Earliest WC memory

[Brum Royal]

Stolen the idea from 606 FB page, but what is your earliest WC (tournament) memory?

Mine is Baggio ballooning the penalty over the bar in the final of USA 94. I can remember other odd bits of USA 94 from watching old videos of it, but that penalty miss has always stuck with me.

[stealthpapes]

1990, David Platt.

Basically this would have been the first game I ever watched in full.

[Green]

Italia 90 for me. Specifically I remember filling in a wall chart from the Times, watching Argentina v Cameroon round a friends house, and watching England v Cameroon with my brother.

And this fella.

[Ouroboros]

Same - specifically England v West Germany.

The first World Cup game I watched. Possibly the first England game too.

Prior to kick-off I didn't even like football. At the end I threw a sobbing, violent strop. The rest is history.

[Hendo]

Owen goal '98

[maffff]

very vague memories of Italia 90, but more from the computer games which I still had afterwards, USA 94 was pretty great.

[Royalclapper]

Argentina '78

Mario Kempes and the ticker-tape final. Felt sorry for the Dutch team, the Argies were uttercunts then and they're just as bad now.

[Pepe the Horseman]

+1 for Italia '90. I was in Corsica at the time and met a fit German girl. Can't remember her name, but her and my sister were pen pals for a while. Rebecca, I think.

[YateleyRoyal]

France 98, owen goal

[Silver Fox]

'78 final, just rememeber the ticker tape tbf

[6ft Kerplunk]

'78 for me. I remember only being allowed to watch the first half of the evening matches on school nights. Watched all the final and my dad let me sip his beer. Reckon he was thinking it would send me to sleep and he could watch the match in peace.

[Ouroboros]

Memories of 1994, my first full WC:

Bolvia providing stiff opposition in the opening game. Germany scoring an offside winner.

Romania being brilliant, winning a classic game with Argentina, featuring one of the great combination of kits in the modern era.

Ray Houghton.

Pagliuca getting sent-off early on, and Roberto Baggio making way for the sub keeper. "Baggio looks crestfallen. Actually, Pagliuca looks crestfallen - Baggio looks devastated."

Yordan Letchkov, and possibly the most thrilling World Cup upset ever.

Oleg Salenko, the most deserving of Golden Boot winners.

Andres Escobar.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Memories of 1994, my first full WC:

Bolvia providing stiff opposition in the opening game. Germany scoring an offside winner.

Romania being brilliant, winning a classic game with Argentina, featuring one of the great combination of kits in the modern era.

Ray Houghton.

Pagliuca getting sent-off early on, and Roberto Baggio making way for the sub keeper. "Baggio looks crestfallen. Actually, Pagliuca looks crestfallen - Baggio looks devastated."

Yordan Letchkov, and possibly the most thrilling World Cup upset ever.

Oleg Salenko, the most deserving of Golden Boot winners.

Andreas Escobar.

Maradona scaring the shit out of me by screaming at the camera.

[Tommy Youlden's Ears]

1974. I was 8 and so ignorant of football on TV (parents have a LOT to answer for…I am scarred) that I missed the final and was, instead, at the Garlands School (Burghfield Common) Summer Fete. I remain disappointed to this day.

Remember a lot about 78. The Ally's Army build up. Scotland v Holland in particular. Ari Haan's wonder strikes. The ticker tape in the stadia. Argentina walking the final.

[Royal Lady]

Did see bits of 1966 but didn't really understand at the age of 5. 1970 I remember - they referred to Jack Charlton as Giraffe neck or something, so I was re-enacting a game in the garden and called him giraffe neck and my mum told me off for being rude about him.

[The Real Sandhurst Royal]

66 for me... I got to stay up late to watch the games.

[Silver Fox]

Did see bits of 1966 but didn't really understand at the age of 45.

etc
etc

[East Grinstead Royal]

66 for me... I got to stay up late to watch the games.

Me too. The first full game I ever watched (on TV) was the England v Uruguay opener. A few weeks earlier I had started to watch the FA Cup final between Everton and Sheff Wed, but went out to play in the garden after 20 minutes. By the end of July, though, I was hooked for life. Saw my first Reading game the following year.

[tulip]

'66 for me too. Remember watching it with my Dad. He wasn't much of a football fan but this was something special ofcourse.

[LUX]

1974. I was 8 and so ignorant of football on TV (parents have a LOT to answer for…I am scarred) that I missed the final and was, instead, at the Garlands School (Burghfield Common) Summer Fete. I remain disappointed to this day.

Remember a lot about 78. The Ally's Army build up. Scotland v Holland in particular. Ari Haan's wonder strikes. The ticker tape in the stadia. Argentina walking the final.

another Garlands boy here.

Anyway, 1970 for me. England playing Brazil, Romania and Czechoslovakia Iirc