World Cup Rambling

This month we’ll look at the opening pair of matches in each group at USA 94.  There was a raft of new laws on tackling, offside and the back pass, which FIFA hoped would liven up the show, after the stodginess of Italia 90.  The gaudy opening ceremony, and Diana Ross’s penalty miss (which foreshadowed the climax of the tournament), fuelled the scepticism about taking the World Cup to a country that knew nothing of soccer but everything of crass hype and empty razzmatazz.  Yet once the actual football got under way, all the fears fell away.  A memorable first set of games saw dark horses Romania stun the much-hyped Colombians, Jack Charlton’s Republic of Ireland enjoy their finest hour, the rise of new forces from Asia, Nigeria’s Super Eagles swooping down in style, Diego Maradona returning in typically exuberant fashion, and much more.

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A snippet of what you have to look forward to in Series 4 of World Cup Rambling, which starts on 2nd March 2024.

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In the final episode of series three, we look at one of the strangest tales in World Cup history – the theft of the Jules Rimet Cup from a stamp exhibition in London in 1966. The holy grail of football has a storied history, carried on an ocean liner to the first World Cup in Uruguay, stashed in a shoebox under a bed during World War Two, before being stolen in London and found by a dog in 1966, then stolen again in Rio de Janeiro in 1983.  The story of the London theft resembles an Ealing comedy, a barely believable plot of institutional incompetence, gangland activity, alleged deals, fake names, ransom demands, sting operations, replica trophies, and a heroic dog, all against the backdrop of the UK General Election. 

Thank you for all your listening support in 2023. 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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It’s time to dip back into the 1986 World Cup, by looking at the match of the tournament, a mighty, midday clash in the Mexican heat between France and Brazil, two of the most iconic teams of that era.  France, the reigning European Champions, had started their campaign slowly but looked to be steadily finding their form.  Brazil, underrated in comparison to their 1982 predecessors, were still capable of scoring stylish goals.  They had the deadly striker and solid defence that they had been missing four years previously.  When the two teams collided, it was a spectacular match, an epic rollercoaster ride of skill, high drama, tension and controversy, where old heroes were shown to have feet of clay and new heroes stepped forward.

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Graham Taylor took over the England job amidst much optimism, following England’s strong Italia 90 campaign.  The expectation was that England would continue to be a force at major tournaments.

However, the optimism evaporated as Taylor struggled to get to grips with the unique challenge of international football.  He failed to develop a playing identity for the Three Lions (beyond a stale version of his beloved direct football) and struggled to manage the erratic talents of Paul Gascoigne. 

Taylor’s relationship with the media and the fans became increasingly fractious and after a poor European Championship in Sweden, the pressure mounted as England set off to qualify for USA 94.  The qualifying campaign was littered with tactical errors, bizarre selections, key injuries, humbling defeats, strange officiating, not to mention ambiguous syntax (“Can we not knock it?”, “Do I not like that?”). 

Taylor’s composure unravelled, with the whole grisly spectacle being recorded for an unintentionally hilarious fly-on-the-wall documentary. 

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We’re back with part 2 of the Argentina 78 retrospective.  This episode will focus on the first group stage.  We have Argentina playing under the weight of domestic expectations, accompanied by a stench of dodgy refereeing.  We also have the relative decline of West Germany, Brazil and Holland, the unexpectedly strong performances of Tunisia, Austria and Peru, the resurgence of Italy. There’s also the small matter of Scotland’s craziest campaign ever, as hubris crashes into reality, Willie Johnston falls foul of the drug testers, anger spills out from the terraces…then Archie Gemmill scores a wonder goal. It's not just the players who capture the attention, with the pedantic time-keeping of Welsh referee Clive Thomas and the unravelling of Scotland's manager Ally MacLeod providing headlines during the opening phase of Mundial 78.

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This month it’s a tribute to Pelé, who died on 29th December 2022.  Pelé burst onto the World Cup scene as a 17-year-old in 1958.  A late addition to the starting eleven, he was awesome for a teenager, scoring six goals to help Brazil win the World Cup for the first time.  Pelé became the world’s best player, a genuine superstar, a global icon yet his next two World Cups ended unhappily. The price of fame meant overplaying for both club and country, which led to him breaking down with injury in 1962. In 1966, he was the target of brutal opponents who wanted to stop him at all costs. As he walked off the Goodison Park pitch, it seemed like the end of the World Cup road. However, Pelé was determined to finish his international career on a high and returned in 1970, where he wowed a global audience with his magnificent goals and irrepressible skills as he confirmed his status as perhaps the greatest footballer of all-time.

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This month we look back at France’s epic capitulation at the 2010 World Cup. From the start, the French campaign was shrouded in gloom and scandal, courtesy of Raymond Domenech’s haphazard management, Thierry Henry’s handball in the play-off against Republic of Ireland, and a prostitute scandal involving some of the squad. The situation was exacerbated by the self-serving behaviour of both the players and the manager, and the weak leadership from the top of the French Football Federation. It all built to the nadir of French international football when the players went on strike, following the defeat against Mexico and the dismissal of Nicolas Anelka from the squad. The collapse of the national team was wrapped up in France’s socio-political insecurities about race, nationality, class and identity. Has a major nation ever fallen apart so comprehensively on the biggest stage?

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When Brazil met Holland in the second group stage of the 1974 World Cup, a place in the final was at stake. It was the reigning champions against the pretenders to the throne.  Johan Cruyff and his colleagues were playing 'Total Football', a fluid, aggressive style of play which had thrilled the world.  The Dutch were nonchalantly brilliant as they swatted away opponent after opponent.  Brazil, by contrast, were struggling to live up to the legacy of the 1970 with so many of the heroes of that triumph (Pelé, Carlos Alberto, Tostao, Gerson et al) having gone, to be replaced by underwhelming successors.  Even worse (as far as fans and journalists were concerned) they were employing a robust style, which wasn't easy on the eye.  This new style was designed to make up for the perceived lack of flair as well to provide protection after Brazil's last European World Cup (in 1966) had seen them lose the physical battle.  The match between the old kings and the crown princes promised much.  What followed though was a nasty contest, which concluded with the descent of Brazil from their pedestal, as Holland became the stylish keepers of beautiful football. 

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A tantalising snippet of what you have to look forward to in the third series of World Cup Rambling, which is due to start on Saturday 4th February 2023.

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A nice Christmas surprise for all you dear listeners -  a look back at Argentina versus France, arguably the craziest World Cup Final ever, which ended with Lionel Messi emulating Diego Maradona by captaining the Argentinians to World Cup glory.  As well as this, I cast my eye over Qatar 2022 as a whole and revisit some of my forecasts from the preview episode.  Make sure to rate and review the podcast and subscribe to World Cup Rambling on your podcast platform.  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all and I look forward to enjoying your listening support in 2023.

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In this episode we have a look ahead to the 2022 World Cup, the background to the tournament, the controversies, the response to Qatar’s tournament, and a look at some of the teams.  

This is the last episode of series 2 so thanks for listening the whole way through 2022.  Go back and listen to all the previous episodes and continue to subscribe to World Cup Rambling on your podcast platform.

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After four turbulent years, Diego Maradona returned for one last shot at World Cup glory in 1994. After leading a bedraggled Argentina through a qualification play-off against Australia, Diego went all out to regain his fitness for USA ’94. A remarkable physical transformation took place as Diego shed the excess pounds. Looking trim and sharp, Diego declared himself ready to captain Argentina for a third successive World Cup. At long last his troubles seemed to be behind him. Diego scored a wonder goal as Argentina crushed Greece in the first game. He followed this up with another inspirational performance against Nigeria, as he equalled the record for all-time World Cup appearances. Then he was summoned to doping control…

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In the summer of 1986, for the first and only time, Alex Ferguson took a team to a major international tournament. Ferguson had been Scotland’s assistant manager, working alongside the legendary Jock Stein. Ferguson regarded Stein as a mentor figure and was delighted to be working alongside him. When Stein died tragically at the end of a pulsating World Cup qualifier against Wales, Ferguson took up the reins, guiding Scotland through a play-off against Australia, before taking them to Mexico ’86.  Scotland went on a rollercoaster ride, bedevilled by tension, intrigue and farce, culminating in a notorious encounter with Uruguay.

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"Not so much a football match as an international incident," was how legendary sports write Hugh McIlvanney described the 1966 World Cup quarter-final between England and Argentina.  England came into the match after a series of solid but unspectacular performances in the group stages - par for the course for an England team.  Argentina were in an incendiary mood after some robust displays which had led to a FIFA warning.  This warning, combined with the referee-selection process and the so-called "European" style of officiating, stoked a mood of paranoia ahead of the clash with England.  When the match came, there was a massive combustion, with Antonio Rattin (Argentina's captain) and Rudolf Kreitlein (the German referee) at the centre of the drama.  The fallout from the Wembley quarter-final would echo down the years.

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This episode reflects on France’s disastrous World Cup defence in 2002. Roger Lemerre’s team arrived in South Korea as World Champions, European Champions, and Confederations Cup holders. They had Zinedine Zidane in peak form, as well as the golden boot winners from three of Europe’s top leagues. Rarely can there have been such a strong favourite to win a World Cup. What followed was a remarkable capitulation, as France went home without even scoring a goal.

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Chile feels a burning sense of national pride as World Cup hosts, having suffered a traumatising earthquake in 1960, before losing their key organiser in the weeks leading up to the 1962 tournament. However, some Italian journalists have been disparaging about the host country. This leaves the Italian team in a difficult situation when they face Chile in the group stage. What follows is one of the World Cup’s most notorious matches – described by the BBC’s David Coleman as “the most stupid, appalling, disgusting and disgraceful exhibition of football possibly in the history of the game”.

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After a mammoth 48 group matches, dragged out over two stages, the 1982 World Cup finally remembers that it’s supposed to be a knockout competition. A resurgent Italy, with Paolo Rossi having found his shooting boots, sweep past Poland. Then in Seville, there’s a night of intense drama as France meet West Germany. It’s billed as a clash between artists and artisans. The match swings one way and then the other, featuring spectacular goals, a blood-curdling foul, and the first ever World Cup penalty shoot-out. The French are left beaten and broken (literally) and have to settle for fourth place after losing to Poland. With Rossi having hit form and Italy’s confidence surging, even West Germany can’t stop the Azzurri from claiming a third World Cup.  There's also a diatribe in there about World Cup expansion. 

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The first group stage is over, but the unusual format of this competition means it’s time for another group stage. Poland reach the semi-finals for the second time in three tournaments, after shutting out the Soviet Union – a popular result. Elsewhere, the French find their form, ending Northern Ireland’s dream in the process. England, with goals in short supply, scramble Kevin Keegan and Trevor Brooking into action, in a futile attempt to leapfrog West Germany in the race for a semi-final spot. Yet the highlight of this round is a mind-boggling Group of Death – featuring Argentina, Brazil, and Italy. Maradona is the victim of a clinically efficient marking job from the terrifying Gentile. Brazil, with another collection of fine goals, end Argentina’s reign as world champions. Then comes an epic showdown between Italy and Brazil, where Paolo Rossi’s sudden resurgence leaves the football romantics in tears.

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Here is the long-anticipated (yeah right) start of series two. We’re going back in time to the 1982 World Cup. Joao Havelange’s conception of the ‘biggest World Cup ever’ came to fruition, as the 24-team extravaganza rolled into Spain, a country that was facing the first global test of its new democratic era. Things didn’t start too well, with an error-strewn draw ceremony and scepticism from the press, both inside and outside of Spain, about the country’s capacity to host the tournament. The action from the first group stage will be looked at – Italy’s early struggles, the sneaky shenanigans of West Germany and Austria, Northern Ireland’s finest hour, England’s dramatic start, the frustrated promise of Algeria and Cameron, the splendour of Brazil, Hungary’s record-breaking performance, fatal Scottish calamities, and much, much more.

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A tantalising snippet of what you have to look forward to in the second series of World Cup Rambling, which is due to start on Friday 4th February 2022.

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Time to provide you all with some much-needed Christmas cheer.  This episode is a snappy look back at the 2014 World Cup, through an article that I wrote at the time.

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Deep political shadows lay across the 1974 World Cup. This was epitomised by the Group 1 meeting between West Germany, the hosts, and their brothers from over the border, East Germany. The stage was set for a tense encounter in Hamburg, which was riven with plots and subplots. West vs East, capitalism vs communism, liberty vs authoritarianism. For Helmut Schön, manager of the West Germany, there was a lot at stake personally – he was born on what had become the East side of the border. Things hadn’t been running smoothly for West Germany, with rows over money and disappointing performances on the pitch. As for East Germany, the players were keen to test themselves against the West, whilst their political leaders saw the match as a golden opportunity to show the world the superiority of their “system”. 

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With one game remaining, Brazil and Chile were level on points in their qualifying group. Brazil had a superior goal difference, which meant they required just a draw to reach the 1990 World Cup. Chile needed a win, but Brazil hadn’t lost a competitive match on home soil since 1975. The Maracanã Stadium was packed to the rafters with Brazilian fans, who expected their team to extend their 100% record of qualifying for World Cups. What followed was one of the most outrageous acts of cheating in World Cup history, one which would have serious consequences for the perpetrators. This match would also spawn an unlikely celebrity, as well having a possible connection to an aviation tragedy several hundred miles away.

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A tribute to the late great Gerd "Der Bomber" Müller, who died on 15th August 2021, at the age of 75.  Here, I reflect on the goals that Müller scored at World Cups, the 10 at Mexico 70 (which put him in an exclusive club of players who hit double figures at a single World Cup), then the four he added on home soil in 1974, which set a record of 14 which stood for 32 years.  Has there ever been a deadlier World Cup striker than Gerd Müller?  

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A bit leftfield here. In this edition, I will be reviewing the novel ’30 Days Across America’ by Christopher Dwyer, a story of two friends who take off across the United States to follow the 1994 World Cup. It’s a fun book to read if you’re a football fan and if (like me) you love USA 94.

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Time to wander off the beaten track to have a brief look at the European Championship Final.  I could hardly let England's first appearance in a major final since 1966 go by without giving you guys the benefit of my irrelevant opinions.  What went right for Italy?  What went wrong for England?  Is Gareth Southgate the man to take the Three Lions to a major trophy in the future? 

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It’s time to look at a more modern World Cup – 2006, and the epic semi-final between Germany and Italy.

Germany initially struggled under the stewardship of Italia 90 hero Jurgen Klinsmann.  A sceptical German public feared the worst.  What they got, however, was a dynamic, attacking team, packed with younger players (such as future World Cup winners, Lahm, Podolski and Schweinsteiger) and led by the underrated Ballack, powering their way to the semi-finals.  As the team grew in stature, there was an unexpected swell of patriotism.

Meanwhile, Italy arrived at the World Cup under a dark cloud.  The Calciopoli scandal tarnished the reputation of Italian football.  However, the Italian public rallied to the cause.  With the veteran Marcelo Lippi in the dugout, and star players like Buffon, Cannavaro, Pirlo and Totti on the pitch, the Azzurri found their groove.

What followed in Borussia Dortmund’s iconic stadium, was a gripping showdown.  Pirlo and Totti provided the magic for Italy, whilst Cannavaro produced a defensive performance for the ages.  The Germans, previously criticised for having a weak defence, stood up strongly, with Mertesacker and Metzelder on top of their game, and Lahm showing signs of becoming one of the world’s great full-backs.

On a tense night, the game moved inexorably towards a penalty shootout. Then, Italy won a late corner…

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The summer of 1970 – England, the reigning World Champions, are off to Mexico, in an attempt to win the Jules Rimet Trophy again.  It’s a whole different challenge for England, as they have to cope with the Mexican heat and altitude, as well as being tagged as the villains, owing to Latin American conspiracy theories about 1966. The drama begins off the field as England’s catering arrangements and Sir Alf Ramsey’s aloof demeanour raise the hackles of the Mexicans. Then a stopover in Colombia goes disastrously wrong with the Bobby Moore bracelet affair. Things get more intense as the tournament finally starts – from a physical encounter with Romania to an epic confrontation with Brazil, then a pedestrian match with Czechoslovakia and the ultimate showdown with West Germany.

Meanwhile back home, Harold Wilson, the Prime Minister, is seeking to repeat his own victory from 1966, by winning a fresh general election. After four turbulent years, Wilson’s Labour Party is comfortably ahead of the Edward Heath’s Tories in the opinion polls. However, the World Cup is preying on Wilson’s mind. The PM is taken with the notion that Labour’s fortunes rise and fall, in accordance with those of the England team. Wilson is worried about what will happen to the Labour government if England are knocked out of the competition shortly before polling day.

Could England’s defeat against West Germany really have affected the outcome of the 1970 general election?

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This episode is a look at the Zambian national team’s attempt to qualify for USA ’94. From the team’s emergence on the world stage at the Seoul Olympics in 1988, with a sensational 4-0 win over Italy to the tragic air disaster in April 1993, that claimed the lives of eighteen players – a devastating event that plunged a nation into mourning and robbed Zambia of its golden generation – and the sensational climax to the story, when Zambia re-emerged with a new team and came within a single goal of qualifying for the 1994 World Cup.

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This episode is a short tribute to the World Cup career of the late Paolo Rossi, who died on 9th December 2020. There is a look at his contribution to Italy’s 1978 World Cup campaign, when he emerged as one of the most promising young strikers in world football. Following that, we move forward to 1982, where Rossi emerged from the shadows of scandal, overcame a desperately poor start to the tournament, to drive Italy forward to World Cup glory, scoring six goals, including a hat-trick against the legendary Brazil team.

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Having won the World Cup in 1958 and 1962, Brazil were favourites to complete the hat-trick, by winning the 1966 World Cup in England. Instead, they crashed out at the group stage, a humiliating comedown for a team that was starting to think of the Jules Rimet Trophy as its personal property. From haphazard preparations to Pelé’s rough treatment, Joao Havelange’s hubris to bizarre team selections, I have a look at what went wrong for the back-to-back World Champions.

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Something a bit different here. In this episode, I will be reminiscing about my history of following the World Cup from 1990 to 2018. It’s not a retrospective of those tournaments. It’s my memories of watching them, be it my mum opening my eyes to the majesty of Maradona at Italia 90, sneaking around to catch snippets of the late kick-offs at USA 94, dragging myself out of bed to watch Japan/Korea 2002, or the glorious summer of 2014 when my (un)employment situation left me free to watch every match of the Brazil World Cup.  Prepare yourself for some outrageous claims, shock revelations, (in)sane theories and old grudges.  

WARNING: THIS EPISODE INCLUDES BAD SINGING

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Down to the last four where West Germany show themselves to be the ultimate Turniermannschaft by breaking French hearts yet again. The French are left with the mere consolation of the bronze medal after a win against the Belgians, who were condemned to the third place match by a sparkling Maradona performance. The field is left clear for Argentina to claim the ultimate prize but the West Germans, as usual, refuse to go quietly. In the end, however, nothing can stop Maradona getting his hands on the trophy, with a little help from his unsung colleagues.

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With the wheat separated from the chaff (some of it anyway), it’s time for the knockout stages, starting with the Round of 16. We have a seven-goal thriller as Belgium derail the Soviet juggernaut. Elsewhere, France topple Italy in the battle of the champions and the Danish summer romance ends in bitter heartbreak. Forward to the quarter-finals, where France and Brazil meet in a scintillating encounter, West Germany poop the Mexican party, Belgium edge past Spain and there’s the small matter of Argentina vs England, featuring the little man with a great left foot and a sneaky left hand.

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Happy New Year.  New Year, New Podcast.  As the world lost the legendary Diego Maradona on 25th November 2020, this is a three-part special, looking back at the 1986 World Cup, the tournament which Maradona made his own. In this first episode, there is a look at how the tournament came to be held in Mexico in the first place, before an examination of the runners and riders for world football’s greatest prize. After that, it’s into the group stages, as Maradona serves notice of his intentions, Hugo Sanchez has mixed fortunes on his return to Mexico, the French and the Soviets impress with their stylish football, Josimar bursts onto the scene as Pat Jennings bids farewell, Danish Dynamite explodes in sensational style, Uruguay enrage with their villainy, Morocco strike a blow for African football, and England suffer “problems upon problems” until Bobby Robson is saved by the goals of a certain future crisps salesman.

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It's the World Cup podcast you never knew you needed.  Join me (Matthew Okot) as I ramble my way through different stories from the Greatest Show on Earth.  

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