Friday, June 09, 2006

I really really really love

The World Cup.


And it starts again today.

I can remember every World Cup from 1970. I wish I could remember 1966 but I can't say I do. I know my dad was playing cricket the day of the Final and they stopped the game and all came round to our house to watch it but maybe I just made myself scarce when the house was invaded by 11 loud grown up men.

1970 - collecting ESSO coins and being at an advantage because at the time my dad was a sales rep and did loads of driving. I had forgotten all about Ian Storey-Moore until I started thinking about those precious coins. And then in Mexico there was the horror of the Bobby Moore set up and Gordan Banks extraordinary save from Pele.

1974 was when I learnt to love watching sides other than England but I can't recall why that would have been.....

1978 I wanted Scotland to win but they didn't.

1982 The stunning Paulo Rossi, Northern Ireland beating Spain and the worst tackle EVER when Harald Schumacher took out Patrick Battiston with a horrendous challenge in a match we all wanted France to win, and he never even got booked.

1986 and there is one overwhelming memory concerning one man and one hand as I have blocked the second goal scored by the Foot of God from my memory for ever. I wasn't even bothered when the first 'goal' went in as I knew it would be disallowed. Yeah right.

1990, Gazza in tears along with the rest of the England after the semi-final. I have since learnt that a certain acquaintance of mine went screaming up and down a corridor shouting 'Yes, Yes, Yes' when we lost that penalty shoot out. Nessun Dorma. Cameroon. And a crap final.

1994 and another tournament where I didn't have to worry about England so supported Ireland instead which was fun.Maradonna got banned mid tournament for drug taking...that was fun too.

1998 and bloody misery by penalty shoot out again, but France were wonderful, and whatever went on with Ronaldo? Also, a personal memory of being stuck in a school governor's annual general meeting whilst we were playing Argentina and some idiot who didn't like football asking question after question and causing me to miss our two goals.

2002 and terrible kick off times combined with a boss who didn't like football made for a stressful few weeks until we exit to the eventual winners,and beating Aregntina. Oh yes, and Roy Keane came home.


I just can't wait for what the next month will bring. And please let me and Reidski still be speaking by the end of it all. As someone he works with said to him, the only way he can lose is if England win, because otherwise, the further we get, the worse it will be when we get knocked out.

BRING IT ON!

13 comments:

Reidski said...

Bring it on indeed!

74 - Billy Bremner hitting the post against Brazil which, if it had gone in, would have taken us through!

77 - best goal ever by a wee fat bald bloke!

82 - we make a huge mistake by taking the lead against Brazil!

86 - ha ha ha ha

90 - ha ha ha ha

98 - ha ha ha ha

2002 - ha ha ha ha


Err, I'll get my coat!

cookie monster said...

scotland have a football team then? ;)

i dunno reidski, what with supporting millwall and scotland you must be a glutton for punishment!

Arthur Clewley said...

I watched TOTP2 the other night and the pavarotti rendition of nessun dorma brought a tear to the corner of my eye, and I am not a millionth of the football fan you are JJ.

I love the whole atmosphere: the sun is shining, the flags are fluttering and even in the remote possibilty that England don't win it'll be a great couple of weeks

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Hey I must be an old git because I can remember 66 and I remember it far more clearly than all the other World Cups since. I was twelve. I had been supporting Hull City for three years by then and I read Football Monthly avidly. I collected programmes and I adored football and this was before I discovered the secret attractions of girls. Instead of filling my head with Latin conjugations I knew the name of every ground in the land - even in Scotland! It was a bit like Dylan Thomas's "Fern Hill"! And I feel and hope that this summer - forty years later - has every chance of becoming another summer that our great nation will never forget - Beckham holding the trophy aloft for all the world to see. COME ON ENGLAND!

Martin said...

74 onwards Reidski? Missing the best two World Cup Finals there aren't you?

My anticipation before a World Cup is so much more than at the start of the normal season , whether or not England are playing. A months feast of top class footy on terra TV.

First World Cup memory
1970- after the final we went in the garden so John could practise thumping a beachball at me from close range a la Rivelinho

Reidski said...

I am so fucking excited - five hours and 14 minutes away as I write.

COME ON FOOTBALL!!

Holly said...

"but maybe I just made myself scarce when the house was invaded by 11 loud grown up men" -- are you sure you did, all that male attention??!!

JoeinVegas said...

I still don't see what all the fuss is about. Sorry, not because I'm an American that cares not for the World Cup, it's just sports in general. No cheering for baseball or American football at my house. Spoilsport.

But glad you lot are all having a good time.

Anonymous said...

C'mon, it's the World Cup for fucks sake!!!

Rob said...

Hi Jane! Glad your new site is working OK and stalker-free.

I remember 1966. My big brother and I (neither of us normally football fans at all in those days) got a booklet with the groups and the whole draw set out and with flags to stick on as the ganmes progressed. And after the England victory there was the film Goal! in the cinemas. Our school were all taken to see it, no small thing in a school that didn't play football.

And whenever I think of Scotland in the World Cup I think of Rod Stewart singing "O-lee-o-lay, o-lee-o-lah, we're going to bring the world cup back from over, er, thah...." We're just conserving our energy at present of course. Not dead, only sleeping. Caledonian Blues stun easily.

©gloop said...

1966. Coming home from a holiday in the Isle of Man. 30th July it was my birthday. Listening to a tranny as we neared Liverpool and could pick up a signal. Waiting in a massive queue for a taxi at Victoria station when Germany scored.

Finally getting home as extra time started.

"Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, But to be young was very heaven!"

If we don't win it this time we never will.

timesnewroman said...

77 Reidski?? Okay you meant 78 and what a year it was. How the fuck did a two bit carpet advertiser manage, whose previous success had been with "the Scum" to convince practically an entire nation that there fairly abysmal football team (although far superior to anything before or since) were actually capable of winning a World Cup!

And still amongst the humiliation and utter despair, there was that fucking Gemmell goal.

The great thing about being a Scotland Supporter is deep down you know you won't ever really succeed at much, but every now and again you will pull off something really surprising, that will lead an entire nation to believe that....this is getting a bit circular here.

timesnewroman said...

I did mean to add that I do remember quite a bit of 1966. I was in Scunthorpe at my aunt and uncle's for practically the whole summer. I had a World Cup Willie hat and ball and was ardently supporting England. I was 8 though and I reckon I watched most of the games as long as my attention span could handle anyways. It was building up to a tremendous head of excitement until I discovered we were travelling home by train, a very lengthy journey in those days on the day of the final, so Inever saw it! Seen the replays though again and again and again and again and again!