England 1-1 Poland (1973) WCQ

One of the blackest nights in England's history, as despite creating numerous chances they fail to beat Poland at Wembley in October 1973 and therefore miss out on a place in the 1974 World Cup finals. This match was played just seven years after England had won the tournament, but the heroics of Poland's goalkeeper Jan Tomaszewski (despite an early injury and being labelled a "clown" by Brian Clough) meant it would be his country going to the finals as qualifying group winners.

[@Nakeizd]

This match is an icon in Polish football.

[@boum62]

And English. Bloody Jan !!!!

[@Nakeizd]

@@boum62 That evening at Wembley, the team that won the World Cup medal was born.

[@halfwayloyal]

Wee Scots love it as well

[@macioluko9484]

@@halfwayloyal’m sure that most people outside of England were cheering for the Poles. Our head coach Kazimierz Górski was a mastermind. He had this team train in cross country running, endurance and was a pioneer in mental toughness & preparation. Yes, we were fortunate to come away with the draw but notice how few if any Polish players were in panic mode.

[@zielaq87]

No kurwa

[@markpearson7532]

To be fair Poland were a revelation at the following year’s finals and, if they hadn’t had to play West Germany in a paddling pool, might have reached the final itself.

[@MrJeepsters]

They bate easily english team for the first game. They maybe had a better team than netherlands (Tomaszewski, Lato) and could win the world cup.

[@kawo666]

@fifthof In 1975, so one year after WC, Poland won against Netherlands 4:1 in European qualifiers. Netherlands in full A squad.

[@dermot51]

So that's how Poland came third in 74 and Lato got the golden boot with seven goals

[@dermot51]

But Holland didnt have to play their ' semi' in a swimming pool

[@karolantoniuk7613]

John Jensen no

[@Komunikacjamiejskaorazkolej]

Dzisiaj mija równe 50 lat od tamtego historycznego meczu.

[@euro-commerce23]

Tomaszewski...one of the best goalkeepers ever....!!

[@klinexxx1871]

Thx

No doubt about it..Jan Tomazewski was one of the best👍👍

[@zielaq87]

Now, he is one of the best clowns ever ;)

[@zielaq87]

@sranieee srs THEN xDDDDD

[@grahampearson5670]

He saved his side.

[@harrimi]

I was there as an 11 year old and saw grown men cry.

[@mcfcguvnors]

i was 8 ,allowed to stay up BBC & ITV both had the game on TV leving BBC 2 as the only other choice . what a game that was .

[@georgejoyce2863]

I was 8

[@alexandrumanta1439]

I was 13. The following morning my friends & I walked to school in silence, it was like the world had just ended. Take it from me, it has NEVER been any worse.

[@mizofan]

I remember Llanelli beating the All Blacks at rugby in 1972- as Max Boyce put it, "the air was filled with singing, i saw a grown man cry, not because we'd won but because the pubs ran dry".

[@user-fu3wy8ho5f]

Faceci nie płaczą chyba ze szczęścia 😂 ..

[@millypuppydog]

I remember watching this live on tv as a 10 year old child and it is still my favourite world cup match of all time although England lost as such. It was so exciting and we were all on the edge of our seat from start to finish. What a match classic stuff.

[@guillaumea5527]

Same thing for me as a frenchman with France - Bulgaria 1993...

[@kihot6201]

pamietam ten mecz jeszcze mielismy czarno biały tv a ludzi btło u nas chyba ze 30:) to były emocje:)

[@moodyb2]

I remember it and was definitely emotional 😭😱🤣🇬🇧

[@leto2327]

Zazdroszcze....takie emocje! Moj Tata opowiadal mi jak skakali z radosci a ile sie wodki wypilo ;)

[@expanding]

Poland was one of the world's best then, and they went on to win six of their seven WC games, beaten only by winner Germany. Grzegorz Lato was unstoppable, and England were OK, which wasn't enough against Poland. Four years later England were unlucky, since they were as good as Italy but didn't qualify because their wins against Finland and Luxembourg were not emphatic enough.

[@kriscichorzewski1425]

One of the best teams in Polish history.

[@luisfigointer]

@GoldenBear 😂

[@przemek4424]

The best. These highlights are so... biased. Where is the Lato break through? And McFarland's (who else's) tackle... It would've been a certain 2:1.

[@enuajsifoto]

This was the BEST Polish team of all times - and these were the best years in the history of Poland not just in sports and culture but with the economy growing as never it the past the living standards were rising quickly until disruption and foment sawn by the Saint Polish Pope and Soros and CIA sponsored Solidarity... it was always funny to see how Thatcher and Reagan loved Solidarity - the supposed labor union - but were killing the union members in their countries.

[@przemek4424]

@@enuajsifoto Oh man, you're fucked up.... Or your parent who fed you with that crap and somehow you connected.... John Paul II with Soros. You're an idiot.

[@bartok5811]

@@przemek4424 who else read Carp instead of Crap 🤣

[@janosik4984]

The best national team of 1974 mundial.

[@spaceweed1025]

If that were the case, Poland would have won the trophy - whose name is on it?

[@janosik4984]

@@spaceweed1025 Playing football not waterpolo because the ball needs to roll, dont you think?

[@jorgeponce5512]

@@spaceweed1025 Paul Breitner has said the best Team of the 1974 World Cup was neither West Germany nor Clockwork Orange Holland, but Poland. Won 6 games, only lost 0-1 vs West Germany on a waterlogged pitch that blunted one of their best weapons, meaning the speed of Gadocha and Lato. Check the goal Lato scored vs Brazil and notice how speedy he was (same as in this game vs England, Lato the top Polish threat).

[@313xxx]

@@spaceweed1025 lol lato got fouled badly when he had the easiest chance on goal and there was no red card even haha

[@Vinci940]

POLSKAAAAA!!! BIAŁO CZEROWNI!!! Thank you!

[@john-pierrerichard1791]

- Why Jesus Christ wasn't born in Poland? - Because they couldn't find three wisemen and a virgin 😆😆😆

[@skorpion8051]

@@thecockfather82 fucking fuckin

[@edlawn5481]

Brits weren't joking about Poles back in 1940, when their pilots were saving their bacon.

[@smickleberrystew8698]

@@thecockfather82 shut up you fuckface. You're the clown.

[@smickleberrystew8698]

Ole, ole, ole, ole! Nie damy się, nie damy się!

[@mattiapramotton4412]

And that night all the world knew the mighty Tomaszewski (arguably one of the best goalkeepers of the 70s).

[@pauljackson818]

this is still one of the greatest games in the history of football for excitement i will never forget this game , poor brilliance

[@CIMAmotor]

I remember watching this game as a kid, heartbreaking. To be fair though, apart from the first save diving to his right Tomaszewski's saves were what you'd expect from an international goalkeeper.

[@peterburry2577]

David McMullan Me too. it was the first of many, many times I've had tears of frustration streaming down my face over football!!... That first save looks even more incredible now; full stretch for a belter that he wouldn't have had a clear view of... Would've changed the entire game!

[@Britonbear]

Not what Brian Clough expected.

[@skierskymichael2681]

One of the amazing games in the history…

[@krzysztofkmiec9293]

Super mecz reprezentacji POLSKI.BRAWO.

[@falcon3s872]

One thing English have by far the best in the world is football commentary. Best experts in the industry, this remains current to this day.

[@tecnicojcr]

Hero Tomaszewski!

[@ukaszzieciak9164]

BRAVO!

[@CarlosAlberto-fx5uj]

Esse jogo é histórico a Polônia com esse empate se classificou e desclassificou a lnglaterra para a copa de 74. Uma exibição lendária do goleiro Tomaewscki.

[@JanKowalski-qv1oe]

Jan Tomaszewski

[@ericmaldonado1373]

The best polish team ever, so many great players. Lato, Szarmach, Deyna among others. 👍👍👍

[@darganx]

Gorgon as well.. later on Ziggy Boniek from 78 to 86.

[@kevinbrookes4870]

Deyna played for my team Manchester City. Didn’t he die in a car crash?

[@jorgeponce5512]

@@kevinbrookes4870 Yes, in San Diego, California, 1989. RIP.

[@MrKrzycholek]

The Best player was out ..Lubański

[@WandernmitHerz]

Welch eine tolle polnische Mannschaft und welch genialer Jan Tomaszewski

[@mmimmol]

ja, danke, und dann in WM'74 Sepp Maier werde stoppen Polnische Mannschaft....

[@WandernmitHerz]

@@mmimmol Trotzdem fand ich die Polen damals besser. Das war auch viel Pech und dann natürlich das schlechte wetter. Bei besseren Bedingungen wäre dieses Spiel sicher anders ausgegangen.

[@GunterBaab-ly5mh]

Polen hatte eine Topmannschaft!das war erste Sahne!

[@euanelliott3613]

My Mum let me stay up, aged 9, to watch this. I don't think I'd ever seen Poland before, but I never forgot the goalkeeper. This result cost England a place in the 1974 world cup and Sir Alf Ramsey his job. I remember Brian Clough calling their goalkeeper a clown. I think he did that for two reasons: he knew we needed a lift after such a disappointment, but he also knew he'd always be remembered for it. And he is.

[@JerryDandridgge]

In first game in Poland, Engkand lose 0-2...

[@narcyznarcyz-uv4td]

A couple years ago my friend , his last name is Tomaszewski , was flying from Chicago to London and English Custom Officer was asking him if he was somehow related to Polish goalkeeper Jan Tomaszewski. They both were at the same age and they both watched that game in 73 . For 15 min all they talked about that spectacular match at Wembley. Even 40 years later the officer remembered names of all polish player's and all details from that game. Isn't that beautiful that football have such an impact on our's life??? I think, for both nations , this game is going to be remembered for the next 500 years or longer..

[@glaswegiansouth-side2350]

As i said above! I can still remember this game but i was 8 or 9 years of age?.And Tomaszewski's name has stuck in my memory since 1973 but! i honestly didnt know if he was a villain or a hero in this match for BOTH SIDES??? But now i know who he was and what he did and no wonder Poland and England and the rest of European football fans remember this...It goes to show how these two people met and both were at the match as fans...This WILL be remembered forever especially for us Scottish as POLAND put England out of the world cup.....-;) No!,it will be remembered forever because it was a brilliant football game and the outcome for the hosts and the winners whoever it may be? Poland were one of the best sides in 1974 West Germany and could've won it.The game when they played West Germany should have been cancelled....It was like playing football in a defrosted ice rink...ps sorry for the T.M.I But it was a game that we still talk about 46 years later.....

[@ervineokuboh7459]

I remember the goalkeeper and also Jan Domarski (the goalscorer) Lato, Gadocha, Deyna, Casperzak, Smykiewicz, Gorgon, Banas, Lubanski (who tragically died in a car crash).

[@buriedverydeep]

@@ervineokuboh7459 Kazimierz Deyna died in a car crash in 1989

[@Nakeizd]

This match is an icon of Polish football.

[@walsjell]

nie zesraj sie.. dla nas to jest jedne wielki sukces i reszta to pustynia a angole maja takich sukcesow na peczki!

[@jamesburns2312]

The streets where deserted in Poland during the game,when we scored it was big roar along whole city...This was Poland!

[@waltkowalsky8232]

Adam Musiał died on November 18, 2020 at the age of 72. Years later it turned out that he did not foul the Englishman in the penalty area - he dived.

[@krystianjust6258]

They always do. Sterling, Shearer, Peaters, Owen. Call whole world cheats being cheats themselves. Shame.

[@seanbonella]

Peters admitted it

[@carnalea2424]

I saw him play for Hereford United late-70s

[@Sim0n98]

Lol, who cares, Poland qualified and England didn’t, get over it!

[@spaceweed1025]

The irony is that the only goalkeeping clown playing in that game, was Peter Shilton.

[@mizofan]

whereas Sprake played superbly when Wales beat Poland 2-0

[@Animu34]

spaceweed10 peter shitlon lol

[@kailashpatel1706]

class comment..

[@Lord_Hillcrest01]

Unbelievable . I still cant take in how we only drew that game . Bit like the final Holland v Germany .

[@robertdigby3596]

you dick....it was gordon banks

[@makiseythimopoulos3470]

poland had a very good team and proved that on 74 whithout the big star called lubanski who was injured . england had a good team too and was very unlucky in this match

[@ysgol3]

+Makis eythimopoulos Absolutely right, even without Lubanski this superb Poland team came 3rd in the World Cup, making England's fantastic performance here all the better.

[@makiseythimopoulos3470]

+ysgol3 yes friend still remember the goal of deyna against italy 2-1

[@gaetano1954]

@@makiseythimopoulos3470 And the first goal by Szarmach :)

[@IskraZ_Polski]

History is repeating itself... Same story today with Lewandowski.

[@macioluko9484]

Very true. Poland basically defended 90% of the time but England’s downfall was the awful finishing. In the 4 qualifying matches, England only scored 3 goals. Winning only one of the 4 matches... Not good enough to reach the top 16.

[@StanObirek]

I was 12 watching this match and remember all people on my street had gone mad when Domarski scored. Many thanks for publishing this greatest moments in Polish football!

[@staszekgobi]

I was also 12, I remember that amazing game. Domarski brought us hope, cheers!

[@moodyb2]

In England, absolutely NOBODY could believe their eyes when Domarski scored, it was almost as we'd imagined it 😝

[@williamremiszewski5142]

Proud to be Polish, i saw this game in 1973, in was 8 years old, good one

[@rajkobjelica4905]

Why?

[@ysgol3]

I always thought that England were magnificent that night, only the amazing goalkeeper and incredible bad luck stopped them winning by at least 5 goals. I remember Poland being generally dismissed as no- hopers, therefore making England's failure to win an apparent humiliation which of course did for the great Alf Ramsey. No-hopers ? Like hell they were, they went on to come third in the 1974 World Cup !

[@majkelandzelo]

+ysgol3 Poland was magnificent too, and we could have done it even better , if one English guy didn't stop Lato on the clear position. 100% goal and obvious red card.

[@ysgol3]

+majkelandzelo Yes, I completely agree, I think Poland could even have won the 1974 World Cup if their top striker Lubanski hadn't been injured.

[@majkelandzelo]

very true, with Lubanski we could have taken the Championship

[@klapaucyusz]

What's also interesting in this story, is that Poland was at the time reigning Olympic Champion. Which meant they were already best in Eastern Europe. And then East was stronger than nowadays. Still, not many people belived (even in Poland), that Deyna Lato and others are able to eliminate Proud Albion. Great upset. And we can only imagine, how this great English team would show itself in the finals. For sure, medal was within their reach. (sorry for my English)

[@petegrusky2715]

Same thing happened , only opposite , to Poland in the semi-final . It was Beckenbauer , Muller , Maier and rest of Germans ( they've managed to win that '74 cup ) , that Poland humiliated and only extremely lucky they should feel , by winning that match .

[@gwangi64]

This leaves out Tomaszewski's best save on the night - an incredible one-handed reflex stop from Clarke near the end. This England team could have given a good account of themselves at World Cup 1974 but were unlikely to get near winning it. Poland deserved to go through, they were a very good team here and even better by the time of the World Cup the following year.

[@adrianpilcher703]

One memory of this game was that, a few weeks before, we'd mullered Austria 7-0. How many times since have I seen teams win comfortably only to play like they couldn't hit a donkey's arse with a banjo the following game. Tough lesson learnt.

[@pbd2849]

Most legendary match for us in Poland. Still, after 47 years. We were coming back to the World Cup after 36 years and it was 30 years after the tragic war that destroyed all the country. That night we started the best period of our national team's history. But, to be honest, England was much better than Poland that day.

[@charcolew]

And Poland went on to finish 3rd in the finals, beating Argentina, Italy and Brazil along the way - better than England would have done!

[@aeonflux67]

Maybe

[@mizofan]

Wales would have done better than England too. Only Wales and West Germany beat Poland in the qualifying or world cup itself.

[@SuperTed19021]

Poland's goalie had the game of a *lifetime!* He must have heard Cloughie's comments and desperately wanted to prove a point. Beside, Poland reached both the '74 and '78 WC semi-finals, so this probably wasn't that much of a shock. If England had *properly* took their chances that night, they *could* have scored 4.

[@Jayfive276]

Poland went to that world cup and came third. Even beating Brazil in the third place game. They were there on merit but England acted then and act now like they were some plucky underdogs. Thus continuing a rich history of England teams and fans being patronising to and underestimating opponents. So also - USA 1950, Hungary 1953, norway 1981, Morocco 1986, Cameroon 1990, Norway (again) 1993, Tunisia 1998, Trinidad 2006, Croatia 2008, USA (again) and Algeria 2010, Iceland 2016.

[@quotemenot7520]

I always remember the comments by Brian Clough about Tomaszewski's goalkeeping and being a clown. Even Brian Moore turned on Clough and put him in his place. Huge respect for Brian Moore, one of our better commentators and lost a lot of respect for Clough that night. Poland deserved their result.

[@ZAOUWV]

England eliminated by a rising star team in world football Poland

[@LuisFerreira-kn2nn]

1.44, what a save!

[@ervineokuboh7459]

I remember this game so well. I was 15 years old at the time. October 17th 1973. This was the game that finished Sir Alf Ramsey"s career. In the summer of 1973 Poland had beaten England 2-0 with goals from Banas and Lubanski. Everyone expected a walkover in the final qualifier. I remember my class mates saying England would easily win by 4 or 5 goals. They all laughed when I said Poland could get a draw and knock England out because they were underrated. The next morning in class no one was laughing ! England paid the penalty by not improving their technique and all the top international teams easily surpassed them.

[@rojiblanco299]

Were your class mates upset after the game knowing it's the end or were they still confident England would go through?

[@ervineokuboh7459]

@@rojiblanco299 My class mates were like all England fans in those days. They always had a disparaging view of the opposition. I had made a similar prediction a year earlier when West Germany beat England 3-1 at Wembley in the quarter final 1st leg of the European Nations Cup on April 29th 1972. I had predicted to all and sundry that the Germans would win 3-1. At school on the following Monday our class teacher asked me "why were you convinced that the Germans would win ?" I said "sir since the 1966 World Cup, England have not really progressed, but the Germans have got stronger during the last 6 years and we have just stood still " That was the mindset of many English fans of the 70s. Still stuck on the memories of 1966 and not acknowledging that the Germans and Dutch were now the powerhpuse teams of Europe.

[@carlosaraujo9037]

To my very personal point of view.. England faces that night with the Best polish generation of football players... Respect to both...

[@boemund3]

Tomaszewki played with broken finger

[@dominikkosiorowski7916]

boemund3 and it was amazing...

[@gamestation9437]

BERT TRAUTMAN PLAYED WITH A BROKEN NECK

[@brianbowman8978]

Bullshit - it was a stunt to keep the game in check that England was winning. His posts and half of his team on the goal line certainly helped poor me goalkeeper.

[@bessarion1771]

@@brianbowman8978 I wish I could get drugs you are on. Must be that free healthcare system in England. LOL. The only stunt was that dive that netted a penalty shot. It was a phantom penalty given to the hosts who were losing and badly.

[@graemechristopher4008]

@@bessarion1771 I watched the game live as a nine year old boy. England were not losing the game badly as you falsely assert. In fact, I've never to this day seen a team dominate another the way England dominated Poland that evening. Tomachewski played brilliantly and made multiple saves, and Poland prevailed due to the keeper, and not a few desperate clearances off the line by his team mates. Indupitably England could easily have won by at least 7-1 on a different day. In contrast, Poland had one shot in all the match and scored! I agree that the penalty was a soft one, but I think the ref may have had some anxieties about disallowing Mike Channon's legitimate goal only minutes earlier. He then took the opportunity to correct his error by awarding the questionable penalty. Poland commendably and impressively came third in the 1974 finals, just nine months later. In hindsight the FA ought not to have sacked Ramsey because he built a strong squad, characterised by flair and good teamork , who played attractive football and were very difficult to beat.

[@mjb4983]

A true Englishman would never score against an "injured" goalkeeper

[@aquabuddha8022]

the worst night as an England supporter, Tomaszewski was incredible....end of.....

[@breakevenbernie8543]

aqua buddha Every English fan knows That mans name I was there We played well that nite But again we.came up Short .........oh well

[@markperryman1797]

@@breakevenbernie8543 I was 9 years old and sat in front of the TV with my dad, I made a paper England flag and coloured it in with crayons, when Poland scored I'd never heard my dad swear so much before, my mum shouted at him haha, I remember hearing the conversation between my teachers at school the next day, the atmosphere at the school and my friends was bleak , we were so looking forward to the 1974 world Cup finals. 4 years later another bad time for England, failing to qualify for Argentina '78.....

[@waszmisio3137]

@@markperryman1797 Sorry man.

[@waldemarkubicki4339]

Greetings from Poland dr Mark. I was 13 years old and watch TV with my father, also:). Holy words my friend. Cheerio

[@JacekDominiak1]

lack of action in Lato went out alone with the keeper, and was captured by the shirt by McFarland, a true English gentleman

[@js-wy8fg]

Of course they won't show it, nothing to be proud of. That faul on Lato had change the result of the game.

[@tonychapman6334]

Poland were a good team, finishing third at the World Cup in '74. Ironically the first World Cup finals that Australia participated in.

[@johnnyhammer]

How is that ironic?

[@converse91970]

Very true. What everyone forgets is that Poland finished third in the 1974 World Cup, so not a bad team!

[@mizofan]

They don't all forget, but at that time they didn't realise Poland had a very good team. People more often do forget that Wales beat them 2-0 and drew at Wembley.

[@henrikolsen5286]

Alf Ramsey shouldn't have been sacked because they missed the World Cup, people back then simply didn't knew how good this Polish side were, and even so, England dominated them completely in this match. I don't think an England team before or since have created so many chances and been so dominent in a match without winning it.

[@lucientintenebris7331]

Henrik Olsen Agreed on all points. This English side was pretty good. Reminds me of the 93 French team that got eliminated by Bulgaria at home, same Bulgaria that went to semis in the WC. Like Poland, no one back then realized how good a team Bulgaria really was.

[@johnt7630]

@Tin Cup, Ramsey is the only guy to have won the World Cup for England. He deserved another World Cup to get it right. He knew international football Inside out. We would have had a far greater chance of qualifying in 78, with him still in charge. Unlucky on the night, and unlucky to be in the same group as Poland - bloody strong side.

[@maciejkowalski2759]

@Tin Cup, yeah though the circumstances of France's elimination in 1993 was way more frustrating and humiliating, since they only needed a point from their last two games, and first they lost to Israel (for which it was the only win in the entire qualification campaign) and then to Bulgaria, while leading and then losing a decisive goal literally at the last second.

[@euanelliott8068]

I was 9 years old and my mum let me stay up to watch it. I expected england to win, but their goalkeeper was in amazing form. I remember "sniffer's" penalty was the only thing in the net, though england hit the post, and gorgan blocked a shot with his knees.

[@kailashpatel1706]

Excellent comparison, the French teams of the 1990s also failed to qualift but they were not poor teams by any stretch..

[@AKANTOGRODY]

BRAWO POLSKA :)

[@janskacel8460]

mali ste vysoko nadpriemerné šťastie. anglicko malo šancí na 3 zápasy. inak dramatický a napínavý zápas od začiatku až do konca.

[@pj5517]

Shilton was quite prone to the odd mistake then. When Stoke signed him for a World record fee it was seen as the final piece to win the league. They came close but a couple of Shilton howlers cost them, Alan Hudson still blames him for Stoke not being Champions. At Forest he was magnificent

[@Isleofskye]

PJ............I have waited all my life to meet someone like you who has a hotline to the "hereafter". You say Alan Hudson STILL blames him. So many questions ! How is Alan in the Afterlife. Does he regret dying? What does he think of Roman's Revolution at Chelsea? I might be presumptuous and ask how is my Grandfather Alf ?

[@chrisegan19681]

Commentary by the late great Hugh Johns

[@peterturley8846]

Indeed.

[@ervineokuboh7459]

@@peterturley8846 Interestingly enough I recall Barry Davies commenting as well, so it must have been live on both BBC and ITV. I distinctly remember Davies saying that "Hunter had to make the tackle !"

[@stephenpotts2820]

Brian Moore is the commentator here

[@stephenpotts2820]

Sorry my mistake, Brian Moore was in the studio Hugh John's commentating

[@mikemorgan7893]

Ervine Okuboh ITV showed the game live BBC showed highlights later in the evening

[@johnclayton7471]

A good England team, but a good Polish team which deserved to qualify. Brian Clough was plagued by his remark, but Cloughie remains the best manager England (and Wales) never had.

[@mizofan]

Could Clough have been Wales manager? If so, Wales probably would have qualified for 78 world cup, instead of being undone by Joe Jordan's infamous handball- and also done better than reaching 1976 Euro 1/4 finals

[@goattm2]

@@mizofan The Welsh FA were close to signing him in 1988 and he was interested, but he wanted to do it part time along with the Nottingham Forest job but Forest blocked it.

[@dlamiss]

Please, England murdered them

[@SubidubidubiDu1]

I'll never understand how this England team failed to qualify. It had an excellent mix of old 1966 generation and new players like Keegan, Hughes, Brooking, it had it all... and yet

[@r4h4al]

I think it was much harder to qualify then.

[@grahamlowe7388]

Scotlands, Welsh, Irish best night ever. Remarkable keeper. Poles could have on the cup in 74.

[@ronremski1969]

A beautiful match.

[@sabtiy80]

Even though the goal was his fault, but Peter Shilton played this game and 17 years after he played in the 1990 World Cup at the age of 40. And he retired at the age of 46. That is legendary in my opinion.

[@athenaminerva8954]

I feel sorry for Peter Bonetti. In 1970, he was really at fault only for the first German goal. Yet, he has been skewered for it ever since. Peter Shilton was just as responsible for Poland's goal, but hardly any person holds him to account over it.

[@dlamiss]

Stepney should have been in goal in the 70 game, he had played in bigger games than Bonetti

[@mizofan]

Right, similar errors. and Bonetti- one of the best goalies in the world- had only conceded 1 goal in his 6 previous games for England, was tremendous v Portugal. The single scapegoat, never played for England again..And in that match v West Germany in Mexico, people forget Bobby Moore was at fault, giving away the ball for the 3rd and the defense was poor for the 2nd. Moore was crucially at fault v Poland away in this tournament and Shilton also might have been expected to save it. Norman Hunter hardly covered himself in glory for the Poland goal in this match, and nowadays of course McFarland would have been red carded for grabbing Lato (strangely absent in these highlights). What English people tend to remember from this match is Tomaszewski, Clough's clown comment and England coming close often. At the time people didn't realise that Poland had a strong side, though Wales beat them 2-O, the only team to beat them in qualifying matches and the world cup itself, apart from winners West Germany.

[@zephirus67]

England missed the World Cup finals in 74 and 78. First Poland, then Italy sent them home

[@edlawn5481]

Back when Scotland was the class of the UK teams.

[@horsefish2525]

You forget Poland...wait.... you forget to show McFarland grab Lato in one on one situation

[@falcon3s872]

One sided and subjective clips. I watched entire game more them on one occasion and the game wasn't that one sided as you would expect from this short summary. England was a better team, sure, but the penalty was out of the referee's hat.

[@redzisan]

Poland was the best team in 1974 WC. Bad luck they did not win in semi finals :-)

[@peterburry2577]

Poland used up all their "luck" in this game against England, but they were worthy of the 3rd place

[@mizofan]

Oh I think Holland were marvellous in the world cup, thrashed Argentina, should have won the final, but the Germans had home advantage

[@barryheard3778]

Surely not better than Holland.

[@001wmk001]

co za bramkarz!!!

[@goattm2]

Poland did get 3rd place in the following World Cup though.

[@edlawn5481]

If only they could have played on a normal pitch against West Germany.

[@spaceweed1025]

2nd of the losers then?

[@MrLawman10]

Hugh Johns was magnificent, the best ever football commentator

[@grahampearson5670]

Hugh would say, "And it's one nothing" as opposed to "one nil".

[@themanftheworld8439]

Brian Moore

[@ervineokuboh7459]

That is definitely Hugh Johns commentating. He had a distinctive voice. He was the main commentator for Midlands TV, covering Birmingham, Aston Villa, West Brom Wolverhampton, Derby, Coventry, Leicester City and Notts Forest games.

[@marcotukoff]

Tomaszewski impressionante!

[@thischannelhasnoname5780]

The mythology around this game is remarkable. Poland were a very good side who did well in the World Cup a year later, not at all the third raters the UK press would have you believe. The Polish goal was basically a massive error by Shilton yet Hunter's earlier error gets blamed. It is true though that England were very unlucky on the night.

[@tomaszignielnicki4320]

17th of October 1973- the day when Polish football was born.

[@MrHoojaszczyk]

Nah, Polish football was born WAY before that. Look at Poland in 1930's.

[@krzysztofkmiec9293]

Brawo POLSKA reprezentacja piłki nożnej.

[@elprezi0072]

31 marca 2021 ten wynik też mile widziany.

[@1middlesbrough]

Yes on October 15th 2013 at Wembley. This match was October 17th at Wembley , almost 40 years exactly

[@jutubgra9789]

Do usłyszenia wieczorem

[@tony060572]

I was at this game - thought we'd scored in injury time with Trevor Hector, I was level with the goal line.

[@TONYSPURSMAN]

+T Simpson FUNNY ALAN CLARK SCORED ???? MAYBE I THINK YOU ARE A BULL SHITER

[@themanftheworld8439]

As a child my first big football disappointment.

[@fabiancolonna4068]

Que jugador Lato y que arquero Tomasewski

[@cestrian81]

Hugh Johns for ITV

4:04 No fault , no penalty !

[@SMSJSC]

I agree - this was a very soft penalty. England were getting desparate by this stage, so it looks like Peters went down in the box in hope. And it worked. But with or without that penalty, England should have won this game by seven.

[@pawek.7709]

We cant be sure.

[@pawek.7709]

@ratdancer77 OK. Dives is a part of football. Poland 74 is the best Poland ever in history. Today We are in WCQ group with England but dont expect to much. I have hope because remember England vs Iceland, Croatia, or 2010 USA 1-1 Algeria 0-0 2014 Costarica 0-0. Yeah England can loose with underdogs.

[@billybigtime2808]

Shilton was great keeper but he made big mistakes for England in the 86 and 90 finals and also in this World Cup match

[@Nakeizd]

Jan Tomaszewski justified Shilton. He said he missed the match because he didn't play much.

[@ossyable]

Tbf in 17 finals matches he only conceded 10 goals. The howler against Italy in 1990 didn't really matter

[@Alfonsomarisol]

Great Goalkeeper, Great Team Poland!

[@kevinjames7012]

That goal by Channon should never have been chalked off!

[@user-nf5pj4wx8d]

England, like too often, believed their own hype. Their other results in the group were a 2-0 defeat in Poland, a 1-1 draw at Wales (against a side mostly made up of lower division players) and a 1-0 home victory against Wales. Hardly the stuff of champions.

[@Schnipp08]

This match reminds me of Italy v. Sweden (0-0) from November 2017. It was almost the same, Italy had tons of chances but didn't score while Sweden just defended with 11 players. But in the end the Italians failed to qualify for the World Cup because of bad luck and strange referee decisions like England in this 1973 qualifier.

[@Curt1990]

Domarski... Gol! Pierwszy raz słyszę jak komentarz brzmiał z tej drugiej strony :D

[@holgersteinle5180]

What a pressure from England. But Poland had Superman in the goal. What he saved , unbelievable

[@nicadair7700]

And that cretin Brian Clough called him a clown and still wouldn't admit he was wrong after the match, what an arrogant twat.

[@thesushilegend5523]

You know whats crazy? The production value isn't that bad - and yet 8 years earlier (1966) it seems like the dark ages

[@JulioLeonFandinho]

the broadcasting from 1966 world cup is still good, the difference is this is in colour

[@williamnightingale2285]

The BBC went to the Government a year earlier with a proposal to introduce colour broadcasting in time for the World Cup in 1966. The Government refused. The BBC producer did however sneak a colour tv camera on to the Wembley gantry so that there would be a colour recording of the game complete with Kenneth Wolstenholme's commentary.

[@redzisan]

Just to remind you after WC Poland played friendly with Holland. Best squads 4:1 to Poland!

[@redzisan]

ups :-p

[@14mooler]

Radek Skrzypczak Just a small correction: It was not a friendly, but a Euro 1976 qualifying game. Poland was in a group with Holland, Italy, and another team I can't remember. Poland won the 1-st leg 4:1, but the return leg in Holland led to the Dutch players victory: 3:0, or 4:1. And eventually Holland qualified from that group. I agree with you: Poland of 1974 was the best ever Polish team. And so was the Dutch team of 1974!

[@ad19445rus]

14mooler 1. It was Finland, that eventually drew away match with Italy. Then it was a huge sensation, all the more it de facto made Italians out of Euro. 2. Yes, it was 0:3 in the return match. If we had drew then, and later won the last game against Italy in Warsaw, Poland would have had qualify. But... it was not our day.

[@bandwagon22]

England couldn't qualify to finals in 1973, not in 1976-77 and not in 1992-93 even when FIFA had extracted the numbers of teams from 16 to 24 in WCF. So FIFA had to make it more easier for England to reach the finals by extra 8 teams. Besides how many times have England won the European Championship? Never. Never even reach the Final match, like Denmark, USSR, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Holland, Portugal, France, Spain, etc have done.

[@MartiW]

And 80 minutes against a keeper with a broken finger that night

[@MichaelHayward]

MartiW After the England team branded him a clown...

[@MartiW]

***** It was Clough who called him a Clown

[@MajkiPGWCh04]

that's right! How do they describe themselves as one of the strongest team in the world? It's bullshit. They have good players but not a team.

[@aeonflux67]

So where you from Mr Bandwagon22? Scotland or N Ireland. Would be curious so as to test your bias. So what England havent won anything in the EC or WC since. 192 countries have never won a world cup and one of the 8 who do have to listen to anonymous numpties like yourself railing against them. I dont think so. They will win an EC in time and time again. The game needs an overhaul in England = yes, sure. But dont forget this - due to the tribal mentality (if we can call it that) of the UK, the country (yes the UK is the country) divides itself into 4 teams. Just imagine Spain going in as Catalonia and some other region or German competing as Bavaria and Lower Saxony. UK is the only entity in world football registered with FIFA and UEFA that is allowed to compete as individual states and not representing the proper country. And while they missed out on the 74 WC, Poland finished 3rd, when they missed out on the 76 EC, Czechs finished 1st and when they missed out on WC 78 Italy were 4th. And when they missed out on EC 84, Denmark came 3rd. So they dont bow out to crap! You need to be a top team to get ahead of them.

[@lacroix1188]

Szczęsny płakał jak oglądał występ Janka

[@katarzynamuszynska5426]

Kiedy?

[@pix046]

The Late Great Hugh Johns. And England as usual going out to play KNOWING they should be great but KNOWING they were not.

[@Hdheo6272]

peters himself admitted that the penalty was specifically a dive, Also other players have said before that they purposely went for half the ball and half the man when making tackles to injure the player because refs were more lenient. So for people saying football in the 'olden days' were always better, that is not the whole story

[@aeonflux67]

trolling I c?

[@Hdheo6272]

Its actually the truth

[@Hdheo6272]

Check wikipedia and other sources

[@That_Random_Bloke]

+aeonflux67 He's telling the truth, Peters admits it in his autobiography

[@aeonflux67]

mts ts No he didnt. He was suffering from Alzheimers when his bio wrote that.

[@CellarDoorx06]

Beautiful saves!

[@maithamalkhazragi8715]

beautiful

[@reemshakirmhmoudothman3635]

Beautiful

[@Del-yv1qy]

Watched this game live as a neutral and could not belive how England managed to lose .

[@cheguevara5560]

Hero from Wembley Jan Tomaszewski

[@adamevans3691]

The most important match in Polish football history undoubtedly

[@franki01mail]

3:42 what a throw!!

[@przemysawtrzmiel3484]

Od tego meczu sukcesy na Mś 1974 .

[@carnalea2424]

I reckon knocking out England gave Poland a huge amount of self-belief/confidence. In those days, for most foreign teams, it was a daunting experience coming to Wembley. Even West Germany only won at Wembley for the 1st time in 1972.

[@zegarynkatv511]

Jan Tomaszewski - Polak, który zatrzymał Anglię.

[@maxpower252]

He dived like Vöeller in 1990 WC final. Big teams always get these second chances.