England v Poland 17 October 1973

seagull inde away stand · Oct 13, 2013

Forty years ago, almost to the day, the game that for those who watched will never forget. England had to beat Poland at Wembley to go to the 1974 World Cup Finals in Germany. Here is a few minutes of the almost relentless bombardment of the Polish goal:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi9vZCo215w

el punal · Oct 13, 2013

I was at this match. The atmosphere was unbelievable, with 100,000 fans packed into the old Wembley. Most, if not all, England fans. I doubt that there were many Polish fans there as Poland was then an Iron Curtain country and travelling would have been very restrictive.

It was just one of those games where not matter what England did they were not destined to win it. Sods law, as I had booked time off work to go and watch the finals in Germany.

The one enduring memory of that match was the noise. The vocal support from the England fans was astonishing, my ears were still ringing a couple of days later, - and all that without that turgid, bloody oom-pah band that we have to suffer at every England game!

Bill Cassidy's tie up · Oct 13, 2013

Remember that like yesterday (and I don't remember a lot nowadays) Cloughie getting ridiculed afterwards for calling the keeper a clown

Goldstone Rapper · Oct 13, 2013

el punal said:
I was at this match. The atmosphere was unbelievable, with 100,000 fans packed into the old Wembley. Most, if not all, England fans. I doubt that there were many Polish fans there as Poland was then an Iron Curtain country and travelling would have been very restrictive.

It was just one of those games where not matter what England did they were not destined to win it. Sods law, as I had booked time off work to go and watch the finals in Germany.

The one enduring memory of that match was the noise. The vocal support from the England fans was astonishing, my ears were still ringing a couple of days later, - and all that without that turgid, bloody oom-pah band that we have to suffer at every England game!

More evidence that a loud crowd can't reliably influence a game...

Seagull over Canaryland · Oct 13, 2013

I can remember watching that game on TV. So one sided that it seemed there was a force field on the Polish goal line. Huge amounts of luck for them but to their credit they defended well and nicked goals, inspired by that they went on to finish 3rd in the finals.

Compared to what we think is currently a fairly ordinary England team that '73 team was pretty decent including a couple of World Cup winners, all playing under Sir Alf but they still couldn't qualify.

We had a few nightmare games at Wembley in that era that really burst the post '66 bubble - I remember Gunther Netzer taking us apart for West Germany and we looked like amateurs. Everyone seemed to raise their game against us at Wembley.

Ernest · Oct 13, 2013

I remember the next day at school being absolutely gutted, that was one of the rare times apart from the cup final a game was shown live on TV

raymondbriggs · Oct 13, 2013

Bill Cassidy's tie up said:
Remember that like yesterday (and I don't remember a lot nowadays) Cloughie getting ridiculed afterwards for calling the keeper a clown

I was there also and Tomaszewski was fairly described as a clown,he tackled one of ours (Clarke?) on the half way line but he certainly earned M.O.M for that game.

raymondbriggs · Oct 13, 2013

Goldstone Rapper said:
More evidence that a loud crowd can't reliably influence a game...

Absolute bollox as anyone in the Goldstone 96/97 would know,4500 in the ground but the raw animal noise of a thinly packed North Stand scared the shit out of (except Orient) opposition players and earnt many a dodgy decision from Referees.
The old Wembley roar was like an echo because sound travels so slow you could never synchronize both ends to sing together.

Ernest · Oct 13, 2013

Wasn't it that we didn't beat Wales that cooked our goose in the group as there were only 3 teams and Poland were a lot better than people gave them credit for

Goldstone Rapper · Oct 13, 2013

Ernest said:
Wasn't it that we didn't beat Wales that cooked our goose in the group as there were only 3 teams and Poland were a lot better than people gave them credit for

It was two draws with Wales and losing in Poland that put the kybosh on qualification.

nicko31 · Oct 13, 2013

Quite a frightening watch how England could have been so dominant, I think we used up in our luck in 1966..

Goldstone Rapper · Oct 13, 2013

Why not print this out and put it on the mantelpiece in time for Tuesday?

Gwylan · Oct 13, 2013

Seagull over Canaryland said:
I can remember watching that game on TV. So one sided that it seemed there was a force field on the Polish goal line. Huge amounts of luck for them but to their credit they defended well and nicked goals, inspired by that they went on to finish 3rd in the finals.

Compared to what we think is currently a fairly ordinary England team that '73 team was pretty decent including a couple of World Cup winners, all playing under Sir Alf but they still couldn't qualify.

We had a few nightmare games at Wembley in that era that really burst the post '66 bubble - I remember Gunther Netzer taking us apart for West Germany and we looked like amateurs. Everyone seemed to raise their game against us at Wembley.

That Polish team was decent though. Weren't they semi-finalists in two successive WCs? Lato was a good player and they also had the splendidly named Gorgon.

England only had one WC winner in that team (Peters) but it was a pretty exciting line-up: three strikers (Chivers, Clarke and Channon) and a cracking midfield of Bell, Currie and Peters.

I remember that game against Germany though, Netzer was on fire that day. It was the first time that I'd ever seen one player boss a game so completely

Goldstone Rapper · Oct 13, 2013

In a parallel universe, England beat Poland comfortably 4-1 in October 1973, and finished fourth in the World Cup tournament in Germany. Sir Alf, pleased by England's progress, continues as national team manager, while Leeds United go from strength to strength under Don Revie, eventually winning the European Cup in 1975. After failing to secure the Liverpool job following Bill Shankly's retirement in 1974, Brian Clough finally knuckles down in his Brighton job, pulling off a sensational rise with two successive promotions in 1975 and 1976 before bringing the First Division title to the Goldstone Ground in 1978.

If only!

Baron Pepperpot · Oct 13, 2013

With NSC talk of numbers..

England didn't qualify for:

World Cup 1994
Euro 1984
World Cup 1974
Euro 1964

Poland were in our group for both the World Cups....

The Large One · Oct 14, 2013

Baron Pepperpot said:
With NSC talk of numbers..

England didn't qualify for:

World Cup 1994
Euro 1984
World Cup 1974
Euro 1964

Poland were in our group for both the World Cups....

That's a bit like the Albion

Relegated 1963
Relegated 1973
Relegated 1983
Relegated 2003
etc.

Lord Bracknell · Oct 14, 2013

Baron Pepperpot said:
With NSC talk of numbers..

England didn't qualify for:

World Cup 1994
Euro 1984
World Cup 1974
Euro 1964

Poland were in our group for both the World Cups....

And don't forget ...

England didn't qualify through a tournament for:-

World Cup 1966
World Cup 1970
World Cup 1974

1962 - 1978 was a hell of a long gap for fans who enjoy the feelgood factor of a decently successful qualifying tournament.

Lord Bracknell · Oct 14, 2013

The Large One said:
...
etc.

You as well?

Charlies Shinpad · Oct 14, 2013

40 years ago. !! My dad took me to the game on his works coach as I was just a sweet and innocent 15 year old

The Birdman · Oct 14, 2013

el punal said:
I was at this match. The atmosphere was unbelievable, with 100,000 fans packed into the old Wembley. Most, if not all, England fans. I doubt that there were many Polish fans there as Poland was then an Iron Curtain country and travelling would have been very restrictive.

It was just one of those games where not matter what England did they were not destined to win it. Sods law, as I had booked time off work to go and watch the finals in Germany.

The one enduring memory of that match was the noise. The vocal support from the England fans was astonishing, my ears were still ringing a couple of days later, - and all that without that turgid, bloody oom-pah band that we have to suffer at every England game![

great night apart from not winning I was right up the back behind the goal I could not see much did they reduce evening games to 95.000 at some stage! Foe safety reasons. I always remember it was better being at the back if you did not want to end standing in pixxxxs!

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