History, myth and power

Introduction

How does history help us to understand football? How do you compare golden eras or decide on the goal of the century? What criteria would you use?

Early on in his career David Beckham scored a goal from the halfway line against Wimbledon that some say really kick-started his career. The introductory video talks about one great goal during the 2014-15 season from the player Charlie Adams that gained a lot of attention at the time, with some claiming it as “the goal of the century”. However, you may have seen better goals in previous seasons or in seasons since.

Join in the conversation and tell us about the best goal you have seen and what criteria you have used to judge it as the best goal. This lesson is really about thinking how to compare and contrast different actions, periods and contexts against one another. The context is important. Understanding the context may help you to consider the importance of goal a, b or c or later on in the course, what is the best football nation or team and why.

Let us know what you think in the comments section below.