weallloveleeds.co.uk
  • Latest
  • Fixtures/Results/Table
  • Have Your Say
  • Meet the team
  • Contact Us
  • Links

Love Leeds United internationals, hate the breaks

5/9/2013

1 Comment

 

By Mark Rasdall

Picture
I wrote a piece about Greg Dyke, Chairman of the Football Association, in my blog on thefootballground (http://www.thefootballground.com/2013/09/05/greg-dyke-or-john-the-baptist/) this afternoon. Greg has expressed aspirations for England to win the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. Although this fits into a rather neat 10-year plan, which Greg is unlikely to see the end of, I fear he will also not see the end result he appears to desire. All the same, Leeds United supporters like myself will be missing watching our club this weekend as a result of the 'international break.' We will instead be facing up to two crucial World Cup qualifiers on Friday and next Tuesday. Greg obviously thinks we have no chance of winning next year's World Cup in Brazil citing the fact that no European team have ever won the trophy in South America - not even Germany, on penalties... all the same I shall be getting behind all of the 'home' nations as I always do.
 
Football fans of my generation will remember some great World Cup games of the past, not all with the results our countries expected: England losing in Poland and at Wembley in 1973; Scotland beating Wales to qualify for the Mexico World Cup in 1986, only for the result being soured almost immediately by the untimely death of Jock Stein; the Republic of Ireland in Italia '90 including that penalty from David O'Leary and, of course, Northern Ireland in Spain in 1982.
 
I was always looking out at the international games through a Leeds United lense of course. I remember a thunderbolt from Norman Hunter against Wales in the 1974 qualifying campaign as well as his Wembley mistake and then Allan Clarke's penalty. I remember Peter Lorimer and Billy Bremner playing for Scotland in 1974 in Germany - especially a famous 0.0 against Brazil. Further back, Terry Cooper playing fantastically for England during that best of all World Cup tournaments in Brazil in 1970 and Big Jack holding England's defence together with brother Bobby in 1966 - which is pretty much when I first entered this fantastic world of football we all inhabit.
 
More recently I was thinking of some of our great midfield players such as Brian Flynn playing for Wales and Robert Snodgrass for Scotland. Currently Ross McCormack is on Gordon Strachan's (remember him and smile) Scotland radar and, of course, Rudy treks over to Jamaica and back. Similarly, who could forget Lucas Radebe's contribution as South African captain or Gary Speed's performances for Wales. There are many, many more and these are just some of the players and match memories that instantly came into my mind.
 
The memories do come flooding back, don't they? I always dreaded LUFC players coming back injured as, selfishly I know, even from a very young age, Leeds United meant the world to me (not the more appropriately titled World Cup) and club always came before country.
 
I suppose that's why Greg Dyke is now addressing the 'problem' in that club football dominates our countries these days to the detriment of our national teams and the development of young, home-grown players for club as well as country. I was thrilled at Sam Byram and Tom Lees being called up for England as I always am when any Leeds United player gets international recognition. For me, watching players like Dawson and Mowatt first making basecamp at Leeds before going on to attempt the international peaks, will hopefully make these weekend breaks all the more worthwhile
1 Comment
Mr orange
5/9/2013 04:32:50 am

I was two when England won the world cup and so obviously I have no memory of it , since then its been one long national let downs and oh so close cup exploits , I do think a European team will will it next year, Spain , !! As for England winning in 10 yrs time , I think the only way we'll win it again is when we host it again ....

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    As featured on NewsNow: Leeds United newsLeeds United News 24/7

    Categories

    All

    Archives

    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

    RSS Feed

    This is an image from weallloveleeds.co.uk, the leading fans site for Leeds United
    Follow @weallloveleedsu
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Latest
  • Fixtures/Results/Table
  • Have Your Say
  • Meet the team
  • Contact Us
  • Links