World Cup 1978 - Day Four

Sunday 4 June

So every team had now played one game and we patiently waited for the second batch. The main news story breaking was that Willie Johnston had failed a drugs test and rumours circulated of him, or the whole team, being sent home.

Meanwhile us kids were in the rec practising shooting like Teofilo Cubillas – jumpers for goal posts, balls hitting fences, angry neighbours and so on.

Group One

Argentina 2pts (2-1)

Italy 2pts (2-1)

France 0pts (1-2)

Hungary 0pts (1-2)

Group Two

Tunisia 2pts (3-1)

Poland 1pt (0-0)

West Germany 1pt (0-0)

Mexico 0pts (1-3)

Group Three

Austria 2pts (2-1)

Brazil 1pt (1-1)

Sweden 1pt (1-1)

Spain 0pts (1-2)

Group Four

Holland 2pts (3-0)

Peru 2pts (3-1)

Scotland 0pts (1-3)

Iran 0pts (0-3)

Top scorers:

Rensenbrink (Holland) 3 goals

Cubillas (Peru) 2 goals

World Cup 1978 - Day Three

Saturday 3 June

This was a great day of footy. My weekly edition of Roy of the Rovers would have arrived with the morning papers and then, having devoured that, I may have watched the TV highlights of the previous day’s games or went up to the rec for a kickabout with the lads.

But I would certainly have been in front of the box promptly at 5.45pm where there was a choice of live games from Group 3. ITV had Austria v Spain but my Dad and I opted for BBC and Brazil v Sweden, as I am sure most of the nation did.

I had seen plenty of footage of the great Brazil 1970 team and Pele etc in the build-up so we were anticipating a similar display. Instead the game is best known for the controversial finish. With the score at 1-1 in the dying seconds, a Brazilian corner came over, and referee Clive Thomas blew for time an instant before Zico headed it in the net.

At first we thought there may have been a foul but we could see clearly from the ref’s gestures what had happened. Had he blown a second earlier or a second later, there would not have been such a fuss – but this remains one of the most bizarre decisions ever taken by a referee. (Clive Thomas never refereed another world cup match).

But back to business – for an hour later, it was the long-awaited start of Scotland’s campaign. Both channels showed live coverage of this one.

I recall sitting on the floor right in front of the TV (not sure why) as the Jocks kicked off and took the lead in 14 minutes. This was a good game, end to end stuff, Peru equalised, Scotland missed a penalty and then Teofilo Cubillas happened – with two cracking goals! Scotland seemed in shock and, in a game we had expected them to win, slid passively to defeat.

I remember well that feeling of anti-climax that I would become so familiar with by following England in later tournaments.

In the other game, Rob Rensenbrink scored the tournament’s first hat trick and become top scorer as Holland saw off Iran 3-0.

Group 3: Brazil 1-1 Sweden

Reinaldo 45 – Sjoberg 37

Group 3: Austria 2-1 Spain

Schachner 9, Krankl 79 – Dani 21

Group 4: Peru 3-1 Scotland

Cueto 44, Cubillas 70, 76 – Jordan 14

Group 4: Holland 3-0 Iran

Resenbrink 40 (pen), 62, 78 (pen)

World Cup 1978 - Day Two

Friday 2 June

At school, just as at work, Friday is the best day of the week, and even more when there was a weekend of football to look forward to, with Scotland’s first game being the highlight

Kicking off at 5.45pm that Friday evening was the opening game of group one – Italy v France. This game was live on ITV, with Italy winning 2-1. Apparently there were disputes amongst the French squad regarding cash payments (shades of 2010?)

Then in the evening, the BBC showed highlights of Tunisia becoming the first African side to win a match in the finals as they triumphed over Mexico 3-1 to top the group ahead the Germans, before heading over to the live game – the debut of the hosts.

With no school the next day, I was allowed to stay up for this game, which kicked off at 11.15pm British time. I have very clear memories of the ticker tape parade as the Argentinians walked onto the pitch for their first appearance.

A successful start was made as Argentina beat Hungary 2-1 but it took until the 83rd minute for the winner and by the end of the game Hungary were down to nine men!

After the boring start, at last the footy had got going. One interesting point was that in all three games, the team that scored first went on to lose.

Group 1: Italy 2-1 France

Rossi 27, Zaccarelli 54 - Lacombe 1

Group 1: Argentina 2-1 Hungary

Luque 14, Bertoni 83 - Csapo 9

Group 2: Tunisia 3-1 Mexico

Kaabi 55, Ghommidh 80, Dhouib 86 - Vasquez (pen) 44

World Cup 1978 - Day One

Thursday 1 June

So away we go and our TV was on for the opening game, West Germany against Poland, which kicked off at 7pm on both channels, after an interesting but very 70s opening ceremony involving lots of people running over the pitch moving themselves to make shapes and words.

 

On paper, the opening game promised much – the defending champions against the side which had come third in 1974, preventing England’s qualification on the way.

Unfortunately it turned out to be very dull. The previous three World Cup openers had all been 0-0, including England-Mexico in 1966, and this continued the sequence. A very boring game only consoled by the thought of another 37 to come.

Group 2: West Germany 0-0 Poland

Eve of the World Cup 1978

By the eve of opening day, the wall charts and TV schedules were at the ready.

Group One                        Group Two

1. Argentina                      1. West Germany

2. Hungary                        2. Poland

3. France                          3. Mexico

4. Italy                              4. Tunisia

Group Three                     Group Four

1. Brazil                            1. Netherlands

2. Sweden                        2. Iran

3. Spain                            3. Peru

4. Austria                          4. Scotland

Fixtures:

1 v 2 . 3 v 4 === 1 v 3 . 2 v 4 === 1 v 4 . 2 v 3

Second Round:

Group A: winners of Groups 1 and 3, runners up of Groups 2 and 4

Group B: winners of Groups 2 and 4, runners up of Groups 1 and 3

Third place play-off: runners-up of Group A v runners-up of Group B

Final: winners of Group A v winners of Group B

Day-by-Day - The World Cup 1978

Just as you remember your first kiss or your first job, to while away the summer, here is a day-by-day account of the first World Cup that I can remember.

I was too young for 1974 but eagerly looked forward to the 1978 world cup in Argentina. At the time, the people of Argentina were captive under a military dictatorship, but when you are ten years old you don’t worry about such things. In fact, I can’t recall any of the news events of 1978 – apart from the football.

England's hopes had departed along with Don Revie in 1977. It would be four more years before I would see England kick off a world cup proper campaign.

Scotland had qualified and, which with hindsight seems an astonishing miscalculation, many thought they had a good chance. On paper they certainly had a strong squad – stronger than today’s Scotland team – but was it strong enough? In the build up Andy Cameron charted with one of the most famous world cup songs ‘Ally’s Army’ – ‘and we’ll really shake ‘em up, when we win the World Cup, as Scotland are the greatest football team.’

The draw had taken place earlier that year. Group 1 had Argentina against the triple Euro attack of Italy, France and Hungary. Of course the hosts were expected to qualify comfortably but the other spot was wide open. In Group 2, holders West Germany faced Poland, Mexico and Tunisia. Nothing much for the Germans to worry about there.

Group 3 had Brazil also facing three European teams in Spain, Sweden and Austria (whatever happened to Austria?) and Group 4 had the Jocks facing Holland, previously beaten finalists and one of the main favourites, with Peru and Iran making the numbers – or so we thought.

Ten European teams out of 16 – you can see why world cups were felt to be imbalanced.

The rules were four groups of four with the top two qualifying – and then, oddly, the eight teams would be sorted into two more groups of four with the winner of each group playing in the final and the runners-up would be in the third place play off (no semi-finals!) There would be 38 games in all.

For this account, special credit goes to the web site run by 'upthemaggies' of ITV Football - link to the right.

FA Cup Final Day

FA Cup Final day was always a special day for TV football fans in the 1970s for a number of reasons. For example:

 

-It was the last day of the domestic football season. All league issues, promotion, relegation, were settled. (The only exception would be if a club had a European final afterwards). The game was a way for all of us to say goodbye to the season.

 

-It was a rare case of a game which was televised live – indeed the only live club game of the season.

 

-Playing at Wembley was a special treat for most players, and attending was a special treat for all fans. I remember my own excitement in 1985 going to watch Norwich in the League Cup Final.

 

-And of course the FA Cup is the world’s oldest football competition – a straight forward one-off knock out competition – lose and you are out – the only team that does not lose is the winners.

 

Television would help make the day very special. With only three channels, and two of them dominated to the day from mid-day through to after 5pm, it was a rough afternoon if you were not a football fan.

 

Coverage of the day would be a usual pattern – we would talk to the players at their hotels, have a further chat on their respective buses, another chin wag as they wander on the pitch in their new suits, specially designed for the occasion – there would be ‘The Road to Wembley’ features where we saw the highlights of the previous rounds (those games which had been televised of course) – and a usual panel of experts giving their thoughts, along with some celebrity guests such as Eric Morecambe and Elton John.

 

There will be specials of Football Focus and On The Ball, and Saint and Greavsie would each follow a team – I especially remember 1984 when Ian St John attached himself to the Everton team bravely wearing his red Liverpool shirt, while Londoner Greavsie would visit ‘our new borough’ in Watford.

 

ITV would slip in their usual other features – the wrestling, of course, and the racing – and BBC would feature shows such as ‘It’s A Cup Final Knockout’, ‘Cup Final Mastermind’ and, er, ‘Cup Final Jim’ll Fix it’. And sometimes the Women’s FA Cup Final would feature.

 

We’d see the teams come out, all line up to meet the guest of honour, sing Abide with Me, then kick off with a big cheer. Afterwards it would be ‘Meet The Winners’ – or not as in the case of 1970 and 1981-2-3. Replays are now of course something else that has changed.

 

Then all over by 5.30, time for tea, Doctor Who, and then, just in case you’ve not had enough of the box, Saturday evening telly – but that is another story!