POLE POSITION – England qualify for the 1974 World Cup………

neilsambrook@btinternet.com October 16, 2019

Over the celebratory noise of a packed Wembley Stadium, the euphoria circulating beneath the floodlights based more on relief than achievement, Bobby Moore, a substitute on the night, is straining to make himself heard to England manager Sir Alf Ramsey.

‘We cut that fine Alf,’ said Moore raising his voice, despite there being nobody between them on the trainers’ bench.

Just thirty seconds after the final whistle had sounded on a dramatic 2-1 win for England over Poland, ensuring qualification for the 1974 World Cup finals, the two men stand up to join the eleven players celebrating out on the pitch.

As they cross the dog racing track that runs between the stands and touchline, Moore takes a quick look behind him and catches sight of the Royal Box, where seven years before on the sunniest afternoon English football had ever known, he lifted the World Cup to the acclaim of a joyous nation.

For a second he wonders if next summer in West Germany will bring a repeat – only to be snapped from yesteryear reverie to a damp October night by a photographer, who asks him and Ramsey to stop for a picture.

As cameras flash, Moore responds to well-intentioned shouts of ‘That’s next June taken care of for you two‘ and ‘You better bring the World Cup back from Germany after putting us through that tonight‘ with a typically infectious smile.

Beside him Ramsey offers a look of passive uncertainty – the expression of a man who saw a boulder rolling toward him, only for it to change direction at literally, the last minute.

From the disappointment he saw etched on the face of his Polish counterpart Kazimierz Gorski when they shook hands half a minute ago, Ramsey acknowledged how close Poland had come to securing the draw that would have secured top spot in Qualification Group Five.

Such an outcome would, in all probability, have ended his ten-year reign as England manager – with the Poles, a side whose desire and team play he greatly admired, going to West Germany instead of England, whom he had led to World Cup glory in 1966.

Seeing Ramsey disengage from the scrum of photographers, Moore quickly followed. The pair were just about to engage England captain on the night, Martin Peters, in congratulatory handshakes, when Moore took the opportunity to say:

‘It was getting to look Alf as if we’d be spending next summer twiddling our thumbs – thank God we sorted out which Kevin to send on.’

As Peters moved toward them arm out and smiling, beyond him several white-shirted England players looked relieved souls – in particular Leeds United defender Norman Hunter, whose mistake on the halfway line paved the way for Poland to take a 57th minute lead and give England an even bigger task in making the World Cup cut.

His embrace with Liverpool forward Kevin Keegan was particularly heartfelt, the diminutive striker forcing home the stoppage time winner that had sent Wembley into rapture.

Keegan, an 88th minute replacement for Spurs centre-forward Martin Chivers, almost did not go on – as when Moore suggested ‘Send Kevin on against their tiring defence,’ Ramsey told Derby County man Kevin Hector to get ready, Moore handling the situation on a frantic England bench to ensure it was Keegan who took the field.

Just a few yards from where Keegan was still being mobbed by jubilant team-mates, goalkeeper Peter Shilton – also at fault for the Jan Domarski goal which put Poland ahead – placed a consoling arm around his opposite number Jan Tomaszewski, whose acrobatics, unorthodoxy and moments of good fortune had almost denied England victory.

Both wearing yellow jerseys, together they head for the tunnel in a show of goalkeeping solidarity – unaware as they walk their respective performances are being evaluated in a television studio high above the pitch. The criticism aimed at Shilton sounds relatively tame compared with the way Tomaszewski is being dismissed as a ‘Circus clown in gloves‘ by the outspoken Brian Clough – who two days earlier had resigned as manager of Derby County following a public feud with the club chairman.

After dominating the match from virtually the first whistle, by the skin of their teeth England had managed to qualify.

Leeds United striker Alan Clarke levelled from the penalty spot after an hour but had a goalmouth scramble with less than half a minute remaining landed anywhere than the right foot of Keegan, despair and embarrassment would have ensued – followed by an intense period of self-examination for the English game.

While over in Fleet Street back page headlines for the morning papers were being hastily amended from ‘Pole-Axed‘ to ‘Poles Axed‘ and despite a Mr. Sambrook of Shrewsbury committing to the purchase of a new television for the World Cup next summer now England were through – cautionary words were being cast into the cool night air around Wembley by current Crystal Palace boss Malcolm Allison.

During an eight-year spell (1965-73) as first team coach and then manager of Manchester City, a period when they had won every major domestic honour and a European trophy, Allison had gained renown as a serious thinker on the game and someone never reticent when asked for an opinion.

Standing in the dark shadows beneath the Twin Towers, he offered a couple of reporters the following assessment:

‘From what I’ve seen tonight there won’t be too many countries in Europe and South America losing sleep over England. To do well in the World Cup next year will take more than sending out the best players in a 4-4-2 formation and hoping for the best – but I’m sure Alf realises that.’

At the moment Allison finished speaking every light in the stadium behind him suddenly went out, plunging the pathway ahead into darkness……

As the autumn of 1973 unfolds, newspaper headlines are dominated by the aftermath of the Arab-Israeli conflict of early October and the impending showdown between the National Union of Mineworkers and the Conservative Government led by Prime Minister Edward Heath. The NUM leadership are insisting on a 35% pay rise for their members, failure to meet these demands to be met with industrial action – of which power cuts would be a likely consequence.

The back pages meanwhile are full of the undefeated start made to the domestic football season by Leeds United, who have already built up a commanding lead at the top of Division One – and the possibility of a ‘Battle of Britain‘ pool game at the forthcoming World Cup as Scotland have also qualified.

In their first match since booking a place in West Germany, England face fellow qualifiers Italy at Wembley – manager Ramsey making just one change from the team who overcame Poland five weeks earlier, Bobby Moore reinstated as captain and recalled to the defence in place of Hunter.

It proves a frustrating night for England. Without a recognised ball winner in a midfield trio of Colin Bell, Tony Currie and Martin Peters, the home side are starved of possession – with the front three of Mick Channon, Chivers and Clarke looking collectively ineffective. To make matters worse, the defence are caught napping in the closing stages when Fabio Capello scores the goal that gives Italy victory.

Afterward when Ramsey is asked if anything has been learnt about opposition England could face at the World Cup, in the clipped, bristling tones to have become his trademark, he replies, ‘Certain things have been noted,’ becoming even more terse when questioned if the game had revealed anything about his own side.

‘Yes‘ he states, ‘but they will remain between myself and the players‘.

Defeat against the Italians has clearly given Ramsey much to ponder – and in an uncharacteristic display of belligerence he makes wholesale changes to the squad named to face Spain at Wembley on Wednesday 19 December. Reflecting the U.S. political scandal known as ‘Watergate‘ now embroiling President Richard Nixon, one U.K. back page headline proclaims:

‘SLAUGHTER-GATE – Alf wields axe‘

Moore (West Ham) Hunter, Clarke and Paul Madeley (Leeds United), Tony Currie (Sheffield United), Chivers (Spurs) and Hector (Derby County) are all dropped, their places going to Newcastle United centre-forward Malcolm MacDonald, defenders Colin Todd (Derby) and Trevor Cherry (Leeds), West Ham midfielder Trevor Brooking (West Ham) and Wolves striker John Richards.

There is a recall for World Cup winner Alan Ball (Arsenal) with ’66 squad member Ian Callaghan returning to the fold for the first time since – his Liverpool team-mate, full-back Alec Lindsay receiving a first call-up.

Ramsey ignores press clamour for the inclusion of Manchester City maverick Rodney Marsh and the equally mercurial Stan Bowles, currently in the midst of a fine season for QPR, where he has taken on the role of playmaker vacated by Marsh following his move to Maine Road eighteen months before.

Marsh, however, receives a lifeline when he is called-up to replace Richards, who has to withdraw from the squad as Wolves face a re-arranged League Cup quarter-final against Liverpool on the same day, the fixture also making Callaghan and Lindsay unavailable.

The Molineux tie is given a 2pm kick-off time due to lighting restrictions imposed when the government implement a three-day working week in order to conserve coal stocks at power stations – this after the miners had voted in favour of an overtime ban that would see coal supply greatly reduced.

As a consequence, England see their World Cup preparations suffer a blow when The F.A. postpone the Spain fixture – despite counter-efforts to have the game played. Should the match go ahead at Wembley, BBC offer to show the match live, while fears the ground would be half-empty are addressed by West Ham, who offer to make Upton Park available.

When one newspaper makes the suggestion of playing the game on Saturday 22 December, an FA spokesman answers press speculation by saying:

‘The fixture against Spain has been postponed. We cannot ask the Football League to postpone the entire first division programme on the strength of an international friendly. Besides FA Council Members have already made their festive arrangements. These ideas about playing at other grounds are all every well,’ he says outside The Dorchester Hotel in London where the F.A. International Committee are holding their Christmas lunch, ‘but The Football Association is not made of money.’

With the recently introduced lighting and power regulations relaxed for domestic use over the festive period, the population emerge into 1974 thankful for never having to hear ‘Merry Xmas Everybody‘ by glam-rock band Slade ever again after it has topped the charts through December.

Football followers, meanwhile, are eagerly awaiting January 5 when the World Cup pool stages will be drawn in Frankfurt.

In the event England and Scotland are kept apart, the Scots in Group 2 with World Champions Brazil, Yugoslavia and Zaire – while England are drawn in Group 4 alongside Argentina, Haiti and their recent conquerors Italy.

Through February and March speculation mounts on who will (and in some cases more pertinently, will not) be included when Ramsey names his final party of 22.

One player no longer being considered is Wolves front-man Richards – an injury sustained in the League Cup Final on March 2, when his winning goal secures a 2-1 win over Manchester City for the Molineux side, ruling him out for the rest of the season.

With eyes turning toward a friendly against Portugal in early April, team selection likely to indicate which players had forced their way into the reckoning, England have their tournament preparations beset by more disarray when The FA are forced to announce Sir Alf Ramsey will be replaced as England manager after the World Cup. The minutes of an FA International Committee meeting are leaked to the press before Ramsey has been informed, the World Cup winning manager learning his fate in a telephone call from a journalist.

As Ramsey keeps a dignified silence, rumours are rife that Don Revie, the highly successful Leeds manager has been lined up for the job – the threat of resigning from Crystal Palace made by Allison in the same week as the Ramsey story broke, thought to be merely coincidence.

In the lead up to playing in Lisbon, Ramsey refuses to be drawn on the identity of a successor or the appalling way his exit has been handled, knowing there is a battle ahead with The FA he is keen to win.

His plans are hampered further as the squad selected to face Portugal is decimated by withdrawals due to re-arranged league fixtures being staged on the same night – the situation further confused when Liverpool and Leicester City draw their FA Cup semi-final.

The Villa Park replay takes place when England are playing Portugal, thus depriving him of Clemence, Hughes, Lindsay, Callaghan and Keegan (Liverpool) and from Leicester, Shilton, Frank Worthington and Keith Weller – the latter pair selected for the first time.

Selecting the most experimental line-up of his entire tenure, Ramsey picks Phil Parkes (QPR) in goal and there are first caps also for Mike Pejic (Stoke City), Martin Dobson (Burnley), Dave Watson (Sunderland), along with Brooking and Bowles. Martin Peters is again named captain, with ’66 stalwarts Moore and Ball named as the two outfield substitutes – a lively, last twenty minute cameo from Ball, one of the few bright spots in a goalless draw.

As the domestic season comes to a conclusion, Leeds United lift the league title with the FA Cup won by Liverpool, the English players at both clubs sure to be uppermost in Ramsey’s thoughts.

Clarke, Madeley and Hunter are all certainties, with Cherry a possible fourth member of the Elland Road contingent – while from the FA Cup winner’s goalkeeper Ray Clemence, Hughes and Keegan have already been inked in, with the claims of Callaghan and Lindsay recognised by those compiling squads for newspaper articles.

Columnists are split on whether Bobby Moore will be on the plane, some expressing the view his recent move from West Ham to second division Fulham could count against him, others certain Ramsey will want his most trusted lieutenant on board.

The uncertainty surrounding his selection looks at an end on Tuesday 30 April when a Daily Mirror back page headline of ‘NO MOORE – Bobby out of World Cup Squad‘ appears – confirmation arriving the next day when Ramsey names a provisional 30 strong party for the Home Internationals, the party trimmed to 22 by the time of friendlies against Mexico and Hungary at the end of May.

Although Moore is spared the indignity of appearing on the 1974 England World Cup song ‘Expecting To Fly‘ that the squad go on to perform with its co-writer, Watford chairman Elton John, (the song is soon renamed ‘Expecting to Cry‘ north of the border), Ramsey has made overtures to The FA with regard to taking Moore in a coaching capacity.

After dragging their heels, the governing body reject the request on grounds of expense (mystifying both Ramsey and Moore has remuneration has never been discussed).

With the slew of pre-tournament games approaching, Malcolm Allison offers to scout England’s three group stage opponents ‘At a fee The FA can afford,’ that leads to Norwich City boss John Bond to volunteer his services for free, telling the Daily Mail: ‘I’ll help Sir Alf for nothing – it won’t cost The FA a penny.’

Ramsey, however, is resigned to working alone – despite the temptation of annoying his erstwhile employers by enlisting two of the games’ most quotable characters.

On Saturday 11 May Ramsey selects an unfamiliar, somewhat unbalanced line-up as England labour to a 2-0 win over Wales in Cardiff, where Keegan and new cap Bowles are on target. Three days later midfield man Weller (to many a surprise inclusion) scores the only goal in a generally unimpressive victory over Northern Ireland – the week ending when a strangely mix and match XI are comfortably beaten 2-0 by Scotland at a fired-up Hampden Park.

Deciding some of the players picked for the last three matches are either not ready for the World Cup stage or their moment has gone, Ramsey stands down Peter Osgood (Southampton), Cherry, Weller, Dobson, Pejic, Kevin Beattie (Ipswich Town), Macdonald and Marsh – submitting his 22 names to UEFA on Monday 20 May:

Goalkeepers: Shilton (Leicester) Clemence (Liverpool), Parkes (QPR); Full-Backs: Nish (Derby), Hughes/Lindsay (both Liverpool), Madeley (Leeds); Central-Defenders: McFarland/Todd (both Derby), Watson (Sunderland), Hunter (Leeds); Midfield: Bell (Man City), Bowles (QPR), Peters, captain, (Spurs), Brooking (West Ham), Ball (Arsenal), Currie (Sheffield Utd); Forwards: Keegan (Liverpool), Channon (Southampton), Chivers (Spurs), Clarke (Leeds), Worthington (Leicester);

With Peters and Chivers absent for both friendlies due to Tottenham contesting a two-leg UEFA Cup Final against Feyenoord, Emlyn Hughes is named captain as a more recognisable England easily overcome Mexico at Wembley – Bell, Channon and Keegan scoring the goals in a 3-0 victory. In Budapest, Hungary offer a slight improvement in opposition, Keegan scoring again before a first international goal for Worthington increases the lead, a late Hungarian reply unable to deny England a 2-1 win.

When back in London, Peters and Chivers – now possessing UEFA Cup runners-up medals after Tottenham suffer a 4-2 aggregate defeat to Feyenoord, the Rotterdam second leg marred by serious crowd disorder – re-join the squad, the entire group pictured outside a Central London cinema on the night before flying out to West Germany.

In a rare instance of relaxing his strict dress code requirements, Ramsey allows the players to wear their own clothes – the squad resplendent in open-necked shirts with long collars, flared trousers and diamond patterned jumpers.

Unsure what to make of Worthington in his 50s ‘Teddy Boy‘ garb, the manager in collar and tie, cardigan and tweed jacket, looks more a 40s-character actor than 70s man about town – Ramsey described as ‘The Man With The Golden Team‘ in one newspaper caption, an unsubtle allusion to the James Bond film they are about to see.

From their training base on the outskirts of Stuttgart, England watch as the 1974 World Cup begins on Thursday 13 June with a dour, Group Two goalless draw between holders Brazil and Yugoslavia – Scotland going top of that section with a 2-0 win over Zaire 24 hours later. England make their bow at the 72,000 capacity Nickarstadion in Stuttgart, Ramsey naming the team of, Clemence, Madeley, Hughes, Bell, McFarland, Todd, Keegan, Clarke, Chivers, Channon and Peters, to face Argentina.

England have the better of a cagey first half, taking the lead through Channon shortly before the break – but on 59 minutes Mario Kempes levels for Argentina. Neither side manage to score again, England going closest when a low cross from Keegan just eludes Clarke and Chivers in injury time.

Satisfied with the display, Ramsey believes England will play better in the games that follow, expectations of a big win over Haiti in the next match fuelled by Brian Clough in a London television studio when he remarks ‘England should get more than India‘ – a reference to their dismissal for 42 in the recent Lord’s Test Match.

For the game against Haiti – who lost their opening game 3-1 to Italy – Ramsey makes two changes, Nish replaces Madeley at full-back and in a change of formation Clarke is dropped for Currie, whose range of passing is expected to carve open a fragile defence.

England score early in the Olympiastadion Munich when Chivers heads home from close range, but the expected goal avalanche fails to materialise – and even when Worthington, who replaces Chivers with twenty minutes left, adds a second, the overwhelming superiority is not rammed home.

At the same time Argentina and Italy have shared the points in a 1-1 draw – and by scoring more goals against Haiti, it leaves Italy only needing a draw against England in their final game to go through, providing Argentina defeat Haiti by more than two.

For a match that in all likelihood they must win, Ramsey opts for experience as he aims to leave his role as England manager by at least going through to the next stage. Todd switches to full-back in place of Nish, with Hunter deployed alongside McFarland at centre-half. Alan Ball is called up to replace Currie in midfield and Clarke rather than Channon will partner Chivers in attack.

Returning to Stuttgart in facing the Italians, the task ahead for England becomes clear when news filters through Argentina have scored twice in the opening quarter hour against Haiti in Munich. They constantly press a suitably well-organised Italy defence and when they are breached goalkeeper Dino Zoff saves well from Bell and Peters.

After the break England become increasingly frustrated by long spells of Italian possession, Italy keeping the ball without posing much in the way of attacking threat.

During a late flurry of pressure, Zoff denies McFarland by tipping over a header – while for Keegan there is to be no repeat of the Wembley heroics against Poland when he scored late to seal qualification, on this occasion his close-range effort hits the side-netting.

Despite a creditable performance, a 0-0 draw is not enough for England and although unbeaten they are out of the World Cup – thus ending the reign as manager of Sir Alf Ramsey. By virtue of scoring one more goal than England, Italy will advance with Argentina (4-1 winners over Haiti) into the next stage.

Sadly, the night ends badly off the pitch as well when England followers clash with police on the streets of Stuttgart in scenes reminiscent of Rotterdam three weeks earlier – the disturbances a portent for the years ahead.

Having seen England have their hopes dashed, up in the press box two seasoned football journos are waiting to file their copy. Looking out across the empty pitch and a stadium in virtual darkness, one remarks: ‘England and Scotland – united in failure‘ (this relating to Scotland exiting the competition 24 hours earlier, also without losing a game).

‘I don’t know,’ says the other lighting a cigarette, ‘take the younger players from the team who played tonight, put them with who’s coming through and I reckon the next manager could turn England into a real force.’

‘It’ll be Revie,’ comes the reply, ‘I’ve got it on good authority from my source at The FA – and there was us thinking Alf was hard work.’

Batting away smoke from the cigarette of his colleague, the telephone in front of him rings. ‘London calling‘ he says, but before lifting the receiver adds:

‘During the past eight months my mind has constantly gone back to that night against Poland at Wembley – it’s occurred to me a few times we’d have been better off not qualifying.’

AUTHORS NOTE:

Not only is this the work of an overactive imagination, it is also indicative of someone with too much time on their hands. But if Quentin Tarantino can rewrite events of 1969 as he did in his recent ‘Once Upon A Time in Hollywood‘ film, then for me 1973-74 was ripe for reconstructing – ‘Once Upon A Time in Littlewoods‘ if you like, to name check a popular department store of the era.

After such a lengthy piece of unadulterated fiction, it seems incongruous to end with a home truth – but the Mr. Sambrook of this piece (my Dad) did, despite England not qualifying, invest in a new television for the 1974 World Cup.

In fact it may be the one my Mum and Dad still watch to this day…………

This article was first published on 16/10/2019.

The above is a chapter from ‘THAT’S FOOTBALL BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT‘ a collection of episodes from a parallel universe of football during the 1960s & 70s:

NEIL SAMBROOK is also the author of ‘MONTY’S DOUBLE‘ – an acclaimed thriller now available in paperback and as an Amazon Kindle book: