‘I RESPECT France. But they can be beaten.’ Ray Wilkins was his usual honest and confident self. ‘We must take the initiative from the kick-off and put them under pressure. If we don’t, Michel Platini could run riot in midfield. Everyone in the England camp is confident about the match. We need a collective performance of the highest standard,’ he wrote ahead of the opening game for Shoot! magazine.
The day finally arrived, and it just got hotter, and hotter. The straight up and down lines of the stadium structure were keeping the warmth in, and very little breeze out. Deep in the bowels of the stadium’s dressing room, Greenwood and Howe were keeping calm, as the players got themselves pumped up. The last tactical change was made.
Howe had been working on last-minute set pieces that morning, including the long throw that Sansom had in his armoury. Greenwood said that it should be used on both sides of the pitch, not just the left. Coppell had a decent throw with Butcher the target to flick on into the danger area from both sides. ‘The manager let Don take a bigger and bigger part as the days went by, and he gave him carte blanche on set pieces, for and against,’ said Trevor Francis. ‘I was very impressed with him. We trained incredibly hard under him before we left England for Spain.’
Under police escort to the stadium, upon arrival there was another coach blocking the direct route to the dressing rooms, and Greenwood for the first time showed some outward display of tension: ‘What’s going on, where’s the escort when we need them?’ It was out of character but showed how, after all the time bottled up focusing on training and tactics, he just wanted the football to start. An hour before kick-off and the players came out to inspect the pitch, get their bearings and for the first time to feel the electric World Cup atmosphere. As the clock ticked around, the players started their routines, Shilton having a cup of tea as his tradition, some going through gentle stretches and having massages. Wilkins and Robson both had cold showers. Thompson and Butcher then started to yell and shout at everyone. Getting their game faces on was as important as it was for the rest of the players, and they were thankful to have them for their rallying war cry.
The players emerged from the tunnel to a cacophony of noise, and into the brightness of the blisteringly hot sun. England had come out roughly half an hour before the game started for one last vigorous session to get used to the heat, but now, as they lined up for the national anthems, they realised that the game would be a war of attrition as well as skill and tactics. Keeping the ball would be essential, make the opposition work. Mick Mills led the team out proudly having been officially named captain in the morning. It was said that the English fans outnumbered the French in terms of ticket sales, but during the anthems you would have thought it was the other way around as there were whistles and jeers during ‘God Save the Queen’.
Bryan Robson scored England’s first goal. It came after just 27 seconds. The fastest goal in World Cup finals, ever. Whenever a goal is scored that fast in a game, any game, then there is always an almost stunned silence around the stadium. It’s almost hard to believe that a goal could be scored so quickly. The scoring team’s players react first, then the fans, and then you see the opposition start to shrug and throw gestures of exasperation. All the best made plans gone within seconds. This was however very much planned from England’s point of view. A long ball down the right for Coppell to chase down, he was ushered to the side of the pitch and the ball taken off his toes for a throw almost level with the French penalty area. He took the throw as previously arranged, with Butcher positioned in the area. The high throw reached the Ipswich defender and his flick-on was well timed. Robson was completely unmarked and he met the ball above waist height with a good connection to sweep the ball past a helpless Jean-Luc Ettori.
The perfect start after all the build-up and tension. The tournament had now officially started, and they had arrived at the party making a loud noise.
France to their credit dusted themselves down and after the restart were the better team. Their flair players were getting the ball early, trying to get a goal back early to silence the full roar of the English fans, Alain Giresse and Rene Girard having long distance strikes. England though could have grabbed a second goal after Butcher intercepted a pass in his own half and played a deep ball down the left for Francis. The striker motored forward and let loose a shot that was charged down for a corner.
It was a free-flowing game, thanks largely to the Portuguese referee, Antonio Garrido. He was letting some dubious challenges go, mostly on Michel Platini. Butcher was having a good start to the game but in the tenth minute he was caught napping with captain Mick Mills. As the pair dithered, Gerard Soler nipped in and hit a ferocious shot wildly over. The danger signs were there.
Still it was France having the lion’s share of possession, with Max Bossis and Platini at the heart of most of their attacking play, but good covering play by the midfield meant that France were often bottled up and had to play square balls as they entered the final third. Catching France out on the counterattack was England’s best form of attack so far and Francis had a great opportunity to double the lead on 16 minutes. Again, he was wide left, but after cutting inside he was inside the six-yard box. With defenders starting to cut him off he hit a low drive that looked at first like it might sneak inside the near post, but instead the side netting rippled.
Coppell was then the subject of a foul that should have seen the first card produced but didn’t. Christian Lopez swung a late right foot his way, but the winger stumbled away from the challenge only to have Bossis race in and cruelly take him down. In some ways, it showed the respect they had for him that the only way to stop Coppell was to hack him down before he could cause damage.
Play started to slow down as the game reached the 20-minute mark. France were still probing, looking for an opening, but the through ball never came off, and if it did Shilton was quickly off his line to avert any danger. Then from nowhere a hopeful ball was played over the top and down the middle catching Butcher unaware. He was well behind Soler when the midfielder arrowed a low shot that was clean and true as it flew past Shilton and into the far corner of the goal. 1-1 and on the balance of play a score that was right. Just as France were awakened by the early Robson goal, England also brightened up. Coppell switched to the right side and was continuing to be a threat. Graham Rix was now starting to find his feet, carrying the ball forward with real purpose, but as the first half drew to a close both keepers were not called into action.
France were out early for the second half, eager to try and get a grip on the game. They had an early chance to take the lead when Platini lined up a free kick 25 yards out, but his fine curled effort didn’t swing enough and dropped just outside the post. With the game still flowing end-to-end, both teams seemingly content to let the other work the ball forward, the heat was now becoming a factor. Loud cheers started to ring around the San Mames terraces, despite neither team being in an advanced position, and the reason for this was the message flowing across the large scoreboard showing everyone that Algeria were ahead of West Germany by the score of 2-1. Almost immediately the cheers were full-bloodied from the English contingent. Francis, who was now really enjoying the space given to him by a defence starting to wilt, sent in a hard cross which was met powerfully by the head of Robson giving Ettori no chance. A fine goal to add to his first, but at this stage of the game more important. England were now in charge. First to most balls and Wilkins was controlling and dictating the pace of the game in his holding role. Platini was still trying to fashion something, and was still the subject of some on-the-edge tackling. Butcher, already booked earlier in the game, was lucky not to see a red card flashed his way after a heavy challenge on the French playmaker.
England had victory in their sights, as the clock had ticked into the last ten minutes and the fight had gone from the French. Francis, who could’ve had a goal or two himself, settled for setting up another. This time it was Paul Mariner who found the net. It was one of the simplest goals he would score, smashing the ball past Ettori from eight yards, after his strike partner had played him in via a slight deflection off a prone French defender.
At 3-1 down the niggly challenges were now starting to get a retaliatory reaction and Platini was now fed up of being the constant punchbag, standing up to go toe-to-toe with Rix after he clumsily brought him down. Greenwood’s men had played a near faultless game. They grew into the match as it wore on, and in doing so ground the life out of France. When Kenny Sansom went down with cramp in the waning moments, it was Platini who was giving him on the pitch treatment, the crowd applauding this show of compassion from a man who had been frustrated all afternoon. Sansom couldn’t continue and was taken off for Phil Neal, but before he could assume his defensive position the referee blew his whistle to end the game.
During half-time, Greenwood made himself heard: ‘We’re getting lopsided and they’re getting to us along our left. Graham is floating, Bryan is pushing forward and this is where the hole is. So, Graham come back, square us off on the left and give us four across the middle. It’ll give us numbers, and Bryan, you’ll be able to get up without any worries.’ Wilkins was suffering from dizzy spells due to the heat, and Butcher likewise. With shirts off and wet towels on heads, drinking hot tea looked a bizarre sight to anyone who happened to walk in at random.
‘For me the game couldn’t have started better. The goal came so quickly that even the England fans had been stunned into silence by the speed of it all,’ Robson said after his historic goal. ‘There was such a look of utter disbelief on the French faces that I had to look back at the goal and then at the referee to make sure I’d scored. No player can play well without the help of his teammates and whatever people may be saying about me, I know I have the other lads to thank for enabling me to score and make the headlines.’
Trevor Francis recalled a moment as the teams were waiting to come out: ‘I could remember hearing the last thing said by someone as we left the dressing room: “Let’s get an early goal.” It’s always said, and doesn’t happen often.’ Then he told of his golden chance to score after just quarter of an hour. ‘I suddenly realised the keeper had left a space on the near post, so I went for it, but my execution was poor. The manager pulled me up about it at half-time, and I explained that I couldn’t see anyone (open), but he wasn’t happy.’
Robson went on to describe how his second goal came about: ‘I was running in and could see the French were hesitating. I knew that if I could get there I could score and with about ten feet to make up I threw myself forward and met the ball crisply with my head.’ And when the third goal went in to seal the win, Francis was the provider again. ‘When the ball was crossed from the right by Rix, he was probably howled at by Howe for being there. Wilkins could have volleyed the ball, but I checked my run deliberately and he touched the ball to me. I was stretching and couldn’t get any power, and really only helped it on its way and was lucky the deflection went straight to Paul.’
Apart from the fast start to England’s finals campaign, the other point of note from the game was the intense heat. Yes, they had prepared for it but when you encounter pitch-side temperatures of 110 degrees, all the best preparations tend to go to waste. Paul Mariner suffered the most, losing close to a stone in weight during the game. Of course, this level of weight loss and dehydration was dangerous and fluids had to be taken on board quickly. It was said he drank a gallon of water after the match just to try and break even. His wasn’t an isolated case and on average the rest of the team shed half a stone each. Coppell and Rix were chosen for the random drug test, and they took two hours to provide a sample such was their state of dehydration. Coppell drank several pints of water along with cups of tea to speed up his personal process, and in doing this he gave himself a stomach ache.
‘It is as well to get acclimatised for Madrid, if we are going to go any further,’ was the manager’s positive outlook on a situation that had his players sitting in the cooler confines of the dressing room at half-time with wet towels draped over them. The win put England in great shape to get out of the group, especially after Kuwait held Czechoslovakia to a 1-1 draw. The ageing Czech side had taken an early lead with a penalty, but the Kuwaitis didn’t back down and got their equaliser just before the hour, a wonderful 25-yard strike from Faisal Al-Dakhil. The draw in Valladolid meant that an eighth consecutive win for England when they faced the Czechs in three days would see them through to the next round.
There were many positives to take from the win. Rix, who had not expected to start, showed great maturity. Francis had to feel his way into the game, but once settled he looked every part the player he can be, and his growing influence in the game contributed greatly to the win. Bryan Robson was already a household name in England, but the way he carried the fight to France meant it wouldn’t be too long before he was known across the world. His two goals had put him firmly in the minds of all teams that could cross his path in the coming days and possibly weeks. ‘It was my best game for England, but I must admit towards the end I was finding it hard. It was hard to breathe in the stadium it was that hot. I’ve never played in heat like that.’
It wasn’t all plain sailing though. Maybe the big stage didn’t help, but after a shaky start Butcher grew in stature, ‘He [Soler] gave me his shirt after the game, and I reckon that was as close as I got to him all day. He was very slippery, and for the goal I should have played him offside. My fault, and I hold my hands up.’ His club teammate Mills had some uncharacteristic moments of indecision. Mills was named as captain in Keegan’s absence, but like Butcher seemed to grow into the game as it went on. These were minor aberrations on an otherwise perfect performance that England could scarcely have dreamed of 12 months before.
There was even good news from the treatment table and training ground the next morning. The increasingly important Robson had taken a knock to his calf and had a slight groin strain, although his thoughts were elsewhere as his wife, Denise, had just given birth to their second daughter, and he wondered if his gift to the new-born would be a World Cup winners’ medal. Thompson had a swollen foot as he came off, victim to a stray French boot stamping on it, and the only substituted player Sansom had cramp. All were in full recovery mode and no further problems were expected with them. There was even the sight of Keegan involved in light activities, but at this stage it was a major doubt that he and Brooking would be involved against Czechoslovakia.
Those that played were granted a day off from training, which was Greenwood’s way of a thank you and also a chance to recharge the batteries. Some though went off for a pre-organised round of golf, not ideal given the still warm conditions. With that in mind and the look of the clubhouse bar more appealing, they optioned for a case of lager, mixed in with Sangria. It made for a long afternoon, and when the team retreated from the bar at around 5pm, a few players were worse for wear. Corrigan had managed to pass out asleep, and was slowly cooking away like a lobster. Wilkins was giving everyone that would listen a piece of his mind on the coach back to the hotel, while under the influence of course, and promptly curled up on a lounge sofa upon arrival. Greenwood moved around his combative midfielder whilst giving a press conference. The media tip-toed past him as they filed out of the room, letting him sleep off his bad head.
Away from England’s group the action was coming thick and fast. The biggest shock of the tournament came in Gijon where Algeria stunned West Germany 2-1, Lakhdar Belloumi tapping home from close range a minute after Rummenigge had levelled the game up. Honduras took an early lead against host nation Spain, but couldn’t hold on to cause another upset and had to settle for a point after a 1-1 draw. Back in Algeria and Honduras the results were hailed with huge acclaim, so much so in Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital where the police were called in to help control the thousands of fans that spilled onto the streets to celebrate. The Spanish press weren’t so kind, dubbing their performance as ‘shameful’. Manager Jose Santamaria tried to defend his team: ‘My players worked hard, but despite their efforts, they could not get a better result.’ The rise of the smaller nations was something that England boss Greenwood welcomed. Sure, it had thrown the World Cup door open a little, so the powerhouse teams had to be more on their guard. ‘It’s good for the tournament and fully justifies the decision to increase numbers up to 24.’
After the Friday training session, it was confirmed that Keegan and Brooking, now sharing what was known as ‘the Royal Room’ after Keegan got notice that he was to receive an OBE to go alongside his roommate’s MBE, would not be available for selection for the next match. The captain was still the main attraction for the media, and they had started to draw their own conclusions as to how long he would be out for and the extent of his back injury. They even suggested that he had had a big falling-out with Greenwood, something that the manager poured water on in his meeting with the press. ‘I have never been so annoyed. Everything has gone so well here that I suppose somebody had to stir things up.’ Adding to this was an extraordinary claim that Keegan was about to be sent home, so bad was his back. ‘Keegan is in bed today, and the situation is well under control.’ It was true that Keegan had been seeing a specialist, as the team doctors had tried all they could.
With the two key men out, it looked likely that Greenwood would name an unchanged side. Francis and Thompson were left out of training so they could fully recover from their bumps and bruises. Still of concern was the heat. Each player that competed against France had a urine sample taken that would give the team doctors enough analysis of how well they coped in the heat, and the necessary steps needed to prevent a similar weight loss this time around.
The Czechs offered a much different style to their opening opponents and the pace could be slower. After their draw against Kuwait, a loss would see them on the brink of elimination, should France see off the upstart team from Asia. Jozef Venglos was known for having well-drilled, organised sides, hard to break down but with an eye for the goal. He would play England with caution but knowing the need to get on the scoresheet was crucial. Antonin Panenka, even aged 33, was still the man to watch closely, but Ladislav Vizek was the real danger. At the peak of his game he could use either foot to inspire and deliver. ‘We must impose our game on them and keep up our good habit of winning,’ said Greenwood.