England's Best (& Worst) World Cup Games

So my England best is the opening game for England in 1982, England 3, France 1, in the broiling heat of Bilbao.

And for our generation, Marcus, so you and I were born in the late '60s.

The kids today don't know they're born.

For our generation, [laughs] it was the first time we'd seen England play a World Cup match.

I was 14.

So England obviously win the World Cup in '66.

They go to Mexico in 1970 with an outstanding squad, some say even better.

They lose to West Germany 3-2 after being 2-0 up.

They then don't qualify in '74.

Tomaszewski the Clown, as christened by Brian Clough, the Polish goalkeeper, keeps them at bay at Wembley.

England don't qualify.

'78, I think we mentioned last week, they are beaten by Italy only on goal difference.

And then just quickly, because this is such a good story, the qualifying campaign for 1982 is torturous.

Top two go through.

England manage to lose three games and still qualify.

They lost to Romania, they lost to Switzerland, and then they lose most famously to Norway.

And if you've ever wondered why people go on, "Your...

You know, your boys took one hell of a beating," this is the genesis of it.

When they lost 2-1, a man called Bjørn Lille, Lille, Lillian in Oslo, [laughs] "Maggie Thatcher, Lord Beaverbrook, Lady Diana-

[laughs]

... your boys took one hell of a beating."

Yeah, they did.

That's where it comes from.

And I, because I'm such an arch nerd, you will love this, I remember this so clearly.

England are then not gonna go to the World Cup, and Ron Greenwood's in trouble, and the whole thing's a nightmare.