David Wangerin was born in Chicago and grew up in Wisconsin, but emigrated to the UK in 1987. He has written several books including Soccer in a Football World and Distant Corners. He is also the first entrant into Desert Island Kicks.
“Desert Island Kicks” is a pale imitation of the legendary “Desert Island Discs” format. I’m looking to nab answers from footie fans from all corners of the globe and all walks of life.
You’re stranded on a desert island, what footballing memories would you take with you? I want you to pick a game, shirt, goal, player and piece of turf from a stadium to take with you to a desert island, oh and you’re allowed one luxury too.
Game: the 1922 National Challenge Cup final between Scullin Steel of St Louis and the Paterson club of New Jersey. (Good luck finding the film.)
Shirt: I’m not Sheffield United fan, but the high-visibility yellow they wore for their change strip in the early 1990s would surely attract passing ships.
Goal: Justin Fashanu’s for Norwich City against Liverpool in 1980. Unless I’m allowed that one in Belo Horizonte …
Player: Billy Gonsalves, to see if he was as useful as they say he was.
Piece of turf: The one that caused the ball to bobble onto Peter Withe’s shin as he knocked in the winning goal in the 1982 European Cup final.
Peter Withe (shin not pictured)
Luxury: I’d like to bring back Tom Cahill from the dead and help me write another book …
