As I watched Colombia try to kick the living s..t out of England last night my mind wandered back over 50 years to an afternoon at Wembley when a bunch of Argentinians performed in much the same way against us.
It was July 23, 1966 and Antonio Rattin had been ordered off for foul language ( oh yes it was all different back then) which led to the manager demanding the whole team walk back to the dressing room.
They all left the field leaving the red carded one alone, ironic eh!
All of this was watched imperiously by a certain Bobby Moore who supervised and ensured the England team kept its cool before the game continued and another Hammer- Sir Geoff – headed home a brilliant goal to break what appeared to have become an impossible deadlock.
Rattin is sent off in ’66 before the mayhem starts
Bob and his boss Sir Alf weren’t men of many words.
Take a look on Google and you will find that that the two of them barely had a public word to say about themselves, the game, the team they served or the most important competition our nation has ever won.
The most I can find from our legend Mooro is this:
O Pele was the most complete player I’ve ever seen.
O If you never concede a goal you’re going to win more games than you lose.
O At least it was a victory and at least we won.
His international boss said just tad more when on his appointment as England manager he declared:
O We’re going to win the World Cup
O Never change a winning team
and after the Argentine controversy he added:
O “Our best football will come against the right type of opposition—a team who come to play football, and not act as animals.”
Things have changed of course and the FA now demand that manager and players say something in the public arena but were Mooro around he would be the most reluctant of them to do so despite being skipper.
Bob, like Alf, believed in action and example speaking more than any words. It wasn’t even a philosophy. Just how it was with two great men.
And my God they did…more than any international skipper in any sport in history Mooro didn’t need words to lead.
His presence commanded it and as I mused last night where he would take the team next were he in charge the answer was immediately apparent.
He wouldn’t lead, they would simply follow because that’s what charsima demands.
In a modern age Gareth Southgate has handled the media responsibilities well and dare I say it of a Spud? Harry Kane too has done well and led by example.
We are doing okay and you know what I reckon our Bob and old sour puss Sir Alf would approve!
So if you run into anymore trouble Gareth and Harry just ask: “What would Mooro do?
Silence or close to it really can be golden.
Yeah was a great spectacle I hope the players learn a lot from it because they did start biting back and made an easy game hard, one thing I will say about Columbia is what a player Yerry Mina is, for me he was man of the match if we are looking for a collosus at the back we should pay whatever it takes to get him !!