England 1-1 Wales (1973) WCQ

England's first World Cup game on home soil since the final against West Germany in 1966 ends in a disappointing 1-1 qualifying draw against Wales in January 1973. John Toshack gives Wales the lead before a tremendous left foot drive by Norman Hunter brings England level. However, they are unable to grab the victory and are booed off at the final whistle.

[@johnholl572]

Toshack scores against his club keeper, and Hunter scores against HIS club keeper!

[@SMSJSC]

Good observation! A couple of decent saves from Sprake - even though he was no longer first-choice 'keeper for Leeds by then.

[@yiseng4602]

Three of the 1966 World Cup winners Bobby Moore,Alan Ball and Martin Peters featured in that World Cup qualifier with Poland at Wembley in January 1973. But the trio has since passed on. Wales played beyond expectations and in fact took the lead with a John Toshack goal only for Norman Hunter to save the home team with the equaliser. Liverpool's Kevin Keegan was given another opportunity by Sir Alf Ramsey to prove himself but the latter turned out to be a big disappointment.Keegan after that was never capped again by Ramsey. Martin Chivers was another who was a big let down."Big Chiv" as he is affectionately called would again be a big disappointment in England's next World Cup qualifier at Katowice on June 6.England lost that match 2-0. But Ramsey still persevered and had faith in Martin Chivers for that so crucial and vital match with Poland at Wembley on 17 October. But Chivers failed and never played for England again.

[@davidlloyd9908]

Rodney Marsh and Leighton James on the same pitch.. 2 amazing skillful players. Thinking so much faster than anyone else in the game

[@Duncan1974]

Gary Sprake knows all about Norman Hunter, but he knew nothing about that! ..classic David Coleman commentary

[@autumnrain2110]

yup -- that and "you don't blame goalkeepers for that, you congratulate scorers" rip

[@Farerets]

I really don´t understand, why many people write that this result was significant - even crucial - for England´s failure to qualify... Even if England beat Wales 3-0 in this one, they would have still missed out, being behind Poland in the end - just on goal difference, instead of one point!

[@mohdazmi10]

England should not lost to Poland in the away match. That's it.

[@Farerets]

@@mohdazmi10 They lost though, it was a fully deserved Polish win as well.

[@garrywood8836]

One of the great mysteries of England's football history. Bell,Marsh,Currie, Channon,Hudson,Chivers,Clarke,Ball,Keegan, Hughes,..a VERY Strong side unable to overcome Poland. Very unlucky, could have WON the 74 world cup yet didn't even qualify.

[@ossyable]

Incredibly tough group. I believe England and Poland were ranked 3rd & 4th in the world behind Brazil and west Germany who didn't have to qualify. England were by far the better side against Poland over two matches but luck plays it part in football and England were quite unlucky in the 70s

[@chrisfallon9678]

Yes true but did you see the match ? Not like England werent good enough .they just couldn't score !!

[@iananderson3799]

@@ossyable Did you watch the 2-0 defeat in Poland? England were dire. Moore the worst.

[@cleightorres3841]

@@iananderson3799 according to mick channon england side was "superior" i think poor mick might want to check out the definition of the word and while he's at it might want to look up 'delusional" as well England were pathetic in Poland and followed up with a lame performance at home i think England played Italy in a friendly around that time and played ok but couldn't score And you can't win without scoring can you?

[@cleightorres3841]

@@ossyable what about Holland, Argentina and Italy?

[@darren2514fv]

Actually England failed to Qualify because of that draw with Wales which meant that the pressure was on them where they had to win both games against the then reigning Olympic champions Poland

[@Farerets]

Not at all. Poland duly lost in Wales, so this England draw with Wales at Wembley wasn´t that significant at all! After all, England took more points from Wales in the competition than Poland did... What was significant, is that England LOST in Poland and failed to beat them at home. It was enough for England just to get two draws or share points with Poland. Longer is this story not. About England-Wales, it was funny enough that both goals were scored against their respective clubmates (Toshack/Clemence, Hunter/Sprake).

[@celticwarrior1365]

I would love to see these Home Championships reinstated. I found them far more exciting than any World Cup.

[@noelball6452]

It was a world cup qualifying game in Jan 1973 not a home championship match

[@iananderson3799]

😄

[@yiseng4602]

Yes this was one of the factors that caused England's failure to qualify for the 1974 World Cup finals in West Germany. A World Cup qualifier game England could have won to garner the full points instead the home team had to toil and sweat it out for a 1-1 draw. Wales indeed had given England a rude awakening when they took the lead through John Toshack only for Norman Hunter's long range shot to save the 1966 World Cup champions from defeat. England's manager Sir Alf Ramsey had hoped that Liverpool's Kevin Keegan would make a big impression by fielding the latter but it turned out to be disaster. Had England won it would have been a morale booster for the next match with Poland at Katowice on 6 June but they lost that one too and that exerted more pressure on Sir Alf's men to win that crucial World Cup qualifier with Poland at Wembley on 17 October. It is the case of "what may have been" had England beaten Wales to collect full points". All the same England had Norman Hunter to thank for as if not for his equaliser the home team may have ended with nothing.

[@przemek4424]

Well no, even if they won that game, say by one goal, they'd still have to beat Poland (back then - win 2 points) So, it didn't matter

[@yiseng4602]

@@przemek4424 well that ill-fated World Cup qualifier with Poland at Wembley on 17 October 1973 is history now but then it is worth while recalling why England as the 1966 World Cup champions failed to qualify for the 1974 World Cup finals in West Germany. It was the 1972/1973 World Cup qualifying matches with Wales and Poland that would decide the fate of England's supremo Sir Alf Ramsey. He had one final chance after having failed in the 1971/1972 European Cup nations campaign where England were knocked out of contention by eventual winners West Germany by a 3-1 aggregate in the two legged quarter-finals. And England had the easiest of all passage to Munich with Wales and Poland in their group. In November of 1972 at Ninian Park Cardiff a Colin Bell goal enabled Sir Alf's team to secure two points. All points to an England victory in the return match the following year in January at Wembley.But it was the visitors who shocked the home team with an opening goal by John Toshack.Only an equalising goal by pre 1966 World player Norman Hunter saved England from defeat. With that draw it made England's task the more harder and trickier in its passage to qualify for Munich. The Poles had also lost 2-0 to Wales and that made the Munich qualification and open one. Poland with Wlodek Lubanski,Jan Domarski,Jan Banas and Robert Dyena we're difficult opponents to beat at home as they had trounced Wales 3-0 at home. And on June 6 at Katowice Sir Alf's charges were stunned 2-0 at Katowice with skipper Bobby Moore uncharacteristically committed two blunders which led to Jan Banas and Wlodek Lubanski scoring.To make matters worse,midfielder Alan Ball was sent off by the Austrian referee. A ten men England were helpless in fighting back a two goal deficit. With England only four points and Poland also four points all now pointed to the decisive clash at Wembley on 17 October with Poland needing only a draw to qualify whereas England an outright win no matter what the score.The Poles had a better goal difference than England. Without the suspended Alan Ball and with Bobby now on the substitute bench to make way for Norman Hunter the recently deceased Martin Peters was now the only sole survivor from the 1966 World Cup winning team. Barely a month before that crucial clash at Wembley England had crushed Austria 7-0 at Wembley in a friendly. It seemed so obvious that the Poles would be like lambs to be slaughtered at Wembley.Every an English football fan seemed to think that way but not for the Poles.And Derby County's loud mouthed Brian Clough even labelled the Polish goalkeeper Jan Tomaszeski a clown. But on that evening on October 17,it was Tomaszeski that defied England time and again with his histronic saves out of no where and at times too luck too helped by the post. The England frontline of Martin Chivers,Mick Channon and Allan Clarke had countless chances to score but only God knows why they did not score.The biggest culprit was the fumbling and clumsy Martin Chivers but he stayed on to play until only two minutes left.Why did not Sir Alf substitute him much earlier for Kevin Hector.Chivers after that never played for his country again. And England had something like twenty six corners But the ball refused to be buried into the net. Against the run of play Norman Hunter instead of clearing the ball out of the touch line allowed Robert Dachota to evade him and the latter set up the pass for Jan Domarsk's killer goal. Despite an Allan Clarke equaliser via a penalty in the 61st minute England despite intense pressure on the Polish goal just could not find the elusive second goal.

[@Farerets]

@@yiseng4602 Poland duly lost in Wales as you know, so this draw with Wales at Wembley wasn´t that significant at all! After all, England took more points from Wales in the competition than Poland did... What was significant, is that England lost in Poland and failed to beat them at home. Longer is this story not. About England-Wales, it was funny enough that both goals were scored against their respective clubmates (Toshack/Clemence, Hunter/Sprake).

[@mohdazmi10]

@@yiseng4602 Martin Chivers suffered trauma in that Poland match and never regained his old sharpness again. Later he left Spurs for Brighton.

[@mohdazmi10]

@@Farerets I think Gary Sprake had left Leeds at this time.

[@stevejones4235]

England playing with three centre backs? Was Peter Storey a specialist right back?

[@mohdazmi10]

England played 5-3-2 in this match.

[@mizofan]

The England fans should have been delighted to scrape a draw at home against a great team like Wales

[@Trotskyxx]

Piss off.

[@PrZemek44]

Well, that great team ended at place 3 in a 3 team group. They had Sprake in goal, who was amazing in all games. Toshack, Hockey and James, but that was all.

[@Farerets]

Wales had other great players like Spurs captain England, Yorath of mighty Leeds or Mahoney of Stoke. They ended in an incredibly strong group with top world class nations and still got 3 points out of 8. In some other groups they would have a chance of qualifying.

[@charliemedson6534]

Stupid comment as that was a decent Wales side. Don't forget that they managed to beat Poland at home which was more than England could do.

[@mizofan]

yea, and Poland came 3rd in the world cup, and 2 years later Wales was the only British team to make the Euro 1/4 finals. In 69 Wales would have had to ko the eventual finalists Italy to qualify for the world cup- often very tough groups Wales have been in

[@timrobinson100]

rest in peace norman

[@autumnrain2110]

did not realize he had passed -- rip to a legend

[@chrisfallon9678]

Mike England playing for Wales 👍

[@Farerets]

And prince of Wales cheering for England...

[@armchairdetective520]

Look how bell gets clipped by Welsh players but doesn’t go down.

[@mariuniu100]

Poland the best 1973year!!!

[@SMSJSC]

Why not 1974? Poland did very well in the World Cup Finals

[@tombartram6842]

Yeah kurwa! Entered the English language that nite

[@terrybrown4400]

I wonder if anyone with bigger sideburns has scored against England at Wembley. They would have needed their own hairdresser

[@andrewcorlett4795]

Big Norm -f &*k this.

[@thischannelhasnoname5780]

This awful result for England was crucial in their failing to qualify

[@josegaston1257]

Tenía haber ganado Inglaterra,no se vio superioridad, Bell, fatal en los paces s Peters

[@giancarlofilacchione7371]

L'ultima Inghilterra degna di questo nome.......

[@timrobinson100]

THE GAME THAT TRAGICALLY LEFT US OUT OF WORLD CUUP FINALS [ TERRIBLE SHAME THAT PLAYERS LIKE MARSH AND BELL/ KEEGAN COUDNT GET TO 74 WORLD CUP, WHICH WE COULD HAVE WON, BEARING IN MIND POLAND FINISHED 3RD AND WE PULVERISED THEM

[@Farerets]

You don´t know much about football history, do you? Poland duly lost in Wales, so this England draw with Wales at Wembley wasn´t that significant at all! After all, England took more points from Wales in the competition than Poland did... What was significant, is that England LOST in Poland and failed to beat them at home. It was enough for England just to get two draws or share points with Poland. Longer is this story not.