AS we moved into the 1990s it looked as if Liverpool would continue their massive success of the previous decade but in the first season of this new decade they once again chased home behind Arsenal in the Championship who won by a seven point margin.

Leeds United took the title the following season and then came the emergence of Manchester United to take over the total domination of the Championship.

Liverpool continued to make the headlines as Kenny Dalglish quit under the pressure of management having done the elusive double in his first season and following it with a glittering array of silverware.

Football's Mr Nice Guy, Gary Lineker won a £20,000 prize from FIFA for never having been booked or sent off in his career.

There was great sadness at the seaside as Blackpool's Stan Mortensen died in May 1991 after a magnificent playing career for club and country. Who will forget that marvellous hat-trick in the 1953 Cup Final?

Dalglish was back in football management as he took over at Blackburn Rovers and soon the personal success would return as he guided the side to a premiership win on the last day of the season in a cliff hanging finish to narrowly take the title from Manchester United. The man only knew success.

Although Liverpool lost their way in the title races, they were still picking up silver as they took the 1992 FA Cup beating Sunderland 2-0 at Wembley.

Peter Shilton, playing in his 971st league game was sent off for the first time in his career in 1992. Hereford were also on the receiving end of the red card as they had four players sent off in a brawl against Northampton Town.

Crewe goalkeeper Mark Smith was sent off after only nineteen seconds of the match against Darlington.

The transfer market was booming and Tim Flowers became Britain's most expensive goalkeeper when £2million changed hands to bring him from Southampton to Blackburn Rovers.

The 1990s also saw the famous Kop at Liverpool's Anfield ground be demolished to make way for a safer all seated stand. Another famous footballing landmark was gone.

Then the football world was stunned when the FA announced that it was looking for sponsors for the FA Cup.

The game was going through a difficult time with football violence across the country. Millwall were fined £100,000 for a pitch invasion. They had to play matches behind closed doors and were deducted points.

Happily, this is a short lived phase in the game that had stood the test of time and order was restored.

Transfer fees went absolutely barmy and players were now receiving enormous payments and it looked as if the game would suffer.

It didn't and television money was poured in to finance the most popular game in the world.

As we moved into the new Millennium, the game was as strong as it was in those formative years of the 19th century when those men of imagination met in that Manchester hotel to bring twelve clubs together to start the Football League.

That piece of history has now led to the game as we know it today.

The English Football League is the envy of the world.