
Now THAT, tache fans, is what you call face fuzz...
Continuing with the 99 things you no longer see at football matches...
Last week we brought you bog roll missiles, pervy mascots, perms and retro floodlights. And the list continues here..
95. Football cards and stickers (see pic above)
"Got, got, need, got, need". We all know the words because we've all swapped stickers (90s kids) or football cards (70s/80s kids) on a school yard at some point in our lives - though preferably when you were a child, otherwise you might raise a few eyebrows. Do today's young pups do the same? We're happy to be corrected, but we don't think so - we haven't seen a panini sticker in a football stadium or on the terraces in years. There's probably "an App for that" instead...
94. Manual scoreboards
We're talking about the ones that had a bloke or two behind who had to place the cards with numbers on in the right places - and way before Vorderman made it sexy. The best ones would be those that had "Game A: 0-0, Game B: 2-1, Game C: 2-2" etc. How did you know which game they were referring to? You had to use the back of the matchday programme of course - "Game A: Wolves v Man Utd, Game B: Newcastle v Sheff Wed" etc. Talk about a marketing ploy ahead of its time - genius.
93. Wooden rattles
Admittedly, if overused, they were the most annoying thing to ever infiltrate football. But used sparingly they radiated charm, originality and added to the atmosphere. And given that it'll be the droning noise of the vuvuzela that will be penetrating our ear drums at next summer's World Cup, we won't be the only ones screaming for the rattles to make a return. Mind you, they're probably classed as an offensive weapon these days...
92. A proper contested drop ball
There's something wonderfully primitive about the way a drop ball works - the ref drops the ball, the two players try to kick it. Sadly now, they're all too rare. Why are refs so opposed to giving them? And even when they are given, the fannies on the pitch might as well utter the words "after you", such are the pathetic attempts to get involved. Back in the day, a drop ball would be eagerly anticipated by the home crowd, while each side put forward their resident mentalist to contest it - akin to Ice Hockey's nominated enforcers. A Kevin Ball v Vinnie Jones drop ball was worth the entry fee alone.
With 91 to go, it might take a while, but boy will we get there. Fancy sending us a suggestion? Get in touch with us here at toepoke.net@gmail.com