Golden Years: Snow joke... football really was played in these conditions - Sportsmail's stunning pictures from the past century




The football season takes in the coldest and bleakest months of the year, and games have often been played in terrible conditions.



Golden Years, our nostalgic picture series, focuses this week on football in the snow over the decades.



We have chosen pictures from 1926 through to 2005, with matches played in snowstorms, players enjoying snowball fights and of course the legendary orange ball.



We hope the pictures bring back some special memories for you, and do please feel free to use the comments section below.

Join us again next Wednesday, when Golden Years will return with some more magical memories.

Our first picture this week comes from the referee tossing a coin before a match between Arsenal and Manchester United at Highbury in early 1926. Somebody did a good job clearing snow away from the halfway line before the game. Despite the difficult conditions, it sounds like an entertaining match took place in north London, with Arsenal winning 3-2



Above, a groundsman sweeps snow away from the dead-ball line before an FA Cup third round replay between Fulham and Everton in 1926. The Londoners won 1-0 to reach the fourth round. Below, fans walk across the pitch after the postponement of a Scottish Cup second round clash between Third Lanark and Celtic in 1950



Above, you can see action in the snow from one of British football's more romantic grounds, Craven Cottage, with Fulham goalkeeper Ted Hinton jumping into action against Birmingham in a Division Two clash early in 1948. Below, Wolves goalkeeper Bert Williams saves from Charlton's Eddie Firmani, (right) only for John Hewie to score from the rebound on a snow-covered pitch. Despite this blow for Wolves, they claimed a 4-1 win in this FA Cup fifth round tie in 1955



West Bromwich Albion forward Ray Barlow and Birmingham defender Jeff Hall battle for the ball at The Hawthorns during an FA Cup fifth round clash at the Hawthorns in February, 1956. More than 57,000 watched on as the Blues won 1-0, on their way to reaching the final that season, where they lost to Manchester City

None of us are too old for a good snowball fight, and footballers are no exception. Above, Celtic's Willie Fernie, Eric Smith and Bobby Collins are seen throwing snowballs during training in 1958. Below, Arsenal players just can't resist a snowball fight at Highbury after hearing a match they were due to play in late 1962 had been postponed





The Big Freeze of 1963 completely decimated the football programme in the first three months of that year - the FA Cup third round alone took 66 days to complete, and only after a total of 261 postponements. Above, groundstaff meet at Charlton's The Valley. Below, Brighton fans watch a Division Three clash with Crystal Palace





This picture from December 1967 shows Manchester City great Colin Bell firing home against Tottenham in a Division One clash. Visiting goalkeeper Pat Jennings can only look on helplessly. City cantered to a 4-1 win in the snow at Maine Road, on their way to winning the Division One title that season. Other goals that day for the hosts came from Tony Coleman, Mike Summerbee and Neil Young



I love this picture, with Liverpool's Ian St. John clearing the ball in a flurry of snow as Nottingham Forest pair Joe Baker and Ron Rees come sliding in during a match at Anfield in February, 1969. The conditions obviously weren't to Liverpool's liking, as Forest claimed a 2-0 win. The winter truly was bitter throughout the February of that year - the weekend before this game was played, every match in the fifth round of the FA Cup was postponed due to snow across the country



Arsenal's John Radford jumps for the ball here during a clash with Southampton at Highbury in late 1970. A future Arsenal manager, George Graham, looks on (second left), with the game finishing in a 0-0 draw. The 1970/71 season was one of the most glorious in Arsenal's history, with the Gunners winning a league and cup double

Everton striker Andy King slides in to tackle Steve Daley during a Division One clash with Wolves at a snowy Molineux in February, 1979. I can't imagine there was too much quality football played in this match, with local newspapers at the time referring to the surface as a 'white carpet'. John Barnwell's Wolves won the game 1-0

Above, Liverpool's Alan Kennedy slips in the snow during a League Cup quarter-final against West Ham at Anfield, a game the Reds won 2-1 on their way to a hat-trick of wins in the competition. Below, a grainy image shows Steve Pears making a rare outing in goal for Manchester United, as he dives at the feet of Newcastle's Tony Cunningham during a Division One clash in early 1985. A crowd of more than 32,000 braved the elements to watch a game that finished in a 1-1 draw

Here is Coventry goalkeeper Steve Ogrizovic saving at the feet of Watford's Worrell Sterling during an FA Cup third round match at Highfield Road in 1986. The Hornets, who two years earlier had reached the FA Cup final, won the match 3-1. You do wonder whether a match would be played in similar conditions in today's game



The much-loved orange ball in this next picture, with Nigel Clough in possession for Nottingham Forest during an FA Cup third round clash with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in early 1987. Neil Webb, later of Manchester United, can be seen in the background. Forest had a decent side under Brian Clough at the time, but were beaten on this occasion, with the London side claiming a 1-0 victory



Two more examples of the orange ball here - Above, West Ham's Michael Hughes plays the ball forward during an FA Cup third round clash with Wrexham at a snow-covered Recreation Ground in 1997. Below, Tromso's Robin Berntsen plays the ball past Chelsea's Steve Clarke, as Eddie Newton looks on, during a European Cup Winners' Cup second round, first leg, match in 1997. The Blues were beaten 3-2 in Norway. An unhappy Chelsea boss Ruud Gullit didn't think the game should have finished in such conditions, saying after the game 'that was just a farce'. Chelsea bounced back to win the second leg 7-1, on their way to winning the tournament

