One night in Turin.

Good article Tony
Was 17 in Magaluff,in Majorca on my first lads holiday.Tension especially during the Cameroon match,congas,boozing and lovely ladies embracing football after that game.
The semi was crazy and at that age you maybe don't realise how important that game is/was and you expect it every world cup. Still cant believe Pearce missed that pen as he was our dead cert, weird n great night really and I pulled a cracking German rocker bird a few nights later.

Cheers nuns.

For me, the highlight was the Belgium game. We were in The Howcroft watching it with one eye on the clock because it was a Tuesday and it was Student Night in Ritzy's and if you weren't in for ten, you faced the "queue with no guarantees of entry" because it always got rammed and the bouncers were deeks.

Anyway, when Platty scored it saved us from ET and we were all able to head off to the club in good time.

And that night the DJ played World in Motion and the place went mental.

EVERYBODY was dancing. On the dance-floor, at the bars, on the stairs, in the bogs....everywhere.

They turned the lights on and appealed for calm because the dance floor was actually moving up and down. (True story. )

Excellent night.

The semi was less good.....

comment by Tony Caldwell's 'tache (U15574)



posted 5 hours, 33 minutes ago


Just googled it and it appears that the documentary is based on the book.

Anyroad, just bought it on Amazon for 1p + Postage.

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Good work

It was actually a few months before I was born (sorry for making you all feel old) but I've seen the documentary and it is brilliant. It's on Lovefilm if you want to see it.

Earliest England memories I have were France 98 and properly the Sven years. Also have Irish roots so I remember as an 11 year old Robbie Keane's goal v Germany :D

That's twice you've made me feel old on here.....

Stop it. Or I'll tell your Mum.

Who's also probably younger than me.......

Right, that's it....I'm buying a Sports car. And getting blonde highlights.

It is a fantastic film though, isn't it?

Just found it and watched the first 10 minutes... I'll be sure to watch the rest when I get some time to myself this weekend. Looks right up my street.

I remember having moved to London just one week before the semi-finals - only to find that the company I went to work for was holding international marketing meetings during semi-final weekend.
Business partners from all over the world were to fly to an international destination and plan whatever it was we were planning for the years ahead. I was crushed, devastated at the potential of not being able to see the game at all as the 2 previous years had been held in Tokyo and New York. I would probably be stuck on an 11 hour flight or with people who thought the World Cup was some kind of pageant for 8 year old girls.

Then, by some bizarre twist of fate, I was informed that the 1990 Esselte Letraset international marketing conference was to be held at... wait for it... drum roll, please... The Last Drop Village in Bolton, Lancashire England. Incredible stuff!

Anyhow, I'll make the rest brief... I ended up with my mates and the company's German partners in the Last Drop Inn watching that little lot unfold. My mates weren't happy, one or two had a mouth on them, I disowned them pretty quickly and the Germans, very wisely, opted for an early night.

Seem like a long long time ago. If it makes you feel any better, T. I had just turned 21 at the time.

Italia 90 was awesome. That assault on Claudio Canigia in the first game, Roger Milla, the emergence of Roberto Baggio and Gazza and an England team to be proud of unlike now. Remember Toto Schillaci?? What the hell happened to him ?? So many top moments

I thought that whole tournament was brilliant up to the semi final () and even the final had drama that seems to have been lacking ever since.

Maybe it's just that like the OP I'm over 40 and seeing things through rose tinted glasses but football as a whole just doesn't seem to be as exciting as it used to be. I still love the trotters and england but I don't feel that old excitement for things like the FA Cup final or the European Cup Finals that used to make them must watch events no matter who was playing. It doesn't feel the same now as it did twenty years ago, perhaps it's just there's too much money at the top and too many corporate images instead of football clubs.

I agree LPP
Was a magical time the early 90's ! Great for watching as you say ,England stumbled there way to the semis, but it was a fantastic time.
Bolton were on the first ladder of recovery under Phil Neal after a nice win at Wembley, Philliskirk n Reeves were signed and we became a stable club for the first time in many years. And yes I felt attached to the players who lived in local areas.
I remember bearing Preston midweek to win the Lancs cup pre season, I miss those nights.

Bit late to this. I'll have a look for the book. Think I've seen the documentary but I'll try to find it to watch again anyway.

I vaguely remember the '86 World Cup but Italia 90 is the first one I properly got into.

LPP. Couldn't agree more. Didn't watch the FA Cup or Champions League finals this year. I wasn't sat at home refusing to watch, I was doing other stuff.

That's the point though, in years gone by, watching the FA Cup final is what you did, it used to be a good day out and all the pubs were rammed no matter who was in the final. Not sure when that changed, but it's definitely not the same these days.