Today I'm going back 39 years to 25th June 1982 on another one of those dates where I haven't yet been to a match. Once again however, the FIFA World Cup of 1982 holds memories galore for me although my viewing was strictly confined to the gogglebox.
Spain 1982 was the first World Cup that England had qualified for since 1970. In 1970 I was just seven years old and I can just about remember watching England's game against Brazil in Mexico with my Dad. Not that Dad was a big football fan or anything. It was just that this was a game that almost everyone in England at the time would have watched: the world Champions against the favourites. It was a game of iconic images. Of Gordon Banks' incredible save against Pele and of Bobby Moore swapping shirts with Pele. I think it was just about my earliest football memory.
By 1982 I was a fully enrolled fanatic and the fact that England had finally managed to qualify made the whole tournament compulsive viewing for me at least.
The programme is another one of those Tournament issues and there were no programmes issued for the individual matches (not even the Final). It will set you back around £10 from a dealer today as compared to the cover price of "£2.50p" which is in a format seldom seen and probably technically incorrect albeit who cares? (well me obviously).
There were three matches played on the 25th June: West Germany v Austria, England v Kuwait and Northern Ireland v Spain. Two of those matches are legendary matches today. West Germany against Austria is perhaps more infamous than famous and provoked furious protestations from Algeria that the result was fixed. Provided that West Germany won 1-0 then both teams would progress at the expense of Algeria and, following Hrubesch's goal early in the first half, the game turned farcical with neither side being willing to attack and potentially eliminate the other. It stank and did the reputation of professional football no good whatsoever. Thankfully, since that day FIFA have adjusted the rules to try to prevent a recurrence of this kind of thing.
Northern Ireland's victory against Spain is probably the most famous result in Northern Ireland's history. Nobody gave the boys in green a chance against the hosts. Northern Ireland had to win to progress although the Spanish could afford a one goal defeat. Gerry Armstrong scored Northern Ireland's goal in the first minute of the second half and they could have eliminated Spain from the competition had they got another. Reduced to ten men following Mal Donaghy's sending off, Ireland held out to progress to the second Group stage (playing France and Austria) as did Spain (who lost to West Germany and drew with England).
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