A Year In Goalkeeping - 1988
Its that time again. Everybody’s favourite historic goalkeeping blog segment is back. It’s time to reboot the Sparta time machine.
Brush your mullet and get your double denim on.
You’re back in 1988.
Kit – Liverpool
The classic sponsor, the retro adidas badge, the subtle printed pattern. Everything about this shirt is sublime.
Bruce Grobbelaar wore this number as his Liverpool side were beaten by Wimbledon in the 1988 FA Cup Final, but also did for a large proportion of their title winning triumph in the same season.
The late 80’s was the last period in which football shirts had an air of simplicity before the garish 1990’s, an era that produced many classic kits. This is an example of the transition from the simple to the daring, with the pattern and white trim.
Transfer - Andy Goram , Oldham Athletic to Hibernian
Widely regarded as one of the best Scottish goalkeepers (and cricketers, fun fact!) of the 80’s and 90’s, Andy Goram made a significant move in 1988 as he left England for Hibernian for a fee of £325,000.
Already a Scottish international, Goram was named in the PFA Second Division Team of the Year in 1987 and attracted the attention of Hibs. With the European ban on English teams only two seasons old, Scotland was a more alluring prospect than it is today. Indeed he would play for the Hibees in the UEFA Cup.
His boosted reputation earned him a move to Rangers in 1991, where he enjoyed the most successful period of his career.
Performance - Dave Beasant v Liverpool, FA Cup Final
Alluded to in the first section, 1988 saw one of the biggest FA Cup final shocks of all time when the crazy gang of Wimbledon ousted the all-conquering Liverpool side of the 1980’s.
Nobody gave Bobby Gould’s side a chance, but a first half goal by Lawrie Sanchez would be enough. Captain Dave Beasant, who had been with the Dons through the leagues, was exemplary. A game winning moment came when Beasant, who did extensive research of Liverpool penalty takers, guess right and saved John Aldridge’s penalty.
It is widely thought that had Liverpool equalised they would have won the game, but the England international etched himself into the history books of the oldest competition in world football.
In other news…
Hans Van Breukelen takes Euro Glory
The Netherlands are perennial underachievers of international football given the talent they have had at their disposal over the last fifty years. However, in 1988 they did enough to lift the European Championships in West Germany.
Hans Van Breukelen kept a clean sheet in the final against the Soviet Union in their only major tournament win and brought home the top goalkeeper award of Euro ’88.