45 replies to this topic

[sev7en]

Lato was a great footballer in 70´s , i think.

[Macman]

Wojtek Fibak. Wow, Sev7en, that really takes me back. I too loved his game. I was in the army with a guy whose name I can't spell, but it was Wadjislav Vajew Golembievski. We just called him Jerry Golemb.

[viking675]

Aren't all Poles the same or look the same ??

i always thought the americans have many Polish jokes ... so on topic of Poles why not post some of them here ....

[sev7en]

Wojtek Fibak. Wow, Sev7en, that really takes me back. I too loved his game. I was in the army with a guy whose name I can't spell, but it was Wadjislav Vajew Golembievski. We just called him Jerry Golemb.

Yeah, i grew up watching Nastase, Orantes,Newcombe, Connors, Gerulatis , Vilas , Ashe, Pilic and of course Borg. The tennis world was different back then. Not better, but more colorful individuals. Nastase and Connors playing double together was a great show. Nowadays players like Federer, Isner, Nadal bore me.

[Surin Nix]

[quote name="sev7en"][quote name="Macman"]
Yeah, i grew up watching Nastase, Orantes,Newcombe, Connors, Gerulatis , Vilas , Ashe, Pilic and of course Borg. quote]

You know, I'm really grateful to Mr. & Mrs. Borg.

After all, without them, he'd never have been Bjorn.

[DexterHines]

It is Jan Tomaszewski whose heroic skills in goal in 1973 prevented England from going to the World Cup in 1974. England laid siege to the Polish goal and would have scored 10 but for Tomaszewski; the 1-1 draw was not enough, and Alf Ramsay was sacked shortly after. England would not have beaten either Germany or the Netherlands anyway in 1974.

[sev7en]

It is Jan Tomaszewski whose heroic skills in goal in 1973 prevented England from going to the World Cup in 1974. England laid siege to the Polish goal and would have scored 10 but for Tomaszewski; the 1-1 draw was not enough, and Alf Ramsay was sacked shortly after. England would not have beaten either Germany or the Netherlands anyway in 1974.

10 points, Dexter. Well done!
Tomaszewski left terrible trauma to us by stopping us in the playoff in 1974 world cup by saving a penalty. I´ll never forget that name. Gave me nightmares.

prevented England from going to the World Cup in 1974.

Englands history in euro and world cup is a disgrace. So many fantastic players and domestic teams throughout times, but never achieved anything with the national squad. It´s astounding. And Capello is not the recipe.

[sev7en]

I also happen to know that you are very fond of reminding us Englishmen about that

Yes i do, but that because i love and feel compassionate about british football. Seriously i hope you will the cup, since we won't , at least over the next 20 years.

[DexterHines]

The clash with Poland was desperately close, but revealed the complacency that had already set in -that having won the tournament once, there was no reason why England should not win again -and yet after 1973 the team also failed to get to Argentina in 1978- and even since then having stellar players has fooled people into thinking England were good enough to win. Its complex in the sense that during group stages and after, there are games which ended on a knife-edge: penalty shoot-outs being the obvious one, plus the odd fact that England have been in some controversial games which went the other team's way -but was the team a) good enough to win since 1966; and b) is it about footballing skill or some strange group mentality that has seen players like Peter Beardsley and Steven Gerrard consistently underperform in an England shirt?

My vote for the cruellest blow would not be Wembley 1973, but the France - West Germany Semi final in 1982, and the attempted murder of Battiston -he received a divine pass from Platini, who at the time was possibly the most gifted footballer on the planet: Battiston would have scored and sent France through to the final but instead after Schumacher's klatter he was unconscious for an hour, lost two teeth and suffered three cracked ribs and vertebrae -did Schumacher even get a yellow card? Nein. Would France have beaten Italy in 1982? I don't know: it was possibly the most popular Italy victory of recent decades, but Football is at its cruellest when the players give their all and get nothing -in recent tournaments, England (and France) have given very little by comparison with former tournaments.

Ps, where's my prize?