England was a different country back in 1982.
Maggie Thatcher had thrown her muscle around and got us into 'conflict' with Argentina oversome little islands. Pope John Paul II looked young and preached to crowds in Heaton Park that wouldn't be seen again until the Happy Mondays and Candy Flip headlined the Madchester festival in 1990.
Just up the road I spent my afternoons playing Kingy, Wally and Kerby, and my brothers were glued to the 1982 World Cup.
The first question I had in that long hot Summer, was where on earth is Magyoroszag? Players from this strange place were on the official Panini stickers (which are now worth a LOT on ebay).
The contrast and colour on the DDR Tv under the cuckoo clock were set in that 1982 fashion. Bright and Loud.
On screen graphics were limited to a clock at the start, and the goalscorers name.
Tardellli, Zico, Socrates, Rossi.
You notice no English names there ?
After making light work of the group stage
P W D L Gls Pts
ENGLAND 3 3 0 0 6-1 6
FRANCE 3 1 1 1 6-5 3
Czechoslovakia 3 0 2 1 2-4 2
Kuwait 3 0 1 2 2-6 1
England failed to score in the second phase in matches against West Germany and hosts Spain. Kevin Keegan and Trevor Brooking were both injured and came on way too late to do anything.
The shock of the tournament was the elimination of Brazil who my brothers had told me were the best team in the world.
Match facts
But the official FIFA site has in it's top 10 world cup moments...
4) Harald Schumacher 1982 - "Assault on Battiston"
It's been described as the worst and most brutal tackle ever on a soccer field. Schumacher's assault on Battiston in the 1982 semifinal cost the French substitute three teeth and even put his life in danger briefly. Schumacher escaped without even a caution and the referee awarded a goal kick!
Still in the cold war era, the rest of the world united and willed the Italians on to their deserved victory in the final, with Paulo Rossi leading the scoring, and Marco Tardelli providing the lasting image of the tournament.
posted by Andy Lepki @ 3:03 PM
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