1986 - my first World Cup. I was 10. I was so into it, so I for a long time afterwards, still could tell you every result from every single game. I was obsessed with it. The first World Cup for Denmark too. Highlight was beating Uruguay 6-1. Against Spain, we were in complete control and on course for a spot in the 1/4 final. That was until Jesper Olsen completely f@cked it up, but a hopeless pass to our keeper. Butragueno picked it up. 1-1. Then it all fell apart. We ended up losing 5-1. Devastated.
2002 is the first I remember and so I think I'd have to go with that tournament. Vivid memories of where I was for the England games as well as some of the other big moments like Senegal beating France, the Germans winning 8-0, the Italian/Korean scandal, the Rivaldo collapse and of course the final.
2006 was the first tournament I remember being interested in watching as many of the matches as I possibly could and I could probably recall most of the results from that month.
2010 was a couple of months before my 18th so that was bad timing but also good timing in the sense that I was mostly off school "revising" for my A Levels so I got to watch a load of the matches...
I missed some of 2014 because of being at Glastonbury with no internet right in the middle of it but I do remember being so addicted to watching it when I was at home that I was up at 4am watching Japan v Ivory Coast with one lonely ITV commentator on that I had never of before.
1982, that Brazil team was amazing, Eder, Junior, Zico, Socrates, how they didn’t win it I’ll never now. Rushed home from achool to see the Brazil Italy game, absolutely brilliant.
Those with Sky, go to Catch Up and scroll across to the next page. There are a batch of programmes called ‘History of Football’ and its a collection of a World Cup documentaries from over the years. Watched the 1986 one last night, which was narrated bizarrely by Michael Caine and even more bizarrely with 80s porn music backdrop.
Italia 90 - England grew into the tournament and had a bit of luck that so often eludes them! I still wonder what might have happened if Robson had bought Beasant on for the pens!
Great opening music on BBC and I will always remember Des Lynam - BBC showed the German and English world cup songs at the start of the programme and Des said, well we have won the song contest, now let's win the match. Sadly we didn't but it was great getting so far!
Spain 82 - we could have got into the knockout stages if we hadn't drawn with a very poor Spain in the 2nd group stage - seem to remember Keegan missing a sitter towards the end of that game
Best England kit ever as well
I was 12 and used to run home from school for every match - Poland had a player called Bonieck (spelling might be wrong) - he was class
The Tardelli celebration for his goal - the German keeper nearly killing the French player and not getting booked - fastest ever world cup goal by Robson when we turned over France
Spain 82 - we could have got into the knockout stages if we hadn't drawn with a very poor Spain in the 2nd group stage - seem to remember Keegan missing a sitter towards the end of that game
Best England kit ever as well
I was 12 and used to run home from school for every match - Poland had a player called Bonieck (spelling might be wrong) - he was class
The Tardelli celebration for his goal - the German keeper nearly killing the French player and not getting booked - fastest ever world cup goal by Robson when we turned over France
We went home unbeaten in that tournament! We weren't even beaten on penalties!
78 was my first. Looking back, it was a very different world as foreign players were exotic and exciting back then, and we knew nothing about many of the other teams. There was none of this homogenisation where all the best players from small countries play abroad, everyone knows about each other through satellite TV and the internet etc.
Will plump for 1990, as the only time in my lifetime England looked like winning it, and also as (for mainly better and sometimes worse) it started the transformation of football from this struggling game watched by "hooligans" in slummy grounds, into something more successful, and with much wider appeal. The massive new Italian stadiums on TV looked light years apart from our crumbling ones, Gazza's tears, Nessun Dorma, The Three Tenors, World in Motion, Platt's goal etc
Was only 11/12 at the time but really enjoyed the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. Had never seen fanatical support like that before. Really enjoyed watching Holland and wanted them to win the final.
Other than that, 1990 was a great World Cup. England would have won it if they had got to the final. Same as Euro 96.
Same here, I was 12 then (Argentina)....but did find it a struggle staying up to the end of the 11pm KO's.
1990 for me, for all the great reasons people already wrote, but for me it was also part of an epic holiday where I drove across the newly free Europe to the Black Sea coast. I was on the Hook of Holland ferry for the Belgium game, and watched it in a packed bar. I swear the ferry rocked when Platt's goal went in.
Loved Germany 2006 too, it was physically close by and I got a feel for what it meant for the country. Had tickets for the 3rd place game in Stuttgart which was a great experience all round. Up all night afterwards, the whole city was revelling.
To borrow someone else's line, I've already decided that Russia 2018 can shove it up its arse.
1966 - I was just a toddler but I have a vague recollection of my parents and aunt and uncles going absolutely batchy when we won, but what I deffo remember is my younger brother who was about 7 months old would not stop crying during the final. We lived in a townhouse in Dartford, the living room was on the first floor, so my dad put my grizzling brother downstairs in the kitchen during the match, because be would not shut up, he's still a grizzler now.
1974 - I was 10 and my first WC that I remember getting excited about, even though we werent there. I loved it, all of it, I wanted Holland to win because they played the best football, they had players with great names, Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens, Arie Haan and my favourite, Johnny Rep, but no the dirty Hun had to win it, I was very upset, the Jerrys had some stellar players as well, Sepp Maier, Paul Breiner, The Kaiser Franz Beckenbauer, and the Killeresque Gerd Müller. But none of that mattered because they were German. For some reason me and my mates were also fans of the massive Polish defender Jerzy Gorgoń, no idea why, we just were. And who can forget that Zaire free kick defence as well, cue several raggy arsed skinny kids recreating it over at the park........ I also collected all the Panini(?) cards as well.
1990 - We should have won it. A fantastic WC, but we should have won it........bloody Hun again.....but we should have won it. Bobby Robson was a god.
1994 - Jnr was born beginning of June. Because it was in the US of A, some of the games were on at 1 or 2am, which coincided with juniors night feed, so as a good dad I volunteered to do the night feeds, invariably I ended up watching complete games then would turn up at work looking like I'd not slept for a week. It was well worth it though, sitting up in the middle of the night with my first kid watching World Cup football.
1966 was the best, I was 10 watching the first part of the game in our house and running to neighbours houses to watch the rest. It was all so exciting. Alan Ball was my favourite.
1970 and my dad got colour telly just to watch the world cup but I was upset about Bobby Moore being accused of stealing a bracelet.
2006 in Germany, my daughter was doing 'A' level German so I said let's pop over to the World Cup, We didn't have a ticket but watched in the fan fest in Stuttgart. Met loads of fans, great fun.
86 was the first I remember. It felt like it was being played on another planet to me! Loved it. 90 was our best shot, but I loved France 98 and was it 2002 japan South Korea? That was brilliant for getting to the pub at 5am haha! Went to Germany (my only WC) and that was superb. England got knocked out the day we arrived, but we went to the Germany Italy semi. What an experience that was! I’ll go 86, just cause it makes me go misty eyed.
When I used to write articles on here I wrote this one 8 years ago about the 1986 WC and being 10 at time.
First real proper exposure to me of overseas football / footballers. Might be a few bits there some can relate to or find of interest (do people still have the mental staying power to read articles???)
1970 school trip to the north, 10 of us on bunk beds around the hostel room, 1 radio transistor in the hands of the boy who thought he owned it. Sweden is 1:0 up. And then it happened... https://youtu.be/mL5_CFgSwBs
We all flew onto the centre of the room... Spent the next 10 minutes reinserting the batteries into the broken bits of plastic that brought us the one and only goal Israel has ever scored during the one and only time Israel has ever qualified to the world cup.
Lineker 2 pressure pens against Cameroon Platt goal against Belgium that made the Nation's heart leap Gazza tears, after giving his all for team and country and realising he would miss the final. Lineker - "have a word with him" message to Stuart Pearce (?)
1966 - I was just a toddler but I have a vague recollection of my parents and aunt and uncles going absolutely batchy when we won, but what I deffo remember is my younger brother who was about 7 months old would not stop crying during the final. We lived in a townhouse in Dartford, the living room was on the first floor, so my dad put my grizzling brother downstairs in the kitchen during the match, because be would not shut up, he's still a grizzler now.
1974 - I was 10 and my first WC that I remember getting excited about, even though we werent there. I loved it, all of it, I wanted Holland to win because they played the best football, they had players with great names, Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens, Arie Haan and my favourite, Johnny Rep, but no the dirty Hun had to win it, I was very upset, the Jerrys had some stellar players as well, Sepp Maier, Paul Breiner, The Kaiser Franz Beckenbauer, and the Killeresque Gerd Müller. But none of that mattered because they were German. For some reason me and my mates were also fans of the massive Polish defender Jerzy Gorgoń, no idea why, we just were. And who can forget that Zaire free kick defence as well, cue several raggy arsed skinny kids recreating it over at the park........ I also collected all the Panini(?) cards as well.
1990 - We should have won it. A fantastic WC, but we should have won it........bloody Hun again.....but we should have won it. Bobby Robson was a god.
1994 - Jnr was born beginning of June. Because it was in the US of A, some of the games were on at 1 or 2am, which coincided with juniors night feed, so as a good dad I volunteered to do the night feeds, invariably I ended up watching complete games then would turn up at work looking like I'd not slept for a week. It was well worth it though, sitting up in the middle of the night with my first kid watching World Cup football.
Really excited about this years WC.
I was about one and a half in 66 so have no recollection. I know my Dad, who was Italian, bought a book of tickets that followed Italy all the way to the final. Unfortunately he hadn't reckoned on North Korea who beat them 2-0 and knocked them out. He got to see England in the final at Wembley instead and cheered his adopted country on alongside my Uncle Henry!
June 89. My boyfriend at the time says, "I think you're so stupid I could marry you," or something equally romantic along those lines.
I'd just helped him move all his stuff to Birmingham on a Sunday night and had to be back at work in London the next morning.
I took this to be a genuine proposal, even though there was no sign of a ring, so replied: "OK then but as long as it's not in the football season." His response: "How about next June? Then we could go to the World Cup on honeymoon."
And that's what happened so, of course, I have to say Italia 90.
June 89. My boyfriend at the time says, "I think you're so stupid I could marry you," or something equally romantic along those lines.
I'd just helped him move all his stuff to Birmingham on a Sunday night and had to be back at work in London the next morning.
I took this to be a genuine proposal, even though there was no sign of a ring, so replied: "OK then but as long as it's not in the football season." His response: "How about next June? Then we could go to the World Cup on honeymoon."
And that's what happened so, of course, I have to say Italia 90.
A lovely story, but it wouldn't have been so romantic to have your honeymoon this summer in Russia!
Italia 90 was magnificent, I was 9 turning 10 at the time and properly got into having football on tv what felt like all the time
Higuita, Valderamma, The Cameroonians kicking the absolute shit out of the Argentinians. Baggio, Schillachi and the jocks being appalling and my dad laughing his bollocks off at them managing to lose to Costa Rica.
David Platt and his goals, Lineker and everyone at my football team wanting to be Gazza
Watched a tv programme with a witch doctor saying how Cameroon were going to beat England 2-1 and when they went two one up I went cold thinking this old nutter could see the future then Lineker whacking in 2 pens
I thought Paul Parker did the right thing in the West Germany game and Shilton should have been on his line. We should have beaten them Fucking Germans
98 we had a genuine real chance, as much as I respect David Beckham and what has done in the game I've never really forgiven him for kicking Simeone not have I forgiven the referee for disallowing Campbell's goal
2002 was bullshit, some stupid results, England team pillaged by injuries and early.morning kick offs
2006 we had no chance, good tournament though and the Italians were worthy winners
2010 was crap
2014 for England was again a shitshow but a good tournament
June 89. My boyfriend at the time says, "I think you're so stupid I could marry you," or something equally romantic along those lines.
I'd just helped him move all his stuff to Birmingham on a Sunday night and had to be back at work in London the next morning.
I took this to be a genuine proposal, even though there was no sign of a ring, so replied: "OK then but as long as it's not in the football season." His response: "How about next June? Then we could go to the World Cup on honeymoon."
And that's what happened so, of course, I have to say Italia 90.
A lovely story, but it wouldn't have been so romantic to have your honeymoon this summer in Russia!
Italia 90. Me and my mate Steve dancing in the street after the late winner against Belgium and then sprinting down to the pub in Belvedere to celebrate. The turnaround in a very poor game against Cameroon, and the sheer excitement taht maybe just for once we had enough of a team to do something - mind you the defeat against Germany (I was in the Lord Camden in Bexleyheath) took some getting over and the atmosphere at work the next day was funereal.
I'm slowly getting ready for the Russia one (I'll be in Tokyo for one of Japan's games and hope to see it with the locals) but frankly if we couldn't win it with the boys of '90, I can't see this lot getting anywhere near the semi's. But you never know…..
Comments
I was so into it, so I for a long time afterwards, still could tell you every result from every single game. I was obsessed with it.
The first World Cup for Denmark too. Highlight was beating Uruguay 6-1. Against Spain, we were in complete control and on course for a spot in the 1/4 final. That was until Jesper Olsen completely f@cked it up, but a hopeless pass to our keeper. Butragueno picked it up. 1-1. Then it all fell apart. We ended up losing 5-1. Devastated.
2006 was the first tournament I remember being interested in watching as many of the matches as I possibly could and I could probably recall most of the results from that month.
2010 was a couple of months before my 18th so that was bad timing but also good timing in the sense that I was mostly off school "revising" for my A Levels so I got to watch a load of the matches...
I missed some of 2014 because of being at Glastonbury with no internet right in the middle of it but I do remember being so addicted to watching it when I was at home that I was up at 4am watching Japan v Ivory Coast with one lonely ITV commentator on that I had never of before.
then for England, 1990 - we should've won it
Maradona was just unbelievable that tournament
Great opening music on BBC and I will always remember Des Lynam - BBC showed the German and English world cup songs at the start of the programme and Des said, well we have won the song contest, now let's win the match. Sadly we didn't but it was great getting so far!
Best England kit ever as well
I was 12 and used to run home from school for every match - Poland had a player called Bonieck (spelling might be wrong) - he was class
The Tardelli celebration for his goal - the German keeper nearly killing the French player and not getting booked - fastest ever world cup goal by Robson when we turned over France
78 was my first. Looking back, it was a very different world as foreign players were exotic and exciting back then, and we knew nothing about many of the other teams. There was none of this homogenisation where all the best players from small countries play abroad, everyone knows about each other through satellite TV and the internet etc.
Will plump for 1990, as the only time in my lifetime England looked like winning it, and also as (for mainly better and sometimes worse) it started the transformation of football from this struggling game watched by "hooligans" in slummy grounds, into something more successful, and with much wider appeal. The massive new Italian stadiums on TV looked light years apart from our crumbling ones, Gazza's tears, Nessun Dorma, The Three Tenors, World in Motion, Platt's goal etc
Loved Germany 2006 too, it was physically close by and I got a feel for what it meant for the country. Had tickets for the 3rd place game in Stuttgart which was a great experience all round. Up all night afterwards, the whole city was revelling.
To borrow someone else's line, I've already decided that Russia 2018 can shove it up its arse.
1966 - I was just a toddler but I have a vague recollection of my parents and aunt and uncles going absolutely batchy when we won, but what I deffo remember is my younger brother who was about 7 months old would not stop crying during the final. We lived in a townhouse in Dartford, the living room was on the first floor, so my dad put my grizzling brother downstairs in the kitchen during the match, because be would not shut up, he's still a grizzler now.
1974 - I was 10 and my first WC that I remember getting excited about, even though we werent there. I loved it, all of it, I wanted Holland to win because they played the best football, they had players with great names, Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens, Arie Haan and my favourite, Johnny Rep, but no the dirty Hun had to win it, I was very upset, the Jerrys had some stellar players as well, Sepp Maier, Paul Breiner, The Kaiser Franz Beckenbauer, and the Killeresque Gerd Müller. But none of that mattered because they were German.
For some reason me and my mates were also fans of the massive Polish defender Jerzy Gorgoń, no idea why, we just were.
And who can forget that Zaire free kick defence as well, cue several raggy arsed skinny kids recreating it over at the park........
I also collected all the Panini(?) cards as well.
1990 - We should have won it. A fantastic WC, but we should have won it........bloody Hun again.....but we should have won it. Bobby Robson was a god.
1994 - Jnr was born beginning of June. Because it was in the US of A, some of the games were on at 1 or 2am, which coincided with juniors night feed, so as a good dad I volunteered to do the night feeds, invariably I ended up watching complete games then would turn up at work looking like I'd not slept for a week. It was well worth it though, sitting up in the middle of the night with my first kid watching World Cup football.
Really excited about this years WC.
1970 and my dad got colour telly just to watch the world cup but I was upset about Bobby Moore being accused of stealing a bracelet.
2006 in Germany, my daughter was doing 'A' level German so I said let's pop over to the World Cup, We didn't have a ticket but watched in the fan fest in Stuttgart. Met loads of fans, great fun.
We all flew onto the centre of the room...
Spent the next 10 minutes reinserting the batteries into the broken bits of plastic that brought us the one and only goal Israel has ever scored during the one and only time Israel has ever qualified to the world cup.
I was 10 years old...
Lineker 2 pressure pens against Cameroon
Platt goal against Belgium that made the Nation's heart leap
Gazza tears, after giving his all for team and country and realising he would miss the final.
Lineker - "have a word with him" message to Stuart Pearce (?)
Great memories - shame we never win anything.
Worst - 2010 Pretty much everything about it was dire, England, the controversy with the ball, and those fucking vuvuzelas
2014 - A very fun tournament England aside, loved watching Germany stuff Brazil. Good atmosphere all round.
2006 - Another good tournament, we were penalties away from the semis. Watched nearly every game.
2002 - Got time off from school to watch it, Beckhams Pen vs Argentina will live long in the memory. Seaman is a tosspot.
2002 first to watch after turning 18 loved watching games in the pub
I'd just helped him move all his stuff to Birmingham on a Sunday night and had to be back at work in London the next morning.
I took this to be a genuine proposal, even though there was no sign of a ring, so replied: "OK then but as long as it's not in the football season." His response: "How about next June? Then we could go to the World Cup on honeymoon."
And that's what happened so, of course, I have to say Italia 90.
Higuita, Valderamma, The Cameroonians kicking the absolute shit out of the Argentinians. Baggio, Schillachi and the jocks being appalling and my dad laughing his bollocks off at them managing to lose to Costa Rica.
David Platt and his goals, Lineker and everyone at my football team wanting to be Gazza
Watched a tv programme with a witch doctor saying how Cameroon were going to beat England 2-1 and when they went two one up I went cold thinking this old nutter could see the future then Lineker whacking in 2 pens
I thought Paul Parker did the right thing in the West Germany game and Shilton should have been on his line. We should have beaten them Fucking Germans
98 we had a genuine real chance, as much as I respect David Beckham and what has done in the game I've never really forgiven him for kicking Simeone not have I forgiven the referee for disallowing Campbell's goal
2002 was bullshit, some stupid results, England team pillaged by injuries and early.morning kick offs
2006 we had no chance, good tournament though and the Italians were worthy winners
2010 was crap
2014 for England was again a shitshow but a good tournament
I'm slowly getting ready for the Russia one (I'll be in Tokyo for one of Japan's games and hope to see it with the locals) but frankly if we couldn't win it with the boys of '90, I can't see this lot getting anywhere near the semi's. But you never know…..