans. A little later Rummenigge produced a spectacular acrobatic kick which beat Spink all ends up but went wide.

Bayern continued to hunt for the breakthrough and it was Augenthaler who beat Withe and Bremner as he ran two thirds of the length of the pitch, Evans slipped as he moved in to make a tackle, but the German could only drag his shot wide of the far post. Durnberger was on target on the hour, but Spink saved; Swain headed off the line from Augenthaler.

How Villa were coping was anybody’s guess and what happened next was to be a shock to everyone as Villa took a shock lead against the run of play. Shaw who was never in the game, took advantage of a slip by Dremmler to find space on the left and sent the ball inside to Morley who beat Augenthaler, with a movement only seen on the dancefloor and finally he found Withe whose shot came off his shin and to his relief found its way into the net via a post. He wheeled away in delight towards the end where 12000 Villa fans were housed and the party was now in full swing.

Withe scores winner

Aston Villa’s large following of supporters then had to endure another 20 minutes of Bayern pressure, although in truth the German never produced the incisive play which earlier had looked like taking the European Cup back to Bavaria.

The referee took one look at his watch and proceeded in blowing his whistle much to the delight of the Villa players and cue delirium on the terraces.

Aston Villa: Rimmer, Swain, Williams, Evans, McNaught, Mortimer, Bremner, Shaw, Withe, Cowans, Morley.

Bayern Munich: Muller, Dremmler, Horsmann, Weiner, Augenthaler, Kraus, Durnberger, Breitner, Hoeness, Mathy, Rummenigge.