Anglo Italian Matches

[Cap flinger]

Don't ask me why but I just had a flash back to the Anglo Italian matches of the mid 90s.

I enjoyed them and loved watching the different style of play.

Any one else remember going?

[Roger Red Hat]

Don't ask me why but I just had a flash back to the Anglo Italian matches of the mid 90s.

I enjoyed them and loved watching the different style of play.

Any one else remember going?

Personally I preferred 'Morelands" safety matches to the 'Swan Vesta's'

[22A]

I preferred the Anglo - Scottish games from the 70's; more of an edge to the style of play. One year to qualify to meet a Scottish team we had to head a pool of three, the others being Fulham & Norwich. Home to Partick was embarrassing. Two dozen of their fans flew down and at one point in the game you could quite clearly hear "Bristol, Bristol give us a song".

Swindon won the League Cup in 1969 by beating Arsenal 3-1. Back then only 1st division clubs were allowed to compete in Europe, so Arsenal went into the UEFA Cup whilst the A-I Cup was dreamed up to give Swindon some European games.

The Anglo Italian Cup was used as a test bed for new regulations. One year they tried offside only in the penalty area. The following year the line from the pen area was continued out to the side touchlines with offside only applicable inside that area. The first few years two pools of four were formed with two English and two Italian clubs in each. Then the English & Italian clubs with the best results would meet in the final.

Last time it was held (92/93) City had to top a group comprising City, Luton & Watford. City beat Watford 1-0 in front of less than 4,000 spectators and then drew 1-1 at Luton and progressed to the next stage where they would play two Italian clubs at home and another pair away. The first three of these games were defeats and the fourth was drawn. This was at Cremenese on a wet windswept midweek afternoon. Despite a contingent going from Bristol, the attendance was a mere 535 spectators! Cremenese went on to win the competition and brought over 1,000 fans to England for the final.

[22A]

In the 91-92 season a game was also held between England's division 2 and Italy's Serie B. The 2nd division team played 4-4-2 with the front pair Steve Bull from Wolves and Dziekonowski from City.