Fair England struck at the core

Press, 19 October 1976, Page 40

Fair England struck at the core

By

NEIL DIBBS,

NZPA correspondent

London Oh dear! England is in a bad way and the public is calling for the boss to resign.

Forget the economic crisis. This is all about the painfully sensitive subject of football, which is nearer and dearer to English hearts that a tattered pound will ever be. The masses rose as one, revolted by England’s latest foray into the international arena and championed by acid football writers already resigned to missing a trip to the 1978 World Cup finals in Argentina. In fact England won, beat-

ing Finland, • 2-1, in a World Cup group qualifying match at Wembley Stadium. But that is like the All Blacks just scraping through against Rumania, or the New Zealand hockey team being beaten by a team from a visiting United States destroyer, There were widespread forecasts before the match that England would win by about 16-0. Any more , goals than that would embarrass its Finnish friends.

Bookmakers offered comparatively short odds about every England player scoring a goal, Finland was 20-1 to win, and no betting shop would set a price about England.

"Finland,’’ pontificated the

England manager, Don Revie, “would be a good side in the English third division.” Now he is sorry he said that. Last Wednesday night’s result puts England in danger of relegation from the second division.

Finland was actually unlucky to lose, or at least not to have pinched a priceless point from a draw. The Liverpool goalkeeper, Ray Clemence, stopped two goals brilliantly, and only halted another by a cynical professional foul. The Finland striker, Jyrkj ‘Nieminen — an accountant, an amateur like all his side — was through the England defence and Clemence charged out of goal to hack him down with

his feet. He conceded a free ,i kick but not a goal. That the part-timers could ; cause so much anxiety to the fully professional proud England stars was too much. The 92,000 spectators had : started the match singing "Land of Hope and Glory,” they finished with “What a ■ Load of Rubbish.” The sports headlines echoed this sentiment: “England let fans down,” said the “Daily Mail.” “Revie’s Rocky Horror Show — Lord help England if the Finns are third rate,” said the “Daily Mirror.’’ "Revie: ‘l’m so sorry’,” bannered the “Sun.” and in-’ deed Revie did issue a public i apology after the match fori

the efforts of his team. “England can still do it," piped up the “Evening News,” looking ahead to England’s vendetta with Italy in the group crunch match in Rome next month more in hope than with conviction. Only one can qualify from the group for the 1978 finals in Argentina. Finland and Luxembourg are the group lightweights, supposedly, with England and Italy at each other’s throats for this near-religious honour. Still, there was one bright spot. The victory was England's first World Cup success at Wemblev since the (final in 1966. And that era is a long, i long way back in the past.