Today I'm going back 35 years to 1986 and England's European Championships Qualifier against Yugoslavia at Wembley. I'm also really happy to say that I'll be attending a World Cup Qualifier tonight but it isn't England v Albania at Wembley. Tonight I'll be at my first CONCACAF World Cup Qualifier seeing two national sides for the first time: Canada play Costa Rica at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. I'll be rooting for the Canadians as they seek to maintain their qualification place for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Back to 1986 and the programme cover star was a very youthful looking Gary Lineker proudly showing off the "Golden Boot" that he won outright for being the top scorer at the 1986 Mexico World Cup (6 goals in 5 games for England). Lineker would go on to become one of England's all-time top scorers and indeed he could have tied Bobby Charlton's record (at the time) of 49 goals if he had not missed a penalty at Wembley in one of his last games for his country. Both Lineker and Charlton have since been overtaken as England's top scorer by Wayne Rooney (53 goals). Current England international Harry Kane appears to be on course to top even Rooney's record provided he stays fit and in form having already scored 41 goals to date and still being only 27 years old. At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Kane equalled Lineker's achievement of becoming a World Cup Golden Boot winner with 7 goals in 7 matches.
Younger readers may be wondering who exactly Yugoslavia were. I managed to see their national side twice before the country began breaking up (the constituent parts began to separate in 1991 and eventually the full break up led to nationhood for Croatia, Servia, Bosnia & Herzegovena, Slovenia, Macedonia, North Macedonia and Kosovo. Since separation Croatia has reached a World Cup Final (2018) and a World Cup Semi-Final (1996) and one wonders how much stronger they might have been had they been able to pick the cream of the other countries of the old Yugoslavia (assuming that they'd agree to play together of course which is not a given particularly due to religious differences).
At Wembley in front of 60,000, England took the lead after 21 minutes from a corner taken by Glenn Hoddle that was nodded in by Spurs team mate Gary Mabbutt. Manager Bobby Robson had recalled Mabbutt after a three year absence and he was rewarded with Mabbutt's only goal for England from a total of 16 appearances. England scored a second in the 57th minute following a dangerous cross by Chris Waddle that was dispatched by a rather unlikely scorer in Arsenal's Viv Anderson. It was another collector's item since Anderson would score only two goals for England in 30 appearances.
England won the game 2-0 and, in a four team Qualification Group which also included Northern Ireland and Turkey, England remained undefeated winning five of their six games to qualify for the 1988 European Championships in West Germany. One player who would not figure in West Germany however was Ray Wilkins who was making his last ever appearance for England against Yugoslavia. Wilkins, who died of a heart attack in 2018 aged just 61 after a battle with alcoholism, had a fine career and earned 84 caps for England. His instantly recognisable voice was also used in a series of soft drink TV advertisements. Well you know when you've been Tango'd!
CRB Match No. 465
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