World Cup Memories

[Loafer]

my memories are:

going to south africa world cup, my grandad got us tickets before he died, he lived in cape town but passed away just before but it was a great time

1998 final, my dad working at prudential and then went to a family fun day and back home to watch france vs croatia semi with the golden goal, an then watching the final

2002 first game, on holiday with my family in Holland, felt sick as I had a bug and remember throwing up orange juice everywhere

2006 and 2014, nothing really for some reason, i could not even tell you who won 2014. I think 2006 was the year Rivaldo fell over after getting kicked in the knee with a ball? Possibly watching Germany win 4-1 and lampard scoring but not counting is a vague one.

2018, best one I can remember, great football and goals all around and great games

[Hendo]

Michael Owen goal v Argentina is my first real memory of a World Cup and its stuck with me for a long time. I remember crying my eyes out that night when we lost.

Yep, I was 9 years old. I cried when David Beckham was sent off apparently.

crying?

jeez guys, I thought you were tough

So what?

Firstly I can cry when I like, thanks.
Secondly, I was 7

[genome]

DD was a tough and resilient 9 year old, Hendo

[South Coast Royal]

DD acts like a tough and resilient 9 year old, Hendo

[Hendo]

DD acts like a 9 year old, Hendo

Corrected again

[Stranded]

Great memories of how the nation enjoyed watching Gerrard's goal against USA in WC2010 when ITV showed the match

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSdPa7Ty1Fw

Remember being in a pub in Henley and on the big screen at the back they had ITV SD on, so we saw the goal but the whole of the front of the pub missed it as the TVs were on the HD channel.

[Loafer]

Yep, I was 9 years old. I cried when David Beckham was sent off apparently.

crying?

jeez guys, I thought you were tough

So what?

Firstly I can cry when I like, thanks.
Secondly, I was 7

I just don't think I've ever cried at football or any sport ever for that matter, or when anybody has died apart from 1 person.

Not judging , its good you are in touch with your emotional side. I'm dead inside.

[Dirk Gently]

1966 final - being sent out shopping with my mum and sister so I wouldn't make distract the men from watching the match

1970 - decisive match in Leon. Being taken to Hayling Island on a day trip and having angst all day that we'd not be home in time to watch the match and my dad assuring me that we'd be back in plenty of time. Then getting stuck in traffic somewhere in Hampshire on the way back, and hearing on the radio that Gordon Banks (my hero at the time) wasn't playing and Peter Bonetti (who I hated) was playing. Then only getting home with half an hour left. England were 2 up but then Germany scored almost immediately and it went from bad to worse. I was devastated.

1982 - Racing back to watch England's first match and (again) getting held up en route and arriving ten minutes late so we missed Bryan Robson's (fastest ever WC) goal.

[Silver Fox]

Ah yes, 1982 when I got in from school just as Robson scored and was gutted that France had made such a quick start as I assumed England were in white shirts

[Conservative_dad]

Ah yes, 1982 when I got in from school just as Robson scored and was gutted that France had made such a quick start as I assumed England were in white shirts

Black people can wear shirts as well, you massive racist!

[Silver Fox]

Ah yes, 1982 when I got in from school just as Robson scored and was gutted that France had made such a quick start as I assumed England were in white shirts

Black people can wear shirts as well, you massive racist!

Nice try but that doesn't work does it?

[South Coast Royal]

1966 final - being sent out shopping with my mum and sister so I wouldn't make distract the men from watching the match

1970 - decisive match in Leon. Being taken to Hayling Island on a day trip and having angst all day that we'd not be home in time to watch the match and my dad assuring me that we'd be back in plenty of time. Then getting stuck in traffic somewhere in Hampshire on the way back, and hearing on the radio that Gordon Banks (my hero at the time) wasn't playing and Peter Bonetti (who I hated) was playing. Then only getting home with half an hour left. England were 2 up but then Germany scored almost immediately and it went from bad to worse. I was devastated.

1982 - Racing back to watch England's first match and (again) getting held up en route and arriving ten minutes late so we missed Bryan Robson's (fastest ever WC) goal.

There lies a possible argument for having the World Cup in the winter.

[Mr Angry]

1970 was the first I can remember; I distinctly remember the Bobby Moore incident pre-the World Cup, when he was accused of stealing a bracelet; also Pele trying to beat the Czech keeper from the halfway line and thinking "why is everyone going on about it - he missed!"

Being in a Paris bar when England played Argentina in 98 and the noise when Owen scored "that" goal........

[Ark Royal]

1966 and the wonderful Hungarian team. HIghlight was the 3-1 defeat of Brazil and this superb goal by Farkas:

https://youtu.be/v5QFC2bU_Ss

1970 and the Pele dummy vs Uruguay in the semi-final. Despite the fact that Pele eventually missed (thank God for that because it proved he actually was human), that single piece of skill remains the greatest I have ever seen on a football pitch. He also tried to volley the keeper from the centre circle - during the same game That Brazil 70 team is without doubt the greatest ever.

https://youtu.be/-UzRsvCsC4c
https://youtu.be/bQEgfFLD2wQ?t=471

[Sutekh]

'74 Brazil free kick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYDXkVGpMpc&ab_channel=Blochin

Bit of a back story behind that which actually explains why the Zaire player did it. It was nothing to do with not understanding the laws of the game.

Essentially Zaire played the first game v Scotland and were beaten 2-0 (should have been a heavier defeat but Scotland decided to defend the 2-0 lead instead of scoring more which is what cost them progressing ). After the game the Zaire players failed to be paid their promised match bonuses and essentially went on a “down tools” strop and there was a doubt whether they’d even play v Yugoslavia in the second game. They eventually did play but in a rather “couldn’t care less” manner which led to the 9-0 beating.

After that game some goons from the then Zairean regime went round to the players hotel and in no uncertain terms threatened the players and apparently made it clear they would not be allowed back into the country to see their families again if the lost by more than 3 goals v Brazil.

That free kick I believe was awarded late on in the game with the score at 3-0 to Brazil and the player simply saw it as an opportunity to time waste, and indeed the game finished 3-0.

[Zip]

TBF he's telling that story for years so if it's BS he's sticking with it!

First World Cup memory for me is Archie Gemmil v the Dutch and the ticker tape in the final in '78

I hated Scotland for qualifying at our expense but I have to say I loved that goal and at that stage they were 3-1 up needing just one more goal to get through.

I saw a doc on MacLeod a year or so ago. It was poignant and in the end I thought he was a decent bloke

[Zip]

My first World Cup memory is vague but related to my parents shock that Bobby Moore had been arrested just prior to the 1970 World Cup for the theft of jewellery.

[LUX]

1970 for me too. I was 9.

Apart from the other memories mentioned, there was the famous Banks save from Pele.

I loved Peter Bonetti and was very upset at that 3-2 defeat.

Iirc it was Italy 4- West Germany 3 in the semi final

Then that wonderful final. I can remember most of that Brazil team in addition to those mentioned already : Felix in goal, Jairzinho, Rivellino, Tostao,

[Zip]

I had a World Cup Esso football collection for 1970 and again vaguely remember filling some of the scores in.

The front of this collection was a pic of Bobby Moore held aloft by his teammates in 1966. He was beaming and looked like a film star. I wanted to be him. He was my first sporting hero.

[Sutekh]

1982 - Racing back to watch England's first match and (again) getting held up en route and arriving ten minutes late so we missed Bryan Robson's (fastest ever WC) goal.

Don’t know where the “fact” that Robson’s goal was the fastest ever in a World Cup finals tournament came from (it must have been fact checked by YouTube or facebook!) as it wasn’t the fastest ever even in 1982. At the time Robson struck that goal (27 seconds into the game against France) the fast ever goal in a finals tournament had arrived 16 seconds into a group game between Czechoslovakia and Mexico in 1962 scored by Vaclav Masek (Czechoslovakia went on to lose the game 3-1).

Hakan Sukur now has the fastest ever goal having banged one in for Turkey against South Korea after just 11 seconds in the third place play off game in 2002. Of course whether you really classify the pointless 3rd place game as “competitive” in the the same way as other WC games is up to you.