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Back To The Future II Day: But what was football like in 1985?

Back to the Football

Keep your eyes peeled for Marty McFly and Doc on Wednesday - October 21, 2015 is the date the two time travellers visit in Back To The Future II.

In the film, the two characters hop into the flying DeLorean time machine on October 26, 1985 and head to the future along with Marty's girlfriend Jennifer Parker, to help Marty and Jennifer's future children.

The movie famously tried to predict how the world would look in 2015 - with mixed success - but what did the world of football look like in October 1985?

We rewind the clock 30 years…

Trophy winners

Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson celebrates with goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar after Liverpool won the 1985/86 First Division Title at Chelsea
Image: Liverpool's Mark Lawrenson and Bruce Grobbelaar celebrate their 1985/86 First Division title victory

Howard Kendall's Everton were title holders after winning the First Division with a record-breaking 90 points in 1984/85. They were also holders of the now extinct Cup Winners' Cup. However, due to the ban on English clubs following the Heysel tragedy, Everton were not playing European football.

The Toffees were unable to defend their league crown, though. Liverpool beat their neighbours to the First Division title in 1985/86 and also defeated Everton in the FA Cup final - a memorable campaign for player-manager Kenny Dalglish, who had taken over from Joe Fagan when he retired in the summer of 1985.

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Oxford went on to win the League Cup in 1986 - they had been promoted to the First Division in 1984/85 in just their 23rd year as Football League members.

Back to the Future
Back to the Future

We delve into the archives and look back at five memorable sporting moments from 1985

Individual honours

Gary Lineker of Everton has been chosen as player of the year by his fellow footballers, with Everton manager Howard Kendall
Image: Everton's Gary Lineker won the PFA Player of the Year trophy in 1985/86, pictured here with his manager Howard Kendall

Everton's Gary Lineker finished top scorer in the First Division in 1985/86 with 30 goals. It was his only season with the Toffees - his golden boot-winning exploits at the 1986 World Cup earned him a move to Barcelona.

Lineker also took the PFA and Football Writers' Player of the Year prizes that season - Peter Reid and Neville Southall were holders of those respective awards in October 1985.

On the European stage, the 1985 Ballon d'Or winner was Juventus midfielder Michel Platini. It was the Frenchman's third win in a row - Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo is aiming to win the award for a third time in a row (and fourth time overall) in 2015.

Transfer fees

AC Milan Ray Wilkins (r) pulls away from Diego Maradona of Napoli during an Italian League match in 1984 in Naples
Image: The most expensive player in the world, Napoli's Diego Maradona, and the most expensive Brit, AC Milan's Ray Wilkins

Wayne Harrison became the world's most expensive teenager in 1985 when he moved from Oldham to Liverpool for a £250,000 fee aged 17 - some way short of the £36m Manchester United shelled out for 19-year-old Anthony Martial in 2015.

In October 1985, the holder of the record transfer fee for a British player was Ray Wilkins, who AC Milan signed from Manchester United for £1.5m. That's about £4.3m in today's money, according to the Bank of England inflation calculator. Gareth Bale is the current holder of that record, following his £85.3m move from Tottenham to Real Madrid in 2013.

Bale is the world's most expensive player today. In October 1985 it was Diego Maradona, who had cost Napoli £5m (£14.2m in today's money) when he moved from Barcelona in 1984.

International duty

Garry Lineker celebrates scoring England's equaliser against West Germany
Image: Lineker went on to win the golden boot at the 1986 World Cup

Nine days before October 26, 1985, England beat Turkey 5-0 in World Cup qualifying, with a Lineker hat-trick and goals from Chris Waddle and Bryan Robson. Managed by Bobby Robson, England topped their qualifying group ahead of Northern Ireland, who also made the 1986 finals, as well as Scotland.  

The 1986 World Cup was the last time three Home Nations qualified for a major tournament… until Euro 2016.

TV coverage

 West Ham striker Frank McAvennie (l) congratulates fellow goalscorer Tony Cottee at Vicarage Road
Image: West Ham striker Frank McAvennie (left), scored 18 goals before Christmas in the 1985/86 season, pictured here with Tony Cottee

Due to a dispute between the Football League and television companies, there was no TV coverage of football until January in the 1985/86 season. As a result, viewers missed 10 straight wins for Manchester United and 18 league goals before Christmas from West Ham's Frank McAvennie. Martin Tyler walked McAvennie over London's Waterloo Bridge during the season and only one cab driver and comedian Billy Connelly - who appeared from the studios on South Bank - recognised him!

Even when a deal was struck, only six top-flight games were shown between January and the end of the season. In contrast, in 2015, Sky Sports will offer at least four more seasons of the Premier League, with 116 live games in 2015/16 increasing to 126 each term from the 2016/17 season.

In The Near Future
In The Near Future

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