Goal Frames We Have Known and Loved: No.1

From time to time, we here at The Football Attic are asked to cover the much overlooked subject of goal frames and goal nets. It's true that those wooden or metal structures into which the ball is eternally struck have evolved and developed in different ways over the years, but it's also true that we've never really bothered to show an interest in the subject.

That will all change now as we start an occasional series where we'll upload a picture and write a few plain words to highlight some truly classic goal frames.

Old Trafford (1978):

As close to the classic Subbuteo Club Edition goals as you're likely to find (there was no horizontal bar at the back of the net to restrict the goalkeeper's movement, mind you), these posts looked a little on the thin side while the back of the frame had a rigid tubular structure. This latter point allowed for the classic scenario of the ball rocketing into the top corner and bouncing out again to some extent.

The net was a fine white mesh that maximised visibility for the crowd behind but didn't give much in the way of ripple definition when the ball hit it. All things considered, however, a pleasing goalmouth into which the ball could be struck, if lacking the slickness and modernity of later designs.

Structure: 8
Net pattern: 7
Net colour: 7.5
Overall: 7.5