Today I'm going back 27 years to 1995 and Tottenham's Premier League fixture at home to Liverpool played at the old White Hart Lane stadium before an attendance of 31,254.
It's interesting to see how, over the years, the first day of the Premier League season is gradually creeping earlier and earlier in the calendar. In 1995/96 the opening day of the season fell on 19th August compared to the current season's 6th August start date. That's over two weeks earlier! Of course part of the reason for this season's early start is the need to fit the ridiculous Qatar World Cup into the middle of the season before Christmas but earlier and earlier scheduling has been happening for several years now. International players barely seem to get a break these days as international tournaments plus warm-up games occupy all of June and half of July too with pre-season training starting barely a couple of weeks after the final stages of a European Championships or (normally scheduled) World Cup. I can already hear one or two voices grumbling about pampered players who should stop complaining and get on with it but tired bodies often seem to get injured more easily and experience burn out. The footballing authorities pay lip service to player fatigue as they are only truly interested in sponsorships, viewing figures and cash flow come what may and aren't bothered about the quality on display. In North America, regular season major league baseball matches take place virtually every day of the week with entire sides being rotated from one day to the next. With top football clubs signing up many more players than they can actually accommodate in their first XI, I wonder how long before football goes down this route too? In fact it's probably already begun don't you think?
Today's programme cover star is, of course, the Tottenham goalkeeper Ian Walker. Walker was well known as being the son of former Norwich City and Everton manager Mike Walker and was Tottenham's first choice keeper from 1994 until 2001 when he left the club after losing his place to recent signing Neil Sullivan to join Leicester City. During his time at Spurs he made 313 first team appearances. I have to say that Walker was never one of my favourites. He always seemed to have a mistake in him and I preferred Sullivan who seemed (to me) to be a little more solid and dependable. Walker was relegated with Leicester in his first season there but, to be fair, the following season they were promoted back to the Premier League with Walker between the sticks. In a Leicester match at home to Aston Villa in January 2004 however, Walker conceded five goals in just 18 minutes and was confronted on the pitch by a fan who told him that he wasn't fit to be a Leicester player. The following month, another crazy error cost Walker his place in the side and he never truly recovered from the setback. Walker earned four international caps between 1996 and 2004 and was part of England's Euro96 and Euro 2004 squads. He is currently coaching in China.
Tottenham went into the new season looking weaker than they had been the previous season following the sale of Jurgen Klinsmann, Gica Popescu and Nick Barmby and manager Gerry Francis wasn't given much credit for the striking replacement that he signed to replace the departing heavyweights. Chris Armstrong would prove to be an effective goal scorer but, for my liking, too many Spurs fans initially branded him to be "a waste of money". The featured game was lit up by a goal scored from almost 30 yards by John Barnes which gave Liverpool a seventh minute lead. Before the first half was over, Barnes and Liverpool would have a second, this time the move started from the edge of their own penalty area and ended up with Barnes being played in for the simplest of finishes. Things would only get worse for Spurs as a peroxide Robbie Fowler hammered in a third for Liverpool ten minutes after the break. There was time only for a consolation for Spurs credited to Colin Calderwood although looking suspiciously like a John Barnes own goal to me. Irrespective, Liverpool would have been well satisfied with their 3-1 win.
Liverpool, managed by Roy Evans, went on to finish 3rd in the Premier League that season some eleven points behind champions Manchester United and seven points behind runners up Newcastle United. Curiously Liverpool ended up qualifying to play in the following season's European Cup Winners Cup despite failing to win the FA Cup. They were beaten in the final by double-winners Manchester United who took their place in the Champions League leaving Liverpool to participate in the Cup Winners Cup. Spurs, despite being apparently weaker than before, finished in a respectable 8th position, just one place lower than had been the case the previous season. Relegated that season were Manchester City (on goal difference behind Coventry City and Southampton), QPR and Bolton Wanderers.
CRB Match No. 981
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