It often ends in tears and it's never, ever, easy. Yes, we're talking about England's World Cup qualifying campaigns,
and we kick off the list with our efforts to get to Spain in 1982...
World Cup Spain 1982, European Qualifiers Group 4
'Your Boys Took a Hell of a Beating'
England began their World Cup qualification campaign for the 1982 World Cup in Spain on the back
of a disappointing European Championships in Italy. England had failed to progress from the group
stages in a largely poor tournament and without a World Cup appearance in 12 long years, there was
little excitement as the campaign began. However, one crucial issue was in our favour.
FIFA had decided to expand the finals to 24 teams and this meant that the runners up from the European
groups would also qualify.
England were drawn in a strange group. England did not draw a foe as demanding as Poland or Italy or had stood between England and the World Cups in West Germany and Argentina. However, Romania and Hungary would present real challenges and Switzerland were no inadequates. Norway were regarded as the rank outsiders and manager Ron Greenwood would have counted on the maximum four points there. Hmm.
It was Norway who provided England's first opponents and they were despatched with some comfort 4-0 at Wembley. Greenwood made changes and gave debuts to Arsenal's Graham Rix and rising Ipswich star Eric Gates. Each played either side of the reliable strike partnership of Mariner and Woodcock. Peter Shilton was back in favour in goal after losing out to Ray Clemence, twice, during the Euros. Yet there was no place for Keegan, Brooking, Wilkins and Coppell. Terry McDermott gave England the lead eight minutes before half time but in the second half Tony Woodcock extended the lead before McDermott added a thumping second. Paul Mariner completed the rout near the end. England were off to an expected flyer and there was no foretaste of the drama that was to come.
The first setback duly arrived in Bucharest the following month. A number of changes were made to the starting including a start for Real Madrid's new signing Laurie Cunningham and Gary Birtles. Once again there was no place for Tottenham's gifted playmaker Glenn Hoddle. This was the forgotten defeat of this campaign, overshadowed as it was by later, more embarrassing reverses. Nevertheless it holed England's good start and put the doubts back in place about Greenwood and his team. Romania dominated the first half and took the lead through Radacanu but England came back strongly after the break. Woodcock scored a deserved equaliser after 64 minutes but a highly dubious penalty was converted by Iordanescu after a foul on the same player by Kenny Sansom.
In November Greenwood's men were at home to Switzerland with some pressure for a result after the defeat in Bucharest. For this game Coppell and Brooking were restored to the side and all seemed well at half time with an own goal and one from the recalled Paul Mariner providing a comfortable cushion. However, in the 2nd half the Swiss came back strongly and Pfister halved the lead with 14 minutes remaining. England hung on but it was a scratchy performance against a side regarded as outsiders for the group. At the end of 1980 4pts from 3 games was the minimum requirement but there was a sense of unease amongst England supporters about the lack of progress in the team. This was in stark to the 1980 European Championship qualifiers, which England had breezed through. 1981 would not bring much relief, indeed after their second half efforts the Swiss scented a scalp for the return match in Basle.
England didn't have another qualifier until the end of April and it was another depressing result against Romania. The match was preceded by a home defeat to Spain in a friendly, the first at home under Greenwood. The mood wasn't lifted by a decent show against the Romanians which was let down by a lack of firepower up front. Indeed it could have been worse after a slip by Shilton which had him scrambling to prevent an opposition goal. The team were booed off and though they still led the group all of England's rivals had games in hand.
By the time England visited Switzerland they were on a run of five games without a win. The last four had failed to yield a single goal, the worst run in the history of the national team and all at home. The national team, not for the first time or the last, were becoming a national joke. A dismal Home International Championship had concluded with a dismal defeat at home to Scotland. Additionally the Hungarians had begun their campaign with two wins and a draw and were clearly en route to securing one of the qualifying berths.
The game in Basle saw the recall of Kevin Keegan, his first competitive start in nearly a year. After dominating
the first half the Swiss caught England is disarray with two goals in as many minutes.
First, Fredy Scheiwiler and then star striker Claudio Sulser gave the Swiss a comfortable half time lead. England were shell shocked. However, they came out fighting in the 2nd half and Terry McDermott pulled a goal back on 54. England huffed and puffed but clear cut chances were few and the Swiss hung on for a famous victory. Sadly the English hooligan problem resurfaced with a vengeance as yobs rioted in the stadium and later in the city centre. Days later Romania beat Norway to put them a point clear of England with three fixtures to go. England had to get at least a draw at group favourites Hungary, only a week after their humbling in Basle, to stay in contention.
The match against Hungary provided an under fire Greenwood with an opportunity. England’s form had been so wretched that nobody expected a victory. Defeat would leave England’s qualification prospects on life support, so despite his cautious nature, he had nothing to lose. For the match Greenwood went for experience. The Nep Stadion in Budapest was a typical eastern European bowl, but filled with a volatile home crowd, it would sustain a ferocious atmosphere throughout. The Hungarians also knew that victory would leave the home side in a very strong position. Neal, Brooking and Thompson came in for Sansom, Osman and Francis, with Keegan pushing further forward to support Mariner.
Put simply, this was redemption for Ron Greenwood. His team selection was spot on. Keegan was much happier as a striker and linked seamlessly, not for the first time, with Brooking. It was the latter who gave England the lead on 18 minutes, but just before half time Garaba equalised after a blunder from Clemence. The goal capped Hungary’s best period of the match. Moments earlier Nyilasi hit the bar and half time couldn’t come quick enough.
The second half however was the finest English performance for many years. They simply controlled the game, outplaying a good Hungarian team. McDermott and Brooking missed chances, but on the hour the West Ham midfielder scored a famous goal. Linking nicely with Neal and Keegan he hit a first time shot with the outside of his boot which lodged the ball idiosyncratically in the frame of the goal. Keegan was then felled inside the box with seventeen minutes to go. He took the kick himself to put the result beyond doubt.
The game was a personal triumph for Greenwood. The English public was left to wonder how a team that can play with such authority should be in such a precarious position in the first place. Surely we would win easily in Norway in the new season, and be within sniffing distance of a first World Cup for 12 years.
But this is England of course. Basle was a bad enough, but Oslo was a new nadir for the national team. Greenwood was forced by injuries into changing his team. Most tellingly Brooking was injured meaning a recall for Glenn Hoddle. Things started well and Bryan Robson quietened the crowd after 16 minutes with a close range effort. However, in parallel with the Swiss debacle, England conceded two goals in quick succession. Albertsen claimed the first and England were rocking. Five minutes later an error from Terry McDermott gave Hallvar Thoresen the chance which he took to send the Ullevi Stadium into a tumult. Like Basle, England had plenty of time to reorganise and press. Like Basle, they failed. Greenwood again looked out of his depth and many back home were wondering how he’d ever got the job ahead of Brian Clough. The final whistle brought the famous, magnificent rant from the Norwegian radio commentator Bjorn Lillelien (see youtube clip below) and the Norwegians celebrated the most famous victory in their history against an inept England.
Embarrassingly the travelling numbskulls again sullied our reputation with another contemptible rampage. The result meant that
England were only a point clear of Romania who had two games in hand. Qualification looked a distant prospect.
Two weeks later Romania drew at home with Hungary to draw them level on points with England.
Victory over Switzerland in Bucharest would all but end England’s hopes. Incredibly the Swiss threw England a lifeline,
beating the home side 2-1. Hungary wrapped up top spot with victories over the Swiss and Norway before the
Romanians blew another opportunity to put daylight between them and England by drawing 0-0 in Switzerland.
All this meant that in the groups last fixture England would need only a draw at home to Hungary to book their ticket
to Spain. On a night a great tension at Wembley, 92,000 were sent into ecstasy when Paul Mariner scored after the quarter hour to give England the lead. It was a lead the Hungarians didn’t seem too intent on challenging though they did dish out plenty of rough stuff to the English players. The final whistle brought huge celebrations sweeping down from the stands. Greenwood’s men had staggered over the finishing line. England would attend their first World Cup in 12 years despite a campaign that stuttered throughout. The two victories over group winners Hungary had proven crucial. But after those defeats in Basle and Oslo expectations were not going to be high in Spain.
England's World Cup Qualifiers 
