1986 and Christmas is just around the corner so what could be more festive than heading for the Manchester G-Mex to watch First Division footballers taking part in a six-a-side tournament?

Pretty much anything, but let’s not let that stop us recalling those halcyon days when Oxford United could duff up the Arsenal on a regular basis. Following up on a last day win in May to save their top flight status they turn the Gunners over in the final and carry off the Guinness Soccer Sixes trophy and that huge cheque for 10,000 - count ‘em - English pounds.

Shrouded in a press blackout at the time, Steven Scragg and Chris Lepkowski shine a light on it all a mere 39 years too late.

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Like Bob Ferris and Terry Collier on acid, Steven Scragg and Dave Bowler have spent 46 years hiding from the result of the England v Bulgaria game in November 1979, just to be able to bring you this coverage of the game.

All they know is ‘England f…..’

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We continue in the depths of mid-November winter as Chelsea entertain Charlton Athletic in Division Two.

A clash of heads sees Gary Sparrow incur a lump the size of a bird’s egg, appropriately enough, and, in the days before concussion, tries to carry on, in part because Tommy Langley hasn’t read the instruction booklet that tells him how to take off a tracksuit.

Brian Moore has immense trouble with his teeth, Charlton boss Mike Bailey hides behind a tie of such girth that it could clothe a small child and Geoff Hurst inexplicably hands Ron Harris the No. 11 shirt.

All this and some football. Join us.

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Before Liverpool, before Manchester United, before Manchester City, Ipswich Town might have gathered a golden treble in 1980/81.

As they pursued the 20th century’s third domestic double - after Spurs in ‘60/61 and Arsenal in ‘70/71 - Bobby Robson’s side also had the UEFA Cup in their sights.

Steven Scragg and Dave Bowler follow their 66 game season to its breathless conclusion in the Netherlands.

If you enjoyed this, look for our Football Revisited 1979/80 podcasts too.

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November 1979, the mud is upon us, the chill winds of the days before global warming are rippling across Villa Park, and Jimmy Rimmer is happily throwing goals into his own net.

Meanwhile, there’s a dog on the pitch and commentator Hugh Johns is so delighted that he resembles said canine with an additional appendage. Once upon a time, says the sagacious Johns, you’d always find a dog on the pitch at a football match. Whether this was in real life or simply in the pages of Boys Own comics, who can say…

It’s a game that is not short on incident and controversy, and we are later treated to the lip-reading brilliance of Brian Moore following the dismissal of Denis Smith. The game holds Steve Scragg and Dave Bowler spellbound.

You can watch this thrilling episode of Cruft’s here.

And if that wasn’t enough, we head to Carrow Road for a bit of Norwich City against Southampton - and a chance to marvel at the suave sophistication of Kevin Keelan. There’s even a goal for Steve Daley of Manchester City. It’s a bumper collection.

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In one of the very greatest televisual meetings of all time, Brian Moore - clearly underemployed during the ITV technicians’s strike early in the season - nips over to Hamburg to report on the lifestyle of England’s greatest superstar of the moment, Kevin Keegan.

We won’t spoil it for you, but this is absolute gold, from Keegan snubbing Thatcher to maximising every penny he can get, from being overrun by sheepdogs to another helpless shrug from the long-suffering Jean, from deciding to go into politics, but only straight in as Prime Minister, this is the 1,000mph life of Kevin Keegan.

If you only ever listen to one podcast for the rest of eternity, this is the one. God bless King Kev.

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The galvanising force of the Manchester derby gets Manchester City playing once again, Malcolm Allison’s men shrugging off their hapless defending as they take on Dave Sexton’s side.

Elsewhere Nottingham Forest travel to The Dell and are bombarded into submission, so much so that even Kenny Burns can’t catch anybody to kick up into the air.

And we dip into Brian Moore’s postbag to decide if the offside rulings of the previous week were right or not. In a time before GDPR, Brian delights in reading out your full address, all the way down to the postcode, so that the local refereeing association can pop round and duff you up.

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A trip to the Second Division begins this weekend as ITV screen the top of the table clash between Luton Town and QPR, the two leading the way in a congested promotion race. It’s a terrific game with plenty of action and lots to talk about.

But there’s much, much more, for the mighty Eric Morecambe, only just recovered from heart surgery, has taken his place at Kenilworth Road once more. Afterwards, he treats Brian Moore, and the nation, to a post-match interview, in which his delight at a defeat for Elton John’s Watford is barely concealed.

So, what do you think of the show so far?

Don’t answer that.

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The European Championships of 1984, back in the days of only eight teams, were, quite frankly, a bugger to qualify for.

Wales, the Netherlands, England, Northern Ireland all came close but didn’t get it over the line.

But what if they had?

Steven Scragg and Aidan Williams look at the tournament that Euro ‘84 might have been, as long as they can get through the sliding doors.

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Emlyn Hughes returns to Anfield in a Wolves shirt, and gets a dose of the medicine he’d been dishing out for the previous decade, while Match of the Day pinches some of Top of the Pops’ graphics to celebrate. Referee Don Shaw does his level best to upstage him.

You can watch Liverpool continue on their merry way here.

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