When England turn up for the World Cup finals nowadays, most fans are either expecting an elimination in the Group stage or a dismissal by way of a penalty shoot out by at least the quarter finals. It is now 48 years since we won the trophy and in the history of the tournament our next best finish was the semi-finals in 1990. Even our famous win in 1966 was totally unexpected despite having home advantage. The England manager Alf Ramsey told everyone that we would win, but not many believed him. The one and only real time the whole country realistically thought we would win was 1970 where the hosts were Mexico. We knew Brazil and Pele would be tough but we still had the nucleus of the 1966 team and it looked to have improved leaps and bounds four years later.
However, three factors were to play a major part in England blowing the chance for back to back World Cups. Conspiracy, todays equivalent of “lasagne gate” and one bad tactical error eventually crushed our chances.
The conspiracy unfolded before the tournament even started and it involved our own Bobby Moore. England were based in Columbia prior to the Cup starting and the players went out to do some shopping. Bobby Moore ventured into a jewellery shop and before he knew it he was accused of stealing a bracelet. He was arrested and then released but after the team had returned to Columbia from playing a friendly in Ecuador he was arrested again and placed on a four day house arrest. To this day the players have said the story was fabricated and the belief was that the whole thing was done to unsettle the England camp and its preparations. The attitude of Alf Ramsey and the English media were then seen as unfriendly towards the locals and it was to set up a hostile reaction to the England team for the remainder of the tournament.
The 1970 World Cup was still a 16 team tournament in those days. It was comprised of four groups of four with the top two in each group moving into the quarter finals from where it became a knock out scenario. England had drawn Brazil, Rumania and Czechoslovakia in the group phase. England won their first match against Rumania 1-0 and then lost 1-0 to Brazil in one of the most famous matches in World Cup history. It was labelled Pele v Moore and what a wonderful game our Bobby had, but Pele was to have the last word as Brazil won 1-0 with a goal from Jairzinho. England squandered several opportunities to equalise but Pele brought one save from goalkeeper Gordon Banks that for many years was recognised as the best save in the history of the game. Many thought that if the two teams met again later in the knock out stages, England were a real chance to avenge the defeat.
England went on to win their last group game against the Czechs 1-0 to set up a quarter final against West Germany. Gordon Banks was considered the best keeper in the World at the time but a 1970 version of “lasagne gate” the night before the German game put him out of the encounter with a bout of food poisoning. His replacement was Chelsea keeper Peter Bonetti who was inexperienced at International level and this was to haunt England late in the match. England, playing superbly, led 2-0 with 20 minutes to play and defeat looked out of the question. Then Bonetti allowed a tame shot from Beckenbauer to slip under his body and the Germans had a lifeline. This is when the tactical mistake was unveiled. Ramsey took both Bobby Charlton and Martin Peters off and replaced them with Colin Bell and Norman Hunter. Beckenbauer, who had been dropping deep to mark Charlton was now unleashed on what was a radically altered England midfield. With eight minutes on the clock West Germany equalised through Uwe Seeler whose header looped over the hapless Bonetti and extra time was now needed.
The whole match had now been turned on its head and England’s dominance was now replaced by Beckenbauer’s dominance. The referee disallowed what seemed a perfectly good goal from Geoff Hurst before Muller thundered a shot past Bonetti to finish England off. The holders were out. Brazil went on to beat the Italians in the final by four goals to one but this was one World Cup where England really had a shot at winning the title. It was to be another 12 years before England even qualified for the final stages of a World Cup again.