Opening day in the 1990s wasn’t just a fixture — it was a feeling.
In this special bonus episode of Is Gascoigne Going Gonna Have a Crack?, I’m joined by Jonny Blain (An Echo of Glory) to explore the sights, sounds and rituals that made the first weekend of the season so magical.
To mark the opening day of the 26/27 season this episode focuses on the pre-season build up and opening days from the 90s. From Shoot and Match magazines to the Match Team Tracker, from Saint & Greavsie to Soccer Saturday, from sunshine and short sleeved shirts to chasing scores on Teletext or the World Service, this is a celebration of how football returned each August.
Across the 90s, Spurs kicked off 11 times: 5 wins, 3 draws, 3 defeats — but the results were almost secondary. Opening day grew up with us, from childhood excitement to teenage ritual, and this episode captures that journey with stories of holidays, radios, early Sky Sports, new kits, new signings and the optimism that only the first day can bring.
Whether you’re a Spurs fan or simply love 90s football culture, this is a warm, nostalgic trip back to a time when the summer was quiet, the season felt new, and everyone started level again!
If you’ve enjoyed this trip back into 90s football nostalgia, you might also like the books I’ve written — Is Gascoigne Going To Have a Crack? and Hotshot Tottenham. Both dive even deeper into the stories, memories and characters that shaped Spurs across the 90s and 80s respectively.
You can find them over at my website: https://90sspursbook.square.site/
Thanks for listening — and we’ll be back soon with more Spurs nostalgia very soon!
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