Italia 90: When Football Changed Forever

atypical_boro said:
Hmmm. I'm not sure they're being glorified intentionally, but how else can you tell the story of the undercover cops infiltrating them? The coppers use pretty unsavoury language to describe them too, not as if they are in awe of them.
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Yes I’m not saying it’s intentional but I don’t need to hear an old West Ham hooligan boasting how good they were at organising violence.
 
HolgateCorner said:
I’ve been watching the programme and I’m a bit disappointed I find that I can’t stop watching it.

There is too much glorification of London hooligans for my liking particularly West Ham and Chelsea but there are other aspects of the programme which are very interesting like the undercover police and the political aspects.
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I know what you mean, that West Ham ‘fan’ is a complete nob… dead hard about 500 of them attacking a pub of maybe 30 or so

The story about the lad on the train with his wife and kids though and the undercover copper could do nowt
 
The undercover copper gives interesting insight certainly.

While I've long argued that Italia 90 was a grim tournament that we remember fondly due to England reaching the semis, I recall it from my childhood as being quite a glamorous.

Looking back now, I'm shocked at how shabby everything looks. Have there been a worse set of WC stadia than Italia 90, or have modern grounds just changed expectations?
 
Frozen Horse said:
The undercover copper gives interesting insight certainly.

While I've long argued that Italia 90 was a grim tournament that we remember fondly due to England reaching the semis, I recall it from my childhood as being quite a glamorous.

Looking back now, I'm shocked at how shabby everything looks. Have there been a worse set of WC stadia than Italia 90, or have modern grounds just changed expectations?
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Didn’t they rebuild the San Siro specifically for the tournament ??
 
Jedi boro said:
Ah the The glory of the ICF eh
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You know I went to Upton Park in the early 80’s and couldn’t get in the Boro end so just went in the home end behind the goal. I kept quiet but they somehow sussed I was from Middlesbrough and I spent most of the match chatting to them without any threat or hassle whatsoever, they were sound, one of the friendliest away grounds I have been to.
 
Bernies_quiff said:
Didn’t they rebuild the San Siro specifically for the tournament ??
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Largely, yes. Personally I don't much like San Siro: it's big and famous, but I dislike that there's no one immediately behind the goals, and the awkward roofs. Always looks weird that one side is so small compared to the rest of it.

2 stadia were built specifically for the tournament: delli Alpi was so bad it was demolished after only 18 years. Bari average around 5k fans in a 52k concrete bowl.

Boro get a name check in this article about them.

https://www.stadiumguide.com/the-unfortunate-legacy-of-italia-1990/
 
You just had to be there, 1990 was a billion years away from 1996 in terms of England football.

If you look back without having lived it you might never understand.
 
I do not miss those days at all. The 70s, 80s, and early 90s were stained by the English football hooligans. Many of the ultras we see today were all influenced by our yobs. After every match in Europe we would see the violence and mayhem inflicted on some poor bar or shop owners abroad, and innocent fans attacked. The press here loved it.

I think it was the Sun that showed a photo of English fans stabbing an innocent fan in the back on the terrace. It was around 1980 and I think the team we were playing were Switzerland. The headline simply said 'A stab in the back for England'

Depressing times to be an England fan or a fan of any English club playing in Europe.
 
Bernies_quiff said:
I know what you mean, that West Ham ‘fan’ is a complete nob… dead hard about 500 of them attacking a pub of maybe 30 or so

The story about the lad on the train with his wife and kids though and the undercover copper could do nowt
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I know a bloke, a friend of a friend, who was an undercover cop who infiltrated Millwall's firm back in the 90's. Still wakes up having nightmares about some of the things he saw apparently.
 
I remember when Linekar scored against Ireland in Cagliari it seemed like half the stadium started the chant “let’s all have a disco”

I also vividly remember during the second half of that game Garly Linekar was sat on the ground and squirmed along the turf like. Dog with worms. I turned to my mate and said “that was odd”.

It later turned out he had shat himself because of a dodgy tummy and he was wiping his **** on the grass.
 
atypical_boro said:
Anyway, I've thoroughly enjoyed it so far, and also need to watch this "Italia '90: Four Weeks that Changed the World" series Sky have done too. And I do mean 'need', my brain just doesn't allow anything else.
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Watched this last night and really enjoyed it. Much more football focussed but some great insights from those interviewed, Gazza in particular.
 
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