World Cup Memories

[Sutekh]

Just to try and build up the mood and fill in the boring bits given the lack of Reading games, stick any memories, links, images, stories of games, players, incidents down the years from previous World Cup final tournaments here.

[South Coast Royal]

1966 final-due to play cricket but game called off through rain although we really hadn't had much.

The Italian side that failed to qualify for the later stages was pelted with tomatoes at the airport on returning home.
Pele was unceremoniously kicked all over the park by each opposition.
Refereeing was very lenient, of course except for our game v Argentina, who infamously had their captain Rattin sent off which helped us progress to the semi-final.
Apparently the free-kick count was 33 against us and 19 against them!!

1982-Italy v Brazil one of the most exciting attacking games I have ever seen followed by another cracking game between France and West Germany.
In both games, on the balance of play, the two better teams lost (Brazil and France).

[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.

[Sutekh]

1984-Italy v Brazil one of the most exciting attacking games I have ever seen followed by another cracking game between France and West Germany.
In both games, on the balance of play, the two better teams lost (Brazil and France).

1982. Re. that France game, still don’t understand how Schumacher was not sent off for that disgusting “challenge” on Patrick Battiston. He wasn’t even booked and the referee didn’t award France a free kick.

[Franchise FC]

Watching a rerun of the best goal ever scored with the goalscorer trying to tell me the shot was a mishit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5HbmeNKino

[6ft Kerplunk]

Alberto wasn't cool enough to land his shot on the goal line to get a puff of chalk dust like Socrates.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM-PsYqA010
Brazil only seemed to score worldies that whole tournament with the Italy game being the best world cup game ever. Definitely the best team not to win the world cup.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1SzYMvPQGE

[South Coast Royal]

Went to a Geoff Hurst lunch pre-covid and , people may well know this now but I didn't then, he said modestly that the "They think it's all over....." goal was him trying to waste time by smacking the ball into the crowd.
I prefer not to believe him.

Going back to 1982 what a result that was for Northern Ireland to beat Spain in Spain; on a par with North Korea beating Italy here in 1966.

[Silver Fox]

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

[genome]

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.

[6ft Kerplunk]

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

'78 is my first World Cup memory too so time for my once every four year moan about only being allowed to stay up to watch the first half of the final.

[Zammo]

https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/watch/1xWEtYRk71nN52GGW20kSk?cid=(p_go-box)(c_FIFAPlus)(sc_archive)(ssc_)(da_)(co_)(cc_)&s_cid=(co_)(cc_)&c=(c_FIFAPlus)(sc_archive)(ssc_)(cc_)&pid=(p_go-box)(ch_)(t_)

Highlights of Arg vs Eng 86. Forgot about the Beardsley chance in the first half

[Sutekh]

https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/watch/1xWEtYRk71nN52GGW20kSk?cid=(p_go-box)(c_FIFAPlus)(sc_archive)(ssc_)(da_)(co_)(cc_)&s_cid=(co_)(cc_)&c=(c_FIFAPlus)(sc_archive)(ssc_)(cc_)&pid=(p_go-box)(ch_)(t_)

Highlights of Arg vs Eng 86. Forgot about the Beardsley chance in the first half

Remember seeing one of the Argentina players saying in an interview a few years later that the one England player of which they were terrified was John Barnes so couldn’t believe their luck when the tactical genius that was Bobby Robson left Barnes on the bench until the last 15/20 minutes. Seem to remember Barnes was pretty much man of the match for the period he was on the pitch. Still England’s history is littered with a great many creative genius player types that generally got sidelined by the incumbent manager, esp. in the 70s and 80s.

[Vision]

https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/watch/1xWEtYRk71nN52GGW20kSk?cid=(p_go-box)(c_FIFAPlus)(sc_archive)(ssc_)(da_)(co_)(cc_)&s_cid=(co_)(cc_)&c=(c_FIFAPlus)(sc_archive)(ssc_)(cc_)&pid=(p_go-box)(ch_)(t_)

Highlights of Arg vs Eng 86. Forgot about the Beardsley chance in the first half

Remember seeing one of the Argentina players saying in an interview a few years later that the one England player of which they were terrified was John Barnes so couldn’t believe their luck when the tactical genius that was Bobby Robson left Barnes on the bench until the last 15/20 minutes. Seem to remember Barnes was pretty much man of the match for the period he was on the pitch. Still England’s history is littered with a great many creative genius player types that generally got sidelined by the incumbent manager, esp. in the 70s and 80s.

Bit harsh on Robson that.

IIRC we'd won the previous two games 3-0 without Barnes (or Chris Waddle for that matter) in the starting line up. Would've been a pretty left field move to suddenly include him in the First 11 in that game I think. You could argue he could have given him more than the 15 or so minutes but Waddle was ahead of him in the pecking order at that stage of his career. Hindsight and all that.

Barnes' England career in general wasn't helped by the expectations raised by "that goal" against Brazil and his outstanding performances for Liverpool (although he was still a Watford player during the '86 World Cup) . Mainly though he was the first England player I ever heard get booed when his name was announced before a game. Think about the stick Maguire's been getting recently for some idea of what a lot of the fan base thought of Barnes playing for England.

[Conservative_dad]

https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/watch/1xWEtYRk71nN52GGW20kSk?cid=(p_go-box)(c_FIFAPlus)(sc_archive)(ssc_)(da_)(co_)(cc_)&s_cid=(co_)(cc_)&c=(c_FIFAPlus)(sc_archive)(ssc_)(cc_)&pid=(p_go-box)(ch_)(t_)

Highlights of Arg vs Eng 86. Forgot about the Beardsley chance in the first half

Remember seeing one of the Argentina players saying in an interview a few years later that the one England player of which they were terrified was John Barnes so couldn’t believe their luck when the tactical genius that was Bobby Robson left Barnes on the bench until the last 15/20 minutes. Seem to remember Barnes was pretty much man of the match for the period he was on the pitch. Still England’s history is littered with a great many creative genius player types that generally got sidelined by the incumbent manager, esp. in the 70s and 80s.

I really like that combination of kits in the Argentina game...proper 80s vibe

[Winston Biscuit]

WC90 was my first with clear memories, though I do have vague memories of watching England at WC86 at home. I found WC94 enthralling, loved every bit of it and watched loads, felt somehow exotic. Just a perfect age for me to be massively into football, into other countries, and 94 was a great time for a world cup as so many teams and players were still unknown to us

WC98 is maybe my favourite WC ever.

[6ft Kerplunk]

https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/watch/1xWEtYRk71nN52GGW20kSk?cid=(p_go-box)(c_FIFAPlus)(sc_archive)(ssc_)(da_)(co_)(cc_)&s_cid=(co_)(cc_)&c=(c_FIFAPlus)(sc_archive)(ssc_)(cc_)&pid=(p_go-box)(ch_)(t_)

Highlights of Arg vs Eng 86. Forgot about the Beardsley chance in the first half

Remember seeing one of the Argentina players saying in an interview a few years later that the one England player of which they were terrified was John Barnes so couldn’t believe their luck when the tactical genius that was Bobby Robson left Barnes on the bench until the last 15/20 minutes. Seem to remember Barnes was pretty much man of the match for the period he was on the pitch. Still England’s history is littered with a great many creative genius player types that generally got sidelined by the incumbent manager, esp. in the 70s and 80s.

Bit harsh on Robson that.

IIRC we'd won the previous two games 3-0 without Barnes (or Chris Waddle for that matter) in the starting line up. Would've been a pretty left field move to suddenly include him in the First 11 in that game I think. You could argue he could have given him more than the 15 or so minutes but Waddle was ahead of him in the pecking order at that stage of his career. Hindsight and all that.

Barnes' England career in general wasn't helped by the expectations raised by "that goal" against Brazil and his outstanding performances for Liverpool (although he was still a Watford player during the '86 World Cup) . Mainly though he was the first England player I ever heard get booed when his name was announced before a game. Think about the stick Maguire's been getting recently for some idea of what a lot of the fan base thought of Barnes playing for England.

Yeah, Barnes hadn't delivered on a consistent level for England by that point so no surprise he wasn't a first choice pick. Look at what happened a couple of years later when Barnes, Waddle, Beardsley and Lineker all played.

[South Coast Royal]

One of my favourite tournaments was in 1978 where Argentina won on home soil.
I had quite a big bet on them so followed events with great interest.

It was a good side that really blossomed when they thrashed Peru 6-0 (there were doubts about the effort ,or lack of it, put in by the opposition) when we saw the class of Passarella, the energy and skill of Ardiles plus the two big strikers, Luque and Kempes.
The tick-a-tape made it all the more exciting somehow.

[sputnik]

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

[Winston Biscuit]

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

[Loafer]

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