Italian Football craze of early 1990's

[errolwd40]

Does anybody on here remember the explosion in popularity of Serie A in the early part of the 90's?

Channel 4 started showing live matches on a sunday and highlights on a Saturday morning, presented by the very funny James Richardson.

Serie A was the best league in the world at the time with great players like Boban, Baggio, Bergkamp, Vialli, Maldini, Aldair, Batistuta, Baresi, Gullit and even David Platt and Gazza. Their club sides dominated the European cups of the time (especially A C Milan).

For the first time on Sensi soccer I was playing as Italian teams rather than Arsenal. Great memories from this time, real shame that the league today has fallen upon bad times with rotting stadiums and average players.

[Hiro]

Don't get me nostalgic on the early 90s Serie A... when my team (Sampdoria) with Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Mancini was a jewel At the time, there was competition and the teams were truly good, much unlike nowadays when the team that has dominated the league was thrown out of CL in the first round and the biggest player purchase of last summer was Tevez, discarded by United, by City and not even called for Argentina's WC team...

[Treguard]

Gazetta Football Italia is tied for the best Football program on TV ever with Fantasy Football League. Fact. James Richardson is my hero.

[The Hardest of All Freds]

Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooolaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[Liamh1982]

I always thought that this was a nice touch back in the day - the Channel 4 logo going all tricolore:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2YoBurR0qI

[Hiro]

I didn't know about this broadcast! Cool

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7fWDM9yKQw
"Bravo Vialli!"

[Liamh1982]

^ Odd seeing Vialli with hair!

[The Hardest of All Freds]

longer version....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KjHrXtArvA

[TwoHeadedBoy]

Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooolaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Ha, I remember that

When that came on it was a sign that the Sunday morning cartoons had finished, and it was time to find something else to do.

[dste]

I remember it being on Channel four and vaguely remember watching it now and then after a night out but that's all really as I wasn't fussed about watching it.

[errolwd40]

I used to love the bit where James would sit down and have a cup of expresso and read through the Italian football newspapers, his one liners were a match for any comedians of the time.

[psj3809]

When that came on it was a sign that the Sunday morning cartoons had finished, and it was time to find something else to do.

After the young kids had finished watching their cartoons , i used to watch Gazetta football every week. Great show back then, loved watching it due to Gazza. Fell out of love with italian football i must admit but those early 90's years were great

[pratty]

I was a big fan of Football Italia and Serie A back then. James Richarson was/is hilarious. Good times.

I adopted AC Milan as my Italian team and still support as my second team team behind Liverpool. My favourite players were Maldini and Roberto Baggio. Maldini is the best defender I've ever seen and might be the most consistant player I've ever seen. Baggio was the best player I've ever seen until Messi came along, he was a wizard.

I didn't know about this broadcast! Cool

There's a number of clips on youtube, maybe even some full episodes if you want to check it out. Jsut search "football italia" and/or "james richardson".

I used to love the bit where James would sit down and have a cup of expresso and read through the Italian football newspapers, his one liners were a match for any comedians of the time.

He still does this every Friday (during the season) for a video on the Guardian website. Also I highly recommend the Guardian football podcast he hosts, where he still cracks his trademark one-liners and puns. They'll be starting it up again doing daily podcasts for the World Cup.

[TwoHeadedBoy]

When that came on it was a sign that the Sunday morning cartoons had finished, and it was time to find something else to do.

After the young kids had finished watching their cartoons ,

We had to sit through Transworld Sport while we were waiting for the cartoons to begin as well

[Liamh1982]

^ Incredibly Trans World Sport is STILL GOING! Still with Bruce Hammal and Sue Carpenter - she of "fick urf, you sad pathtick winker" fame!

In one small corner of Channel 4 it's still 1987...