World Cup 1978

Argentina, Summer 1978. The World Cup had come to South America for the first time in sixteen years.  England had again failed to qualify following the Don Revie years, despite rallying under Ron Greenwood and Scotland were again the sole British representatives this time due to a highly contentious win against Wales at Anfield in Liverpool.

Favourites for the competition included the host nation, Brazil, West Germany, Italy and The Netherlands.  There were fears before the tournament of possible threats to players and the great Johan Cruyff refused to take part apparently due to a plot to harm his family if he did play.

Although therefore diminished, the runners up from four years previously again played some of the best football of the competition, especially in the second group stages.  However, we are getting ahead of ourselves, so let us start from the beginning.  The tournament kicked off on 1st June when the defending champions West Germany met Poland in a 0-0 draw in Buenos Aires.  The Germans looked solid, but many of their stars from 1974 were gone (including Frank Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller) and the team lacked flair in many key areas.

The first group stages established Italy as a strong and skillful side and Brazil emerged as a much less physical team than the one who had muscled their way in West Germany four years before, showing more finesse this time.  At this point, the name of the Welsh referee Clive Thomas comes into our tale.  Brazil were playing Sweden in the first game of Group C and the score was 1-1 with 90 minutes  almost up when they gained a corner.  Nelinho was forced to re-spot the ball by the linesman before bending a right footed kick right onto Zico's head who powered it into the net.  Brazilian celebrations were short lived, however, as Mr Thomas dramatically disallowed the "goal" stating that he had blown the full time whistle before Zico had met the ball.  This result had repercussions later on in the group when Brazil finished as runners up to Austria on goal difference, so progressing to the same second round group as Argentina and a certain Peruvian team...

Peru had "shocked" Scotland in Group D with a 3-1 victory, but those of us who remembered how well they had played in Mexico in 1970 with their star player Teofillo Cubillas still present were not quite so surprised.  The Netherlands ended Ally MacLeod's side's hopes in that Group's final game by losing only 2-3 so the Dutch ended up progressing into the second round.

In Group One, The Netherlands just pipped Italy to the top, courtesy of some truly spectacular goals from Arie Haan and Johnny Rep in particular.  Group Two featured Argentina, Brazil, Poland and Peru.  With one game left, Argentina needed to beat Peru by at least four clear goals.  Peru had acquitted themselves in the first round rather well but had lost to Poland and Brazil in this group.  However, a 6-0 victory to Argentina raised suspicions that certain pressure had been placed on the Peruvians to allow the home nation passage to the final which years later appeared to be confirmed.  The Peru goalkeeper Quiroga (nicknamed "El Loco") had indeed shone in the first few games with frequent excursions to the half way line, but he seemed particularly below par in this notorious game.

And so, on 25th June, Argentina and The Netherlands met in Buenos Aires.  It was an ill tempered affair with Mario Kempes putting the South Americans ahead just before half time and Dirk Nanninga equalising with 8 minutes remaining.  With literally seconds left, Rob Rensenbrink hit the post and with that, Dutch hopes were dashed.  Kempes and Bertoni confirmed Argentina as champions in extra time and the South Americans became World Cup winners for the first time.  For The Netherlands, the golden age of the Seventies had come to an end, but as we shall see, a decade later they would end up as European champions with another great team.

The Good Old Days??? In a land of Brexit

And so it came to this on 23rd June, 2016.  A slim majority of the British population who bothered to vote, voted to leave the European Union.  At first I could not quite believe it.  Forty years of progress seemed to count for nothing.  The great European success of co-operation and optimism had been dashed by the wishes of small minded/hyper ambitious men like Nigel Farage, Michael Gove and Boris Johnson.

The dream of a Europe dedicated to peace and progress had been forgotten due to fear and  frustration brought on by the austerity policies of firstly the Conservative/Liberal coalition of 2010 - 2015 and then even more harshly, the Tory government of 2015 onward.  Many people outside the big metropolitan cities had understandably had enough of hard times and blamed foreigners for their circumstances rather than those in charge closer to home.

It has become apparent in the months since the vote that nostalgia for the days of the British Empire was/is also a huge factor in the referendum result.  There now seems to be a feeling amongst certain sections of the media, public and parliament that the UK will go back to the era before the Second World War when Britain "ruled the waves" and not need those "nasty" Europeans who apparently have held us back over the past 25 years or so!

The vituperative hatred displayed towards the EU by certain British newspapers has verged on (and crossed over into) hysteria for years and undoubtedly influenced the voting intentions of a sizeable number of people.  Don't get me wrong; the EU has many faults and is certainly in need of radical reforms.  For example, the plight of Greece and young people in such countries as Spain, Italy and a number of others is terrible...Surely though, the UK should remain inside influencing the organisation.  The Euro should be abolished for a start and a much more intelligent and restricted freedom of movement policy that allowed certain areas and careers the current situation but clamped down on movement to and from poorer regions would help.

However, if the UK persists in trying to go "back" to the future, then Scotland and Northern Ireland will surely eventually leave the Union and England and Wales face the danger of becoming a low tax, low wage economy that will take decades to recover.

Forget Me Not

As we approach the end of this year, another great 20th Century singer/performer/writer has left us.  George Michael made the 1980s more memorable for me with some of the best songs of that strangest of decades.

Wham! made some of the best singles of the mid 80s and supplied a funky antidote to the stilted seriousness of Spandau Ballet and other "New Romantics".  Here is their best single:

George, of course, became a somewhat more serious solo artist and continued his career with hits like Careless Whisper and Faith.  His masterpiece, however, was Fast Love, a song that continues his recurring themes of not wanting responsibility and instead attempting to forever continue the thrill of finding new excitement:

The 21st Century saw a decline of his songwriting powers as apparently too many drugs stifled his talent.  We should not though forget what a talent he had, and his heart was always in the right place as his benefits for NHS Nurses and striking miners showed.

Farewell George and thank you.

                                       

Epitaph

Today brought the very sad news of Greg Lake's passing to cancer yesterday.  I first became aware of him as part of the original King Crimson in 1969 with their phenomenal first LP, In The Court Of The Crimson King.  The song Epitaph from that album haunted me then and now seems more prescient than ever:

Soon afterwards, Greg became part of ELP.  Here is one of their best songs, Karn Evil 9 from Brain Salad Surgery:

Perhaps his most memorable song, however, is I Believe In Father Christmas from 1975:

So another great musician from the 20th Century leaves us this year.  Farewell and thank you Greg.

The Horror...The Horror

Late 1979. Apocalypse Now...Marlon Brando as Colonel Kurtz going mad. A world that has been going madder ever since.

The 1980s were the decade when the "modern" world started taking shape. Margaret Thatcher in London, Ronald Reagan in Washington. John Lennon shot dead in New York City by a "lone nut".  The Soviet Union immersed in an unwinnable war in Afghanistan and slowly imploding as "star wars" technology threatened the status quo.

The emphasis was back on the individual rather than the common good. Controlling the money supply and "trickle down" economics were suddenly all the rage as mass unemployment was no longer morally unacceptable. Farewell Harold MacMillan and the post war consensus.
The dawn of neo conservatism was upon us. The eighties were a time when the Taliban were on the West's side against the "evil empire" of the Soviets and tax cuts for the better off and over three million unemployed men and women were the new normal.

In Britain, the Falklands War made Mrs Thatcher unbeatable for the rest of the decade. Michael Foot was a patriot and a decent man, but no match for the Iron Lady. Neil Kinnock seemed also to have his heart in the "right" place but his rambling oratory was just wish washy against the Prime Minister's straight to the point ultra certainty.

The "Big Bang" liberated the UK's financial market and the rise of the Yuppie contrasted with the fall of the working class. Computers entered businesses and homes and mobile phones began their takeover of the world. Britain was two nations again as the South East boomed and the North went bust.

In the end of course, Europe "did" for Mrs Thatcher. Little did we know then, however, that a quarter of a century later her successors would get their revenge with Brexit.

R.I.P. The Greatest

The Rumble in the Jungle...30th October 1974 in Zaire.  Ali vs Foreman.  One of my heroes is Muhammed Ali, not just because he was an incredible boxer but also because he was one of the greatest human beings of my lifetime.

George Foreman was one of the hardest boxers I have ever seen,,, he had pulverised the great Joe Frazier the year before in Jamaica and I feared that Ali would meet a similar fate.  However, the fight turned out to be different to all predictions...Ali did not dance away, he employed the "rope a dope" tactic to wear Foreman out.

In the eighth round, Ali suddenly sprang into life and hit a tired Foreman with a final combination.

 

The "Greatest" was world champion again.  Afterwards, a long slow decline would set in as age and too many hard fights took their inevitable toll  Time, however, can never take away the brilliance of Muhammed Ali.  A man who was always true to himself and his beliefs..not of course perfect, but by far one of the real greats.  Thank you Muhammed...you enriched so many lives. Rest In Peace

Disco

Spring 1974.  Winter Gardens Llandudno.  Yours truly is slightly inebriated and hears the sweet sounds of Rock Your Baby by George McCrae being played by Orville J Heap.  That was one of my first encounters with Disco music and began an era that helped make the rest of the 1970s that little bit special.

Rock Your Baby was written and produced by Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch of KC and the Sunshine Band who released some of the greatest singles of the next few years including That's The Way (I Like It), (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty and Keep It Comin' Love.  However,  there would be many fabulous songs over the next half decade that were related to Disco.  From Donna Summer to David Bowie and from The Bee Gees to Chic, dance music ruled the charts. 

People tend to hark back to "golden ages" as they get older and each person has their own particular one(s).  The music of the 60s was a marvellous soundtrack to my childhood, but the 70s saw my teenage and early twenties years...the years that seem to stick the most.  What wonderful music accompanied this decade.  Many pundits drone on relentlessly about how the 1970s was a time of upheaval,  grimness and decline.   However,  what they miss is what a great time it was to be alive for so many people.  The freedoms won in the previous decade were added to and instead of wallowing in self pity, the people decided to enjoy themselves and dance.

1977 saw Saturday Night Fever hit the screens and turntables and The Bee Gees comeback was complete.  Georgio Moroder helped Donna Summer make the fantastic Once Upon A Time LP which married electronic music to more traditional sounds.  Similarly, David Bowie's groundbreaking Low album mixed a funktastic rhythm section with synthesisers to amazing effect.

Standout singles of the era included Boogie Oogie Oogie, I Love You, Wishing On A Star and Rappers Delight.  Best of all perhaps were Chic.  Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers fronted a band that encompassed funk, r & b, soul and violins.  Songs such as I Want Your Love, Le Freak and    Good Times sound as good today as almost forty years ago.  Of course, Disco has never really gone away and Daft Punk's Random Access Memories album from 2013 featured incredible songs such as Lose Yourself To Dance  and Give Life Back To Music harked back to Chic at their best (helped by Nile Rodgers on rhythm guitar).