England qualify for the 1982 World Cup

Reaction to England qualifying for the 1982 World Cup finals following a 1-0 win over Hungary in November 1981. Two months earlier England looked out of the running but results involving other teams in the group unexpectedly went in their favour to enable them to reach their first finals since 1970 (as they were hosts in 1966 and holders in 1970, they hadn't qualified on the field since 1962!). Amid a great sense of relief from Wembley, analysis from Jimmy Hill, Lawrie McMenemy, Bobby Charlton and Bob Wilson and an interview with a blooded Kevin Keegan.

[@patscott8612]

I don't think I've heard a louder roar in Wembley for an England game. The relief.

[@merseydave1]

"This time, more than any other time, This Time"!.

[@kevinstoneham1245]

David Cummings "We're on our way, we are Ron's 22".

[@ashleyduval2847]

were going to find a way, find a way to get it right, this time..... were getting altogether, we'll get it right!

[@paulhiggins1577]

@@ashleyduval2847 wrong

[@chrisfallon9678]

Great scenes .first time qualified for the world cup since 1962 . King kev Keegan great example a legend

[@zzzaaa0990]

What a World Cup Spain 82 was,thrills and spills. Great memories,soccer is virtually dead now. Amen.

[@gwangi64]

This must have been the happiest England crowd at Wembley since 1966. The relief at finally reaching another World Cup after 12 years was huge, particularly when it seemed England would miss out yet again after losing to Norway.

[@SuperTed19021]

After all that, *god yes* you would rejoice at Wembley. Also, it was the first time England has qualified for an major tournament since 1962 (19 years).

[@mattadders9819]

Didn’t we qualify for euro 80?

[@silversteel6312]

I think Italy can win it if they can overcome their traditional slow start. Paolo Rossi has a lot to prove too.

[@duffymoony]

Keegan was a fkn legend on the pitch. One of our best ever. Horrible luck he and Brooking both got injured before the WC 82 and only managed 20 mins a piece, gutted to go out not having lost a game. Still haven't quite got over it.

[@bachittarlehal1779]

A fit Keegan would have made England successful in 1982 world cup

[@derekharrison1582]

Brilliant scenes.And to think we didn’t lose any games in Spain 82,but the header Keegan missed against the Spanish...damn😪A great England squad,who should have got to the final.

[@iananderson3799]

Not really. England began well scoring 3 goals in their first match, but then played poorer and scored fewer with each successive match. Even had Kev scored with that header, it would not have been enough.

[@derekharrison1582]

@@iananderson3799 Ian.This was our first World Cup since 1970,so there was massive expectation to do well.We beat the French in that first game,and they got to the semi final,only for Schumacher to be allowed to stay on the pitch after he ASSAULTED Battiston.I watched that England v France game in a pub,and the atmosphere was incredible.We topped the group,then went into another group,where for some reason it didn’t work out.There was too much reliance on Kevin Keegan from Ron Greenwood,in much the same way Bobby Robson would rely on Bryan Robson too much in later tournaments,but when you win all three group games like we did in 1982,then the expectations are raised.Remember also Ian this was a time when our clubs dominated European football.Liverpool,Nottingham Forest & Aston Villa all winning the European cup.Liverpool & Forest winning it in successive seasons.So again as I said the expectations were huge.

[@iananderson3799]

@@derekharrison1582 I don't disagree that the expectations were huge. But dispassionately looking at England's displays, they got poorer as the tournament progressed, whilst the likes of Italy, France and Poland got better. Greenwood seemed more intent upon not conceding goals, than scoring them.

[@derekharrison1582]

@@iananderson3799 Then look at the media.When we get to a tournament it’s,’we’re gonna win it,’especially if we start well.In 82,we started well and it ended as a damp squib.In 86 & 90 we didn’t start so well,yet got to the quarters and semi’s.Look at 2018.Did you think we’d get to the semi’s, and when we did,and it was Croatia,everyone was saying,’we’ll be playing France in the final’.Didn’t happen though did it.The media expectations mean supporters get hyped up beyond all reality.We hammered Germany in Munich 5-1 in 2001,yet that same German team got to the World Cup final in 2002,and it wasn’t even a great side.The media go after managers if things aren’t going well.Greenwood got it during the 82 qualifiers,remember Norway,so maybe that was the reason for his caution.Robson got it as well during his tenure,especially during Euro 88,and even during the start of Italia 90.Now he’s looked on as a great England manager for getting us to the semi’s in Italy,but I can remember just how critical and abusive the media were with him.

[@iananderson3799]

@@derekharrison1582 Damned media !!

[@lifeofvinyl3003]

We’re on our way. We are Ron’s 22. Hear the roar. Of the red, white and blue..

[@markbrooks1622]

This is great. Thanks

[@sidneygreen9120]

Well done kev and thank you and goodnight 😁👍

[@jkshanahan007]

RIP Jimmy Hill.

[@badabing8884]

And Bobby Charlton.

[@andrewyoung1652]

Bobby charlton is 44 here! That’s 8 years older than cristiano Ronaldio is now. Incredible, Bobby could easily pass for mid 60’s

[@jonblazeinc]

Ppl in their 40s generally looked older back then. Unlike today 40 year old look younger dress younger etc

[@veritas4364]

Cristiano spends every waking moment taking care of his appearance.

[@gunternetzer9621]

Not mid 60's late 40's.

[@andrewyoung1652]

@@gunternetzer9621 I’d go as far as saying early to mid 70’s 🤔

[@robinevans3440]

Some serious freak results in that group...After the Norway game England were dead and buried. ..Remember Switzerland winning away at Romania...Even made the teatime news the Swiss win. ..

[@SuperTed19021]

Euro 2008 qualifying was the same story. In England's case anyway.

[@jonesyboy69]

After reading Keegan’s autobiography, think England would have got further if it wasn’t for Greenwood. Keegan said his back was fine by the time of the West Germany game, but Greenwood left KK on the bench till 20 minutes from the end of the Spain game. England needed a 2-0 win, Greenwood was too cautious. Morley should have been in the squad also.

[@jonblazeinc]

I'll have to read Kevin's book but what I'll say is its not always down to the player to confirm if fit or not... Kevin had to do secret journeys to Germany to see specialists for help on his back, had epidural which really shook him about. So yes maybe greenwood could have risked him earlier but could have done Kevin more damage

[@dlamiss]

@@jonblazeinc in a World cup knockout game if Keegan said he was fit then he should have at least got 35 minutes

[@spodge1233]

Missed this game aged 11 cos I was at a school awards night. That'll never happen again, awards shmawards !!

[@hmq9052]

Did you get an award?

[@spodge1233]

@@hmq9052 Yes, that's why I had to go, parent pressure. But it was a nothing award. A piece of paper saying I was good at stuff. My Dad, however, stayed home and watched the match, my grandma took his seat at the smartypants awards. Now that's true intelligence, he worked that one like a pro. Come to think of it there were a lot of grandmas there that night,

[@vantheman1238]

Imagine Clough and Taylor managing that team?

[@michaelmuldowney8]

ENGLAND were massively lucky to qualify - ROMANIA imploded and blew a big advantage.

[@gunternetzer9621]

Only qualified as there were 24 finalists.

[@igorszamaszow171]

They only got 1 point out of possible 4 against Switzerland, in back-to-back matches I think.

[@gunternetzer9621]

@@igorszamaszow171 2 points - a win and a loss.

[@igorszamaszow171]

@@gunternetzer9621 I meant Romania, not England

[@SuperTed19021]

They *only* qualified because Romania completely screwed it up. Just like we would do in the Euro 2008 qualification campaign 26 years later (Russia). Saying that, we played well throughout 1982. A bit like Russia did Euro 2008. *Lightning doesn't strike twice?*

[@Anthony-Testicali]

People looked a fair bit older for their age back than but they were tough honest stoic down to earth football people unlike the primadonnas today earning half a million a year for talking jean pierre bolleaux

[@shellsbignumber2]

When football was truly the peoples game, no hospitality nonsense. Oh for those days again.

[@merseydave1]

Go into the lower leagues, its still there!

[@Jon-qw2oe]

When the players gave a shxt about the shirt . No bending of the knee crap

[@iananderson3799]

Hungary were a disgrace in this match. Having already qualified themselves, the players barely broke sweat.

[@igorszamaszow171]

Also, they didn't really want to see Romania going through, as John Motson rightly noted around 0:51

[@SuperTed19021]

@@igorszamaszow171 Hungary were the World Cup '82 WF version of Croatia in Euro '08 qualifying. The similarities *are* identical.

[@ballack2108]

Por los puntos desde 1962 que Inglaterra no clasificaba al mundial. En 1966 fue anfitrion y en 1970 por ser el campeon vigente.

[@onlyweatherlol93]

What a legend Bobby Charlton is! He really knows his stuff when talking about the game as well! For me, he's the greatest English footballer ever. The standard bearer

[@thenowuk]

When Wembley had an atmosphere

[@CIMAmotor]

When football was a working class sport

[@benedictcase4290]

We have rediscovered it

[@badabing8884]

40 years later and still doing the same thing: waiting for England to win a WC.😂

[@chu2ks2dfutur]

Comments like McMenemy's about Hoddle is why England, who had so many gifted technical players in the 70s, 80s and 90s misused them all.

[@gunternetzer9621]

This lot were stuck in the past about 'running with the ball.' What was needed at this time in international football was players popping the ball around one touch and running off the ball with the final pass going into feet and making diagonal runs off the ball to drag defenders away and open up the defence. English players at the time didn’t do that as 90% of attacks in the league ended with a high cross.

[@bachittarlehal1779]

Ron Greenwood was a good England manager

[@AntonesPap]

Ron Greenwood would have been a great England manager if he hadn't wasted: 6:03 Glenn Hoddle & 6:43 Tony Morley Those two would have given England the creativity sorely missing against Germany & Spain.

[@BurnsTennis]

@@AntonesPap In that case, it shows how forty years on things haven't changed. Now the argument is over Grealish, Madison. Mount will play in the Euros simply because he is seen as more solid and more reliable. However, England is the only big nation in Europe to never win the Euros and yet England will make the same mistakes they have done at all other tournaments, which is to put graft over craft and somehow think they can win the tournament. Well, all I can say is, let's see if England can win it this time with the same tired formula. I will be delighted if I am wrong and England win the competition. The best teams mix graft and craft, England often have too much graft and not enough craft.

[@kailashpatel1706]

@@AntonesPap bullseye, also Gordon Cowans, Statham, Regis, Viv Anderson, A. Martin, misuse of Ray Wilkins who should have been as a sweeper but started the rebuilding post 1980 Euro..Morley should have gone though and Hoddle was a must start against Spain..

[@wobblertv8083]

Good club manager .....Mediocre England manager .

[@gunternetzer9621]

@@wobblertv8083 The job came about 10 years too late for him. A great coach who Ramsay owed a lot to, due to his bringing on Peters, Moore and Hurst.

[@hmq9052]

Shirt swapping was incredibly important back then.

[@danielmcdermott138]

Fucking hell the state of Keegan.

[@SuperTed19021]

Until injured sadly did for him.

[@kailashpatel1706]

This would have been the team i would have sent to Spain (4-1-4-1)..Shilton..V. Anderson; T. Butcher; A Martin; D; Statham...R. Wilkins (Holding)..S Coppell; G. Cowans; B. Robson; T. Morley ; T. Francis..Subs Hoddle/Mariner/Woodcock, Sansom, Brooking

[@philh8288]

My only change Hoddle over cowans anyday statham was better than sansom!

[@kailashpatel1706]

@@philh8288 Why not Hoddle and Cowans together?, (Cowans had an excellent engine/workrate not just skill)

[@kailashpatel1706]

@@philh8288 Shilton..V. Anderson; T. Butcher; K.Beattie; D; Statham...T.Morley, G. Cowans; G. Hoddle; A. Devonshire...P. Mariner...T. Francis..Might have been how Clough and Taylor would have gone, using speed/skill down the flanks Mariner's movement to free Francis as often as possible..Alvin Martin would have benched but its fantasy since Beatie career as the key central defender had stopped in 1981, so a 4/4/1/1/

[@kailashpatel1706]

@@philh8288 Cowans had a work rate and engine which Hoddle lacked but superb skills and precision passing..so i would have play both together..Robson benched..

[@philh8288]

@@kailashpatel1706 robson was the greatest full stop

[@CIMAmotor]

Poor Alvin Martin got injured and didn't make Spain.

[@AntonesPap]

Was Alvin Martin actually injured or was it another erroneous decision by Ron Greenwood? Such as not playing Hoddle, choosing Rix over Morley etc?

[@CIMAmotor]

@@AntonesPap He was injured. I used to chat with Alvin while our sons played for Heath Park Juniors (his son David was a centre-back then, captain of the district team). He told me that when he was dropped for the WC quarter final against Argentina in 86 Bobby Robson told him that he was 'saving him for the semi-final. Alvin also told me that he would have chopped Maradona down before he scored that wonder-goal. History could have been so much different!

[@AntonesPap]

@@CIMAmotor I'm a big fan of English football and I'm interested in all sorts of trivia. I was talking about the 1982 World Cup finals. Did Alvin Martin miss them due to injury? Or did Ron Greenwood simply overlook him? I know he consciously chose Rix over Morley...

[@CIMAmotor]

@@AntonesPap Yes, Alvin was injured. I think the most glaring ommission from the 82 squad was Alan Devonshire, who was the best left-sided player in the country at the time. You're right, Ron really had a thing for Rix, maybe it was Don Howe's influence. Did you know that Alvin Martin is the only player to score a hat-trick against 3 different goalkeepers in one match? That's a really good bit of trivia.

[@AntonesPap]

@@CIMAmotor Like a true West Ham fan, you'd always choose Devonshire over Morley! I have a soft spot for Morley, but Devonshire was pure class too. Martin played the full 90 minutes in the last England match before the 1982 finals. It does seem he missed the end of the 1981-82 season though.

[@dutchvanhelsing6671]

Great Days ! England fans singing a Gary Glitter toooon.

[@ewaf88]

And England still haven't learnt how to run with the ball. However with their youth they might be a surprise package in Brasil

[@MNAYMEN]

did they surprise anyone then? haha

[@ewaf88]

MNAYMEN Yes they did by not even qualifying from their group. Well done lads!

[@ewaf88]

+MNAYMEN Well the only glimmers of light are in the Spurs squad.

[@Dryhten1801]

England!

[@Anthony-Testicali]

@ewaf88..they were a bleedin suprise alright...

[@gunternetzer9621]

Bob Wilson thought that Kenny Sansom was one of England's most naturally talented players - over say Trevor Brooking! It does make you wonder how some people ever made it in the game when they talked such utter rubbish.

[@wobblertv8083]

They get there ,don't lose a game but still get knocked out ....due to insipid conservative management of Ron greenwood .A team designed not to lose rather than win .shame because we had some really good players .

[@dancolombo6050]

ENG qualified because of extended 24 team formula.

[@SuperTed19021]

More due to Romania committing the *ultimate of balls up!* and Hungary, being already qualified, not wanting their arch-nemesis to qualify. It would be the same story again in November 2007 with our 3-2 loss at New Wembley against Croatia which allowed an subpar Russia though at our expense. Their is *such* a thing as karma.