Painting a picture – My favourite football images from down the years | OneFootball

I have decided to make a compilation of my favourite football related pictures that I have seen in my lifetime.

These include a few pictures of Newcastle United stars who helped themselves onto the back pages in iconic style.

First up is my all-time number one.

The image of Malcolm Macdonald celebrating that hat-trick goal on his home debut against Shankly’s Liverpool in 1971.

Supermac is beaming with his voluminous sideburns and arms aloft, with an ecstatic Terry Hibbitt swinging on his back.

I have always loved the famous picture (see above) of two of British football’s great characters Dave Mackay and Billy Bremner.

Spurs’ Mackay had just come back from a second broken leg in 18 months, Wee Billy of Revie’s Leeds had went in over the ball.

Mackay then firmly grabbed and held the falsely sympathetic Bremner as the referee stood on, trying to calm things down. And to think that these two were international teammates.

The picture of Vinnie Jones grabbing and squeezing Gazza’s Henry Hall’s has went down into 1980s football folklore. You can see the intent to cause hurt in Jones’ expression as Gazza goes totally limp.

The picture and footage of Marco Tardelli celebrating his goal for Italy in the 1982 World Cup Final is some of the most emotional ever captured.

His face is contorted, there are tears of joy and expressions of wonderment at just what had occurred, as Tardelli repeatedly yelled out in personal ecstasy.

The image of a wide-eyed, open-mouthed and open-armed Kevin Keegan heading into the Gallowgate to celebrate his debut goal in 1982 is very special to me. I even made it onto one of the photos in the Sunday Sun.

The 1970 World Cup in Mexico is remembered for all the right reasons. Great players like Pele, Jairzinho, Rivelino, Muller, Banks, Rivera etc, and the greatest international team of all time, Brazil.

Who can ever forget the image of Pele and Bobby Moore embracing as they swapped shirts on the final whistle, after Brazil and England had slogged it out in the afternoon sun.

They had their own personal running battle during 90 pulsating minutes and that iconic picture sums up the true meaning of respect.

I’m going to finish with an award winning picture taken above the TV gantry at Roker Park in 1992. Not because Liam O’Brien has scored against Sunderland but for the all-embracing nature of the picture.

The crowd is captured both in the stands and under open skies on the terrace. One man has clambered halfway up the floodlight for a better view.

Beyond the old football ground, stretching away down to the sea are streets and streets of houses, while in the foreground is the TV crew filming the match. Also, there flies a tatty Union Jack to perfectly set the scene.

Football may be the World game but this is the most British of images and proudly hangs on the wall in the entrance to my home.

I’ll be interested to hear in the comments what some of your own personal favourite football images are.