World Cup memories
Friday, June 11, 2010 The older I get the less I am excited by the World Cup. Don't get me wrong. I'll watch most of the matches and when England play the USA tomorrow I'll be as nervous as anyone who has witnessed our World Cup woes. But countless disappointments - and all the hype - have taken their toll. Anyway, here are my World Cup memories, dating back to when I was seven:
1966 (host nation, England): To be honest, I don't remember watching a single match, including the final. What I do remember is standing at the top of the stairs of our small semi-detached house in Maidenhead (long after I was supposed to be in bed) and hearing the roar of the crowd from our little black and white television in the room below.
I also remember my father turning off the television in exasperation when West Germany equalised in the last minute of normal time in the final. I was sitting on the floor and didn't appreciate the enormity of what had happened. Thirty minutes later he switched the set back on. Someone was on the pitch and moments later it was all over. England had won the World Cup.
1970 (Mexico): In 1969 we moved to Scotland, which was a huge adventure for a ten-year-old. The down side was that there was even less live football on TV in Scotland than in England. In fact, prior to the 1970 World Cup I had seen precisely five games live on television: the 1968 European Cup final between Man United and Benfica, the 1968 and 1969 FA Cup finals, and the England-Scotland matches of 1969 and 1970, so I could hardly wait for the World Cup to begin.
Breakfast TV was a long way off so it was great to be able to watch the highlights from the night before at seven o'clock in the morning, before I went to school.
The football itself exceeded all expectations. Who could forget Gordon Banks' wonder save from Pele's header, or Jeff Astle missing a sitter as England lost 1-0 to Brazil? Remember Pele's audacious chip from the halfway line against Czechoslavakia which cleared the keeper and narrowly missed the goal? Or what about the same player's breathtaking dummy that completely bamboozled the Uruguayan keeper?
As it happens I missed England play West Germany in the quarter finals because my father decided to take the family out for the day. On the way home we stopped at a fish and chip shop in Perth. England, we were told, were winning 2-0. By the time we got home, 45 minutes later, England had lost 3-2 and were no longer world champions. Forty years of hurt began that day and I can remember exactly where I was - outside a chippie on Tayside!
I wanted Italy to win the final because they were the European team and had beaten West Germany in a very exciting semi-final. Brazil deserved their victory, however, and in hindsight I'm glad they won because the best team doesn't always win the World Cup and sometimes (1954, 1974, 1982) it's a travesty.
1974 (West Germany): My father bought our first colour television in 1972 so this was my first World Cup in colour. England failed to qualify and apart from Holland the football was disappointing. Brazil were awful. Scotland did OK but were eliminated, undefeated, from a group that featured Zaire, Brazil and Yugoslavia.
I was delighted when English referee Jack Taylor gave a penalty to the Dutch in the first minute of the final against the host nation, and sick as a pig when he gave another penalty, this time to the Germans, later in the half. Not for the first time the best team in the tournament then went on to lose the final despite scoring the first goal.
1978 (Argentina): This is possibly the World Cup I remember with most affection. To begin with I was a student so I had all the time in the world to watch every match live and stay up late watching the highlights. I remember some pretty spectacular long-range goals too, the type I don't remember in previous world cups.
I was still living in Scotland and who can forget Scotland 1-3 Peru, or Scotland 1-1 Iran, or the Willie Johnston affair - and all this after the squad was paraded around a packed Hampden in an open-top bus before they flew to South America, with team manager Ally McLeod promising to bring the cup back to Scotland. Happy days!
I know, I know, at least Scotland were in Argentina. England failed to qualify (again) but this meant I could enjoy the football without worrying about the result. If I wanted anyone to win it had to be Holland and once again they lost in the final to the host nation.
Ah, yes, Argentina. To reach the final via the second group stage (a horrible format introduced in 1974 and abandoned after 1982) they had to beat neighbours Peru 6-0. Not possible, everyone said. In South America everything is possible and the hosts duly won by a score of, er, 6-0.
Surprised? Not really, but it made for compelling viewing as the fans celebrated and ticker tape rained down on the pitch. South American football supporters are probably the most passionate in the world and you can feel some of the atmosphere, even on television.
1982 (Spain): I was at Wembley when England qualified for the finals, beating Hungary 1-0. England stormed through the first group stage, winning all three matches and scoring the fastest World Cup goal ever (27 seconds, I believe, against France). Unfortunately the format of the competition didn't help anyone and we were subjected to two mind-numbing bore draws (0-0 against West Germany and Spain) before England were eliminated, undefeated but just not good enough. Worse, the best team in the competition, Brazil, were put out by Italy, losing 3-2 after being 2-0 up.
Ironically the highlight of the tournament for me was a wonder goal by Scotland's David Narey against Brazil. I watched Narey play many times for Dundee United, where he spent most of his career. To see such a familiar and modest figure score such a great goal (described as a "toe poke" by Jimmy Hill on national television) was a fantastic feeling, even if Scotland did go on to lose 4-1.
1986 (Mexico): Maradona's World Cup, without question. Scotland came and went so my abiding memory is watching England get knocked out by Argentina in the quarter-finals. I watched the match with a friend at his house in the Suffolk countryside and I remember being hugely deflated, not by the so-called Hand of God but because England were far too cautious (a familiar tale). Despite a late rally we deserved and got nothing from the game.
At least West Germany gave it a go in the final, which Argentina won 3-2 after extra-time.
1990 (Italy): Exceedingly dull tournament. England played abominably until we sneaked into the quarter-finals courtesy of a goal by David Platt in the last minute of extra time against Belgium.
Our next opponent was Cameroon. No African team had made it to the semi-final of the World Cup but no African side had ever played England in a quarter final. With Cameroon leading 2-1 it looked as if history was about to be made until two penalties, rashly conceded, handed the game to England.
Today people remember the 1990 World Cup with affection. Truth is, the only real highlight, apart from Platt and Lineker's late goals in the earlier rounds, was the semi-final against Germany and even that wasn't a particularly good game. What it did have was late drama including Lineker's equaliser, Gazza's tears, missed opportunities by both teams in extra time, and - of course - an infamous penalty shoot-out.
Funnily enough I watched the match with a German friend at her home in Chiswick. She was extremely gracious in victory ... far more gracious than I would have been.
Terrible final, won by Germany who beat Argentina 1-0 with a late, late goal.
1994 (USA): England failed to qualify so highlights included Ireland beating Italy 1-0 in New York (how odd that still sounds) followed by Romania on penalties. I watched the penalty shoot-out in a small flat in Glasgow and couldn't believe that Ireland had reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup. It could only happen in America and I don't expect it to happen again.
Another terrible final (between Brazil and Italy), the first to be decided on penalties.
1998 (France): England qualified comfortably from the group stage and then produced a magnificent performance against Argentina, both before and after David Beckham's sending off. We deserved better than to lose on penalties but it was a great effort.
I lost interest in the tournament after that and can't remember anything apart from the surprisingly one-sided final, won by France who beat Brazil 3-0.
2002 (South Korea/Japan): I am also struggling to remember much about the 2002 World Cup. A series of fitful England performances was brought to an end by a damp squib of a goal (over David Seaman's head) in the quarter-final against Brazil. Once again we went out because England don't have the self belief to beat the best teams in the latter stages of a major competition. Disappointing.
Dull final won by Brazil who beat Germany 2-0.
2006 (Germany): More shocking England performances. OK, we beat Trinidad & Tobago but we made hard work of it. I watched the game in the bar of a local sports centre and couldn't believe what I was watching. We improved in later matches (we couldn't get any worse) but yet again we gave our best performance only after going a man down against Portugal, hanging on in extra time ... before losing on penalties.
Poor final enlivened by Zidane's sending off in extra time. Result: Italy beat France in a penalty shoot-out.
Unforgettable World Cup match? Difficult to choose, but Italy beating West Germany 4-3 in extra-time in 1970 is hard to forget.
Individual moment of brilliance? I loved Pele's tricks in 1970. Johan Cruyff and Dennis Bergkamp scoring for Holland following moments of magic in 1974 and 1998 were pretty special too. But from an English perspective who can forget Michael Owen's goal against Argentina in 1978 - only the second time I have been dazzled by the skill of an English footballer on a major international stage. (The other time was Gazza against Scotland in Euro 96.)
Looking back, I don't even mind that we lost the match (on penalties). I'd rather lose to a top team showing a bit of grit, determination and style than grind out a 1-0 win that bores everyone to tears.
And so to South Africa 2010 ... With the players we have it would be a miracle if England won the World Cup so tighten your seatbelts for another bumpy ride. Sit back and ... pass the sickbag.
Reader Comments (6)
My first World Cup memories are 1970 too and the match against Brasil. Bobby Moore was absolutely brilliant against Pele and Jairzinho. When I played people often criticised me for backing off but I modelled myself on Bobby Moore and if you look at the first link at 4:56 you see him use the technique. Also reviewing the match we did look the better side. Sir Alf Ramsey said before the start that the 1970 team was better than the 1966 team, I agree. 1970 was also the first World Cup to allow substitutes.
My other memory which still rankles with me today is 1990. I thought we were the best side in the tournament and it is a sign of a good team that it is winning even while not playing particularly well. We surely would of beaten Argentina in the final. I was working in New York at the time and was sitting in the Sportsman's Bar, burger, fries, ashtray and a pint of Guiness, bouncing my 3 month old daughter on my knee.
It still hurts when Waddle's penalty drifts over the bar to the sound of Pavarotti singing Nessun Dorma. Sigh.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxczR1DUvWA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH_Yt0K3tZA
Why is everyone so unfair to Italy in 1982? Brazil were hardly better against Argentina in the second round groups than Italy, and were hardly stifled out of the game in the Italy game (which was surprisingly open for a game featuring people like Gentile and Tardelli). Sorry. I just don't see this one as a loss for the beautiful game. Italy also played a beautiful game, just one with a bit more steel and organisation than Brazil.
Now Argentina that year. God if they'd won that would have been a dirty shame,
whi gives a frig about frigging football? I have SMOKING MEMORIES. When is someone going to do something about that instead of talking about this crap?
"Anyway, here are my World Cup memories, dating back to when I was seven: 1966 (host nation, England):"
That old? I'm investing in embalming fluid. ;-)
1970 was the finest football tournament of all time.Sadly it's been downhill ever since. The domestic game in England is no longer worth the entrance money.
Thats because they are now overpaid Prima Donas John. No way will Ingerland win the world cup. Too frightened to hurt themselves poor little dears .