On the night of the 20th May 1992, Sampdoria trudged off the hallowed Wembley turf having just lost the European Cup final. They had gone toe-to-toe with Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona, taking them to extra time before being dispatched by an unstoppable Ronald Koeman free kick. The defeat would have hurt; but the likes of Roberto Mancini, Gianluca Vialli and Attilio Lombardo could hold their heads up high. They had conquered Italy and had come within a whisker of being crowned champions of Europe too.
Nearly 200 miles north of Wembley, upon England’s east coast, lies Blundell Park, the ramshackle home of Grimsby Town FC. The weather-beaten stands, all of differing vintage and design, perennially take the force of gales whipping in from the North Sea. It’s full of character, but it’s a pretty inhospitable place. It’s the kind of place that even Stoke wouldn’t fancy on a cold Tuesday…
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Calcio England 