When Shorts Were Short S3 E02 - David Hunt (editor of Scorcher, Battle, Speed, Eagle, Roy of the Rovers and more)

When Shorts Were Short concerns itself solely with what was actually a very narrow window in football history when teams wore, well, short shorts. The podcast takes 1954 as its starting point, when Umbro made their first England kit with shorter shorts, to 1992, when short shorts were all but finished as Umbro's baggy shorts for Tottenham's new kit, ahead of the '91 FA Cup Final, quickly caught on.

If the shorts weren't short, we don't talk about it.

My guest for this episode is one of the finest comic editors to ever come out of the UK, David Hunt. David joined Fleetway in 1961, working on a couple of picture library titles before joining Tiger, then already one of the country’s biggest weekly titles, where he worked under its founding editor Derek Birnage.

By 1970, still only in his mid-20s, David became editor of the new football comic Scorcher, though it styled itself as a football paper, and it’s his years on that title, still my favourite all-time football comic/paper, that made him one of those people I absolutely had to speak to when setting up this show.

David and I had a long chat about his childhood, growing up in bomb-devastated East London just after the War’s end, his journey into comics, his influences, the Scorcher years that kickstarted a long editorial career, and which in the early 90s saw him caught in the eye of the storm after Roy of the Rovers finally folded in controversial fashion. David, as he tells us, was unfairly blamed for the storyline that saw Roy lose his famous left leg and 30 years on, get the chance to right that.

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NEW When Shorts Were Short S3 E01

When Shorts Were Short concerns itself solely with what was actually a very narrow window in football history when teams wore, well, short shorts. The podcast takes 1954 as its starting point, when Umbro made their first England kit with shorter shorts, to 1992, when short shorts were all but finished as Umbro's baggy shorts for Tottenham's new kit, ahead of the '91 FA Cup Final, quickly caught on.

If the shorts weren't short, we don't talk about it.

My guest for this Classic Kits episode is South American football historian Tim Vickery. For the last 25 years, Tim has been a staple of World Soccer Magazine, ESPN, Sports Illustrated and of course, the BBC’s cult radio show, The World Football Phone-In.

Tim chooses a selection of his favourite kits, which include a sash (you can’t beat a sash) and the history of the sash.

This is the first of the new listener-supported shows and can only be downloaded via this site.

The cost of the episode is £2.75.

You can pay via any of the links below and the episode will be wetransferred to you on the same day, the download link remaining valid for only 7 days.

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When Shorts Were Short S2 E15 - ADAM RICHES (Classic Kits 1954 - 92)

When Shorts Were Short concerns itself solely with what was actually a very narrow window in football history when teams wore, well, short shorts. The podcast takes 1954 as its starting point, when Umbro made their first England kit with shorter shorts, to 1992, when short shorts were all but finished as Umbro's baggy shorts for Tottenham's new kit, ahead of the '91 FA Cup Final, quickly caught on.

If the shorts weren't short, we don't talk about it.

This episode was originally a Patreon bonus show back in Oct '21.

My first Classic Kits guest is Adam Riches, author of Football’s Comic Book Heroes, a comprehensive look at UK football comic strips, from their beginning in the early 20th century and taking in the 54-92 period that we cover. And Adam has chosen several strips plus his favourite ever football comic strip kit, no easy thing when you factor in many of these strips were black and white.

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When Shorts Were Short S2 E14 - TERRY BUTCHER

When Shorts Were Short concerns itself solely with what was actually a very narrow window in football history when teams wore, well, short shorts. The podcast takes 1954 as its starting point, when Umbro made their first England kit with shorter shorts, to 1992, when short shorts were all but finished as Umbro's baggy shorts for Tottenham's new kit, ahead of the '91 FA Cup Final, quickly caught on.

If the shorts weren't short, we don't talk about it.

My guest this week is former Ipswich, Rangers and England captain Terry Butcher. We take a look at the second half of Terry's 1981-82 season when, playing for Ipswich in the FA Cup 4th Round at promotion-chasing Luton, he suffered a curious and near-fatal injury, one of the strangest injuries ever seen in English football. And yet somehow, Terry recovered to nail down a place in England's World Cup side that summer.

Plus Twitter’s unofficial bookshop @Biggreenbooks are giving away a book. To enter, listen out for the competition details towards the end of the episode.

Support the podcast via Patreon

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This work can also be supported via Ko-Fi, a tip jar for creators where you can buy them a digital coffee.

And please subscribe, rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or any other platform you may be using to listen to the show.

When Shorts Were Short S2 E12 - Mike Donovan (Classic Kits 1954-92)

When Shorts Were Short concerns itself solely with what was actually a very narrow window in football history when teams wore, well, short shorts. The podcast takes 1954 as its starting point, when Umbro made their first England kit with shorter shorts, to 1992, when short shorts were all but finished as Umbro's baggy shorts for Tottenham's new kit, ahead of the '91 FA Cup Final, quickly caught on.

If the shorts weren't short, we don't talk about it.

My latest Classic Kits minisode guest is Mike Donovan, author of Football's Braveheart: The Authorised Biography of Dave Mackay. Mike has gone with several choices from the early sixties, the period when he fell in love with football and actually saw his kit choices live.

Support the podcast via Patreon

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This work can also be supported via Ko-Fi, a tip jar for creators where you can buy them a digital coffee.

And please subscribe, rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or any other platform you may be using to listen to the show.

When Shorts Were Short S2 E11 - Iain Macintosh (Classic Kits 1954-92)

When Shorts Were Short concerns itself solely with what was actually a very narrow window in football history when teams wore, well, short shorts. The podcast takes 1954 as its starting point, when Umbro made their first England kit with shorter shorts, to 1992, when short shorts were all but finished as Umbro's baggy shorts for Tottenham's new kit, ahead of the '91 FA Cup Final, quickly caught on.

If the shorts weren't short, we don't talk about it.

My latest Classic Kits guest is journalist, author and podcaster Iain Macintosh. Iain, like me, is one of those guys who’s been podcasting forever and I’ve been following his work for over a decade. Co-founder of Muddy Knees Media, in the summer of 2017, Iain, Ben Green (aka Producer Ben) and James Richardson, all left Football Weekly to launch the hugely successful Totally Football Show for the new company. In 2020, Muddy Knees became part of The Athletic and these days, Iain fronts The Football Manager Show for them.

Support the podcast via Patreon

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This work can also be supported via Ko-Fi, a tip jar for creators where you can buy them a digital coffee.

And please subscribe, rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or any other platform you may be using to listen to the show.

When Shorts Were Short - S2 E10 GARY BAILEY

When Shorts Were Short concerns itself solely with what was actually a very narrow window in football history when teams wore, well, short shorts. The podcast takes 1954 as its starting point, when Umbro made their first England kit with shorter shorts, to 1992, when short shorts were all but finished as Umbro's baggy shorts for Tottenham's new kit, ahead of the '91 FA Cup Final, quickly caught on.

If the shorts weren't short, we don't talk about it.

This week, I’m talking with Gary Bailey, the former Manchester United and England ‘keeper, son of Ipswich’s title-winning ‘keeper Roy and Gary himself, as we’ll hear, as part of Ron Atkinson’s very talented early to mid-80s side really should’ve had at least one league title winner’s medal of his own. He almost did, but not under Atkinson. The less stellar Dave Sexton side of 1979-80 almost landed a surprise title win in a neck and neck battle with Bob Paisley’s greatest Liverpool side, and had United claimed that unexpected title, the club’s modern history would’ve been very different.

Support the podcast via Patreon

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This work can also be supported via Ko-Fi, a tip jar for creators where you can buy them a digital coffee.

And please subscribe, rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or any other platform you may be using to listen to the show.

When Shorts Were Short - S2 E09 David Snowdon (Part 2 of 2)

When Shorts Were Short concerns itself solely with what was actually a very narrow window in football history when teams wore, well, short shorts. The podcast takes 1954 as its starting point, when Umbro made their first England kit with shorter shorts, to 1992, when short shorts were all but finished as Umbro's baggy shorts for Tottenham's new kit, ahead of the '91 FA Cup Final, quickly caught on.

If the shorts weren't short, we just don't talk about it.

This week, the second and final part of our David Snowdon interview looking at the ultimately doomed Alan Durban ’81-84 era at Sunderland. If you missed the first part, park this episode here and download the opening instalment and listen to that first.

David, the author of Give Us Tomorrow Now, Alan Durban’s Mission Impossible, his take on the Durban era, talks enthusiastically and with no end of regret for what he and many Sunderland fans of his generation feel was a wasted opportunity. A promising side under a still young manager who had promising work at Stoke behind him, was allowed to come to nothing.

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This work can also be supported via Ko-Fi, a tip jar for creators where you can buy them a digital coffee.

And please subscribe, rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or any other platform you may be using to listen to the show.

When Shorts Were Short - S2 E08 David Snowdon (Part 1 of 2)

When Shorts Were Short concerns itself solely with what was actually a very narrow window in football history when teams wore, well, short shorts. The podcast takes 1954 as its starting point, when Umbro made their first England kit with shorter shorts, to 1992, when short shorts were all but finished as Umbro's baggy shorts for Tottenham's new kit, ahead of the '91 FA Cup Final, quickly caught on.

If the shorts weren't short, we don't talk about it.

This episode (part 1 of 2), a look at Alan Durban’s ultimately doomed efforts in the early 80s to help Sunderland’s then young side realise its immense promise. David Snowdon, author of Give Us Tomorrow Now, is the go-to authority on Alan Durban’s Sunderland tenure. His 2018 book looked at Durban’s arrival at Roker Park in the summer of ’81 and his attempt at waking one of English football’s eternal sleeping giants.

Durban, a title winner with Derby under Brian Clough and a future guest on this podcast, gave up his secure managerial post with Stoke for the North East and in this first part of our interview, David Snowdon tells us about Durban’s battle to lay down the foundations of future success in his opening season, the 1981-82 campaign, as the boardroom grew impatient with both manager and chairman.

Support the podcast via Patreon

Twitter @shortswereshort

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This work can also be supported via Ko-Fi, a tip jar for creators where you can buy them a digital coffee.

And please subscribe, rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or any other platform you may be using to listen to the show.

When Shorts Were Short - S2 E07 Spencer Vignes

When Shorts Were Short concerns itself solely with what was actually a very narrow window in football history when teams wore, well, short shorts. The podcast takes 1954 as its starting point, when Umbro made their first England kit with shorter shorts, to 1992, when short shorts were all but finished as Umbro's baggy shorts for Tottenham's new kit, ahead of the '91 FA Cup Final, quickly caught on.

If the shorts weren't short, we just don't talk about it.

This week's guest is Spencer Vignes, the author behind Bloody Southerners, which tells the story of Clough and Taylor’s time at the Goldstone Ground, and how those seven months together almost broke their working relationship for good. There’s a third protagonist too, for Bloody Southerners is also the story of chairman Mike Bamber, a colourful character, musician and property developer, acknowledged by Clough later to be the best chairman he ever worked for. Bamber would eventually realise his dream of getting Brighton into the top flight, but not before a somewhat disorientating ride with the tour de force that was Brian Clough.

This work can also be supported via Ko-Fi, a tip jar for creators where you can buy them a digital coffee.

And please subscribe, rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or any other platform you may be using to listen to the show.

When Shorts Were Short - S2 E06 Steve Nicol

When Shorts Were Short concerns itself solely with what was actually a very narrow window in football history when teams wore, well, short shorts. The podcast takes 1954 as its starting point, when Umbro made their first England kit with shorter shorts, to 1992, when short shorts were all but finished as Umbro's baggy shorts for Tottenham's new kit, ahead of the '91 FA Cup Final, quickly caught on.

If the shorts weren't short, we just don't talk about it.

The guest this week is former Liverpool and Scotland, well, what was he? He could play so many different positions. It’s Steve Nicol. Arriving from Ayr United for £300,000 in October 1981, a considerable sum in those days for someone not out of his teens for another couple of months, Nicol would have to wait until Joe Fagan succeeded Bob Paisley a couple of years later for his first team breakthrough. This was the norm at Liverpool in those days. The club were now entering their second decade dominating the English game and even the likes of Terry McDermott and Ray Kennedy, established first teamers at Newcastle and Arsenal respectively, had struggled to hold down a regular place in their first two seasons with the club after arriving in 1974.

(Technically speaking, the '91-92 season didn't involve 'short shorts', with Liverpool being early adopters of the revived baggy look.)

This work can also be supported via Ko-Fi, a tip jar for creators where you can buy them a digital coffee.

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When Shorts Were Short - S2 E04 Bob Wilson (Part 1 of 2)

When Shorts Were Short concerns itself solely with what was actually a very narrow window in football history when teams wore, well, short shorts. The podcast takes 1954 as its starting point, when Umbro made their first England kit with shorter shorts, to 1992, when short shorts were all but finished as Umbro's baggy shorts for Tottenham's new kit, ahead of the '91 FA Cup Final, quickly caught on.

If the shorts weren't short, we just don't talk about it.

This week’s episode is our first two-parter, a comprehensive interview with Arsenal’s ’71 double-winning ‘keeper Bob Wilson, also, of course, for an entire generation, the presenter of what was during his time with the show, the formidable Football Focus, the Saturday lunchtime preview show that existed within the BBC’s Grandstand.

Bob had three hugely successful careers. As the Arsenal number one of the late sixties and early seventies, and as we’ll hear, securing the number one shirt of his beloved north London club was far from easy. Then there was the football broadcasting career, first with the BBC and then later at the end, with ITV, but he was also the man who, after seeing the Brazilian ‘keepers training with a goalkeeping coach during the ’66 World Cup who brought that into the British game. Goalkeeping coaches, and goalkeepers, in this country owe a huge debt to the man whose signature save, diving head first at the feet of an opponent, arguably shortened his career.

This week we concentrate on Bob’s early life, studying at Loughborough University, almost becoming a Busby Babe, playing as an amateur for Wolves’s reserves during the back end of the Stan Cullis era, before he finally ends up at Arsenal where it’s five years before he finally nails down the number one spotwith a fine performance in a FA Cup fifth round replay defeat at Birmingham.

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SHOW LINKS

Twitter Bob Wilson

Willow Foundation

Twitter @Willow_Fdn

Quizball Appearance 1971

WBA v Arsenal 1969 FA Cup 5th Round

The podcast can be supported with a donation via Paypal.

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Introducing the When Shorts Were Short Patreon Page

My retro football podcast When Shorts Were Short has this week returned for its second series, and will feature more big names from that pre-1992 world of football, former players and managers, as well as a host of outstanding football writers. Coinciding with the return of the show, in time for the new season (former Arsenal midfielder Paul Davis is the guest on S2 E01), is the launch of a Patreon page.

Supporters of the show will receive each new episode a fortnight early, as well as bonus content from some of those episodes and exclusive to Patreon standalone episodes. This Patreon page will help to cover the show’s costs and also help me to bring in whatever research materials are required for individual episodes.

Please visit patreon.com/shortswereshort to show your support.

If you’re not yet familiar with the show, you can find S1 here and via all other podcast providers.

Thank you.

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Introducing the All-In-1 DRT is Available/When Shorts Were Short Patreon Tier

With a new series of When Shorts Were Short now underway, listeners/supporters of Daniel Ruiz Tizon is Available have the option of upgrading to a new tier, the All-In-One, that will give them early access to all DRT is Available AND When Shorts Were Short episodes. This new tier will also unlock exclusive to Patreon episodes and bonus content.

The new series of WSWS begins with an interview with former Arsenal midfielder Paul Davis and there are many big names from the pre-1992 world of football lined up for this second series, as well as some outstanding football writers.

I appreciate your support.

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When Shorts Were Short Ep 13 - FA Cup Special

When Shorts Were Short concerns itself solely with what was actually a very narrow window in football history when teams wore, well, short shorts. The podcast takes 1954 as its starting point, when Umbro made their first England kit with shorter shorts, to 1992, when short shorts were all but finished as Umbro's baggy shorts for Tottenham's new kit, ahead of the '91 FA Cup Final, quickly caught on.

If the shorts weren't short, we just don't talk about it.

The guest for this FA Cup special is author Matt Eastley. His trilogy of books, ‘When the FA Cup Really Mattered’ from Pitch Publishing covers the competition from the 1960 Wolves v Blackburn final to the tragic ’89 final played out in the long shadow of Hillsborough, and the story of the finals is told through the fans who were there. The books cover that thirty-year period where the FA Cup was firmly established as the greatest cup competition the game has ever known.

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SHOW LINKS

Pitch Publishing

Matt Eastley books

The podcast can be supported with a donation via Paypal and the Patreon episode will be wetransferred to you.

This work can also be supported via Ko-Fi, a tip jar for creators where you can buy them a digital coffee.

And please subscribe, rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or any other platform you may be using to listen to the show

When Shorts Were Short Ep 12

When Shorts Were Short concerns itself solely with what was actually a very narrow window in football history when teams wore, well, short shorts. The podcast takes 1954 as its starting point, when Umbro made their first England kit with shorter shorts, to 1992, when short shorts were all but finished as Umbro's baggy shorts for Tottenham's new kit, ahead of the '91 FA Cup Final, quickly caught on.

If the shorts weren't short, we just don't talk about it.

This week’s guest is journalist and author Richard Sydenham whose book, Ticket to the Moon: Aston Villa, the Rise and Fall of a European Champion, details the steady rise of Aston Villa after their return to the old First Division under Ron Saunders in 1975, and the improbable success that followed, champions of England in ’81 and of Europe a year later, by which time Ron Saunders had resigned in dramatic fashion. It’s largely the story of the enmity between Doug Ellis, at the club for much of Saunders’ time, and Saunders, and how the club’s failure to recover from Saunders’ shock resignation led ultimately to their dramatic relegation just five years after lifting the European Cup. 

When Shorts Were Short Ep 11

When Shorts Were Short concerns itself solely with what was actually a very narrow window in football history when teams wore, well, short shorts. The podcast takes 1954 as its starting point, when Umbro made their first England kit with shorter shorts, to 1992, when short shorts were all but finished as Umbro's baggy shorts for Tottenham's new kit, ahead of the '91 FA Cup Final, quickly caught on.

If the shorts weren't short, we just don't talk about it.

This week’s guest is writer Simon Hart. Simon is the author of ‘Here We Go: Everton in the 1980s: The Players’ Stories’, a fascinating look at the club during that decade. If you think about Everton in the 80s, understandably you recall their great mid-80s side which surely would’ve won the European Cup, probably more than once, had it not been for the post-Heysel ban. But it’s largely overlooked, at least by non-Evertonians, that that great ’84-87 era was sandwiched between two periods of significant decline.

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SHOW LINKS

Simon Hart – ‘Here We Go’

Twitter @simon22ph

Simon’s Neville Southall column

deCoubertin Books

Oxford Utd v Everton, League Cup QF Jan 1984

Everton ‘Here We Go’ Wogan 1985

Everton v Bayern Munich, April 1985, ECWC SF 2nd Leg

(I think my recollection this was shown on ‘Sportsnight’ was misplaced. Martin Tyler commentary suggests it was actually shown on ITV’s ‘Midweek Sports Special’.

Everton v Sunderland, April 1985

 

When Shorts Were Short Ep 10

When Shorts Were Short concerns itself solely with what was actually a very narrow window in football history when teams wore, well, short shorts. The podcast takes 1954 as its starting point, when Umbro made their first England kit with shorter shorts, to 1992, when short shorts were all but finished as Umbro's baggy shorts for Tottenham's new kit, ahead of the '91 FA Cup Final, quickly caught on.

If the shorts weren't short, we just don't talk about it.

This week’s guest is former Manchester City skipper Paul Power.  Paul speaks about doing a law degree while starting out at City. He looks back at the strong mid-70s City side that wasn’t far off the title in ’77. Then we look at the drama of the second Malcolm Allison era, the epic FA Cup run under John Bond and the semi-final freekick scored by the City captain which remains one of my favourite all-time goals. And we finish things off by looking at Paul’s switch to Everton. Success came to him late in his career, but once he got to Everton in the summer of ’86, Paul Power didn’t look out of place in one of Europe’s top sides.

When Shorts Were Short Ep 9

When Shorts Were Short concerns itself solely with what was actually a very narrow window in football history when teams wore, well, short shorts. The podcast takes 1954 as its starting point, when Umbro made their first England kit with shorter shorts, to 1992, when short shorts were all but finished as Umbro's baggy shorts for Tottenham's new kit, ahead of the '91 FA Cup Final, quickly caught on.

If the shorts weren't short, we just don't talk about it.

This week’s guest is one of the most experienced administrators the English club game has seen. David Dent was appointed the first full time secretary of his home club Carlisle United in 1960, a post he would hold for eighteen years, taking in their brief but unforgettable single season stay in the old First Division in the mid-70s.

In 1978, David became club secretary at Jimmy Hill’s forward thinking Coventry City, a six-year period he looks back on fondly as the pioneer supreme Hill continued to innovate. Unfortunately for the sky Blues and their charismatic chairman, an investment in NASL clubs Detroit Express and later the Washington Diplomats brought financial difficulties for both parties, leading to a painful parting of the ways for Coventry and Hill.

In 1984, David moved to the Football League, progressing to become the last ever Football League secretary to preside over a 92-club league.

In this interview, we talk about his years at Carlisle, the exciting period at Coventry that was ultimately undone by their NASL investment, and the difficulty of steering the Football League through that tumultuous period in 1991 when the Premier League was founded.

Running Time: 00:57:45