Tag Archives: Bergkamp

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Premier League: 250 Million Fans and Still Going Strong

As the Premier League approaches the mid-way point of its twentieth year, last night it also reached an outstanding landmark when the 250 millionth fan passed through the turnstiles during last night’s games.

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With average attendances now 50% higher than in the opening season (from 21,131 in 92-93 to 35,767 so far this season), the Premier League is more popular than ever. On such a momentous occasion, PlayUp looks back on some of the Premiership’s most memorable moments.

 

David Beckham scores from the halfway line

 

Under the glorious sunshine on the first day of the 1996/97 Premier League season, David Beckham became something of a household name when he scored a spectacular goal in a match against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park. With United leading 2–0, Beckham’s now notoriously sharp vision (and equally proficient right foot) noticed that Wimbledon goalkeeper Neil Sullivan was off his line. In an act of complete audacity, Becks hit a shot from the halfway line that floated over Sullivan and left him in a heap in his own net.

 

Blackburn beat Manchester United to the title on the last day of the season

The 94/95 season ended an 81-year run without an English league title for Blackburn Rovers, and they did it in truly nail-biting fashion. Rovers led the way for most of the season, but when they lost 2-1 to Kenny Dalglish’s old club Liverpool, it looked all but over for them. But it wasn’t until the Blackburn faithful who had travelled to Anfield received news that challengers Manchester United had only managed a draw at West Ham, that the celebrations began as Blackburn won the league by just one point.

 

Bergkamp’s Goal of the Month hat-trick

 

Dennis Bergkamp was arguably one of the most talented forwards in Premier League history. His record of 87 goals in 312 appearances for Arsenal was not the most prolific, but some of the goals he did chip in with were sheer works of art. Bergkamp also has 95 assists in Premier League history, more than any other Arsenal player. On 23 August 1997, the Gunners faced Leicester away at Filbert Street, where Bergkamp was to score a trio of Goal of the Season worthy goals. His hat-trick was so good, it won first, second and third places in Match of the Day’s Goal of the Month competition.

 

Liverpool concede a goal to a beach ball

 

Despite being on the coast, the breezy northeast would probably be one of the last places you’d expect to find an abundance of beach-going equipment. But Liverpool’s 2009 trip to the sunny Sunderland was blighted in the fifth minute of the match when Darren Bent fired against a Liverpool-branded beach ball, completely bamboozling Reds goalkeeper Pepe Reina — who went for the wrong ball.

 

The Invincibles

It wasn’t the most glamorous of finishes to a spellbinding 2003/04 season for Arsenal, but a 2-1 win over relegated Leicester was enough to record the most successful Premier League season in its history. The Gunners completed an entire Premiership season without losing a single game and finished it with a record of 26 wins, 12 draws and no defeats after a second half comeback against Leicester on the final day of the season. The only other side to have achieved such a feat was Preston, who completed a season undefeated in the inaugural season of the Football League in 1888/89.

 

 

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Childhood footballing heroes

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We’ve been asking you all afternoon through twitter, who your childhood footballing heroes are/were. We had some amazing responses, with a lot of passionate fans who expressed with great reasoning to who their footballing heroes are.

@andrew_stead suggest Wolves legend Steve Bull as his hero “Steve Bull, for the loyalty he showed to Wolves when he could’ve made more money elsewhere, and the 250+ goals helped, too!” From non league Tipton town, Bull went on to make nearly 500 appearances for Wolves earning him cult status at Molineux.

@smoggy_1986 : “Juninho, best player i have seen and loved the fans + club”. The little Brazilian didn’t even play 100 games for Middlesborough but obviously left a strong mark at the Riverside.

 @arsenalboybezza: “Dennis Bergkamp. Had it all. Oozed class. Complete professional. Absolute Gamechanger”. Pictured on the left,  Bergkamp is considered as Arsenal’s greatest ever player by many fans with the ability to do the unthinkable and change a game at will.

 

@chris_thefish idolised Chris Waddle commenting ”Theres only one Chrissy Waddle! Absolute legend, made everything look so easy”

 

Ex Barnsley captain Neil Redfearn lead his team to the Premiership in 1997 for their only appearance in the competition thus far. @chrisryder87:  ”Neil Redfearn scored 18 goals (maybe more) and captained us to the premiership in the same season, legend”

@foolishuk suggests ”Niclas Alexandersson. He was a magician in the #SWFC team in the declining years”

There are also a few current players on the list with @nickdrfcmurphy suggesting “Paul Benson, played for us, proof that if you try you can do anything, his rise was remarkable, so much respect”

@jordanjonesy tells us that his footballing idol is Cardiff stalwart “Kevin McNaughton – his work rate is incredible, I may be young but he’s so passionate, complete hero”

Several mentions for other players included Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Paul Gascoigne and Gianfronco Zola

Obviously this is a very personal preference to who you support, what era you were born and where you’re from but we all do have our heroes for many different reasons.

Who is your hero and why? Add them to the comment board below

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