In a new series dedicated to the game in South America, we look at the way football from the continent has encountered and interacted with the European game.

We start by looking at the pioneering tours to Argentina and Uruguay by Southampton, Nottingham Forest et al in the early 20th century as they looked to spread the association football gospel.

Stuart Horsfield attempts to keep order alongside Dr Pete Watson, Gary Thacker and Steven Scragg.

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In textbook fashion, Manchester United have brought Spurs back to Old Trafford for a replay and so will fancy themselves to finish the job there, even if Gary Bailey is full of Night Nurse.

At the other end, in a glorious throwback to a better time, Glenn Hoddle goes in goal for Tottenham. It’s not a better time for Milija Aleksic, admittedly, given that he gets Joe Jordaned and has to go off on a stretcher.

A second replay looms, but Ossie’s dream of Wembley burns bright.

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We’re journeying way back into World Cup history to discuss the only manager to have won the twice, at least for now: the Italian Vittorio Pozzo. The World Cups he led Italy to in 1934 and 1938 were not without their controversies, however, and neither was Pozzo himself.

Aidan Williams is joined by Matthew Gibbs and Chris Evans, the author of the excellent ‘How To Win The World Cup’, to delve a little deeper into the man who took Italy to glory, in a tale of fascist salutes, black shirts, win or die motivational messages, and two World Cup wins.

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With assistance from the covers from Lord’s to keep the frost off, this game gets underway at White Hart Lane despite the elements, though sadly Dickie Bird is not our match referee – it is Pat Partridge thought, to maintain the avian theme.

A youthful Terry Gibson, the boy who never grew up, buzzes around the pitch, irritating his elders and getting a clip round the ear from Jimmy Nicholl for his trouble. Gibson responds by leaving his foot in on Gary Bailey. In the post-match interview we discover that the mild mannered Bailey really would say boo to a goose. Or at least a Perryman.

And as a way to settle drawn cup ties, YBTAHOAB dispense with the penalty shootout and get the substitutes to play each other at Ludo to decide who goes through. Pratt or Grimes, choose your winer.

Meanwhile at St. Andrew’s, Birmingham City’s glorious monolithic clock has gone digital. Surely this is the fifth horseman of the apocalypse?

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Back to Wembley on a sun-kissed May afternoon in 1971, two teams in vivid kits that ping off the screen ready to contest a cup final for the colour TV age.

With Arsenal crowned league champions on the Monday before the game, they are on the brink of the 20th century’s second double as they look to match the feats of Tottenham Hotspur ten years earlier.

Against them, a brand new Liverpool, reassembled after the horror of defeat to Watford in the sixth round in 1970, and ready to emerge as Shankly’s third great Anfield outfit. Who will prevail? Steven Scragg and Dave Bowler take up the story as Charlie George submits to an uncontrollable urge to have a lie down.

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Grab yourself a Carlsberg as our World Cup adventures continue with a trip back to 1986 to get all misty eyed about Laudrup, Elkjaer and the Danish gang.Aidan Williams and Steven Scragg are joined by Rob Smyth, one of the authors of the superb ‘Danish Dynamite’ book, to talk about the team, the manager, the players, the book.

Join us for the joys of watching Michael Laudrup weave his way through Uruguay's defence, and the repeated doses of pain inflicted by Spain.

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The 1980s are ushered in by the FA Cup, and we start our third round odyssey amid an electric atmosphere at Elland Road. That soon turns to dust as Forest’s Frank Gray returns home, scores in the opening minutes, and celebrates like a dervish. Meanwhile, brother Edde has given up the winger’s role and become Leeds’ new John Giles, though pleasingly, he still runs like a coat hanger, elbows akimbo.

From there, both sides defend like they’ve been Romarked, leading to goals aplenty. Larry Lloyd produces a goal of the season contender, sadly at the wrong end, part of a fairly erratic afternoon for this pillar of consistency.

Beyond that, there is a routine win at Yeovil Town for Norwich City, but Yeovil’s keeper observes union rules by throwing one into his own net and then berating his defenders.

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At the late March international break, the very first Your Boys Took a Hell of a Beating field trip was all set to swoop in on Harrogate Town Vs Notts County, but Aidan Williams, Dr Pete Watson, Stu Horsfield, and Steven Scragg wound up at York City Vs Woking instead, via Sky Sports tinkering with kick off times and Dr Pete being committed to an online Saturday morning lecture to one solitary, yet enthusiastic student.

Listen in as Aidan and Steven struggle to locate The Shambles, Stu becomes captive of the LNER carpark, but does get to meet the legend that is Jeff, and Dr Pete turns out to be taller than anyone expected. Oh, and there is also the adventure of the garden spork.

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As Middlesbrough travel to Crystal Palace, the Team of the ‘80s play the final game of the ‘70s, minus the injured Kenny Sansom, who is sat in a picnic chair next to the B&Q Memorial Dugouts at Selhurst Park. John Burridge makes a pantomime dive – oh yes he does – to save a weak shot, while at the other end, Jim Platt channels his inner draught excluder.

Terry Cochrane gives the international sign for Maxwell House to Burridge, thankfully blurred out by ITV’s later coverage to protect our delicate sensibilities. Cochrane then gets sent off for dissent – mouth suitably blurred – and finishes off by having an argument on his way down the tunnel.

Meanwhile, an ailing Nottingham Forest head for Highfield Road, where Barry Davies admits that Coventry’s formation is too complicated to explain, but waxes lyrical about the precautions they have taken to protect the pitch. Polythene piping – the working title for a song on ‘Abbey Road’ – is the hero of the hour, and resplendent the Highfield Road pitch looks too. They shouldn’t have bothered, for after an horrendous run away from home, the tide is about to turn for Nottingham Forest.

In other news, QPR’s trip north to Filbert Street is derailed when Bob Hazell gets the lesser spotted straight red card to end the decade. We also have a magnificent story from Chesham, on their way into the third round of the FA Cup.

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It’s back to June 1986, as Belgium do battle with the Soviet Union in León for a place in the quarter finals of Mexico86.

Soviet star Igor Belanov joins an elite band of players for all the wrong reasons, while Jan Ceulemans pitches in with his own entry for the Golden Scissors, the unofficial (and some might say non-existent) award for the ‘haircut of the tournament’. We can only assume it’s the altitude.

Aidan “Des” Williams is joined by World Cup panellists Steven Scragg and Conor Kenny to talks us through this unforgettable display of football excellence; a story that truly contains more twists and turns than Herge’s Adventures of Tin Tin.

In a World Cup of classic matches, this is one of the best. Enjoy!

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