Chapter 11: This Time Ten Days From Now...
In the UK on the 19th June, the British press were having a field day. On nearly every newspaper, all they could talk about was football, mostly about four certain teams. Out of the eight teams in the Quarter-finals, four of them were the home nations and many were proudly saying this was greatest moment in British football and showing that the United Kingdom was still a strong nation. If these things weren't enough, some papers and pundits back home proudly claimed that this time ten days from now, a British team will win the World Cup. It was probably a small mercy neither of the teams heard that last phase as the boastful claim did sound eerily familiar for what the Brazilian press had proudly said in 1950 thinking that their team would be World Champions...
That all be said, it was an achievement for them to all get this far, but each had a tough game to play. Wales, after a tough play-off game with Hungary would have to play Brazil and the play-off game had weakened them. Thankfully for the other nations, they didn't had to play in a play-off round but it didn't mean their games weren't any easier. Northern Ireland had to face off a highly impressive France that some were thinking had a chance at winning the tournament, England arguable had the easier tie with Sweden, though the Swedes as host had an entire nation behind them and that would probably make things difficult for the English. Finally the Scots had difficult task of facing the World Champions West Germany, and it was made worse by the fact that the game against France had exhausted the Scots.
Indeed, with the task in hand, one could make an equally bold claim that neither British team would be in the semi-final, never mind the final. But for most, the 19th June was to be a busy day from North to South in the country as many would find any television set they could find to see their teams aim for glory.
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In Norrköpings Idrottspark stadium in Norrkoping, the Northern Ireland team walked out alongside the French as they prepared to lock horns. The Irish had been well rested and fed for the game and their brave exploits as a plucky little nation had won the hearts of the Swedes who felt inspired to cheer them on, mainly after their result against West Germany, which did help for the lack of the few Irish supporters in the ground as the French had a fairly sizable support with them, clearly they were expecting victory. The Spanish referee would blow his whistle to begin and the two teams began to play and almost from the get go, the French were clearly bossing the Irish around and within under a minute, Just Fontaine nearly scores but it is caught by the hands of Harry Gregg, who yells at the men in green to wake up. To their credit, the Irish wake up and begin to get their rhythm going and start to push back the French offensive.
But after just five minutes, the Irish midfield is having a tough time and Gregg looks at his watch knowing this'll be a long day...
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Meanwhile at the same time just over a hundred miles north from where Northern Ireland were playing, England were taking on hosts Sweden in Solna. While England were expected to win this game, the Swedes were giving the English a game by playing in what could be described as workman like football. It wasn't the prettiest type of football anyone would've liked, but it had helped the host nation get this far in the World Cup. It must be noted the Swedes had gotten a fairly easy group that featured Wales, Mexico and Hungary, the latter team being no where near as good as the team that came close to winning the World Cup just four years ago.
Still, with a nation behind them, the English would have to the pantomime villains in this game and many of the players knew this, they especially had bad memories of losing to Scotland at this stage in the last World Cup and many of them were certain they didn't want to fall foul at this point and do one better. In the sixteenth minute of the game, Edwards went on the break with several Swedish players chasing him and knowing he was about to be caught out with them about to surround them, he crosses the ball over to Haynes and as soon as he can get the ball under control, he takes a shot in the nick of time before any Swedish player can stop him and putting England up 1-0. Near silence falls all around the ground as the mostly Swedish crowd are not happy with going down so soon, but there is still a long way to go yet.
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While England had taken the lead, down in Malmo in the very south of Sweden, Scotland had the unwelcomed task of taking on the champions, West Germany. Unlike their English and Northern Irish counterparts, Scotland had the bad luck of having several of their players injured or at best, weakened after their game against the French. John Hewie and Jimmy Murray were suffering from problems with their knees and Bobby Evans was suffering from a groin strain, however the bitter blow was that in the France game, Denis Law suffered a bad injury on his leg and had to be taken off, worse still was he was no better and instead only could watch his team take on the Germans.
During the nineteenth minute, Busby is looking uncomfortable that Scotland's young but brilliant striker is out and had been instrumental in getting them to this stage. But regardless, he has changed his line up to have Rangers forward Alex Scott to take Law's place. With so many injuries to the squad, he wonders if lady luck will play a cruel game with them. However to everyone's surprise, the Scots having been performing too bad and fending off the Germans' assault and perhaps Busby's men defy the odds.
Then just two minutes later after the Scots try to keep the ball at their feet, the Germans punish the Scots for their time wasting and Seeler nicks the ball off the feet of Dave Mackay and makes a run with it before quickly crossing it over to Rahn waiting for him and headers it home to put them ahead in the Quarter-final, then again, football is a funny game, right...?
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Unaware of the Scot's plight, Northern Ireland have managed to frustrate the French in making sure they can't score and for once, Harry Gregg isn't acting as a one man team for his country. The likes of Dick Keith, Willie Cunningham and Alf McMichael have been doing most of the lion's share of defender the goal and Greg has so far only done about two saves with most of the shots by the French crossing past the goal. In the twenty seventh minute, Wilbur Cush manages to deceive the French and strike home a goal in the bottom corner of the net. The mostly Swedish crowd who had taken the Irish to heart, celebrate the goal with the small number of Northern Irish supporters in the ground and the players surround Cush congratulating him, Gregg on his end of the pitch celebrates too and glances behind his goal seeing the French supporters looking unhappy at what's just happened...they suddenly cheer.
Seeing their reaction, Gregg turns round and looks over to see his teammates looking dismayed and the French players relived for the line's man has marked the goal offside. "Was never offside you idiots!" Gregg roars in anger and feels probably the same as many of his fellow countrymen, but instead the referee calls for a goal kick and the team have to scramble to get back in position as the French start to invade the Irish half with Keith making a perfect tackle on Just Fontaine and passing it up to Danny Blanchflower to try and make something out of it.
Then in the thirty third minute, an attempt on goal is scored and this time it is allowed...but for France. Fontaine broke through the Irish defence and volleyed the ball that hit the crossbar but despite Gregg's best efforts, bounced down to go over the line and send the French 1-0 up. All Gregg can do is pick the ball out of the back of the net and see the French striker celebrate with the fans behind his goal. It wasn't all going to plan.
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In contrast to their fellow neighbours, England had been performing well the Swedish team looking rather uncomfortable with the English starting to show their strength. Despite them having more of the ball, they hadn't been able to add on their lead as the midfield for Sweden was trying it's best to stop the English from advancing. Edwards knew he had to get something before half time as if it remained like this, it could give the Swedes a chance they could get something in the second half. "Come on lads we can't lose this!" Edwards cries out to the players and get's a bemused look from Billy Wright, who feels like the younger man is acting more like a captain than he is.
After a little work of passing play in the thirty ninth minute, Haynes passes the ball over to a waiting Edwards who hammers the ball home and put England 2-0 up. It is now clear that this game is England's to lose now. From that goal until the end of the first half, no more goals are scored and England go in at 2-0 up, Wales drawing 0-0 with Brazil with both Scotland and Northern Ireland down 1-0. Still, strange things can happen...
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Around the country, the four games kick off for the second period and in the game with Northern Ireland, the tables seem to be turning with the Irish starting to try and take the game to the French. They seem to be trying to answer critics that they are a one man team with them relying on Gregg and each man in green seem all wanting to prove everyone wrong. Five minutes later, they maybe a goal down, but everyone can sense something is in the air as the crowd start cheering them on. "Seems that everyone loves an underdog," Gregg smiles to himself as he eyes an attempt on goal by McParland, but it is fairly weak shot that is caught comfortably by Claude Abbes.
Just as the crowd applaud the attempt, Abbes quickly kicks the ball up the field where Billy Bingham and Armand Penverne leap up to try and get a head on to it, the French player wins that little battle and crosses it up to Fontaine who charges down with Keith shadowing him closely. The French striker takes his shot and Gregg's hands fail to get a hold of it, he turns round and to his and everyone's amazement, the ball bounces backwards off the post and Gregg leaps to grab it in which he does this time and unaware of Roger Piantoni right behind him trying to get a rebound. As Gregg falls to the ground while clutching the ball, Piantoni can't stop in time and his boot accidently knocks him in the ribs.
Although Gregg isn't in any pain, it angers his teammates as Keith, Bingham and others storm up to the French player to give him a peace of their minds. Gregg slowly gets up thanks to help with Blanchflower and witnessing a bad tempered encounter of now both teams getting very close to break into an all out brawl with each other and takes a good two minutes for the referee and two captains to try and calm down proceedings. Gregg knew that having a 1-0 lead is a dangerous thing as anything could happen and it seemed like the pressure was getting to the French for not taking their chances that well.
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Over in Malmo, other than a small number of happy German supporters making noise, it is a rather subdued atmosphere in the stadium as Scotland still trail a goal down to the World Champions, but unlike the French, the Germans are showing their worth that they mean to win this game. Busby can only watch and occasional call out orders for the team as they try to get a way back in this game, he looks over at the bench and feels sorry for Denis Law. Despite his age, the young lad has been a great assist for Scotland in this World Cup and the team is lacking his presence with the Scots looking like a shadow from what they were in the group stage.
But then in the fifty eighth minute, Jackie Mudie is fouled and the referee awards a free kick to Scotland some ten meters outside the penalty box in which Bobby Collins steps up to take it. For what feels like the first time in the whole game, Busby and team feel something that haven't felt all game...hope. Collins takes the free kick but the ball goes way over the crossbar and into the crowd stand. A groan follows that shot from any Scot in that stadium, that shot has clearly summed up the game for them. "If it wan't for these damn injuries," Busby mutters to himself as he looks at the weak players on the pitch and the unfortunate ones on the bench.
In the sixty sixth minute, Mudie get's his foot on the ball, but stumbles which makes him lose the ball and Fritz Walter rushes in the snatch the ball and runs with it at high speed as he get's around the Scottish defence to pass it over to Seeler, who in in turn passes it over to Rahn, who in turn, takes the shot that puts West Germany up 2-0. Busby can only sigh, shake his head at their luck and feels sorry for the men in blue on the pitch looking dejected that they can't do anything else. The game is clearly in favour for the World Champions and while the Scots make sure the Germans don't score any more goals, that would be the last thing Scotland would do at this World Cup. Next would be a flight home to Glasgow.
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Unaware of anything happening to their fellow British nations, England were now in cruise control as the Swedes seemed to have given up and even though it was only the seventy third minute, one or two Swedes had starting to leave. Walter Winterbottom noticed the departing members of the crowd and couldn't help but feel sorry for them. He could imagine the Swedes would've wanted to get far as they could in their World Cup, a defeat in the knockout round seemed like a terrible thing. Nonetheless, his objective was to win all the games as they came and the Swedes would be no exception.
Just a little over seven minutes later, Billy Wright snatches the ball thanks to a heavy touch from a Swedish player but is quickly being cornered by players in yellow and blue so passes it over to Ronald Clayton before he gives it to Edwards. The forward runs at goal with it looking like he'll score the goal that'll kill the game off, instead he performs a sneaky back pass to Haynes who tucks it home in the top right corner of the net and putting England 3-0 up. The game is well and truly over and that goal causes even more broken-hearted Swedes to leave the ground, only the small number of England supporters who have made the journey out to Sweden celebrate the goal.
Edwards smiles at his teammates for playing as a team and not trying to rely fully on him. It does feel like though that the Munich disaster has helped him to push himself and the team forward for a place in the Semi-finals, but he does still feel for his lost teammates who can't be hear to witness this wonderful game of football. Little did they know in the other game...
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The last ten minutes of the game between France and Northern Ireland had been very tense with the French become more and more frustrated of not scoring anymore goals and making their manager and own supporters angry with how things were. This problem from the French was working in the Irish's favour with them starting to turn the tables on the French and many of the people in the crowd supporting the men in green cheered them on to get something out of this, there was another goal in this, the question was now by whom exactly.
Then in the eighty sixth minute, Jackie Scott is brought down on the very edge of the penalty box by Raymond Kaelbel and the Irish players cry for a penalty, instead the Spanish referee points for a free kick to be taken right on the edge. Now was the moment. Tommy Casey will take this kick and he gives McParland a knowing nod at their plan they worked on in training. The whistle is blown to take the free kick and rather try and get over the defensive French wall, Casey passes the ball over to McParland and catching the French off guard before McParland hammers home the equaliser.
Cue massive celebrations from the players and the Swedes in the crowd who are clearly far from being neutral here. On his end of the pitch, Gregg can't but jump up hanging onto the crossbar and punching his fist into the air in triumph. "Get in there!" He cries out, but it is unlikely anyone heard him as the cheering drowns out any sound. The French supporters can only look dumbfounded at what has just happened and don't seem to have the voice to express their feelings at this point.
The French players seem no better as they are well punished for not taking more chances and their heads go down while Northern Ireland look keen to carry on. The Irish attack the French defence and looks like it will shatter at times from the men in blue's lack of confidence. Casey attempts to get a shot on target but the keeper get's his hands on it and the ball goes out for a corner kick. It is now the eighty eighth minute and the tension is unbearable now it feels as Jackie Scott prepares to take the corner kick with men in blue and green pushing around the box trying to find the best position to get the ball and when Scott takes it, the ball lands in that crowd of borders trying to aim the ball in the direction they want which leaves to confusion of who has it, Wilbur Cush suddenly see's the ball in his way and without thinking of the other players around him, he kicks upwards under the crossbar and hitting the top of the net and incredibly, putting little Northern Ireland 2-1 up against the mighty France.
This time the celebrations are almost deafening as Cush, filled with adrenalin, runs like a mad man over to Tommy Docherty and the those on the bench to celebrate, with many of his teammates running towards him to celebrate. Gregg is filled with a delighted feeling that he has never felt before, not even with winning games with Manchester United. He looks over briefly to see a dishearten and broken French team with some lying on their back and others sitting down all looking shocked at the situation with their captain trying to pull each of the players up to try and save their World Cup.
Years later when Manchester United would beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League final in 1999, many Irish supporters would joke that they invented Fergie time and that they were copying what they did to win. But that would be for another time as after a pointless last few minutes of the game in which Northern Ireland start passing the ball around to waste time, the final whistle is blown and many members in the crowd run onto the pitch to celebrate that 'their' team has won what is perhaps one of the greatest shocks in the World Cup. Many of the players are silent as it only comes to terms what they have just done and they are woken from their trances by members of the crowd running onto the pitch to congratulate the players, one photo taken would be of a young Swedish man running over to McParland and shaking his hand before raising it in the air like a winning boxer.
The French players quietly sneak off the pitch in dismay, but nobody really cares for them as the Irish begin a lap of honour around the ground as they milk the moment before stopping by the cluster of Northern Irish supporters with their green and white scarves to celebrate with them. Many of those supporters are grown men in tears who can't quite believe what had just happened, no one does in a matter of fact. The truth? Northern Ireland are through to the Semi-final and that all British final starts to look more likely...maybe.
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Well then...Northern Ireland have done it! It might sound like ASB territory but in OTL, Northern Ireland had to go into a playoff against Czechoslovakia that went into extra time and did weaken them. In TTL, that playoff doesn't happen and Northern Ireland are more ready this time and in all fairness, given how well they performed at that World Cup, it isn't hard for them to think they could actually have gotten far. And yes, Wales lost like OTL and England beat Sweden to march on to the Semis with the Scots down and out. So the Semi Finals as follows...
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Brazil vs. Northern Ireland
England vs. West Germany
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Have a guess what scores might be and who'll win. I already have an idea of the results, I won't say anything other than they are both what you might expect and not expect...find out next time!
