Match No. 472 - Wednesday, 6th June 1973, 6:30pm

  • "In the seventh minute McFarland impeded Lubanski as the Pole started to slip past him to collect a long ball from Gorgon. Gadocha took the free kick a few yards from the edge of the penalty area on the left of goal, and surprised the England defenders with a wicked inswinger. Everybody seemed to be standing stockstill as Banas darted in to score, the ball bouncing into hte net off Shilton." Robert Gadocha, 7'6:33
  • "However, within [48 seconds] of the second half, the Poles scored again with a goal which was one of the worst ever conceded under Ramsey's managership. There seemed little danger to England as McFarland nodded a high ball straight down to Moore. But, untypically, the England captain lost concentration for a fraction of a second, and was smartly dispossessed by the alert Lubanski, who ran on alone to beat Shilton with a shot in off the near post." Włodzimierz Lubański, 47'46:48
    • 1
    • Jan TomaszewskiJan Tomaszewski.
      Born 9th Jan 1948, Wrocław.
    • 2
    • Krzysztof RześnyKrzysztof Rześny.
      Born 2nd Aug 1946, Lukow, Poland.
    • 3
    • Jerzy GorgońJerzy Paweł Gorgoń.
      Born 18th Jul 1949, Zabre.
    • 4
    • Adam MusiałAdam Musiał.
      Born 18th Dec 1948, Wieliczka.
    • 5
    • Mirosław BulzackiMirosław Andrzej Bulzacki.
      Born 23rd Oct 1951, Łódź.
    • 6
    • Jerzy KraskaJerzy Adam Kraska.
      Born 24th Dec 1951, Plock, Poland.
    • 7
    • Jan BanaśJan Banaś.
      Born 29th Mar 1943, Berlin.
    • 8
    • Lesław ĆmikiewiczLesław Ćmikiewicz.
      Born 25th Aug 1948, Wrocław.
    • 9
    • Kazimierz DeynaKazimierz Deyna.
      Born 23rd Oct 1947, Gdansk.
    • 10
    • Włodzimierz LubańskiWłodzimierz Leonard Lubański.
      Born 28th Feb 1947, Gliwice.
      (c)
    • Off '5655:20
    • 11
    • Robert GadochaRobert Gadocha.
      Born 10th Jan 1946, Krakow.
    • 15
    • Jan DomarskiJan Andrzej Domarski.
      Born 28th Oct 1946, Rzeszów.
    • On '5655:20
  •  
  •  
    • 1
    • Peter ShiltonLeicester, 11th of 125 caps
      23 years, 8 months, 18 days
      Goalkeeper
    • 2
    • Paul MadeleyLeeds, 11th of 24 caps
      28 years, 8 months, 16 days
      Right Back
    • 3
    • Emlyn HughesLiverpool, 24th of 62 caps
      25 years, 9 months, 9 days
      Left Back
    • 4
    • Peter StoreyArsenal, 17th of 19 caps
      27 years, 8 months, 29 days
      Midfield
    • 5
    • Roy McFarlandDerby, 17th of 28 caps
      25 years, 2 months, 1 day
      Centre Back
    • 6
    • Bobby MooreWest Ham, 105th of 108 caps
      32 years, 1 month, 24 days
      Centre Back
      (c)87th captaincy
    • 7
    • Alan BallArsenal, 65th of 72 caps
      28 years, 0 months, 25 days
      Midfield
      76:17 "Ball appeared to be intervening in a scuffle between Peters and a Polish forward, but Schiller had no hesitation in showing him the red card."
    • 8
    • Colin BellMan City, 29th of 48 caps
      27 years, 3 months, 8 days
      Midfield
    • 9
    • Martin ChiversSpurs, 20th of 24 caps
      28 years, 1 month, 9 days
      Centre Forward
    • 10
    • Allan ClarkeLeeds, 11th of 19 caps
      26 years, 10 months, 6 days
      Centre Forward
    • 11
    • Martin PetersSpurs, 60th of 67 caps
      29 years, 6 months, 28 days
      Midfield

Notes

  • Disputed first goal scorerMoore and Shilton believed the ball hit Moore's leg first and then bounced off Shilton before he could react. Both Banas and Gadocha claimed the goal, the latter much to Banas's annoyance years later. Whereas most print media go with Banas, Gadocha is official credited with the goal by FIFA. TV replays are inconclusive.
  • Player InjuryLubanski goes down under a fair tackle from McFarland [52:44] and seems to jar his knee on landing. McFarland is not impressed by the "play acting" by standing over him (and I'm sure totally accidently) kicking him in the side. Ball is frustrated too but Lubanski's injury appears genuine. He is unceremoniously carried off the pitch and eventually replaced by Domarski [55:20].
  • England red cardĆmikiewicz had tripped Peters directly in front of Ball and the English number 7 grabbed the Polishman by the scruff of the neck and pulled him to his feet raising his knee into Ćmikiewicz's groin as he did so. The knee didn't connect, or at least Ćmikiewicz didn't react as if it did, all he could do was look on in non-plussed wonderment at what had happened so quickly. Schiller was in no doubt what Ball had done and the red card was out immediately.

Sources

  • England - The Quest for the World Cup - A Complete Record by Clive Leatherdale (Two Heads Publishing 1994)
  • England: The Complete Post-War Record by Mike Payne (Breedon Books Publishing Company 1993)
  • soccernostalgia.blogspot.co.uk
  • The Guardian "England deep in trouble", Thursday 7th June 1973, page 25.
  • Polish FA Website

Managers

Referee

  • Austria Paul Schiller

Attendance

  • 73,714

Half Time Score

ELO Ratings

  • No change in rank, losing -30 ranking points to 1989 points England - 3rd
  • Poland - 4th

World Cup 1974 Q

(Group 5)

    •  
    • Pts
    • GD
    • L
    • D
    • W
    • P
    • Flag of Poland
    • Poland
    • 5
    • +3
    • 1
    • 1
    • 2
    • 4
    • Flag of England
    • England
    • 4
    • -1
    • 1
    • 2
    • 1
    • 4
    • Flag of Wales
    • Wales
    • 3
    • -2
    • 2
    • 1
    • 1
    • 4
    • Final Standings.