World Cup 2018 | Page 5 | Vital Football

World Cup 2018

Was reading a piece on the BBC site about how everybody has there own special world cup (normally the first one that is clear in the memory). Too young to remember 1966 properly, I was 9 years old in 1970, collected the Esso coins and Panini stickers and loved every minute of it.
The scandal with Bobby Moore and the jewellery, Gordon Banks, the greatest English goalkeeper making the greatest save ever from Pele, then succumbing to a dubious bout of food poisoning.

To this day I remember asking the immortal question, "Why has he taken Bobby Charlton (still our best player in his twilight years) off Dad?" Beckenbauer, consequently released from his duties orchestrated my first taste of bitter footballing disappointment, as what had been so promising all ended in tears for this 9 year old England fan.

Above all else, I remember the great Brazilians; Carlos Alberto, Tostao, Rivelino, Pele and man of the tournament Jairzinho. What a player! For the following winter, in park and playground, the running commentary as you humiliated your mates always involved Jairzinho lol.

In my cynical old age, despite my ambivalence towards the modern England team, I try and remind myself that for many a boy and girl, 2018 will be the world cup they remember forever.
 
1982 was my first World Cup that i remember. Bryan Robson scoring after 27 seconds and the header missed by Keegan. Going down the park and pretending to be the Brazil team, Zico, Socrates, Falcao. I was 7.

It will always be Italia 90 for me though. 14 years old, jealous of my brother who was allowed to go the pub to watch the semi final. Our own David Platt being key and Gazza. What a player, genius.
 
Didn't watch the game tonight. I couldn't bear looking at Wembley again.

A week ago today................. wibble.

Anyway the first World Cup I really remember was 1978 in Argentina with the ticker tape etc. I thought it was fantastic . Mario Kempes , Ardiles , Luque etc .
 
Can vaguely remember the 1962 World Cup. We went out in the quarter finals losing 3-1 to Brazil. One Gerry Hitchens scored our goal. But to me it was "what's this World Cup thing anyway?". 1966 was totally different; the whole country knew about it. I can remember watching it but not where.

1970 was better though. In colour, great atmosphere. Somehow modern broadcasts aren't the same. We threw it away. 2-0 up with 25 minutes to go, and we started passing the ball around amongst ourselves, sheer arrogance. You can't do that against Germany. Bonetti was unfairly blamed; truth was we let the Germans in.
 
McParlandTheGreat said:
Can vaguely remember the 1962 World Cup. We went out in the quarter finals losing 3-1 to Brazil. One Gerry Hitchens scored our goal. But to me it was "what's this World Cup thing anyway?". 1966 was totally different; the whole country knew about it. I can remember watching it but not where.

1970 was better though. In colour, great atmosphere. Somehow modern broadcasts aren't the same. We threw it away. 2-0 up with 25 minutes to go, and we started passing the ball around amongst ourselves, sheer arrogance. You can't do that against Germany. Bonetti was unfairly blamed; truth was we let the Germans in.
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Yes, bloody Gerd Muller! The start of Sir Alf's downfall I think McP. A world cup definitely seemed more special in my younger years. A more innocent time when less coverage meant games were more special.
Football's place in our 24/7 modern culture has reached saturation point for me. What's that old saying about too much of a good thing being bad for you?
 
I remember the 1970 and the Jeff Astle miss. Poor guy got tarnished with it and I can remember crowds singing Astle lost the World Cup the season after.
 
The first World Cup game I can remember was England against Uruguay. It was the first group game in 1966. Nil-nil.
It got better.
Sad bastard that I am, my party piece is naming the German side England played in in the final.
I remember my dad going into the garden and booting the dustbin when Weber equalised.
 
1978 was my first proper memory. It was the second world cup where the Dutch were on a different planet (yet couldn't quite do it). Can't spell any of their names right but there was Cruyff, Neiskins, the VanDerKeerkof brothers... Brilliant team.
I had the chance to go to matches here in the states in 94. That Irish team with all the Villans and God putting Baggio in his pocket in Giants Stadium. Best non-Villa game I've ever seen live was Germany-Belgium in the quarters in Chicago. 3-2 to the krauts. Voller and Klinnsman were different class and the big Belgian centre-back who went to Newcastle (can't remember his name) was superb.
Also got to see four games in South Africa 2010, including the disgraceful England performance against Algeria. I could write a book about that night....
 
sirdennis said:
Didn't watch the game tonight. I couldn't bear looking at Wembley again.

A week ago today................. wibble.

Anyway the first World Cup I really remember was 1978 in Argentina with the ticker tape etc. I thought it was fantastic . Mario Kempes , Ardiles , Luque etc .
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That was rigged and the Dutch were robbed, full stop
 
gmvillan said:
1978 was my first proper memory. It was the second world cup where the Dutch were on a different planet (yet couldn't quite do it). Can't spell any of their names right but there was Cruyff, Neiskins, the VanDerKeerkof brothers... Brilliant team.
I had the chance to go to matches here in the states in 94. That Irish team with all the Villans and God putting Baggio in his pocket in Giants Stadium. Best non-Villa game I've ever seen live was Germany-Belgium in the quarters in Chicago. 3-2 to the krauts. Voller and Klinnsman were different class and the big Belgian centre-back who went to Newcastle (can't remember his name) was superb.
Also got to see four games in South Africa 2010, including the disgraceful England performance against Algeria. I could write a book about that night....
Click to expand...
The Dutch teams of 74 & 78 were a master class, simply magical, revolutionary. A total joy to watch as were Ajax when they won the European Cup three times on the trot in the early seventies. Just beautiful football, total football.
 
That Dutch team was superb. It disproved the theory that you can't fit square pegs into round holes. Their main back four was Suurbier, Ari Hahn, Reisbergen and Rudi Krol. The only one of them who was a defender was Reisbergen and he was a right back playing centre half.
Krol and Suurbier started off as wingers and Hahn was a central midfielder. The goalkeeper, Jongbloed, was called up at the last minute because Michels wanted a goalie who could play the ball out from the back. Barcelona's success was born at Ajax and Feyenoord when Cruyff took his ideas there.
 
82 my first memory, Adidas Tango’s and England’s greatest ever kits, Zico and Conti pure midfield genius on pitches mowed with funky patterns - I fucking loved that tournament.

My uncle used to record everything so must have continually re watched games until 86.
 
No . Peter Withe was but they left Morley and Sid out . They did play in the warm up games but didn't make the final cut.

Disgrace , and don't get me started on Sir Dennis.
 
Bloody hell you are right mate, i stand corrected.
Shocking, he loved Rix though from memory.
 
gmvillan said:
1978 was my first proper memory. It was the second world cup where the Dutch were on a different planet (yet couldn't quite do it). Can't spell any of their names right but there was Cruyff, Neiskins, the VanDerKeerkof brothers... Brilliant team.
I had the chance to go to matches here in the states in 94. That Irish team with all the Villans and God putting Baggio in his pocket in Giants Stadium. Best non-Villa game I've ever seen live was Germany-Belgium in the quarters in Chicago. 3-2 to the krauts. Voller and Klinnsman were different class and the big Belgian centre-back who went to Newcastle (can't remember his name) was superb.
Also got to see four games in South Africa 2010, including the disgraceful England performance against Algeria. I could write a book about that night....
Click to expand...

GM, I loved that Dutch team of the 70's as much as the Brazilians, total football indeed. You could have added Ruud Krol and Johnny Repp to your list. Their achilles heel was ironically part of what made them fantastic to watch. In 74, I remember them toying with the Germans in the final, and their over confidence being their undoing. The incredible atmosphere at the final in Argentina just seemed to suck the ball inevitably towards their goal.

Undoubtedly the best team at both 74 and 78 for me and in England's absence they were my team. Loved the orange kit too and I still have a soft spot for them to this day. Could quiet happily live in Amsterdam: love the laid back vibe.
 
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