A look at Hamilton Town Centre in 2025 and the old days The Vogue cinema in 2025 before demolition and in while in use The Bottom Cross in 2025 and back in the day McGregors Toy Shop at the Top Cross in 2025 and yesteryear Quarry Street 2025 and the old days as miners walk …
Author Archives: Ian Kelly
EURO 1976
The recent award by UEFA to Slovakia as joint winners with Czech Republic following the Czechoslovakia triumph in 1976 had me reminiscing about a much forgotten football tournament particularly in the UK, where only the Final was shown on Live TV. Euro 1976 was the last of the old style format with 32 countries divided …
English Cup Marathons
In the days before TV schedules dictated football and penalty shoot outs became common place in English cup ties, games were replayed until a team won. I remember three of these cup marathons which I loved – listening to radio commentaries on BBC between 1977 and 1980. English League Cup The English League Cup began …
Hamilton Accies 1985-86 Part 2
Accies won the First Division Championship in 1985-86 , this is a look back at an amazing season PART TWO – JANUARY TO MAY 1986 January 1986 The bad weather at the start of 1986 saw Accies first two matches at Airdrie and Brechin postponed before a return to action on 11th January at home …
Hamilton Accies 1985-86 Part 1
PART ONE – AUGUST TO DECEMBER 1985 Accies won the First Division Championship in 1985-86 , this is a look back at an amazing season. (For context the league was made up of 14 teams playing each other 3 times meaning a total of 39 games and two points for a win) August 1985 Accies …
Welsh clubs in ECWC 1960-1999
The European Cup Winners Cup was a cup for National Cup Winners run by UEFA between 1960 and 1999. Welsh teams who played in the English football leagues also competed in the Welsh Cup with the winners qualifying for the ECWC , which was always somewhat controversial as they also competed in the FA Cup …
Bobby Graham & Willie Pettigrew
As a youngster growing up in Lanarkshire my interest in football developed at a time when Saturday afternoons were reserved for shopping with my parents. The politics of the day in 1974 with the 3 day week and power cuts that resulted in football matches being moved to Sundays led my Dad to take me …
Lanarkshire Football in 70s & 80s – Part 2
My early football memories in Lanarkshire – Part Two 1976-1980 1976/77 The League Cup saw Motherwell finish bottom of their group with no wins from their six group games and only two draws. Hamilton Accies set up a final day showdown with Falkirk at Douglas Park for a place in the Quarter Final. Around 4000 …
Continue reading “Lanarkshire Football in 70s & 80s – Part 2”
FOOTBALL ON TV
SCRAP THE 3PM BLACKOUT – WHY ? There have been calls in recent days for the scrapping of the 3pm Saturday TV blackout of live televised football across the UK. Sky Sports are reportedly claiming they are losing out on revenue due to the existence of the Saturday 3pm TV blackout in England , with …
London Sporting Double Header
Two Iconic London Sporting Venues – Wimbledon and Lords Day One – Wimbledon This was my third trip to the Championships at the All England Club , having obtained a ticket through the resale portal a short time before my London trip. I began the day by taking the tube to Wimbledon Station and hopping …
Football is Academical 