1 00:00:03,425 --> 00:00:06,290 [commentator] Oh, what's going on here? Cantona's getting involved with supporters. 2 00:00:06,428 --> 00:00:08,499 It's all got wildly out of hand. 3 00:00:10,467 --> 00:00:12,952 -[interviewer] It's just a statement, yeah? -I've got a statement to make. 4 00:00:13,090 --> 00:00:16,335 -And is that it? Can I ask you questions after that? -Yes, you can, yeah. 5 00:00:16,473 --> 00:00:20,442 Is there a police statement to make about tonight's events involving Eric Cantona? 6 00:00:20,580 --> 00:00:26,103 Only in as far as we have received two allegations of assault 7 00:00:26,241 --> 00:00:27,691 from members of the public. 8 00:00:27,829 --> 00:00:29,417 [reporter] Eric Cantona, 9 00:00:29,555 --> 00:00:32,005 the darling of Manchester United, captain of France, 10 00:00:32,144 --> 00:00:33,559 the players' own Player of the Year, 11 00:00:33,697 --> 00:00:34,974 tonight stands accused 12 00:00:35,112 --> 00:00:37,459 of placing a stain on the game of football. 13 00:00:38,391 --> 00:00:40,393 If you want to be free, 14 00:00:40,531 --> 00:00:45,018 I don't think you can accept the role of example 15 00:00:45,157 --> 00:00:47,020 or something like this, 16 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:49,264 because it's too much pressure. 17 00:00:55,995 --> 00:00:57,514 The Football Association has approved 18 00:00:57,652 --> 00:01:00,758 controversial plans to set up a new super league. 19 00:01:02,277 --> 00:01:03,451 [commentator] And he goes. Oh! 20 00:01:06,799 --> 00:01:13,116 When Murdoch wrote the cheque, everyone said, "Poor old Rupert's lost it this time." 21 00:01:17,327 --> 00:01:20,226 How big it was gonna be, I don't think anyone could have predicted. 22 00:01:20,364 --> 00:01:23,126 I would love it if we beat them. Love it. 23 00:01:23,264 --> 00:01:27,130 It's just all money. This club is one big theme park now. 24 00:01:27,268 --> 00:01:29,994 [man] Footballers became sort of like rock stars. 25 00:01:30,133 --> 00:01:35,517 I don't think anything prepares you for media attention at such a young age. 26 00:01:39,866 --> 00:01:41,420 [Merson] I've got a choice in life now. 27 00:01:41,558 --> 00:01:44,975 I either go back to the booze and the gambling and the drugs, 28 00:01:45,113 --> 00:01:46,459 or I go the other way. 29 00:01:47,909 --> 00:01:51,119 It's like a religion. It's something to believe in. 30 00:02:01,233 --> 00:02:04,408 And it's Pallister, and it's in! 31 00:02:04,546 --> 00:02:09,827 [Pallister] '92-'93, we won the first Premier League trophy. We'd done it. 32 00:02:09,965 --> 00:02:13,106 [commentator] And that's the moment Old Trafford has been waiting for. 33 00:02:13,245 --> 00:02:17,387 It was what you always imagined doing, really, when you won the title, was to lift that trophy. 34 00:02:17,525 --> 00:02:20,321 -[stadium announcer] Gary Pallister! -[crowd cheers] 35 00:02:20,459 --> 00:02:23,600 [Pallister] After that, we went out and won the title again the following year, 36 00:02:23,738 --> 00:02:25,981 and that was because the shackles were off. 37 00:02:26,119 --> 00:02:28,881 [narrator] By the start of the third Premier League season, 38 00:02:29,019 --> 00:02:32,091 a new financial reality was dawning on English football. 39 00:02:32,229 --> 00:02:34,162 This is Manchester pudding. Couldn't be better. 40 00:02:34,300 --> 00:02:36,682 -[Alex Ferguson] Absolutely superb. -Thank you. 41 00:02:36,820 --> 00:02:39,823 [narrator] Manchester United had broken the British transfer record 42 00:02:39,961 --> 00:02:43,758 to sign Roy Keane for nearly ú4 million. 43 00:02:43,896 --> 00:02:46,519 The country's richest club looked unstoppable. 44 00:02:46,657 --> 00:02:50,454 United, in every sense, were the club. 45 00:02:50,592 --> 00:02:55,010 You know, look at the size of the stadium, the fans, the quality of the players. 46 00:02:55,148 --> 00:02:56,564 They were the gold standard. 47 00:02:56,702 --> 00:02:57,772 If you went to Old Trafford 48 00:02:57,910 --> 00:02:59,705 and you lost 1-0 or 2-0, 49 00:02:59,843 --> 00:03:02,742 you felt like you'd had a result, as stupid as that sounds, 50 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:05,987 because, you know, they could take teams to the sword there 51 00:03:06,125 --> 00:03:09,162 and you could get absolutely battered, because they just had phenomenal players. 52 00:03:09,301 --> 00:03:12,027 [Parker] United had won it two on the bounce, 53 00:03:12,165 --> 00:03:15,997 and Sir Alex Ferguson wasn't about just doing it once and living off of that. 54 00:03:17,274 --> 00:03:19,172 [Pallister] You're trying to create a dynasty. 55 00:03:19,311 --> 00:03:22,072 Alex Ferguson wanted to dominate English football. 56 00:03:24,005 --> 00:03:26,525 [narrator] Thirty miles north, a less illustrious neighbour 57 00:03:26,663 --> 00:03:28,458 had United in their sights. 58 00:03:31,668 --> 00:03:37,190 Blackburn Rovers hadn't won a top-division title since before the First World War. 59 00:03:37,329 --> 00:03:39,883 [Preugschat] I think in Blackburn, people belonged to the club 60 00:03:40,021 --> 00:03:41,781 and the club belonged to the people, 61 00:03:41,919 --> 00:03:43,921 and the town needed a lift. 62 00:03:46,269 --> 00:03:50,756 They lost a lot of the mills and there was a lot of unemployment. 63 00:03:50,894 --> 00:03:53,137 But I think there's always been football, 64 00:03:53,276 --> 00:03:56,140 no matter what, and it lifts people. 65 00:03:57,418 --> 00:03:59,661 So, Jack Walker taking over, 66 00:03:59,799 --> 00:04:02,354 we were all very grateful that he'd bought the club. 67 00:04:02,492 --> 00:04:06,875 Very grateful, and we knew that we were going to go places. 68 00:04:07,013 --> 00:04:10,914 [reporter] Steel magnate Jack's money brought Blackburn out of Division 1, 69 00:04:11,052 --> 00:04:15,332 but a man whose personal wealth is believed in excess of 300 million 70 00:04:15,470 --> 00:04:18,162 articulates his motives in simple words. 71 00:04:18,301 --> 00:04:20,441 We needed a stadium, we got a stadium. 72 00:04:20,579 --> 00:04:24,997 We needed a squad, we're getting a squad. A bit to do yet. 73 00:04:25,135 --> 00:04:27,827 I remember at the time that, you know, 74 00:04:27,965 --> 00:04:31,866 I was sent up to Blackburn to do a piece about what it means to the town, 75 00:04:32,004 --> 00:04:35,939 and what it meant to the town was absolutely huge. 76 00:04:36,077 --> 00:04:39,598 Jack Walker wanted to put Blackburn on the map. 77 00:04:39,736 --> 00:04:44,603 He rebuilt Ewood Park, in amongst all the terraced houses of Blackburn. 78 00:04:44,741 --> 00:04:50,022 It looked like a spacecraft had arrived in the middle of the town, 79 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:51,955 and in a sense, it had. 80 00:04:52,093 --> 00:04:55,199 Suddenly, there was this glamour that came with money. 81 00:04:55,338 --> 00:04:57,201 They were able to buy in players. 82 00:05:00,239 --> 00:05:04,726 [narrator] Jack Walker had already spent big since he took control of Blackburn in 1991. 83 00:05:04,864 --> 00:05:09,973 He'd surprised everyone by luring legendary manager Kenny Dalglish to the club. 84 00:05:10,111 --> 00:05:13,183 [Harman] I think the appointment of Kenny Dalglish as the manager of Blackburn 85 00:05:13,321 --> 00:05:18,499 was one of the more remarkable moments of that period of the Premier League. 86 00:05:18,637 --> 00:05:22,330 [Shearer] Kenny Dalglish was one of the biggest names in football at the time. 87 00:05:22,468 --> 00:05:26,334 He had an aura about him. This absolute legend of a player. 88 00:05:26,472 --> 00:05:31,960 He'd managed Liverpool, he'd won so many trophies, both as a player and as a manager, 89 00:05:32,098 --> 00:05:35,412 and for him to be at Blackburn, everyone stood up and paid attention. 90 00:05:36,758 --> 00:05:39,623 There was a lot of speculation in the media 91 00:05:39,761 --> 00:05:41,453 about Blackburn having a new owner 92 00:05:41,591 --> 00:05:44,594 and the new owner having a lot of money and gonna invest in it. 93 00:05:44,732 --> 00:05:48,908 It just seemed a wee bit of a Cinderella story. I said, "May as well have a go." 94 00:05:49,046 --> 00:05:53,292 [narrator] Walker had provided Dalglish with a massive war chest to sign rising stars 95 00:05:53,430 --> 00:05:55,881 like Alan Shearer and Graeme Le Saux. 96 00:05:56,019 --> 00:05:59,988 If Jack were gonna make this happen, he would have to invest in players. 97 00:06:00,126 --> 00:06:04,268 He didn't just sign players, he signed quality players. 98 00:06:04,407 --> 00:06:08,583 And he sold 'em all the same dream and they all got on board. 99 00:06:10,171 --> 00:06:12,345 [Le Saux] Everything about it was optimistic. 100 00:06:12,484 --> 00:06:15,348 There was a common goal within the Blackburn dressing room. 101 00:06:15,487 --> 00:06:20,215 There was a common goal within the hierarchy of the club. 102 00:06:20,353 --> 00:06:24,599 [narrator] Having spent ú20 million but still failing to win the title, 103 00:06:24,737 --> 00:06:26,359 Jack Walker doubled down. 104 00:06:26,498 --> 00:06:30,743 He smashed the British transfer record for the second time in two years. 105 00:06:30,881 --> 00:06:36,956 The most expensive player in the history of British football has signed for Blackburn Rovers. 106 00:06:37,094 --> 00:06:41,823 The Lancashire club has paid ú5 million for Norwich striker Chris Sutton. 107 00:06:41,961 --> 00:06:45,413 It means he's worth eight times his weight in gold. 108 00:06:48,105 --> 00:06:52,420 [commentator] The signing of Sutton adds another name to the list of expensive purchases 109 00:06:52,558 --> 00:06:54,767 made by Kenny Dalglish for Blackburn. 110 00:06:54,905 --> 00:06:58,357 [Dalglish] The thing about Blackburn spending money on players, 111 00:06:58,495 --> 00:07:01,636 I think it upset a few people, 112 00:07:01,774 --> 00:07:03,845 because it was another one coming to the fore, 113 00:07:03,983 --> 00:07:06,261 and I don't think they liked that. 114 00:07:06,399 --> 00:07:09,195 [commentator] There seems no end to the funds available to Dalglish, 115 00:07:09,333 --> 00:07:12,475 and the arrival of Sutton emphasizes even further 116 00:07:12,613 --> 00:07:16,686 Walker's desire to bring the championship to Blackburn. 117 00:07:16,824 --> 00:07:19,861 Blackburn's ability to spend money on transfers, 118 00:07:19,999 --> 00:07:23,486 massive money, money that we'd never even contemplated before, 119 00:07:23,624 --> 00:07:25,591 transformed football to the point 120 00:07:25,729 --> 00:07:28,732 where everybody said, "This has shifted up a gear. 121 00:07:28,870 --> 00:07:32,287 If we wanna compete with Blackburn, we're not gonna be outspent. 122 00:07:32,425 --> 00:07:35,394 We're a bigger club. We actually now have to do something about it." 123 00:07:35,532 --> 00:07:38,604 To use the phrase "arms race" would be appropriate, 124 00:07:38,742 --> 00:07:42,470 because that's what it became. "We'll spend this. We'll spend this." 125 00:07:42,608 --> 00:07:48,683 [Preugschat] We were going into a different era of football with the Premier League 126 00:07:48,821 --> 00:07:50,789 'cause that's when all the prices went up. 127 00:07:50,927 --> 00:07:54,655 It was like going from an Asda to a Waitrose, weren't it? 128 00:07:57,071 --> 00:08:00,074 [commentator] It may only be late October, but the pressure's already on 129 00:08:00,212 --> 00:08:03,802 for the most successful club in England over the past couple of seasons. 130 00:08:10,981 --> 00:08:13,190 Today, the meeting of the two clubs 131 00:08:13,328 --> 00:08:17,056 who raced to the line for the Premiership title last season. 132 00:08:17,194 --> 00:08:19,403 [narrator] This David-and-Goliath story 133 00:08:19,542 --> 00:08:22,441 would begin in the first head-to-head of the season, 134 00:08:22,579 --> 00:08:26,272 with Blackburn welcoming the reigning champions Manchester United 135 00:08:26,410 --> 00:08:28,861 to their new stadium. 136 00:08:28,999 --> 00:08:32,693 [commentator] It's one big test after another for Manchester United, 137 00:08:32,831 --> 00:08:37,870 with Blackburn Rovers totally focused on proving they have what it takes 138 00:08:38,008 --> 00:08:41,149 and give this town and its spectacular new stadium 139 00:08:41,287 --> 00:08:46,396 a prize worthy of the huge investment now behind Blackburn Rovers Football Club. 140 00:08:46,534 --> 00:08:48,191 [narrator] If Blackburn were to lose, 141 00:08:48,329 --> 00:08:50,745 United would move ahead of them in the table. 142 00:08:50,883 --> 00:08:53,092 [Sutton] I think the importance of the first head-to-head 143 00:08:53,230 --> 00:08:56,164 is the psychological damage which we could inflict upon them. 144 00:08:56,302 --> 00:08:58,063 Cantona... 145 00:08:58,201 --> 00:09:00,548 For Manchester United, you look at the team that they had 146 00:09:00,686 --> 00:09:04,759 and you look at the quality in each position, that was a huge goal for us. 147 00:09:04,897 --> 00:09:08,694 You know, you're playing against the best team in the country. 148 00:09:09,661 --> 00:09:11,386 [commentator] Le Saux takes. 149 00:09:11,524 --> 00:09:14,735 Schmeichel's come a long way. Oh, and the punch... 150 00:09:14,873 --> 00:09:16,460 goes to Warhurst! 151 00:09:18,773 --> 00:09:20,223 -Goal! -[crowd cheering] 152 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:28,507 Hughes. Halftime is beckoning, but Lee Sharpe-- 153 00:09:28,645 --> 00:09:29,888 It's a penalty! 154 00:09:30,026 --> 00:09:31,614 I can't believe that decision. 155 00:09:31,752 --> 00:09:33,685 I cannot believe that decision! 156 00:09:34,824 --> 00:09:36,929 The ball came off. 157 00:09:37,067 --> 00:09:39,035 Oh, that's unbelievable! 158 00:09:43,246 --> 00:09:45,628 [Cantona] When you play in a big club 159 00:09:45,766 --> 00:09:49,562 against a smaller club, you have an advantage. 160 00:09:49,701 --> 00:09:51,219 It's the history of the club. 161 00:09:56,328 --> 00:10:00,884 It's a part of the psychological war, you know? 162 00:10:01,022 --> 00:10:02,437 Which is very, very important. 163 00:10:05,544 --> 00:10:06,510 [commentator] Oh! 164 00:10:09,513 --> 00:10:10,860 If we can beat United, 165 00:10:10,998 --> 00:10:14,622 the belief that that puts in us is huge. 166 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:16,728 [crowd chanting] 167 00:10:16,866 --> 00:10:19,903 [commentator] It was a 3-2 win here eight days ago. 168 00:10:20,041 --> 00:10:25,012 Oh, Le Saux for Hughes, and it's 3-2 against Blackburn. 169 00:10:25,150 --> 00:10:26,945 Oh, I remember that now. 170 00:10:27,083 --> 00:10:29,706 [commentator] ...and make absolutely sure for Manchester United. 171 00:10:29,844 --> 00:10:31,708 Sharpe's with him. Kanchelskis. 172 00:10:31,846 --> 00:10:35,367 Still. And still. 4-2! 173 00:10:38,163 --> 00:10:41,373 [narrator] Blackburn's new ú26 million squad 174 00:10:41,511 --> 00:10:44,307 had failed to land a blow on the reigning champions. 175 00:10:44,445 --> 00:10:49,795 I think the best ones were at United and they couldn't buy them. 176 00:10:49,933 --> 00:10:51,901 You know, so they could buy anybody, 177 00:10:52,039 --> 00:10:56,146 but the best ones were at United, so we were the better team. 178 00:11:00,944 --> 00:11:04,396 [narrator] Sky's coverage of this crucial head-to-head was watched 179 00:11:04,534 --> 00:11:06,985 in homes and pubs across the country. 180 00:11:07,123 --> 00:11:10,091 The Premier League was fast becoming must-see TV, 181 00:11:10,229 --> 00:11:14,130 and with a growing audience, yet more money flowed into the game. 182 00:11:14,268 --> 00:11:19,687 Football became an industry much more than it had been before, 183 00:11:19,825 --> 00:11:24,727 and it was a huge part of the tapestry of the country by then. 184 00:11:24,865 --> 00:11:26,763 Everybody was talking about the Premier League. 185 00:11:26,901 --> 00:11:29,801 But I think football struggled to deal with that, 186 00:11:29,939 --> 00:11:33,770 and by that I mean the figures that were becoming involved in football 187 00:11:33,908 --> 00:11:38,948 were so far and away above anything that had been spoken of before. 188 00:11:39,086 --> 00:11:42,089 It was moving away from the man on the terrace. 189 00:11:42,227 --> 00:11:46,887 Too much driven by money, too little driven by sporting spirit. 190 00:11:47,025 --> 00:11:50,718 That's the Labour leader Tony Blair's verdict on our football clubs. 191 00:11:50,856 --> 00:11:54,135 [narrator] In four years, the cost of a Manchester United season ticket 192 00:11:54,273 --> 00:11:56,655 had gone up by 70%. 193 00:11:56,793 --> 00:11:59,623 Amongst the ordinary soccer supporters of this land, 194 00:11:59,762 --> 00:12:02,488 there's a great fear that they're gonna be priced out of football, 195 00:12:02,626 --> 00:12:04,559 and something has got to be done. 196 00:12:04,697 --> 00:12:06,699 [chattering] 197 00:12:08,494 --> 00:12:11,014 [narrator] Prices were rising, and a big chunk of the cash 198 00:12:11,152 --> 00:12:13,465 was ending up in the players' pockets. 199 00:12:13,603 --> 00:12:16,364 Eric Cantona, the joint top Premier League earner, 200 00:12:16,502 --> 00:12:18,642 was said to be on ú10,000 a week. 201 00:12:18,781 --> 00:12:23,889 Most of the time, it was the journalists who asked questions like this, 202 00:12:24,027 --> 00:12:28,066 "Oh, do you think there is now too much money in football?" 203 00:12:28,204 --> 00:12:31,759 But they are the one who made it, or the Sky Sports and everything. 204 00:12:31,897 --> 00:12:34,382 They are the one who made the system. 205 00:12:37,558 --> 00:12:42,149 [man] There was a moral judgment placed on how much money players were getting, 206 00:12:42,287 --> 00:12:45,635 because we identified them as wealth, 207 00:12:45,773 --> 00:12:50,191 and with wealth came assumptions of how they should behave. 208 00:12:51,986 --> 00:12:54,402 [narrator] The widening divide between fans and players 209 00:12:54,540 --> 00:12:57,474 and the growing media infatuation with the new stars 210 00:12:57,612 --> 00:13:01,271 meant an even-brighter spotlight was being shone on their lives. 211 00:13:01,409 --> 00:13:03,239 [commentator] And Le Saux! 212 00:13:03,377 --> 00:13:06,759 [Le Saux] My own story was my background or the fact I was a bit different, 213 00:13:06,898 --> 00:13:09,901 maybe I didn't conform with the stereotypes. 214 00:13:10,039 --> 00:13:14,388 I turned up with my sort of student look, my little, you know, shoulder bag, 215 00:13:14,526 --> 00:13:16,183 Guardiansticking out the top of it, 216 00:13:16,321 --> 00:13:21,050 turned-up jeans, liberty patch on my-- in the rip, you know. 217 00:13:21,188 --> 00:13:24,398 Thought I was a bit of a student. [laughs] 218 00:13:24,536 --> 00:13:27,125 And walked into a dressing room 219 00:13:27,263 --> 00:13:31,060 of younger players and senior players that had a very... 220 00:13:31,198 --> 00:13:36,720 Uh, I suppose there was quite a stereotypical image of what a footballer should look like. 221 00:13:38,101 --> 00:13:40,690 Rumours spread about me that I was gay. 222 00:13:40,828 --> 00:13:42,934 And we played West Ham 223 00:13:43,072 --> 00:13:46,972 and the West Ham fans started singing a song about me, a homophobic song. 224 00:13:47,110 --> 00:13:49,285 I remember during the game thinking, "This is a problem. 225 00:13:49,423 --> 00:13:51,425 This could be very difficult for me." 226 00:13:51,563 --> 00:13:54,048 And, you know, the Daily Star had a headline about me 227 00:13:54,186 --> 00:13:56,395 on the front page of their newspaper at some point, 228 00:13:56,533 --> 00:13:59,260 when I first started seeing my now wife. 229 00:13:59,398 --> 00:14:02,539 Front page headline the day before a big game that we played in 230 00:14:02,677 --> 00:14:04,852 with "Homo Le Saux Not My Graeme" 231 00:14:04,990 --> 00:14:06,854 on the front page of the newspaper. 232 00:14:06,992 --> 00:14:09,615 And I laugh, 'cause it's just so-- 233 00:14:09,753 --> 00:14:13,309 I mean, it's just so out of date and offensive to everyone, 234 00:14:13,447 --> 00:14:16,622 you know, that they felt that was acceptable, to write that headline. 235 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:21,593 But clearly it's there to set a conversation and to reinforce-- 236 00:14:21,731 --> 00:14:24,768 You know, it gave me even more unwanted attention. 237 00:14:24,907 --> 00:14:27,771 Just a postscript to the Graeme Le Saux story, Hugh, 238 00:14:27,910 --> 00:14:31,016 I see that Vinnie Jones of Wimbledon, writing in the Mirrortoday-- 239 00:14:31,154 --> 00:14:33,467 That sensitive creature? Yes, that's the fella. 240 00:14:33,605 --> 00:14:37,471 He says that Le Saux has a nickname called "Tiny Tears," and he writes that-- 241 00:14:37,609 --> 00:14:42,062 "Chelsea players," he says, "would go to the Fox & Duck public house, 242 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:45,789 while Le Saux would strut into King's Road wine bars." 243 00:14:45,928 --> 00:14:48,792 You see, the problem is that footballers just aren't allowed to be different, are they? 244 00:14:48,931 --> 00:14:53,107 Even we read in The Suntoday that Le Saux is a Guardianreader, forgive him. 245 00:14:56,179 --> 00:15:01,253 There was a period of time when you couldn't differentiate between sport and news, 246 00:15:01,391 --> 00:15:02,945 and it got very messy. 247 00:15:06,465 --> 00:15:10,435 The England and Arsenal footballer, Paul Merson, broke down in tears today, 248 00:15:10,573 --> 00:15:14,542 as he told of his experiences in an addiction rehabilitation clinic. 249 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:17,097 He said it was the hardest thing he'd ever done. 250 00:15:17,235 --> 00:15:20,928 [press agent] It's obviously a very difficult situation for Paul. 251 00:15:21,066 --> 00:15:23,379 I can remember being called to a press conference 252 00:15:23,517 --> 00:15:27,141 where Paul Merson broke down. He obviously couldn't cope. 253 00:15:27,279 --> 00:15:31,249 I mean, the poor guy looked absolutely suicidal. 254 00:15:31,387 --> 00:15:34,459 I was drinking heavy and I was gambling like a maniac, 255 00:15:34,597 --> 00:15:39,429 and then I found cocaine and it just completely changed me, 256 00:15:39,567 --> 00:15:41,397 changed the way I was. 257 00:15:41,535 --> 00:15:44,089 The addiction-- you know, if you're an addictive person, 258 00:15:44,227 --> 00:15:47,644 it becomes even more addictive. And one of the last things was, 259 00:15:47,782 --> 00:15:51,855 I did play in a game and I went out that night and then I went to a bar after, 260 00:15:51,994 --> 00:15:55,998 and I was-- I got a black cab from the bar to training in the morning, 261 00:15:56,136 --> 00:15:57,930 and I was snorting in the back of the black cab, 262 00:15:58,069 --> 00:16:00,416 and the bloke was going to me, "What are you doing, son?" 263 00:16:00,554 --> 00:16:03,384 I feel myself dying, I really do. 264 00:16:03,522 --> 00:16:08,044 You know, the thoughts are in my head. I didn't feel right in me, 265 00:16:08,182 --> 00:16:11,565 and I went to see Ken Friar, and I said, "I'm struggling." 266 00:16:11,703 --> 00:16:17,329 And they got this man in called Stephen Stevens from the Priory hospital, 267 00:16:17,467 --> 00:16:19,676 and they said, "You've gotta come in to our treatment centre." 268 00:16:19,814 --> 00:16:22,748 I've got a choice in life now. I either go back to the booze 269 00:16:22,886 --> 00:16:26,614 and the gambling and the drugs or I go the other way, 270 00:16:26,752 --> 00:16:28,720 and that's my objective for today. 271 00:16:28,858 --> 00:16:32,310 I can only take it a day at a time, that's what I've been learnt. 272 00:16:36,693 --> 00:16:40,801 Was that a news story of was that a football story? Well, it's partly both. 273 00:16:40,939 --> 00:16:43,666 It did become tough to navigate your way through. 274 00:16:46,876 --> 00:16:49,913 [Merson] Yeah, the press, they had to sell papers. It was a big thing then. 275 00:16:50,052 --> 00:16:54,711 It was big news, you know. Someone's taking cocaine playing for Arsenal. 276 00:16:54,849 --> 00:16:57,093 It was big. People were going, "Ban him for life." 277 00:16:57,231 --> 00:17:00,062 I'll never forget that. You know, that was the panic. I was thinking-- 278 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:02,616 You know, I didn't know I was an addict at the time. 279 00:17:02,754 --> 00:17:06,896 I just thought I was greedy and weak and didn't care less. 280 00:17:07,034 --> 00:17:10,037 I didn't know I had an illness at the time, so I was worried. I was worried. 281 00:17:10,175 --> 00:17:13,351 I was thinking, you know, "If they take football away from me, what have I got?" 282 00:17:23,361 --> 00:17:25,708 Let's go down and have a little look and see. 283 00:17:25,846 --> 00:17:29,298 [narrator] Meanwhile, on the pitch, Blackburn were hitting a run of form. 284 00:17:29,436 --> 00:17:31,783 ...amazed, Richard. We'll deal with Blackburn first. 285 00:17:31,921 --> 00:17:34,579 If there were any surprises formation-wise, it'll be-- 286 00:17:34,717 --> 00:17:39,618 We've talked about Blackburn so often. The back four of Berg, Pearce, Hendry and Le Saux. 287 00:17:41,758 --> 00:17:46,901 [narrator] Jack Walker's ú26 million gamble was starting to pay off. 288 00:17:47,039 --> 00:17:51,113 [commentator] Sutton gets it back. Tries! And scores. 289 00:17:52,631 --> 00:17:56,221 I remember going to games just knowing we were gonna win. 290 00:17:56,359 --> 00:18:00,363 [commentator] There's Shearer! Off the post. Finished off by Wilcox. 291 00:18:00,501 --> 00:18:05,955 I haven't often felt so confident in the players who we had, 292 00:18:06,093 --> 00:18:07,543 the way we were playing. 293 00:18:07,681 --> 00:18:09,303 We are just going to beat you up. 294 00:18:09,441 --> 00:18:11,443 [commentator] Shearer! 295 00:18:11,581 --> 00:18:15,309 Every game we were winning, it was just magical. 296 00:18:15,447 --> 00:18:20,452 That feeling that we're gonna win this, it's something within you. 297 00:18:20,590 --> 00:18:23,248 It's like a religion. It's something to believe in. 298 00:18:23,386 --> 00:18:25,561 [commentator] Interception by Le Saux. 299 00:18:25,699 --> 00:18:27,356 [Le Saux] We were magnificent over Christmas, 300 00:18:27,494 --> 00:18:30,738 and that gave us belief that we could mount a serious challenge. 301 00:18:30,876 --> 00:18:33,914 [commentator] Hanging on to it until the moment's right. Now it may be. 302 00:18:34,052 --> 00:18:36,537 It is because Shearer's there! And Shearer's scored. 303 00:18:36,675 --> 00:18:40,265 We had momentum. We were looking forward to every game. We were in our, sort of, groove. 304 00:18:40,403 --> 00:18:42,750 -[whistle blows] -[commentator] Le Saux is there, 305 00:18:42,888 --> 00:18:45,960 and he takes it! Graeme Le Saux for Blackburn! 306 00:18:46,098 --> 00:18:48,653 [Shearer] We all knew the system and we played it really well. 307 00:18:48,791 --> 00:18:53,382 And then, I mean, we hit the front, top of the Premier League. 308 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:57,282 Well, there's a long way to go, we've only just passed the halfway mark now. 309 00:18:57,420 --> 00:18:59,319 We're not even into January yet. 310 00:18:59,457 --> 00:19:01,907 We'll carry on, we'll hopefully give it our best shot. 311 00:19:02,045 --> 00:19:04,841 We're sitting at the top. We're there to be shot at. Who knows? 312 00:19:04,979 --> 00:19:07,844 It felt like a very galvanized group, 313 00:19:07,982 --> 00:19:09,812 and I think, again, that's something, for me, 314 00:19:09,950 --> 00:19:14,023 that really stands out about that team during that period, 315 00:19:14,161 --> 00:19:20,443 our ability to just focus on what our responsibilities were and what we were in control of. 316 00:19:24,965 --> 00:19:27,105 [narrator] Three months after their last clash, 317 00:19:27,243 --> 00:19:29,901 Blackburn were five points ahead of United in the league, 318 00:19:30,039 --> 00:19:32,179 and the rivals were facing off again. 319 00:19:32,317 --> 00:19:37,702 [commentator] A really big occasion at Old Trafford. The theatre of dreams. 320 00:19:44,743 --> 00:19:49,369 And the two teams coming out, you can see the tension etched on the faces here. 321 00:19:51,267 --> 00:19:55,444 Blackburn looking for their first championship since 1914, 322 00:19:55,582 --> 00:19:59,448 Manchester United seeking their third championship in a row. 323 00:20:00,656 --> 00:20:02,830 [Sutton] Going into the game at Old Trafford, 324 00:20:02,968 --> 00:20:09,320 we were all focused on go there, win the game, put this title race to bed. 325 00:20:11,977 --> 00:20:14,325 [commentator] Quick look up. It's Cantona! 326 00:20:17,466 --> 00:20:19,847 And he's scored! 327 00:20:19,985 --> 00:20:23,368 My job as a defender in playing against him was to stop him doing that, 328 00:20:23,506 --> 00:20:26,992 but you realize that sometimes with players like that, you can't. 329 00:20:29,271 --> 00:20:32,377 [commentator 1] Berg, Shearer coming in! 330 00:20:32,515 --> 00:20:35,346 Off Sherwood! No. 331 00:20:35,484 --> 00:20:38,590 [commentator 2] He's given a push against Alan Shearer, Martin. 332 00:20:38,728 --> 00:20:43,285 [commentator 1] Well, you may never hear the last of this, from a Blackburn point of view. 333 00:20:43,423 --> 00:20:46,667 Now this was the key moment, Andy. 334 00:20:46,805 --> 00:20:50,222 [commentator 2] Well, I tell you, there was no more than an arm up there. 335 00:20:50,361 --> 00:20:53,743 I certainly thought Shearer didn't do an awful lot wrong. 336 00:20:53,881 --> 00:20:58,403 I mean, you couldn't make it up, really. They needed that result to stay in the race. 337 00:20:58,541 --> 00:21:02,925 United move to within two points of Blackburn at the top. 338 00:21:03,063 --> 00:21:06,446 Eric Cantona yet again is the United hero. 339 00:21:06,584 --> 00:21:10,519 [McCarthy] I think Eric Cantona, he always struck me as something like a Roman emperor. 340 00:21:10,657 --> 00:21:15,903 He would sit there and his chest would be puffed out and he would have that haughty gaze, 341 00:21:16,041 --> 00:21:19,459 and it made the Premier League, the rest of the Premier League, and fans, 342 00:21:19,597 --> 00:21:22,254 sit up in their seats and say, "Well, this is something different. 343 00:21:22,393 --> 00:21:24,947 This is now what the Premier League could be." 344 00:21:25,085 --> 00:21:29,503 [narrator] Manchester United's French goal scorer had become their talisman, 345 00:21:29,641 --> 00:21:31,816 and the more success he had on the pitch, 346 00:21:31,954 --> 00:21:34,543 the more attention he got off it. 347 00:21:34,681 --> 00:21:37,753 You have more and more and more and more games on TV, 348 00:21:37,891 --> 00:21:41,653 and more newspapers spoke about football. 349 00:21:41,791 --> 00:21:44,932 You have maybe more pressure. 350 00:21:45,070 --> 00:21:50,075 Eric had cameramen following him around, trying to get some kind of story on Eric. 351 00:21:50,213 --> 00:21:55,046 That started happening more with footballers. 352 00:21:55,184 --> 00:21:58,912 You feel like a prisoner of the others, 353 00:21:59,050 --> 00:22:02,018 of what is expected from you. 354 00:22:03,261 --> 00:22:05,919 I don't know what I expect from myself. 355 00:22:07,023 --> 00:22:08,128 You know? 356 00:22:09,025 --> 00:22:10,199 I don't know. 357 00:22:10,337 --> 00:22:12,753 On the social side of things, 358 00:22:12,891 --> 00:22:16,205 obviously people, fans knew that Eric had this reputation, 359 00:22:16,343 --> 00:22:18,794 and people come out and they try and test you. 360 00:22:18,932 --> 00:22:21,141 [Pallister] I was with him in a hotel 361 00:22:21,279 --> 00:22:25,145 and there was people up in the mezzanine floor above him, 362 00:22:25,283 --> 00:22:28,251 and we were sitting there having a drink. People were spitting on him. 363 00:22:28,390 --> 00:22:30,840 You know what I mean, he confronted the guy who'd done it 364 00:22:30,978 --> 00:22:35,051 and the guy was like, you know, "What you gonna do?" sort of thing. 365 00:22:35,189 --> 00:22:40,816 It's stuff like that that gives you an insight into what he was dealing with. 366 00:22:40,954 --> 00:22:43,784 Of course you have people who judge you, 367 00:22:43,922 --> 00:22:49,928 and for me, in England, it was a bit like this, but I didn't know anything. 368 00:22:50,066 --> 00:22:52,862 Just my feelings, my instinct. 369 00:23:04,253 --> 00:23:07,325 [man] Whenever you're playing against Manchester United, it's certainly a fixture, 370 00:23:07,463 --> 00:23:11,294 but we didn't really understand the magnitude of what happened 371 00:23:11,433 --> 00:23:15,540 until probably the next day, when it was on the front page of every paper. 372 00:23:20,821 --> 00:23:23,203 [Pallister] You try to wind up the best player in the team, 373 00:23:23,341 --> 00:23:26,275 and Eric was the one player that, if you could get to, 374 00:23:26,413 --> 00:23:29,761 you could disrupt the flow of Manchester United if you like. 375 00:23:29,899 --> 00:23:34,663 Kick him, wind him up, get into his head, because they knew he could react. 376 00:23:36,492 --> 00:23:38,805 [Shaw] You know, I was playing centre half with Chris Coleman. 377 00:23:38,943 --> 00:23:41,980 In terms of anything special for them, I just think fingers crossed and pray 378 00:23:42,118 --> 00:23:45,743 that we keep the score down to one or two and try and get through the game. 379 00:23:45,881 --> 00:23:49,505 And people say, "Were you given a specific task for Cantona? 380 00:23:49,643 --> 00:23:52,957 Did you man mark him?" this or that. No, not at all. No. 381 00:23:53,095 --> 00:23:56,616 How can you man mark at Manchester United? There's just too many good players. 382 00:23:56,754 --> 00:23:59,757 [Schmeichel] Crystal Palace were trying to wind players up, 383 00:23:59,895 --> 00:24:03,554 and of course at Selhurst Park, in January 1995, 384 00:24:03,692 --> 00:24:06,798 we saw something that was probably-- 385 00:24:06,936 --> 00:24:11,009 We'd never seen that before. Probably haven't seen that to that scale since. 386 00:24:13,218 --> 00:24:14,944 [commentator] Cantona, tried to get on his way, 387 00:24:15,082 --> 00:24:17,568 had a little kick at Shaw there out of frustration, 388 00:24:17,706 --> 00:24:20,881 and the linesman had a very, very good view of it. 389 00:24:22,469 --> 00:24:26,853 Now, temperatures rising, and out comes the red card. 390 00:24:26,991 --> 00:24:29,441 There's the morning headline. 391 00:24:29,580 --> 00:24:31,927 [Shaw] It was an innocuous trip. There's hardly anything there. 392 00:24:32,065 --> 00:24:34,964 I never made anything about it, I have to say. Nothing at all. 393 00:24:35,102 --> 00:24:38,761 And I quite like a bit of devilment in a player anyway. Eric had that arrogance. 394 00:24:38,899 --> 00:24:42,351 It was just one of them things that happened-- a clash with Eric being sent off. 395 00:24:53,500 --> 00:24:56,192 [commentator] I think the linesman and the referee, they had it spot-on there. 396 00:24:56,330 --> 00:25:00,542 Eric Cantona was giving chase and Richard Shaw was chasing with him. Eric-- Oh, my. 397 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:04,304 [commentator 2] Oh, and Cantona has got involved with a fan in the front row! 398 00:25:04,442 --> 00:25:06,651 The press box at Selhurst Park 399 00:25:06,789 --> 00:25:09,067 is basically on the halfway line, but at the back. 400 00:25:09,205 --> 00:25:14,694 And suddenly I'm looking down and you see a figure moving rapidly down. 401 00:25:16,143 --> 00:25:21,010 And it's obvious he's saying something confrontational. 402 00:25:21,148 --> 00:25:25,394 [narrator] Witnesses described fan Matthew Simmons attacking Cantona's nationality 403 00:25:25,532 --> 00:25:27,327 and insulting his mother. 404 00:25:27,465 --> 00:25:31,193 [Pallister] The lad came down and gave him, apparently, dog's abuse. 405 00:25:31,331 --> 00:25:34,127 And he just thought, "No, you're not getting away with it." 406 00:25:35,369 --> 00:25:36,785 [commentator] Oh, this is outrageous. 407 00:25:36,923 --> 00:25:38,856 Cantona's attacked a fan! 408 00:25:38,994 --> 00:25:41,410 [commentator 2] Oh, my goodness me! He has kicked-- 409 00:25:41,548 --> 00:25:43,895 He's punched a fan! Eric Cantona-- 410 00:25:44,033 --> 00:25:45,863 [commentator 1] He's punched a fan in the face! 411 00:25:46,001 --> 00:25:48,797 You're just kinda taken aback by what you're seeing. 412 00:25:48,935 --> 00:25:53,353 You see him kind of launch himself into the crowd, and you're like, "Wow." 413 00:25:53,491 --> 00:25:56,770 -[commentator 2] A scissor kung fu kick on a fan! -He smacked him in the face! 414 00:25:56,908 --> 00:25:59,152 [commentator 2] Manchester United fans are coming across! 415 00:25:59,290 --> 00:26:03,087 I have never seen as disgraceful an incident as that! 416 00:26:03,225 --> 00:26:06,608 [commentator 1] Norman Davies, the Manchester United kit man, trying to pull him away. 417 00:26:09,472 --> 00:26:12,544 [Schmeichel] I'm looking at Norman Davies, our kit man at the time. 418 00:26:12,683 --> 00:26:14,961 It's gone beyond the boiling point. 419 00:26:15,099 --> 00:26:18,309 [Schmeichel] I can see Eric is very, very upset, very, very upset, and he-- 420 00:26:18,447 --> 00:26:20,932 Norman is having a hard time controlling him. 421 00:26:21,070 --> 00:26:24,729 So that's when I helped him with, you know, walk him out, down to the tunnel, 422 00:26:24,867 --> 00:26:27,111 and make sure that he gets to the dressing room. 423 00:26:27,249 --> 00:26:30,286 I can't tell you how many times I've felt like doing it. 424 00:26:30,424 --> 00:26:34,463 This time Eric was just provoked a little bit too much. 425 00:26:34,601 --> 00:26:36,810 It is shocking. It shocked me at the time. 426 00:26:36,948 --> 00:26:40,055 I was thinking, "Wow. I can't believe he's done that." 427 00:26:40,193 --> 00:26:43,023 [commentator] Once more, Eric Cantona is the man 428 00:26:43,161 --> 00:26:46,440 at the centre of a dramatic controversy. 429 00:26:48,719 --> 00:26:50,617 [Peter Schmeichel] After the game, 430 00:26:50,755 --> 00:26:53,447 it wasn't the greatest time I've had in a dressing room. 431 00:26:53,585 --> 00:26:57,866 I remember quiet, I remember confusion. 432 00:26:58,004 --> 00:27:00,454 No one really knows what's gonna happen next, 433 00:27:00,592 --> 00:27:04,562 no one really knows exactly how to deal with this situation, 434 00:27:04,700 --> 00:27:10,844 and just a really, really dead, quiet atmosphere in the dressing room. 435 00:27:10,982 --> 00:27:15,918 I remember me looking at Eric, and I said, "Eric," you know, "what--" 436 00:27:16,056 --> 00:27:19,715 And Ince sort of shouting-- I mean, not shouting, but just saying, 437 00:27:19,853 --> 00:27:23,339 "Pete, shut up," you know, and that was kind of it. 438 00:27:23,477 --> 00:27:26,688 When you have been sent off and you think there's an injustice, 439 00:27:26,826 --> 00:27:30,277 you know, your mind's all over the place, and for that split second, he lost it. 440 00:27:30,415 --> 00:27:34,005 We're all human beings, as much as we are professional footballers 441 00:27:34,143 --> 00:27:39,390 and we get paid whatever people say we get paid and whatever you do get paid, 442 00:27:39,528 --> 00:27:41,806 you can lose it like anybody else. 443 00:27:41,944 --> 00:27:47,053 These reports will be fully investigated by a senior police officer, 444 00:27:47,191 --> 00:27:51,160 from South Norwood Police Station, and then we will obviously-- 445 00:27:51,298 --> 00:27:54,405 What action we take next will depend on that investigation. 446 00:27:57,304 --> 00:28:00,238 [interviewer] What was your version of the events which led up to the dismissal? 447 00:28:00,376 --> 00:28:03,932 Um, nothing really, it's just handbags at 50 paces. 448 00:28:04,070 --> 00:28:06,520 There's nothing malicious about it. I think we just turned round, 449 00:28:06,658 --> 00:28:11,249 we ran into each other and I end up on the floor. Did he kick you? 450 00:28:11,387 --> 00:28:13,873 I didn't really feel nothing, I think it's just a bit of a collision. 451 00:28:14,011 --> 00:28:15,840 Obviously I can't say too much, 452 00:28:15,978 --> 00:28:18,843 but next thing I knew, the red card came up and he was walking off. 453 00:28:18,981 --> 00:28:23,330 Do you think you fouled him first? Not at all, not at all, no. 454 00:28:23,468 --> 00:28:25,022 That's lovely. Thanks a lot. Thanks, Richard. 455 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:27,300 Sorry it was all about that and nothing else. 456 00:28:27,438 --> 00:28:30,890 We hadn't seen anything like that before. I certainly hadn't. 457 00:28:31,028 --> 00:28:34,756 And all of a sudden you think, "Wow," you know, "We're a part of that." 458 00:28:34,894 --> 00:28:37,586 Should Eric Cantona be banned for life? 459 00:28:37,724 --> 00:28:41,417 You might've expected that one. Should Eric Cantona be banned for life? 460 00:28:41,555 --> 00:28:44,351 -Rosie Boycott? -Well, given that you're all a Liverpool crowd, 461 00:28:44,489 --> 00:28:48,217 -I guess you probably all would say yes. -To me, it was just despicable, 462 00:28:48,355 --> 00:28:52,290 and to set an example for young children and now trying to defend his conduct-- 463 00:28:52,428 --> 00:28:55,052 It's unprecedented for any professional footballer 464 00:28:55,190 --> 00:28:57,606 to attack a member of the paying public. 465 00:28:57,744 --> 00:29:00,885 Yes, he has got problems, but he shouldn't be a problem for the British game. 466 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:06,132 The press would've loved the moment that Cantona leapt up 467 00:29:06,270 --> 00:29:08,410 and took out that Crystal Palace fan. 468 00:29:08,548 --> 00:29:12,966 Because what Cantona did there was provide them with perfect content. 469 00:29:13,104 --> 00:29:16,970 'Cause it didn't matter that he was the bad guy. It didn't matter. 470 00:29:17,108 --> 00:29:21,250 He was still a guy involved in the drama of the Premier League. 471 00:29:21,388 --> 00:29:23,080 And The Sun,full story. 472 00:29:23,218 --> 00:29:25,841 Pages one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. 473 00:29:25,979 --> 00:29:29,051 Virtually the entire paper was given over to Cantona. 474 00:29:29,189 --> 00:29:33,711 It had fuming columnists talking about how he was a disgrace to football. 475 00:29:33,849 --> 00:29:36,921 Played to every kind of thought about it. 476 00:29:41,167 --> 00:29:43,963 [reporter] Eric Cantona, the darling of Manchester United, 477 00:29:44,101 --> 00:29:46,828 captain of France, the players' own Player of the Year, 478 00:29:46,966 --> 00:29:50,521 stands accused of placing a stain on the game of football. 479 00:29:52,143 --> 00:29:54,145 [woman] I think it's the classic example 480 00:29:54,283 --> 00:29:56,976 of a highly strung, rather overemotional Frenchman. 481 00:29:57,114 --> 00:30:01,221 As part of his character, he has a volatility that he can't control. 482 00:30:01,359 --> 00:30:03,810 I just think Eric Cantona's off his head. 483 00:30:03,948 --> 00:30:07,331 I thought he should've walked off and went to the tunnel like any other player. 484 00:30:07,469 --> 00:30:10,817 But obviously, someone said something to him and he couldn't control it. 485 00:30:10,955 --> 00:30:14,717 [reporter] I gather you have a special reason to like Eric Cantona. Tell me why. 486 00:30:14,856 --> 00:30:17,479 Well, one of many reasons is obviously because he's a great player. 487 00:30:17,617 --> 00:30:20,585 But, I mean, I like him that much that on Monday my daughter was born, 488 00:30:20,723 --> 00:30:23,968 Laura Jane, and her middle name is Cantona. Laura Jane Cantona Boyle. 489 00:30:24,106 --> 00:30:26,522 And even now, I've got no regrets about calling her that. 490 00:30:26,660 --> 00:30:29,940 Obviously, he's overreacted. But, I mean, he's human, isn't he? Or is he? 491 00:30:30,078 --> 00:30:31,631 [older Boyle] It was a tabloid's dream. 492 00:30:31,769 --> 00:30:34,806 The tabloid press is so xenophobic in lots of-- 493 00:30:34,945 --> 00:30:38,086 Down the years, you know, from French lorry drivers being on strike. 494 00:30:38,224 --> 00:30:40,502 They love to have it, "Oh, they're doing this, they're doing that." 495 00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:43,229 So Cantona was perfect for 'em. 496 00:30:43,367 --> 00:30:46,715 United, we'd always been the biggest club and now we're the most successful club. 497 00:30:46,853 --> 00:30:50,305 And also, we all know that the British tabloids 498 00:30:50,443 --> 00:30:53,239 like nothing more than dragging people down. 499 00:30:55,103 --> 00:30:58,451 Look, I've been getting stick all my football career from fans. 500 00:30:58,589 --> 00:31:01,385 Some of it horrific, none of it justified. 501 00:31:01,523 --> 00:31:04,250 I felt really sorry for him in some ways. 502 00:31:04,388 --> 00:31:08,392 I felt that he-- You know, sorry for him that he'd let his self-control go to that extent. 503 00:31:08,530 --> 00:31:11,188 But he lost control, lost his temper, 504 00:31:11,326 --> 00:31:17,194 and the reaction was so extreme that I think everybody was just in shock at what had happened. 505 00:31:19,265 --> 00:31:21,750 Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. 506 00:31:21,888 --> 00:31:25,719 I have a press statement from Manchester United Football Club. 507 00:31:25,857 --> 00:31:31,656 "Manchester United has today suspended Eric Cantona from all first-team matches 508 00:31:31,794 --> 00:31:35,246 for the remainder of the 1994/95 season. 509 00:31:36,523 --> 00:31:38,698 In addition, the player has been fined 510 00:31:38,836 --> 00:31:41,804 the maximum sum permissible under his contract." 511 00:31:43,668 --> 00:31:46,361 [Pallister] When the club said, "Look, we're gonna suspend him," 512 00:31:46,499 --> 00:31:49,640 I think we thought, "Well, that's gonna be strong enough. 513 00:31:49,778 --> 00:31:52,746 He's now not gonna be able to play his part in the title run. 514 00:31:52,884 --> 00:31:55,715 And that's gonna hurt him and it's gonna hurt the club." 515 00:31:55,853 --> 00:31:58,752 We kind of thought, "That'll be enough." 516 00:31:58,890 --> 00:32:01,928 But no, they saw it as far more than that. 517 00:32:02,066 --> 00:32:05,794 What happened last night was a stain on our game. 518 00:32:05,932 --> 00:32:07,727 The Football Association has this evening 519 00:32:07,865 --> 00:32:10,764 charged Eric Cantona of Manchester United and France 520 00:32:10,902 --> 00:32:13,802 with misconduct that has brought the game into disrepute. 521 00:32:13,940 --> 00:32:18,048 I think on many clubs, I would've been maybe sacked. 522 00:32:18,186 --> 00:32:22,052 And on Manchester United, I was allowed to leave if I wanted to leave. 523 00:32:22,190 --> 00:32:25,020 They always said that to me, "If you want to leave, you can leave." 524 00:32:25,158 --> 00:32:26,953 And if you say that to me, I stay. 525 00:32:29,783 --> 00:32:32,959 [reporters clamouring] 526 00:32:33,097 --> 00:32:35,099 [reporter] United's fiery French international 527 00:32:35,237 --> 00:32:38,309 faced the music today at an FA disciplinary hearing. 528 00:32:38,447 --> 00:32:41,726 Whilst we are naturally disappointed that the football association 529 00:32:41,864 --> 00:32:45,282 have felt it necessary to increase the suspension 530 00:32:45,420 --> 00:32:48,561 which was promptly meted out by Manchester United, 531 00:32:48,699 --> 00:32:53,048 the decision has been accepted in everyone's interests. 532 00:32:53,186 --> 00:32:55,809 [Cantona] What was hard is not to play football. 533 00:32:55,947 --> 00:32:58,916 I wasn't allowed to play a game, even a friendly game. 534 00:33:00,055 --> 00:33:01,608 That was hard. 535 00:33:01,746 --> 00:33:05,750 Eric Cantona has never sought to justify his actions, 536 00:33:05,888 --> 00:33:07,925 nor to minimize their seriousness. 537 00:33:09,340 --> 00:33:11,791 He deeply regrets what he has done. 538 00:33:11,929 --> 00:33:14,759 He got punished for what he did. 539 00:33:14,897 --> 00:33:17,452 And Manchester United just had to live with it, 540 00:33:17,590 --> 00:33:19,764 and so did Cantona. 541 00:33:19,902 --> 00:33:22,629 [narrator] With United missing their star, 542 00:33:22,767 --> 00:33:25,356 Kenny Dalglish's Blackburn would never have a better chance 543 00:33:25,494 --> 00:33:27,082 to claim the title. 544 00:33:27,220 --> 00:33:30,465 In terms of losing Eric Cantona, it's a big, big deal. 545 00:33:30,603 --> 00:33:33,295 I can't, you know, sit here and say it wasn't a bit deal 546 00:33:33,433 --> 00:33:35,918 because he was such an influential player. 547 00:33:36,057 --> 00:33:39,750 But we certainly weren't foolish enough to think 548 00:33:39,888 --> 00:33:46,274 that that whole incident would decide whether Manchester United were still contenders or not. 549 00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:52,211 All of a sudden, we were stealing their thunder. 550 00:33:54,075 --> 00:33:56,974 [commentator] Oh, it takes a deflection! It's a goal! 551 00:33:57,112 --> 00:33:58,803 Paul Warhurst. 552 00:33:59,735 --> 00:34:02,428 Every game, we were winning. 553 00:34:02,566 --> 00:34:06,673 But I remember feeling a bit shaky and thinking, 554 00:34:06,811 --> 00:34:08,158 "Mmm, we might not do this." 555 00:34:09,504 --> 00:34:10,988 [narrator] The pressure of being top 556 00:34:11,126 --> 00:34:14,371 was beginning to take its toll on Blackburn. 557 00:34:14,509 --> 00:34:16,752 [commentator] Inviting cross, and a bullet of a header. 558 00:34:16,890 --> 00:34:19,790 We tired a little bit second half of the season. 559 00:34:19,928 --> 00:34:24,139 We hadn't had players on the team who had been there and done it to settle us down. 560 00:34:24,277 --> 00:34:26,176 Blackburn did get nervous. 561 00:34:26,314 --> 00:34:29,593 We got back a number of points because the nerves did hit 'em. 562 00:34:31,215 --> 00:34:34,598 We started to think about them rather than ourselves, 563 00:34:34,736 --> 00:34:37,428 and then that impacted on a few of the results. 564 00:34:37,566 --> 00:34:39,672 -[commentator] Deane's flicked it on! -[crowd cheering] 565 00:34:39,810 --> 00:34:42,088 And Deane has done it at the death! 566 00:34:42,226 --> 00:34:44,228 You just have to hope there is a miracle. 567 00:34:44,366 --> 00:34:46,265 And we hope that Manchester City win. 568 00:34:46,403 --> 00:34:49,440 -[crowd cheering] -[commentator] Curle. It's 1-1. 569 00:34:49,578 --> 00:34:51,580 [Sutton] We were nine points clear, six games to go, 570 00:34:51,718 --> 00:34:54,376 and then we really slipped up in a bad way. 571 00:34:56,102 --> 00:34:59,070 [commentator] Hendry's header. R÷sler slides it in! 572 00:34:59,209 --> 00:35:03,868 We lost at home to Manchester City, who were in a relegation battle. 573 00:35:04,006 --> 00:35:05,767 And I think that that shocked us. 574 00:35:05,905 --> 00:35:10,047 I really did think that we'd blown it at one point. 575 00:35:10,185 --> 00:35:13,395 I now think that Blackburn can only throw the league away. 576 00:35:13,533 --> 00:35:18,331 The Devon Loch quote, that got thrown in from Fergie. 577 00:35:18,469 --> 00:35:20,402 "We can only hope for a Devon Loch now." 578 00:35:20,540 --> 00:35:23,612 The horse that fell on the final fence at Grand National. 579 00:35:24,958 --> 00:35:28,341 If you want to play a mind game, fine, it's no problem. 580 00:35:28,479 --> 00:35:29,791 You know it's coming. 581 00:35:29,929 --> 00:35:32,207 So if you don't know how to deal with it, 582 00:35:32,345 --> 00:35:34,796 then yeah, you might have a problem. 583 00:35:34,934 --> 00:35:37,764 [interviewer] Well, you've always said that you take nothing for granted. 584 00:35:37,902 --> 00:35:40,008 Well, if you just look at it sensibly, 585 00:35:40,146 --> 00:35:42,907 we're still five points in front, what is it, four games to go? 586 00:35:43,045 --> 00:35:45,427 So I don't think we'd swap with anybody. 587 00:35:48,327 --> 00:35:52,710 [Sutton] I think a lot of the confidence came from the manager. 588 00:35:52,848 --> 00:35:58,751 And we often looked for him in times of adversity. 589 00:35:58,889 --> 00:36:02,720 [Dalglish] I don't think there was any of them had ever won a league title before. 590 00:36:02,858 --> 00:36:07,656 So it was important for them that I could pass on any experience I had for that. 591 00:36:07,794 --> 00:36:11,281 And if that helped 'em, I was only doing my job. 592 00:36:11,419 --> 00:36:15,526 Good evening. The Crystal Palace supporter kicked by Eric Cantona 593 00:36:15,664 --> 00:36:19,358 launched an attack of his own today in a South London magistrates' court. 594 00:36:19,496 --> 00:36:23,983 [narrator] The man who'd abused Eric Cantona, Matthew Simmons, 595 00:36:24,121 --> 00:36:27,711 was now facing criminal charges for his involvement in the incident. 596 00:36:29,437 --> 00:36:31,370 [reporter] Mr Simmons claims to have shouted, 597 00:36:31,508 --> 00:36:35,236 "Off, off, off, go on, Cantona, have an early shower." 598 00:36:35,374 --> 00:36:38,549 Mr David Paul QC said that this was an utter falsehood, 599 00:36:38,687 --> 00:36:43,174 and he told the court that Mr Cantona's race, his sexual orientation 600 00:36:43,313 --> 00:36:46,143 and the sexual orientation of his mother had been questioned 601 00:36:46,281 --> 00:36:48,904 by Mr Simmons in words and gestures designed 602 00:36:49,042 --> 00:36:50,872 to hurt as deeply as possible. 603 00:36:51,010 --> 00:36:53,081 [narrator] Details were beginning to emerge 604 00:36:53,219 --> 00:36:55,842 about Simmons' links with the National Front 605 00:36:55,980 --> 00:36:59,398 and a previous conviction of attempted violent robbery. 606 00:36:59,536 --> 00:37:03,402 [reporter] Matthew Simmons appeared under no obvious stress as he arrived in court. 607 00:37:03,540 --> 00:37:05,990 All that changed after the magistrates told him 608 00:37:06,128 --> 00:37:09,028 he'd been found guilty of provoking Cantona's assault on him. 609 00:37:09,166 --> 00:37:12,411 His first target was prosecutor Jeffrey McCann, 610 00:37:12,549 --> 00:37:14,792 who wanted him banned from all football grounds. 611 00:37:14,930 --> 00:37:18,244 Simmons exploded with anger, jumped over the bench 612 00:37:18,382 --> 00:37:20,211 and grabbed Mr McCann by the neck. 613 00:37:20,350 --> 00:37:22,628 "This is a lie," he shouted. 614 00:37:22,766 --> 00:37:25,769 "I'm innocent, I promise. I swear on the Bible." 615 00:37:25,907 --> 00:37:29,876 As three police officers, and two court staff struggled to hold him down, 616 00:37:30,014 --> 00:37:33,535 he fought his way across to journalists, calling them scum. 617 00:37:33,673 --> 00:37:36,158 He then appeared to try and bite one of the officers, 618 00:37:36,297 --> 00:37:39,438 who eventually managed to handcuff him and led him away. 619 00:37:39,576 --> 00:37:44,166 No one has yet mentioned on this panel the bloke who deliberately left his seat, 620 00:37:44,305 --> 00:37:47,273 wandered down the steps, in order, in the words of another fan, 621 00:37:47,411 --> 00:37:49,206 "to call him every name under the sun." 622 00:37:49,344 --> 00:37:51,277 There's an extraordinary phenomenon in football, 623 00:37:51,415 --> 00:37:53,590 whereby the fan believes they own the players 624 00:37:53,728 --> 00:37:56,075 and can say absolutely anything they like. 625 00:38:04,463 --> 00:38:06,223 I have one regret. 626 00:38:06,361 --> 00:38:09,709 That I didn't kick him even more than that. 627 00:38:13,403 --> 00:38:16,785 I don't think you could be two-faced about Eric Cantona. 628 00:38:16,923 --> 00:38:20,099 You couldn't pretend that what he had done wasn't out of order. 629 00:38:20,237 --> 00:38:23,654 It was. Completely. But there was provocation. 630 00:38:23,792 --> 00:38:28,832 A lot of the English fans were fuelled by right-wing bigotry. 631 00:38:28,970 --> 00:38:32,560 They were driven by xenophobia 632 00:38:32,698 --> 00:38:36,391 and a hatred of anything non-English. 633 00:38:36,529 --> 00:38:40,188 Cantona was a symbol of that, unfortunately. 634 00:38:40,326 --> 00:38:45,918 It sparked an awareness within football that he's gone a step too far, 635 00:38:46,056 --> 00:38:48,127 but we can understand why he did that. 636 00:38:48,265 --> 00:38:52,131 And I think what players realized-- Black, foreign, English-- 637 00:38:52,269 --> 00:38:55,893 "We know the level of abuse that we're receiving from the stands. 638 00:38:56,031 --> 00:38:57,688 We're not gonna put up with that anymore." 639 00:38:57,826 --> 00:38:59,863 [Ferdinand] If there was racial abuse, 640 00:39:00,001 --> 00:39:02,037 it was seen as part and parcel of football. 641 00:39:02,175 --> 00:39:04,315 I mean, as a kid I wasn't allowed to go to football. 642 00:39:04,454 --> 00:39:06,387 My parents wouldn't let me go and watch football 643 00:39:06,525 --> 00:39:08,492 because they knew I was gonna be racially abused. 644 00:39:08,630 --> 00:39:11,219 They were worried for my safety, and rightly so. 645 00:39:11,357 --> 00:39:14,981 If a Black player, for instance, makes a mistake, you say, "You Black bastard." 646 00:39:15,119 --> 00:39:18,122 I don't think that's racism when it's said like that. 647 00:39:19,330 --> 00:39:21,022 I think it's just a term of endearment, really. 648 00:39:21,160 --> 00:39:26,614 I was called a few names by a coach, and he said-- 649 00:39:26,752 --> 00:39:29,651 And someone said something to him and he went, "No, he's gotta get used to that, 650 00:39:29,789 --> 00:39:32,309 'cause he's gonna get it on the terraces. If he can't deal with it now--" 651 00:39:32,447 --> 00:39:35,174 But that was, you know, back in the day. I had to get used to it, 652 00:39:35,312 --> 00:39:37,625 because that's what I was gonna experience on the terraces. 653 00:39:37,763 --> 00:39:39,696 Just depends what you define racism as. 654 00:39:39,834 --> 00:39:42,595 If you mean, like, little comments like, "You Black cunt," 655 00:39:42,733 --> 00:39:44,563 and things like that, that don't mean nothing. 656 00:39:44,701 --> 00:39:46,910 It's just, like, off the top of your tongue, isn't it? 657 00:39:48,463 --> 00:39:50,983 Kind of the done thing to experience it. 658 00:39:51,121 --> 00:39:52,985 That sounds really stupid, I know. 659 00:39:53,123 --> 00:39:56,333 But it happened and we just accepted it happened, 660 00:39:56,471 --> 00:39:59,819 because we just-- No one's stopping it. 661 00:39:59,957 --> 00:40:04,824 [Ferdinand] For years I've seen bananas thrown onto the pitch at players. 662 00:40:04,962 --> 00:40:09,001 Football was always an avenue where people could come en masse 663 00:40:09,139 --> 00:40:12,314 and racially abuse the Black players that were playing at the time, 664 00:40:12,453 --> 00:40:15,352 walk out the stadium and say to their mate, "Oh, see you next week." 665 00:40:15,490 --> 00:40:17,354 And nothing was done about it. 666 00:40:17,492 --> 00:40:21,462 You know, then all of a sudden, this guy jumps into the crowd 667 00:40:21,600 --> 00:40:24,879 because he was called a French this, that and the other, 668 00:40:25,017 --> 00:40:27,709 and then they decide that there's a problem. 669 00:40:29,746 --> 00:40:31,955 [narrator] Despite Sky's repackaging of football, 670 00:40:32,093 --> 00:40:35,165 the sinister side of the game had been hiding in plain sight. 671 00:40:35,303 --> 00:40:37,547 -Is it okay to shout... -Racial abuse at me... 672 00:40:37,685 --> 00:40:40,032 Just because I am on the football pitch? 673 00:40:41,447 --> 00:40:43,484 [narrator] One of the league's biggest sponsors, Nike, 674 00:40:43,622 --> 00:40:45,382 was quick to spot an opportunity, 675 00:40:45,520 --> 00:40:48,696 and they launched an anti-racism campaign. 676 00:40:49,973 --> 00:40:52,251 -Do you... -...see a Black man? 677 00:40:52,389 --> 00:40:53,942 A Frenchman? 678 00:40:54,080 --> 00:40:56,117 -Or a... -...footballer? 679 00:40:56,255 --> 00:40:58,637 -Is it okay to shout... -Racial abuse at me... 680 00:40:58,775 --> 00:41:01,087 Just because I am on the football pitch? 681 00:41:01,225 --> 00:41:05,126 At the time, I was-- We were both sponsored by Nike, 682 00:41:05,264 --> 00:41:08,094 and they wanted to do something about racism. 683 00:41:08,232 --> 00:41:12,271 -Some people say... -We have to accept abuse as part of the game. 684 00:41:12,409 --> 00:41:14,894 So this just goes to show-- that was '95-- 685 00:41:15,032 --> 00:41:18,346 how long we've been banging on about this same problem. 686 00:41:18,484 --> 00:41:22,074 And we're now in 2021, and we're still talking about it. 687 00:41:23,247 --> 00:41:25,698 Probably the situation's become even worse 688 00:41:25,836 --> 00:41:30,047 in terms of the abuse that people are taking. 689 00:41:30,185 --> 00:41:32,671 And that's why I don't wanna wear another T-shirt. 690 00:41:32,809 --> 00:41:35,087 I don't wanna wear another badge. 691 00:41:35,225 --> 00:41:39,436 I want action. I don't wanna keep gestures, gestures, gestures. 692 00:41:39,574 --> 00:41:44,268 There's a gesture there, in 1995, and we're still making gestures. 693 00:41:56,453 --> 00:41:58,524 [fans chanting] 694 00:41:58,662 --> 00:42:01,492 [narrator] With Cantona's court hearing fast approaching, 695 00:42:01,631 --> 00:42:04,565 the United faithful had already reached their verdict. 696 00:42:04,703 --> 00:42:06,256 -¦ The King, the King, the King-¦ 697 00:42:06,394 --> 00:42:09,639 -¦ He's the leader Of our football team-¦ 698 00:42:09,777 --> 00:42:14,471 -¦ He's the greatest French Footballer that the world-- -¦ 699 00:42:14,609 --> 00:42:17,612 [Boyle] Amongst the hard-core fans who go week-in, week-out, 700 00:42:17,750 --> 00:42:20,270 I would say Eric had unwavering support. 701 00:42:20,408 --> 00:42:22,721 I might be wrong, but from the people in my circles 702 00:42:22,859 --> 00:42:26,276 and everywhere around that, nobody was saying he should've done it. 703 00:42:26,414 --> 00:42:28,658 But people thought, "We stick by each other here." 704 00:42:28,796 --> 00:42:30,556 -¦ Eric is so cool-¦ 705 00:42:30,694 --> 00:42:33,041 [continues, indistinct] 706 00:42:34,629 --> 00:42:36,804 [fans] Boo! 707 00:42:36,942 --> 00:42:40,014 [reporter] "You are a high-profile figure looked up to by young people. 708 00:42:40,152 --> 00:42:44,156 The only appropriate sentence is two weeks' imprisonment forthwith." 709 00:42:44,294 --> 00:42:47,228 With those words, the Croydon Magistrate sentenced Eric Cantona 710 00:42:47,366 --> 00:42:50,749 to two weeks in jail for his assault on a Crystal Palace supporter. 711 00:42:52,751 --> 00:42:56,168 I was in the Magistrate's court and I remember the gasp 712 00:42:56,306 --> 00:43:00,310 that went round when he was initially sent to prison for two weeks. 713 00:43:00,448 --> 00:43:03,900 And the look on his face, he wasn't expecting that. 714 00:43:04,038 --> 00:43:07,213 And then, of course, there was quickly, appeals were put in. 715 00:43:07,351 --> 00:43:12,287 [Boyle] So we decided we'd go down South London, Croydon, 716 00:43:12,425 --> 00:43:15,843 and a TV breakfast show at the time, they ended up asking us to come on the show. 717 00:43:15,981 --> 00:43:18,535 They've taken a short diversion before they go to Croydon, 718 00:43:18,673 --> 00:43:21,055 to sing outside Eric's trial this morning. 719 00:43:21,193 --> 00:43:22,988 What's so great about Cantona? 720 00:43:23,126 --> 00:43:24,886 He's unique, isn't he, you know what I mean? 721 00:43:25,024 --> 00:43:27,440 Not just as a footballer, as a person. He's interesting. 722 00:43:27,578 --> 00:43:29,511 We sang live on the TV show in the morning. 723 00:43:29,650 --> 00:43:32,342 -¦ He's the greatest French footballer-¦ 724 00:43:32,480 --> 00:43:35,552 -Then we went to Croydon... -[singing continues] 725 00:43:35,690 --> 00:43:38,900 ...and we were outside the court, chanting our support. 726 00:43:39,038 --> 00:43:41,247 [reporter] Cantona arrived at court this morning 727 00:43:41,385 --> 00:43:44,319 knowing he'd either be free or in prison by tonight. 728 00:43:44,457 --> 00:43:47,737 Fans who travelled from Manchester were there to support their hero. 729 00:43:49,359 --> 00:43:51,741 Cantona's case didn't meet the specific requirements 730 00:43:51,879 --> 00:43:54,226 laid down to warrant jailing him, he said. 731 00:43:54,364 --> 00:43:57,816 A community service order was more appropriate for common assault, 732 00:43:57,954 --> 00:43:59,403 and the court of appeal agreed. 733 00:43:59,541 --> 00:44:01,405 I learned a lot about myself, 734 00:44:01,543 --> 00:44:05,030 I learned a lot about the fans, the people at the club. 735 00:44:05,168 --> 00:44:06,756 I learned a lot. 736 00:44:13,521 --> 00:44:15,488 [Ferdinand] Let me say something now. 737 00:44:15,626 --> 00:44:18,906 If that was a Black player, he'd have been in prison. 738 00:44:19,044 --> 00:44:22,633 He'd have been arrested. Ain't no chance he would've got away with that. 739 00:44:22,772 --> 00:44:25,775 -[interviewer 5] Did you think that at the time? -Yeah. 100%. 740 00:44:25,913 --> 00:44:28,881 I ain't alone in thinking that if that was a Black player-- 741 00:44:29,019 --> 00:44:32,713 'cause I've known loads of Black players who've mentioned it since-- 742 00:44:32,851 --> 00:44:36,406 had that been a Black player, it would've been a very different outcome. 743 00:44:39,202 --> 00:44:43,482 The Cantona incident at Selhurst Park was a very, very significant stepping stone 744 00:44:43,620 --> 00:44:45,656 in the development of the Premier League. 745 00:44:45,795 --> 00:44:50,075 Because it was the, sort of, first indicator that personality was everything. 746 00:44:50,213 --> 00:44:55,252 And he knew, with that press conference, exactly what he was doing. 747 00:44:55,390 --> 00:44:58,393 [reporter] The massed ranks of the press wanted to know just one thing: 748 00:44:58,531 --> 00:45:00,188 "How did he feel?" 749 00:45:00,326 --> 00:45:03,019 But his barbed reply left everyone bewildered. 750 00:45:03,157 --> 00:45:04,710 When the seagulls... 751 00:45:07,437 --> 00:45:09,542 follow the trawler, 752 00:45:09,680 --> 00:45:16,584 it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea. 753 00:45:16,722 --> 00:45:18,310 Thank you very much. 754 00:45:18,448 --> 00:45:21,071 [reporters clamouring] 755 00:45:23,108 --> 00:45:26,387 The famous press conference with the trawlers and the sardines. 756 00:45:26,525 --> 00:45:28,941 I mean, lovely stuff. I mean, just Eric being Eric. 757 00:45:29,079 --> 00:45:31,357 I was there, I saw it. 758 00:45:31,495 --> 00:45:33,704 I was literally-- and there he was. 759 00:45:33,843 --> 00:45:35,810 And you don't get many of those in your career. 760 00:45:35,948 --> 00:45:39,814 There's this maverick figure, who no one really knew. 761 00:45:39,952 --> 00:45:42,092 We all thought we knew him, but we didn't really know him. 762 00:45:43,576 --> 00:45:45,682 It's great also to have the situation like this, you know, 763 00:45:45,820 --> 00:45:47,649 to learn a lot of things, you know. 764 00:45:47,788 --> 00:45:50,687 Learn about yourself, learn about the other ones. 765 00:45:50,825 --> 00:45:55,416 I want to put myself in certain kind of situations, to live the experience. 766 00:45:57,798 --> 00:46:01,077 Yeah, I'm afraid about one thing. Emptiness. 767 00:46:01,215 --> 00:46:03,010 [scoffs] 768 00:46:03,148 --> 00:46:04,701 I hate emptiness. 769 00:46:05,909 --> 00:46:06,841 Yeah. 770 00:46:09,257 --> 00:46:11,432 [crowd cheering] 771 00:46:16,713 --> 00:46:18,577 [narrator] In the final game of the season, 772 00:46:18,715 --> 00:46:20,890 Blackburn needed to beat Liverpool at Anfield 773 00:46:21,028 --> 00:46:24,134 to guarantee they'd win the title. 774 00:46:24,272 --> 00:46:26,965 [presenter] Dalglish goes home to Anfield today, 775 00:46:27,103 --> 00:46:32,177 knowing a win will secure the title for Blackburn for the first time in 81 years. 776 00:46:34,317 --> 00:46:37,113 [narrator] Meanwhile, Manchester United travelled to West Ham. 777 00:46:37,251 --> 00:46:39,322 If they won and Blackburn lost, 778 00:46:39,460 --> 00:46:43,188 the trophy would remain at Old Trafford for the third year running. 779 00:46:43,326 --> 00:46:45,638 We haven't had a finish like this for years. 780 00:46:45,776 --> 00:46:48,296 The big question, where is the title going? 781 00:46:48,434 --> 00:46:50,436 [cheering] 782 00:46:50,574 --> 00:46:52,507 Is the title going back to Old Trafford 783 00:46:52,645 --> 00:46:54,716 for a third successive year, 784 00:46:54,855 --> 00:46:58,789 or is the 81-year wait at Ewood finally over? 785 00:46:58,928 --> 00:47:01,171 Now, are United going to do it today, Dennis? 786 00:47:01,309 --> 00:47:05,003 I think there's a great possibility that United could come here to West Ham and win. 787 00:47:05,141 --> 00:47:07,626 It all depends, of course, what happens up at Anfield. 788 00:47:08,869 --> 00:47:10,801 [narrator] Could Blackburn make history 789 00:47:10,940 --> 00:47:14,219 and win the top division for the first time since 1914? 790 00:47:15,876 --> 00:47:20,052 [commentator] Forty-one games down and one to go. 791 00:47:20,190 --> 00:47:22,675 If they do it, there'll be no arguments. 792 00:47:22,813 --> 00:47:25,161 Blackburn Rovers will deserve to be champions. 793 00:47:26,679 --> 00:47:30,960 Going into the Liverpool game, it was still in our hands. 794 00:47:31,098 --> 00:47:34,411 -[whistle blows] -[Le Saux] The Liverpool players were so distracted. 795 00:47:34,549 --> 00:47:36,897 They were talking about, you know, 796 00:47:37,035 --> 00:47:39,796 "Well, hope you win it and not Manchester United," 'cause of the rivalry. 797 00:47:39,934 --> 00:47:44,214 But for us, it was really difficult, because we were nervous. 798 00:47:44,352 --> 00:47:46,768 I just looked at them. Yeah, they looked a bit nervous. 799 00:47:49,012 --> 00:47:50,841 Some of them might be thinking, 800 00:47:50,980 --> 00:47:53,189 "We're never gonna get this close again, ever, 801 00:47:53,327 --> 00:47:55,053 to winning a championship." 802 00:47:55,191 --> 00:47:57,262 But they've gotta be understanding in themselves 803 00:47:57,400 --> 00:47:59,471 as well, to say, "Well, how did we get here?" 804 00:48:00,782 --> 00:48:03,785 [Preugschat] Yeah. We were in amongst all that lot. 805 00:48:03,924 --> 00:48:05,718 We wanted to prove ourselves. 806 00:48:05,856 --> 00:48:08,721 We were gonna be better than Manchester United. 807 00:48:08,859 --> 00:48:12,449 Because they'd been sat up there on their pedestal for so long. 808 00:48:12,587 --> 00:48:15,418 It's somebody coming along and knocking 'em off, isn't it, really? 809 00:48:15,556 --> 00:48:19,698 All Liverpool needed to do was just give us this win, really. 810 00:48:19,836 --> 00:48:21,596 But they were never gonna do that. 811 00:48:21,734 --> 00:48:26,325 [Le Saux] You know, the season's built over the course of ten months, 812 00:48:26,463 --> 00:48:29,087 and everything went down to this one game. 813 00:48:29,225 --> 00:48:31,952 So it was like the world's longest knockout competition. 814 00:48:32,090 --> 00:48:34,782 -[crowd cheering] -Where it was a dream start. 815 00:48:37,854 --> 00:48:40,857 [commentator] Shearer goal for Blackburn Rovers! 816 00:48:43,239 --> 00:48:45,758 [Shearer] Yeah, I remember thinking, "Just don't get too excited here, 817 00:48:45,896 --> 00:48:49,003 because there's such a long way to go. You haven't won the title yet." 818 00:48:49,141 --> 00:48:51,868 [crowd cheering] 819 00:48:52,006 --> 00:48:55,837 Obviously we were happy, but you always know that if you score so early, 820 00:48:55,976 --> 00:48:57,667 there's every chance they're gonna come back. 821 00:48:57,805 --> 00:49:01,671 [Hendry] Really didn't know how to cope throughout the game at times 822 00:49:01,809 --> 00:49:04,743 because you're always thinking of what's going on at Upton Park. 823 00:49:04,881 --> 00:49:07,780 [crowd singing] 824 00:49:07,918 --> 00:49:13,234 [commentator laughs] The West Ham fans are singing, "There's only one Alan Shearer." 825 00:49:13,372 --> 00:49:15,029 Blackburn went 1-0 up, 826 00:49:15,167 --> 00:49:20,310 and then we heard the first shouting from the fans. 827 00:49:20,448 --> 00:49:23,555 We're kind of thinking, "Well, Liverpool aren't gonna turn up here." 828 00:49:23,693 --> 00:49:26,627 And, unfortunately, we went behind. 829 00:49:26,765 --> 00:49:29,802 -[commentator] Matty Holmes. Great cross, great goal! -[crowd cheering] 830 00:49:29,940 --> 00:49:33,530 Sky, with all their broadcasting innovation, 831 00:49:33,668 --> 00:49:35,429 had these wonderful split-screen moments. 832 00:49:35,567 --> 00:49:37,638 [commentator] West Ham have taken the lead. 833 00:49:37,776 --> 00:49:41,573 [White] This was the first time the Premier League on Sky 834 00:49:41,711 --> 00:49:46,716 had had that classic last-day denouement. 835 00:49:46,854 --> 00:49:48,959 This was really important content for them. 836 00:49:49,098 --> 00:49:54,172 And it was showing that the drama was unmatchable. 837 00:49:54,310 --> 00:49:58,521 [commentator] It's gonna take a superhuman effort to find two goals in the second half. 838 00:49:58,659 --> 00:50:01,489 Neville sweeps in the free kick, and they've got one of them! 839 00:50:01,627 --> 00:50:05,976 Brian McClair scores, and they're not giving up the title without a fight. 840 00:50:06,115 --> 00:50:10,257 That intensity is there to get the goal that's gonna make your season. 841 00:50:10,395 --> 00:50:13,363 So we were just piling forward. 842 00:50:13,501 --> 00:50:15,227 -[crowd cheering] -[whistle blows] 843 00:50:15,365 --> 00:50:17,402 [commentator] Manchester United have equalized. 844 00:50:17,540 --> 00:50:22,165 We were getting updates, so we were aware of what we had to do. 845 00:50:22,303 --> 00:50:23,649 But Liverpool go and score. 846 00:50:23,787 --> 00:50:25,306 [commentator] The game so tight. 847 00:50:26,859 --> 00:50:29,724 Oh! What did I tell you? 848 00:50:29,862 --> 00:50:33,142 Bloody hell, 1-1. John Barnes. 849 00:50:33,280 --> 00:50:36,352 Kenny looks mad. He's pissed off, isn't he? 850 00:50:36,490 --> 00:50:42,082 And that's when you start... biting your nails. 851 00:50:44,498 --> 00:50:47,501 [commentator] Kenna. It was a good ball from Jeff Kenna. 852 00:50:47,639 --> 00:50:50,676 Alan Shearer's there! Oh, Alan Shearer! 853 00:50:50,814 --> 00:50:54,439 I miss a big chance to put us in front. 854 00:50:54,577 --> 00:50:56,406 [commentator] Would you believe it? 855 00:50:56,544 --> 00:50:57,649 That Shearer's hopeless. 856 00:50:57,787 --> 00:50:59,927 I don't know why I signed him. 857 00:51:00,065 --> 00:51:02,516 It was such a difficult atmosphere. 858 00:51:05,208 --> 00:51:08,038 [Shearer] And then David Batty giving the foul away. 859 00:51:08,177 --> 00:51:10,972 [commentator] David Batty may be about to get himself booked here. 860 00:51:13,113 --> 00:51:15,805 [Le Saux] Ninety minutes in, and Jamie Redknapp stepped up. 861 00:51:17,669 --> 00:51:19,119 As soon as he hit it... 862 00:51:20,810 --> 00:51:22,846 I just knew it was in. 863 00:51:22,984 --> 00:51:24,641 And we're gobsmacked, all of us. 864 00:51:24,779 --> 00:51:26,402 The fans, the players. 865 00:51:29,508 --> 00:51:31,131 When that goal goes in, I just think, 866 00:51:31,269 --> 00:51:33,823 "Oh no. That's it. We've blown it." 867 00:51:33,961 --> 00:51:36,653 [narrator] Losing the game with just seconds to go, 868 00:51:36,791 --> 00:51:40,312 Blackburn could only hope that United didn't sneak a winner and take the title. 869 00:51:40,450 --> 00:51:42,142 [commentator] Cole! 870 00:51:42,280 --> 00:51:45,869 It didn't go anything to plan. It couldn't have gone any worse for us. 871 00:51:46,007 --> 00:51:50,771 And, for a Man United fan, it couldn't have gone any better for them. 872 00:51:50,909 --> 00:51:53,222 [Sutton] It was out of our hands for-- 873 00:51:53,360 --> 00:51:56,259 I think it felt like an absolute eternity, 874 00:51:56,397 --> 00:52:00,677 where you have indescribable feelings of sickness. 875 00:52:00,815 --> 00:52:02,886 We'd got so close. 876 00:52:03,024 --> 00:52:07,167 And then there's the fear of it, all of a sudden, being taken away. 877 00:52:07,305 --> 00:52:09,548 We don't have a clue, to be fair, at this point, 878 00:52:09,686 --> 00:52:11,930 because we don't know what's going on at Upton Park. 879 00:52:12,068 --> 00:52:14,035 [commentator] A goal by Manchester United would bring them 880 00:52:14,174 --> 00:52:16,210 the title at this stage, if this goes. 881 00:52:16,348 --> 00:52:18,764 Cole's through! Oh, he's missed it! 882 00:52:20,110 --> 00:52:23,113 That could've been the chance to win 883 00:52:23,252 --> 00:52:25,219 Manchester United the title! 884 00:52:28,912 --> 00:52:31,881 [Preugschat] There were still people still mourning. 885 00:52:32,019 --> 00:52:36,057 And everybody started to go like that. 886 00:52:36,196 --> 00:52:42,340 And then somebody on the radio had heard that it had finished down there. 887 00:52:42,478 --> 00:52:45,550 [Le Saux] It started with our fans in the corner who heard it, 888 00:52:45,688 --> 00:52:47,655 and then it moved up to the bench. 889 00:52:47,793 --> 00:52:50,555 Then a guy just shouted, "It's finished." 890 00:52:50,693 --> 00:52:53,592 [crowd roaring] 891 00:52:58,148 --> 00:53:03,188 [Hendry] Kenny's face lights up, and that's when we knew we'd won. 892 00:53:03,326 --> 00:53:05,432 Everyone's going mad on the touchline. 893 00:53:05,570 --> 00:53:07,986 And we've now won the title, and we just want the game to end. 894 00:53:08,124 --> 00:53:11,817 [commentator] Truth is stranger than fiction sometimes in sport. 895 00:53:11,955 --> 00:53:14,786 They're losing this game and they're hugging each other in delight. 896 00:53:14,924 --> 00:53:17,133 David Elleray calls a halt at Anfield. 897 00:53:17,271 --> 00:53:20,412 It was a strange feeling, and it's each to their own, 898 00:53:20,550 --> 00:53:22,276 but my biggest feeling was relief. 899 00:53:22,414 --> 00:53:24,382 [Hendry] A total roller coaster. 900 00:53:24,520 --> 00:53:27,557 You go from one extreme to the other within a second. 901 00:53:29,076 --> 00:53:31,216 [Le Saux] You win the league, it's because you deserve it. 902 00:53:31,354 --> 00:53:33,425 It's not about the last game or the last minute of the last game. 903 00:53:33,563 --> 00:53:35,600 It's about everything that went before it. 904 00:53:37,291 --> 00:53:39,466 It's a dream for everybody, right? 905 00:53:39,604 --> 00:53:44,125 And beyond most people's expectations 906 00:53:44,264 --> 00:53:46,576 that Blackburn would've been in a position like that. 907 00:53:46,714 --> 00:53:50,546 They thoroughly deserved what they'd achieved. 908 00:53:54,343 --> 00:53:55,723 Yeah! 909 00:53:59,900 --> 00:54:02,282 [players cheering] 910 00:54:06,251 --> 00:54:09,875 That's one of these times where you don't know what you're doing with yourself. 911 00:54:10,013 --> 00:54:11,532 It's just a blur. 912 00:54:13,845 --> 00:54:18,608 Who's that he's giving it to? "Here, have a swig of that." 913 00:54:18,746 --> 00:54:22,957 [interviewer] How aware were you of what was going on at Upton Park? 914 00:54:23,095 --> 00:54:25,408 We weren't. We just heard a big roar at the end there. 915 00:54:25,546 --> 00:54:28,480 -[players cheering] -[interviewer] I think we're getting a soaking here. 916 00:54:28,618 --> 00:54:33,036 [laughs] We didn't care. We just wanted to get the party started. 917 00:54:35,556 --> 00:54:40,112 [Pallister] I can't tell you the disappointment and the hurt that is there 918 00:54:40,250 --> 00:54:43,530 because a season's work has gone up in flames. 919 00:54:45,014 --> 00:54:47,188 It's very hard to win a title. 920 00:54:47,327 --> 00:54:51,538 When you're that close and you just don't quite get over the line, 921 00:54:51,676 --> 00:54:54,023 I think it probably stings just that little bit more. 922 00:54:54,161 --> 00:54:57,751 It's been a fantastic league race and all credit to Blackburn. 923 00:54:57,889 --> 00:55:00,098 They've amassed 90 points, 924 00:55:00,236 --> 00:55:04,067 which anyone getting that kind of points totally deserves the championship. 925 00:55:04,205 --> 00:55:06,898 And I would like to congratulate Ken and his players 926 00:55:07,036 --> 00:55:09,107 on their magnificent effort in the campaign, 927 00:55:09,245 --> 00:55:11,834 and it's a good team to take the championship away from us. 928 00:55:14,215 --> 00:55:17,080 [Le Saux] I handed Jack the trophy. I remember handing it to him. 929 00:55:17,218 --> 00:55:20,946 He had tears in his eyes and you could see the joy and the pride that he had. 930 00:55:21,084 --> 00:55:23,604 And to see that and be there in that moment with him 931 00:55:23,742 --> 00:55:25,226 was really, really special. 932 00:55:27,884 --> 00:55:30,439 [Schmeichel] I was quite impressed with Jack Walker. 933 00:55:30,577 --> 00:55:33,338 When you use the expression "Put your money where your mouth is," 934 00:55:33,476 --> 00:55:35,271 I think that's what he did. 935 00:55:35,409 --> 00:55:39,413 Being on the receiving end of that wasn't nice at the time, of course, 936 00:55:39,551 --> 00:55:43,244 but I think he created something from his heart. 937 00:55:44,522 --> 00:55:46,247 Without the contribution from him, 938 00:55:46,386 --> 00:55:48,318 Blackburn wouldn't have been anywhere near that. 939 00:55:50,493 --> 00:55:53,531 [Shearer] Little old Blackburn had entered the Premier League and won the Premier League, 940 00:55:53,669 --> 00:55:56,948 and took on the might of Manchester United, 941 00:55:57,086 --> 00:55:59,571 and it was just an unbelievable achievement for everyone. 942 00:55:59,709 --> 00:56:02,022 All our hard work had paid off. 943 00:56:04,369 --> 00:56:07,717 [Preugschat] It doesn't matter what happens now, our name went on that trophy. 944 00:56:07,855 --> 00:56:10,306 It's there. We're going down in history. 945 00:56:12,204 --> 00:56:18,003 It was just a good all-round completion. Mission accomplished. Tick box. 946 00:56:18,141 --> 00:56:19,384 Yeah. 947 00:56:20,489 --> 00:56:23,215 It felt like a new era, you know. 948 00:56:23,353 --> 00:56:26,184 That we were gonna be up there forever, I suppose. 949 00:56:26,322 --> 00:56:29,498 And my husband used to say-- He said, 950 00:56:29,636 --> 00:56:34,537 "You'll never see this again. Never in your lifetime will you see this again." 951 00:56:34,675 --> 00:56:36,021 And he was right. 952 00:56:38,748 --> 00:56:44,789 When a player is missing for a few weeks, I think it can make the difference. 953 00:56:44,927 --> 00:56:46,446 It was my fault. 954 00:56:46,584 --> 00:56:48,827 -[interviewer] You thought that? -Yeah, yes. 955 00:56:48,965 --> 00:56:55,144 I feel guilty because I did something that I don't regret as a thing, 956 00:56:55,282 --> 00:56:59,286 but I regret it because we didn't win the league, 957 00:56:59,424 --> 00:57:02,876 I think, because I was banned. 958 00:57:07,087 --> 00:57:09,469 [McCarthy] Sir Alex Ferguson looked at it and said, 959 00:57:09,607 --> 00:57:12,989 "We're Manchester United, by the way. Why are we in danger of being left behind 960 00:57:13,127 --> 00:57:14,508 by Blackburn Rovers?" 961 00:57:14,646 --> 00:57:17,442 And that's where you saw exponential growth 962 00:57:17,580 --> 00:57:20,203 and an explosion in transfers and wages. 963 00:57:20,341 --> 00:57:22,378 This changed football forever. 964 00:57:22,516 --> 00:57:27,141 I'm on the bed with soccer's latest sex god. Yes. 965 00:57:27,279 --> 00:57:30,075 Footballers became sort of like rock stars. 966 00:57:30,213 --> 00:57:32,768 And most of us try to live up to that lifestyle. 967 00:57:32,906 --> 00:57:35,805 Most were 19, 20 years of age and so wide-eyed. 968 00:57:35,943 --> 00:57:37,738 I just wanted to be part of it. 969 00:57:39,429 --> 00:57:44,193 Wherever we went, there was a barrage of photographers, ready. 970 00:57:45,470 --> 00:57:46,747 I heard a knock on the door. 971 00:57:46,885 --> 00:57:50,475 It was some newspaper, and they sold the story. 972 00:57:50,613 --> 00:57:53,478 Tomorrow morning's front page in The Sunhas news 973 00:57:53,616 --> 00:57:55,653 that Keith Gillespie of Newcastle 974 00:57:55,791 --> 00:57:58,725 has apparently spent ú62,000 in a week at the bookies. 975 00:58:02,936 --> 00:58:05,386 Keith was a very good player. 976 00:58:05,525 --> 00:58:07,492 But he was a troubled young man.