If those of a certain age justifiably remember English domestic football in the 1970s as a golden era for the game, a bitter irony is that it was a decade of major underachievement for the England national team.
With the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar well under way, we're looking back at previous tournaments, recalling the Newcastle United connections, and remembering what else was going on in those years. So far, we've covered the World Cup finals from 1950 to 1970.
Come the 1974 finals in West Germany, a shock result against Poland at Wembley Stadium a year earlier meant England had agonisingly failed to qualify. Poland goalkeeper Jan Tomaszewski, infamously dubbed a “circus clown in gloves” by Brian Clough on TV before kick-off, pulled out a heroic performance to prevent Sir Alf Ramsey’s side achieving the win they required to reach the finals.
READ MORE: Newcastle United at the World Cup: 1950 - Wor Jackie and George Robledo
Clough was one of a panel of highly opinionated pundits who covered the finals for ITV that year. Alongside him in the television studios were the likes of future Middlesbrough manager Malcolm Allison; former England World Cup winner and future Newcastle United boss Jack Charlton; and the former Scotland skipper, Newcastle United's Bobby Moncur who would cross the Tyne-Wear divide that summer and join rivals Sunderland after 12 years of exemplary service at St James' Park.
In the event, the infamous 1973 Poland qualifying match was a completely one-sided affair that saw England have 36 shots on goal to Poland’s two, force 26 corners, hit the woodwork twice, and have four efforts cleared off the line. It was all in vain and England (who would almost certainly have included Newcastle United's 24-year-old goal machine Malcolm Macdonald in their squad) not for the last time during the decade would be staying at home while the World Cup finals took place.
Scotland, however, did make the finals. In their ranks was Celtic star and future Newcastle boss Kenny Dalglish, while another Scotland cap, Hibs’ centre-half John Blackley, would also end up on Tyneside. Arriving in 1978, Blackley sadly failed to enhance his reputation. On the face of it, a cultured and commanding defender, he was given the runaround by the pacey Gary Rowell as Sunderland thrashed United 4-1 on an awful afternoon at St James’ Park in February, 1979.
Away from football, 1974 saw IRA bombs explode on the British mainland in London and Birmingham, and UK coal miners went on strike; Muhammad Ali beat George Foreman in the ‘rumble in the jungle’ to regain his world heavyweight boxing title; and Labour under Harold Wilson won a second general election after failing to gain a workable majority in the first.
In pop music, Abba won the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton with their song Waterloo , while Sparks, Showaddywaddy and Mud lit up the pop charts. On TV, folk were watching Kojak, Kung Fu and Last Of The Summer Wine , while Blazing Saddles, The Exorcist and Godfather II were hits at the cinema.
The 1974 World Cup would be won by the host nation, West Germany, who beat a Holland team, including the great Johan Cruyff, 2-1 in the final in Munich. Also in the Dutch side was a gifted striker called Johnny Rep who Newcastle United fans would learn much more about during the club's short-lived 1977-78 UEFA Cup campaign.
Here on Tyneside, two months before West Germany captain Franz Beckenbauer lifted the trophy in his home city, Munich, there was bitter disappointment as Newcastle United fell to a 3-0 defeat in the FA Cup final at Wembley. After battling their way to a first final since 1955, Supermac and Co never turned up on the day and were easily beaten by Kevin Keegan’s Liverpool. It was the Magpies’ first ever defeat at the national stadium and it came as a seismic shock to the club and the region. In the four subsequent major visits to Wembley since 1974, United have lost on every occasion.
NEXT TIME: World Cup 1978, Argentina
READ NEXT:
- Newcastle United at the World Cup: 1954 - The sometimes-forgotten Magpies striker
- Newcastle United at the World Cup: 1958 - three Magpies and the arrival of Pele
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Newcastle United at the World Cup: 1962 - The infamous 'Battle of Santiago'
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Newcastle United at the World Cup: 1966 - the Magpie who nearly made the England squad
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Newcastle United at the World Cup: 1970 - Pele's Brazil and the 'beautiful game'
