1982 World Cup qualification: Wales

It can almost be viewed as the forgotten campaign, the chapter of heartbreak held between the hands of Joe Jordan and David Phillips. The story of Wales and their attempts to qualify for the 1982 World Cup is not one that is often told when recalling the history of Welsh agony since their only appearance at a finals tournament in 1958.

Maybe it is the 1977 and 1985 agonies that are the real reason for this. Anything compared to those two nights of Scottish-induced suffering will forever live in the shadows. But the 1982 campaign was just as deflating. A qualification programme of two halves that at first brought hope before the reality of despair arrived.

Placed in pot three for the draw in Zurich on October 14, 1979, Wales were handed a difficult task of facing two Eastern Bloc countries in Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union, along with Turkey and Iceland. However, the good news was that with an expansion in the number of teams for the 1982 tournament, Wales knew a top two finish would see them reach the finals.

"Wales can be reasonably optimistic, at this distance, of filling one of the two leading places in the group," David Lacey wrote in the Guardian, with Wales boss Mike Smith in full agreement. "We are in a really tough group and we will have our work cut out. The fact is we fear no one and we are looking forward to the challenge."

Yet Smith would not be around to meet that challenge. Departing for Third Division Hull City midway through the 1979/80 season, the hunt was now on for a successor for a man who had got Wales so close to reaching Euro 76 and Argentina 78. The Welsh FA would turn their eyes towards America for Smith's replacement.

Mike England saw off competition from Jimmy Armfield, Graham Williams, and Danny Bergera, to land a 3-year contract worth £15,000 a year. The 38-year-old who had earned 44 caps during his playing days for Wales, left his player-coach role at Seattle Sounders, and was excited at the prospect of building on Smith's foundations.

Winning his opening match 4-1 against England in the Home Championship was the ideal start, but losses against Scotland and Northern Ireland highlighted the task ahead for the new boss.

The ideal start

Off the pitch, England had his hands full before the trip to Reykjavik. Midfielder Mickey Thomas failed to turn up to the team hotel in Maidenhead, citing flu as the reason, but then did not meet up with the team at Heathrow as promised. "I'm baffled as to Mike's whereabouts," a confused England admitted.

One player England did have available was Leeds United's Byron Stevenson. Sent off against Turkey in 1979 for allegedly breaking the jaw of Buyuk Mustafa, Stevenson was banned by UEFA until July 1984, but he was allowed to participate in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Despite losing Thomas, and with Luton's centre back Paul Price taking to the field with a broken nose, Iceland were not expected to provide Wales with too many headaches. With five Icelandic players taken from local amateur leagues, the gulf in class was soon evident.

The 4-0 win achieved shortly before the start of Euro 80 was refreshingly comfortable. Two goals from Crystal Palace's Ian Walsh, and further strikes from David Giles and a Brian Flynn penalty left England content. "I came home from America for one reason and that is to make sure my country competes with the best in the world in two years' time. From what I've seen tonight I'm sure we can get there."

Wales roast Turkey

There would be bigger tests to come. But the visit of Turkey to Ninian Park would not be one of them. With wingers Leighton James and Carl Harris key figures in another 4-0 win, the 11,770 present would witness another stroll in the park.

Flynn opened the scoring with a fine strike, and a James penalty before the break doubled the lead. With Turkey's Soyak Tuncay sent off for two fouls on James, the Swansea winger was demonstrating his worth to the team. 

Walsh added a third after the sending off, with James completing the scoring. Sadly, a hamstring injury would rule James out of the next fixture a month later, yet the Welsh bandwagon showed no signs of slowing even in his absence.

On a roll

The solid start did not cloud England's vision about some of the issues facing Welsh football. "What I'm desperately trying to do is to convince the rugby fraternity that some of our football is worth watching too," he stated before the Czechoslovakia match in November 1980. "We are a great sporting nation and rather than be divided into two camps I'd like to see Welsh people in general supporting Wales."

Divisions between football and rugby was not the only area of friction. Often club rivalries would spill over into home matches on the terraces, yet for now these concerns were put to one side, as Wales continued their fine qualification campaign. Kevin Ratcliffe made his debut in the 1-0 win over Czechoslovakia - Swansea's David Giles scoring the winner after great work from Thomas - in front of 20,175 at Ninian Park.

 

 

"If we don't get to the finals in Spain now, it will be our own fault," England declared. "It was a magnificent performance, and the people of Wales know they have got a real team now. We have just beaten one of the top six sides in the world and it was a magnificent effort."

The final victory

The feelgood factor under England carried on with a 3-1 friendly win in Dublin in February 1981. Goalkeeper Dai Davies - the only Welsh speaker in the group, as the press pointed out repeatedly - revealed the secret behind the initial success.

"We play like a club side with no stars. Mike has got a very positive attitude and players like Leighton James, our winger, have responded to it." With many Second Division players involved - until Swansea's promotion in 1981 - there was little room for inflated egos.

The 1-0 win in Turkey in March 1981 may have been described as a "niggling and desperately dour match" by the Guardian's Charles Burgess. But the two points earned from Carl Harris' 67th minute winner edged Wales closer to their goal. Targeting three more points from the second half of their campaign, England was hopeful: "I will be disappointed if we don't get there."

Stalemate

A sixth consecutive win - 2-0 against Scotland - coupled with a 0-0 draw at Wembley, was ideal preparation for the fixture with the Soviet Union in May 1981. Watched by 29,366 at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground, Wales gained a vital point in a fairly uneventful goalless draw.

"Mightily though as they puffed at times, the Welsh Davids lacked the wit to slay the Russian Goliaths," Ronald Atkin wrote in the Observer. Yorath and new Arsenal signing Peter Nicholas battled endlessly in midfield against a fine Soviet team, with Walsh missing Wales' best chance of the match.

The Welsh had still not conceded a goal in the group. With Ratcliffe, Joey Jones, Leighton Phillips and Price forming a good unit, Davies - who was about to become Wales' most capped keeper - had yet to pick the ball out of the net. But the first goal they would let in contained an element of misfortune that seems to stalk the Welsh teams throughout their history.

Iron Curtain defeat: Part I

With Price injured for the match in Prague, Stevenson stepped into the team, and it would be a deflection off the Leeds defender that led to the first goal conceded by Wales. Antonin Panenka's free-kick found the post via Stevenson, the ball then hitting Davies before apologetically hitting the back of the net. 

Davies crawled over the line on his knees to retrieve the ball. He probably wanted to dig a hole for himself. Yet he had little chance with Czechoslovakia's second, the 2-0 defeat placing Wales' qualification hopes in the balance.

"It's up to us to get something in the USSR unless someone else does something for us," England said. "I don't think they will be any more difficult than the Czechs. But I wish to hell we had been drawn in England's group - we would have qualified by now."

Fading light

After Iceland had lost 5-0 and 6-1 in the away fixtures in the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia, a lot of talk before the match at the Vetch revolved around Wales boosting their goal difference. England adjusted his formation accordingly, switching to a 3-3-4.

With Swansea flying high in Division One, there was a lot of confidence in the Welsh camp, John Toshack's club providing six players in the starting line-up: Davies, John Mahoney, Robbie and Leighton James, Jeremy Charles, and Alan Curtis. But the night would be one of sheer frustration.

 

 

Robbie James and Curtis scored on their club ground. Yet Iceland refused to lay down, the second equaliser coming after a 43-minute delay for floodlight failure, the second time the lights had malfunctioned on an evening that would cost Wales dear.

The whole occasion was deflating. "Sadly many Cardiff supporters had made the journey just to bait Swansea fans," Burgess wrote in his match report. "England described the Vetch Field as a morgue." The optimism that had been gathering was now drifting away. And there was worse to come.

Iron Curtain defeat: Part II

The 3-0 reverse in Tbilisi was hardly unexpected, but the 13-hour journey to travel 2,500 to Georgia did not help. Yorath had been replaced as captain by Flynn, once the former had moved to the North American Soccer League. After missing the Iceland match through suspension, Flynn was keen to sound positive.

"We have a great team spirit, and going to the middle of nowhere can raise your game even more. The match will be like a cup final for us. It is our last qualifying game and we know if we win it will take us through to the finals."

Trailing 2-0 after 18 minutes, there was no way back for Wales. Burgess described the home team as "marvellously sophisticated" and the final result was an accurate reflection of the quality the Soviets possessed. All England and his men could do was hope that the same team were just as ruthless against Czechoslovakia eleven days later.

Just to rub salt into the wounds, the return flight was delayed nine hours, meaning the Swansea players involved faced a late dash to reach Maine Road in time for their match against Manchester City. Unsurprisingly perhaps, they lost 4-0.

Aftermath

"If the Soviets play at their best then they should defeat the Czechs, but whether they have the inclination to do so is another matter," Burgess noted after Wales lost in Georgia. Needing a Soviet win to progress, hopes were raised partially when Oleg Blokhin gave his team the lead in Prague. But a 34th minute equaliser crushed any Welsh chances. Wales were eliminated on goal difference.

England was distraught. "In 22 years of professional football, I have never felt as depressed as I do now. The stupid point we dropped at home to Iceland has cost us a place in the World Cup finals. That result will haunt me for the rest of my days." 

The dust had little time to settle before the blame game commenced. Welsh FA Secretary Trevor Morris, bemoaning potential losses of £250,000, criticised England's tactics against Iceland and his players' demands for cash bonuses.

"We didn't make the best use of the players available against Iceland. We should have stuck to a sensible, ordinary line-up and made sure Iceland got nothing. I haven't been happy about the players' attitude over the last 12 months. They should have been willing to break their necks to get to the World Cup finals instead of asking for inducements."

England did at least have the backing of Tommy Forse, Chairman of the International Committee. "As far as I'm concerned he can stay as long as he wants to and his next job is to prepare for the European Championships." Reaching Euro 84 would be another tale of so near yet so far. Stop me if you think you've heard this one before.