Historic Matches

The Premier League has history when it comes to clashes between the two teams fighting to become champions Kevin Keegan’s swashbuckling Newcastle looked set to be runaway champions, but from 12 points clear they were slowly reeled in by Alex Ferguson’s ruthless Manchester United. When the two title-chasers met at St James’ Park in early March, Keegan’s previously irresistible attack was kept out repeatedly by Peter Schmeichel, and there was a sense of inevitability when Eric Cantona popped up to volley home the winner at the far post. Ferguson’s side travelled home a point behind Newcastle, who had been dragged into a scrap, and when he turned up the mind games in the run-in, Keegan boiled over on live TV in unforgettable fashion. How the Magpies manager would have loved it if his champions-elect had put their challengers away when they had the chance.

This week on It Was What It Was, Jonathan and Rob introduce us to the team - and the match - that played a huge part in the invention of the European Cup... “Champions of the World!” was the headline given to Wolverhampton Wanderers, when they beat the mighty Hungarian team Honvéd, led by Ferenc Puskas, in 1954. Billy Wright was the star of the show for a game that many saw as reestablishing England as top football nation. But was it just gamesmanship that won the day for this great Wolves side? And how did that grandiose headline annoy the French so much it led to the formation of the European Cup (and consequently the Champions League) a year later? Wolves 3 Honvéd 2 is one of the most significant matches ever; a great night of European football that paved the way for so many historic moments in years to come. If you’re enjoying the podcast, please hit subscribe to never miss an episode, and consider leaving us a five-star review to help others discover the show. Thank you for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.