Back then there wasn’t dedicated 24 hour football channels offering endless packaged programmes from the footballing world, there wasn’t social media and there certainly wasn’t the prospect of friendlies between Manchester United and the Laos national team and the like to help give us our fix.
It was a lot of weeks of the good old fashioned waiting game as summer sports took centre stage, whether we liked it or not, and the long countdown to August began.
Of course every two years we had a Euros or a World Cup to see us good, but when it was a blank summer, oh boy, did it fill us with dread.
Here’s just a few ways we managed to survive.
Of course every two years we had a Euros or a World Cup to see us good, but when it was a blank summer, oh boy, did it fill us with dread.
5. Playing cricket
Many of us were members of the local cricket team. A Tuesday night training sessions with out mates and a weekend game helped take our minds of football - especially if the sun was shining. It was good fun, but did it ever replace watching your team at 3pm on a Saturday? Not for me it didn't. Photo: Martin Bostock Photography 07717
6. Digging out the old VHS cassettes
Hands up who remembers VHS tapes? (I remember them well). Nowadays you can whack the tv and find some nostalgic game from a past season to fill that footballing void, but back in 1989 it was just a distant dream. Instead 3pm on a Saturday perhaps instead meant digging out a VHS cassette of '100 great goals' from the 1987/88 season that you gran bought you last Christmas. Photo: AFP via Getty Images
7. Reflecting and daring to dream
Sometimes the best bet was getting lost in our thoughts of reflection, anticipation and good old fashioned excitement. Where did the season go wrong? Can we bounce back first time? Or of course how amazing was that promotion and are we good enough to stay up. Afterall, dreaming and the prospect of what might be is one of the greatest parts of being a football fan. Photo: Getty Images
8. Counting down the days
The close season gets the smaller and smaller these days. It's never too long before the Premier League giants are playing other European big boys in Melbourne, New York City and other far flung destinations with every kick broadcast on Sky Sports. But back in 1991 it really was a long long wait until that first pre-season game against Farsley Celtic. Photo: Getty Images