Your first England match

[chimneys]

My LAST match was a 4-1 victory over Holland in the 90s. It wasn't very nice. Great swathes of fans, including dads with small children, turned on the Dutch (the Dutch!) from the start with their walls of jingoistic sound, shouting down the anthem, effing and blinding and w......-signing and all the rest and I thought bugger that, I'm not coming here again.

"...a 4-1 victory over Holland in the 90s..." Rather understated!! Surely the best all round performance by England at home since 1966, bearing in mind the opposition and the fact it was a Tournament match!!

 

[Brovion]

On TV it was possibly England v Uruguay in 1966. I don't remember watching England before that but I may have done - all lost in the mists of time now. Ditto my first live England game which was in about 1969. My old school (Boundstone) used to run coaches to all the England home games* in those days and I went to nearly all of them.

*Except England v Scotland where they couldn't get tickets.


Just editing to add I can remember my last live England game: 1984 v East Germany. I've quoted it on here before as proof that the popularity of the national side is far higher than it used to be. For that game in 1984 I turned up on the spur-of-the-moment, it was POTG and the crowd was less than 24,000. It was also a dire match.

 

[Bold Seagull]

England v Scotland, Wembley, May 1988, Rous Cup.

England won 1-0 with a goal from Peter Beardsley.

Match will probably be remembered more for the crowd trouble, before, during and after the game.

 

[Wondergull]

Don't remember my first but do remember my son's. Against Switzerland at [new] Wembley. The stewards didn't open the turnstiles for a whole section which caused pretty close to a riot outside. Eventually got out of the crowds and round to another section to get in that way. Missed the first 10 minutes of the match despite being more than 30 mins early for kick off.

He was only 7-8 yo and hated the entire experience. Haven't been able to convince him to go back to Wembley since.

I remember that game and the trouble outside. It was a baking hot day on a Saturday afternoon in June, i had rather a lot to drink in the Green Man pre match and then fell asleep in my seat in the first half. Think the game ended 2-2 if i remember correctly.

 

[El Sid]

1977 0-0 against Switzerland. First and last time.

 

[The Original]

First game in the flesh - England v Albania WCQ 1989 at Wembley. 5-0, Beardsley (2), Lineker, Waddle, Gascoigne
Earliest memory - 3-1 versus France WC 1982, Bryan Robson after 27 secs...

Have been to Wembley 5 times since versus Italy, Norway, France, Switzerland and Slovakia. All pretty dour friendlies.

 

[ExmouthExile]

I think my first memory of an England game was the world cup qualifier against Poland in '73, but I was only 8 then and football hadn't really seeped into my veins by that time, I just remember my Grandad watching it on tv and being aware that it was a 'big' game for England. Then we weren't in the world cups in '74 and '78, so the first England game that I remember having any real significance to me was our first game against France in the world cup '82 when Robson scored after about 20 seconds. I can't believe I was 17 by then and I'd been into club football for years by that time. Just shows England were as dire back then as they are now!

 

[Billy the Fish]

vs Cameroon in 1997 at Wembley

Did all the france 98 and euro 2000 qualifier home games. First away game was Euro 2000 vs Portugal in Eindhoven.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

England vs Brazil at Wembley, 1992.

Gary Linekar did this:

 

[The Original]

I remember that game and the trouble outside. It was a baking hot day on a Saturday afternoon in June, i had rather a lot to drink in the Green Man pre match and then fell asleep in my seat in the first half. Think the game ended 2-2 if i remember correctly.

Wrong game I think. Believe poster was referring to Capello's first game in charge versus Switzerland in Feb 2008. England won 2-1. I was in the highest stand and it was like watching ants on grass.

 

[Driver8]

England v Brazil April 1978. Finished 1-1. Keegan scored for England and Gil for Brazil.

Wasn't a great Brazil team although Zico played.

 

[SI 4 BHA]

England v Poland, 17 October 1973. My birthday was 2 days later and went with my dad as a birthday treat!

 

[Munkfish]

England vs Moldova WCQ 1997 Just after Diana had died, I think we won 4-0.

EDIT 4-0 England Scorers: Scholes (28 mins), Wright (40 & 90 mins), Gascoigne (89 mins)

ENGLAND:
Seaman, G Neville, Southgate, Campbell, Beckham (Ripley 67 mins (Butt 75 mins)), Batty, Gascoigne, P Neville, Scholes, Ferdinand (Collymore 82 mins), Wright.
Subs Not Used: Pallister, Walker, Le Saux, Lee.

 

[Peter Grummit]

England 0 Netherlands 2, 1977 I think. Was the great Cruyff/Neeskins Dutch side and they wiped the floor with England.

Only been to 1 more since England 1 Switzerland 1 at Euro 96.

On TV, it's England 2 W Germany 3 1970 WCQF.

 

[Birdie Boy]

England V Scotland Euro 96, the Gazza goal This was my first and only match, I need to go more

 

[dunno]

Went to England vs Northern Ireland on a school trip about 1982. Also England vs Holland around the same time. Latterly went to England vs Norway (i think) and England vs Luxembourg in 1999 (owen scored a cracker towards the end). At the 'new' Wembley went to England vs Ukraine in 2009 and England vs Scotland a couple of months or so ago.

 

[Djmiles]

1-1 against Portugal in a friendly at Villa Park, must have been 2003 or so.

 

[Return of the Rev]

England away lux 77,demark79 italy80 spain82, romania85 mex86 germany88 france 98 then children

 

[Munkfish]

vs Cameroon in 1997 at Wembley

Did all the france 98 and euro 2000 qualifier home games. First away game was Euro 2000 vs Portugal in Eindhoven.

How can you have? surely the first WCQ game was the end of 96? first game being in 97?

 

[maidstoneseagull]

School trip to England Albania 1989 just after Hilsbrough I think. WCQ won 5-0.

Worked at the England Hungary game in 1996 as a steward