flashback: 1986

[Free kick]

13 hours ago, TGAA_Star said:

But then we are mostly likely going to get early morning or afternoon games here in Canada once 2026 rolls around and said World Cup games are played in Canada depending on who plays in said stadiums I mean that's pretty much a given

yes, even in 2026 you bet with certainty that the games will be played in the afternoon.  For the following reasons:

1) FIFA is a euro centric organization

2) The largest audiences are going to be western Europe.  That's who the sponsors will want to reach and a where a sizable amount of broadcast revenues will come from.   Playing in the afternoon in NA means primetime audiences in Europe.

[Treppy2]

9 hours ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Didn't remember that one but apparently so and with strong looking teams :

https://www.transfermarkt.com/canada_belgium/index/spielbericht/3104466

and I thought the Intrepid having Ted Eck on board that year (top USMNT player of the time and needed to move to Canada to be able to find worthwhile soccer outdoors, which is a bit different from Pulisic being at Chelsea) would have been the most noteworthy aspect of soccer in Ottawa that year:

2. Matchday | Thu, 6/8/89   |  1:30 PM

0:2

(0:0)

Terry Fox Stadium  |  Attendance: 3.300
Referee: tbc

Canada

Goalkeeper	Craig Forrest
Defenders	Stephen Francis Jansen, Colin Miller, Enzo Concina
Midfielders	Norman Odinga, John Limniatis, Gerry Gray
Forwards	Dale Mitchell, Alex Bunbury
Manager	Bob Lenarduzzi

Belgium

Goalkeeper	Michel Preud'homme
Defenders	Philippe Albert, Jean-Francois De Sart, Eric Gerets
Midfielders	Franky Van der Elst, Marc Emmers, Koen Sanders, Patrick Vervoort, Jan Ceulemans
Forwards	Marc Degryse, Marc Van Der Linden
Manager	Guy Thys

I was at the Canada-Belgium match. After the Belgian anthem, I distinctly remember all 11 Belgian players waving to the crowd then jokingly turning around and waving to the empty field on the opposite side. Belgian manager Guy Thys was really pissed at the CSA for arranging the game to be played at such a poor facility.

[Treppy2]

9 hours ago, JamboAl said:

I was at the first ever CSL game at a place called Aydelu Park in Aylmer, QC when I was in high school.  That place made Terry Fox Park look like Wembley.

I watched many games there, too. Not only was it a puny stadium, it was ridiculously hard to get to from Ottawa. Might have taken two hours or more each way on public transit. It would have been faster to canoe there from my parents’ place on the other side of the Ottawa River.

(FYI, my handle comes from the Ottawa Intrepid’s mascot, Treppy, a sad-looking lion that I saw in the window of Bill’s Joke Shop on Bank Street soon after the team folded. Though they were called the National Capital Pioneers when the played at Aydelu.)

[shorty]

29 minutes ago, Treppy2 said:

I watched many games there, too. Not only was it a puny stadium, it was ridiculously hard to get to from Ottawa. Might have taken two hours or more each way on public transit. It would have been faster to canoe there from my parents’ place on the other side of the Ottawa River.

(FYI, my handle comes from the Ottawa Intrepid’s mascot, Treppy, a sad-looking lion that I saw in the window of Bill’s Joke Shop on Bank Street soon after the team folded. Though they were called the National Capital Pioneers when the played at Aydelu.)

Thanks! I knew the first year was National Capital instead of Ottawa but I had forgotten they were the Pioneers. Haven’t forgotten the aluminum bleachers in Aylmer though, nor Ted Eck who I thought was a wanker that I wouldn’t have wanted on my own team. I believe I saw Bunbury play with Hamilton that year if I’m not mixing things up. 

[Free kick]

4 hours ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Don't think there was anything sinister to the strong BC influence. 

I didn't say there was anything sinister

[EJsens1]

42 minutes ago, Treppy2 said:

I was at the Canada-Belgium match. After the Belgian anthem, I distinctly remember all 11 Belgian players waving to the crowd then jokingly turning around and waving to the empty field on the opposite side. Belgian manager Guy Thys was really pissed at the CSA for arranging the game to be played at such a poor facility.

I wasn’t at the game, but remember watching some replays on CJOH.  Was it raining heavily that day?  I seem to recall that for some reason. 

[Treppy2]

9 minutes ago, EJsens1 said:

I wasn’t at the game, but remember watching some replays on CJOH.  Was it raining heavily that day?  I seem to recall that for some reason. 

As far as I can remember, the weather was fine for the Belgium match.

Perhaps you’re think of another international match at Terry Fox: Canada played Mexico in 1990, 91 or 92. I think it was an Olympic team or U21 friendly. Canada won 4-0! There was torrential rain for the entire match. I remember getting back to my apartment and being totally soaked.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

Intrepid vs Steelers in 1989 at Terry Fox Stadium:

 

[Treppy2]

19 hours ago, EJsens1 said:

I wasn’t at the game, but remember watching some replays on CJOH.  Was it raining heavily that day?  I seem to recall that for some reason. 

I was digging through boxes in my basement this afternoon, looking for the front page of the Sept. 18, 1985 edition of the Toronto Star, the day after Canada qualified for the World Cup. It had an awesome photo of Canadian players and ecstatic spectators celebrating after the second goal. I saved the front page and was going to post a photo of it to this thread, but sadly, I must have thrown it out a few years ago - what was I thinking?!

However, I did come across the first three years' worth of The Ottawa Soccer News, which became The International Soccer News in its third edition. It was the ultimate low-budget soccer fanzine created by Mehrdad Masoudi, who sold copies for $1 during Ottawa Intrepid matches. I've attached a few photos of some of the magazines, including Mehrdad's take on the Canada-Belgium match of June 8, 1989. You're right - there was really heavy rain the entire match. Maybe my memory is going after 33 years! Check out Belgian manager Guy Thys' comments — he was really scathing about the match arrangements.

Check out the publishing credits in one of the photos. The Ottawa Soccer News truly was a one-person operation, and Mehrdad loved the game. He's pictured with Thys, giving him a copy of The Ottawa Soccer News. I think he later went on to work for the CSA, and perhaps for FIFA, too.

 

Edited February 6, 2022 by Treppy2

[An Observer]

I had a subscription to the International Soccer News.  It was one of the few ways back in the day to get info on Canadian players as there was no internet and very little in the local press which in my case was the Hamilton Spectator (other than a bit on the local side Hamilton Steelers from time to time).

[EJsens1]

5 hours ago, Treppy2 said:

I was digging through boxes in my basement this afternoon, looking for the front page of the Sept. 18, 1985 edition of the Toronto Star, the day after Canada qualified for the World Cup. It had an awesome photo of Canadian players and ecstatic spectators celebrating after the second goal. I saved the front page and was going to post a photo of it to this thread, but sadly, I must have thrown it out a few years ago - what was I thinking?!

However, I did come across the first three years' worth of The Ottawa Soccer News, which became The International Soccer News in its third edition. It was the ultimate low-budget soccer fanzine created by Mehrdad Masoudi, who sold copies for $1 during Ottawa Intrepid matches. I've attached a few photos of some of the magazines, including Mehrdad's take on the Canada-Belgium match of June 8, 1989. You're right - there was really heavy rain the entire match. Maybe my memory is going after 33 years! Check out Belgian manager Guy Thys' comments — he was really scathing about the match arrangements.

Check out the publishing credits in one of the photos. The Ottawa Soccer News truly was a one-person operation, and Mehrdad loved the game. He's pictured with Thys, giving him a copy of The Ottawa Soccer News. I think he later went on to work for the CSA, and perhaps for FIFA, too.

 

This is weird that you brought up Mehrdad Masoudi.  I work with his aunt.  She got me in touch with him recently as he works with FIFA and lives in Qatar 

[Kent]

21 hours ago, Treppy2 said:

I was digging through boxes in my basement this afternoon, looking for the front page of the Sept. 18, 1985 edition of the Toronto Star, the day after Canada qualified for the World Cup. It had an awesome photo of Canadian players and ecstatic spectators celebrating after the second goal. I saved the front page and was going to post a photo of it to this thread, but sadly, I must have thrown it out a few years ago - what was I thinking?!

However, I did come across the first three years' worth of The Ottawa Soccer News, which became The International Soccer News in its third edition. It was the ultimate low-budget soccer fanzine created by Mehrdad Masoudi, who sold copies for $1 during Ottawa Intrepid matches. I've attached a few photos of some of the magazines, including Mehrdad's take on the Canada-Belgium match of June 8, 1989. You're right - there was really heavy rain the entire match. Maybe my memory is going after 33 years! Check out Belgian manager Guy Thys' comments — he was really scathing about the match arrangements.

Check out the publishing credits in one of the photos. The Ottawa Soccer News truly was a one-person operation, and Mehrdad loved the game. He's pictured with Thys, giving him a copy of The Ottawa Soccer News. I think he later went on to work for the CSA, and perhaps for FIFA, too.

 

 

 

Thys didn't hold back at all in that interview. I couldn't tell if his retirement was a joke, or done on the spot in a fit of rage that he was made to manage a team at that location, or if he had pre-planned it for some unobvious reason. I had to double check. Looks like he did in fact retire after that game, but was hired back 8 months later to lead Belgium at the World Cup.

[Free kick]

2 hours ago, Kent said:

Thys didn't hold back at all in that interview. I couldn't tell if his retirement was a joke, or done on the spot in a fit of rage that he was made to manage a team at that location, or if he had pre-planned it for some unobvious reason. I had to double check. Looks like he did in fact retire after that game, but was hired back 8 months later to lead Belgium at the World Cup.

I did recall this topic coming up on this discussion forum way back in the network 54 days. I thought the Belgians were fully right to complain of their treatment.  Moreso given that they had very stellar track record of qualifying for the WC and in 86 they went to the quarter finals in Mexico.  Yet,  when Germany, Holland and few others came to canada for friendlies prior to WC 94,  they would get the red carpet treatment and have all demands met.  They never played in the type of facility that Belgium had to play in.

Edited February 7, 2022 by Free kick

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

[narduch]

3 hours ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Looking forward to collecting this year's World Cup Pannini Sticker book

[gigi riva]

I can remember watching the World Cup draw in December 1985 on a cold Sunday afternoon  with my Dad, on the CBC  and when Sepp Blatter who none of us knew of at the time  called out Canada  we were so thrilled with anticipation and we saw we were going to be grouped in with both Russia, and France  we kind of looked at each other and just said " Oh F--k"

[red card]

Soccer News produced by the CSA was the only source of deep regular info on the Cdn national teams at least till they started being shown on tv in the 90s.

Note the adding of "soccer" after the World Cup as not too many Canadians understood the significance of the stand alone term "World Cup".

 

Edited February 14, 2022 by red card

[red card]

And here's the long sleeve home jersey used in qualifying for 86.

 

Edited February 14, 2022 by red card

[Free kick]

Here is an interesting about WC 1986.  I have never met or heard of anyone (through this forum or otherwise) who went Mexico to cheer on Canada in 1986.   When this group and forum started (in the early 2000's) I imagined that there would be someone out there who could tell us stories about the games and the experience.   I recall the TSN broadcast showing some ppl in the crowd in Cnd colours but no one here has ever mentioned that they were there in 1986.  

Edited February 14, 2022 by Free kick

[gigi riva]

I can remember watching the World Cup draw in December 1985 on a cold Sunday afternoon  with my Dad, on the CBC  and when Sepp Blatter who none of us knew of at the time  called out Canada  we were so thrilled with anticipation and we saw we were going to be grouped in with both Russia, and France  we kind of looked at each other and just said " Oh F--k"

[gigi riva]

People forget how good of a tournament Mexico 86 was. You had some great games  to me France v Brazil QF was maybe the best game ever. even Argentina v England was a classic .

 

 

 

 

[MtlMario]

13 hours ago, red card said:

Soccer News produced by the CSA was the only source of deep regular info on the Cdn national teams at least till they started being shown on tv in the 90s.

Note the adding of "soccer" after the World Cup as not too many Canadians understood the significance of the stand alone term "World Cup".

 

 

12 hours ago, red card said:

And here's the long sleeve home jersey used in qualifying for 86.

 

Have those magazines and that jersey.😁

[ray]

12 hours ago, Free kick said:

Here is an interesting about WC 1986.  I have never met or heard of anyone (through this forum or otherwise) who went Mexico to cheer on Canada in 1986.   When this group and forum started (in the early 2000's) I imagined that there would be someone out there who could tell us stories about the games and the experience.   I recall the TSN broadcast showing some ppl in the crowd in Cnd colours but no one here has ever mentioned that they were there in 1986.  

IIRC, the Soccer Snobs interview with former CNMT member, Gerry Gray features a brief story (misadventure?) of his father who attended Mexico '86 - also Gerry's own recollections.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soccer-snobs-episode-14-canadian-icon-gerry-gray/id1525769929?i=1000495005422

[narduch]

13 hours ago, red card said:

And here's the long sleeve home jersey used in qualifying for 86.

 

Nice beer stain

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

Think there was a guy who posted about being there in 1986 on here at one point, but agree anecdotes of that type have been surprisingly few.