English football was facing a period of introspection during April 1989. As the world tried to digest the full horror of the Hillsborough disaster, the future of the national game seemed at a crossroads. Surely this was the tragic tipping point for the sport, a time for English football to get its house in order.
For too many years the safety of spectators had been taken for granted. Crumbling stadiums, perimeter fences and poor facilities provided a hostile environment in which to attend matches. The shocking policing of Liverpool fans at Hillsborough, shamefully covered up for decades, combined with this disregard for safety, led to a tragedy beyond comprehension.
The Taylor Report, which led to all-seater stadiums, would prove critical for the future direction of the sport, but the success of the national team at Italia 90 was perhaps the turning point regarding the image of football on the pitch. One man in particular would make his mark on that tournament, yet for both player and country the future looked a little uncertain in April 1989.
Drawn in a qualifying group with Sweden, Poland and Albania, England would make it to Italy by the width of a crossbar in Chorzow, but before that sliding doors moment there had been a rollercoaster ride. A 0-0 draw against Sweden opened the campaign at Wembley – “GO! IN THE NAME OF GOD GO!” screamed the Mirror headline in relation to manager Bobby Robson – and who can forget the blood shed by Terry Butcher in Stockholm.
Fortunately for Robson and England, two comfortable wins against the whipping boys of the group boosted qualification hopes after the stalemate with Sweden at Wembley. Albania would lose all six matches in the campaign, with England particularly ruthless in their two meetings. A comfortable 2-0 win in Tirana in March 1989 was followed by a 5-0 demolition at Wembley a month later.
Coming just 11 days after the Hillsborough disaster, inevitably the buildup to the match at Wembley was overshadowed. Would the game go ahead? If so, would Liverpool and Nottingham Forest players take part? Would the FA Cup semi-final between the two clubs be replayed? With Liverpool’s fixtures suspended, when would the league season conclude?
Eventually the decision was taken to play the Albania match, with Robson, who had been at Hillsborough himself, allowing the Liverpool and Nottingham Forest players selected in his squad to opt in or out. Nottingham Forest players Stuart Pearce, Des Walker, Neil Webb, Steve Hodge and Nigel Clough, and Liverpool’s Steve McMahon and Peter Beardsley joined the squad. John Barnes pulled out. The fact that Liverpool’s players were attending funerals put things into perspective, and fortunately Barnes’ decision was fully respected, with John Aldridge and Steve Nicol also pulling out of their international matches.
Both sets of players wore black armbands and a minute’s silence was observed before the match at Wembley. During the evening, the 60,602 fans in attendance sang You’ll Never Walk Alone in tribute to Liverpool. “The game has taken such a knock that we need to get out there and give a good England performance that will boost our football,” said Robson.
The 5-0 win was certainly entertaining, even if England’s opponents were poor. For the some of the players involved, it was an important evening in their international careers. England took the lead after just five minutes, Gary Lineker scoring his first international goal for 11 months, with Beardsley doubling the advantage in the 12th minute. The Liverpool forward had not made the decision to play lightly. But, backed by Liverpool fans he had talked to, Beardsley figured a return to football in an England shirt might make things easier for him.
Beardsley added a third just past the hour, as Albania struggled to withstand the pressure. In fairness, Sulejman Demollari had a fine goal ruled out due to a player standing in an offside position, and 17-year-old debutant goalkeeper Blendi Nallbani performed admirably. But the introduction of Paul Gascoigne in the 66th minute added to Albania’s problems.
Making just his third appearance for his country, the 21-year-old seemed to be another English player who could be placed in that broad category of maverick. The kind of midfielder who would be loved by fans but perhaps never fully trusted by his manager. A supremely talented footballer, but still a rough diamond.
Robson clearly had a lot of affection for Gascoigne, labelling him “daft as a brush” before the Albania match; Gascoigne turned up to training the next day with a brush sticking out of his sock. Yet, with skipper Bryan Robson certain to play, and Webb producing the types of displays that would earn him a move to Manchester United, fitting Gascoigne into the team looked difficult.
Gascoigne had moved to Tottenham for £2m in the summer of 1988 and, despite constant criticism over his weight, his performances had him knocking on the door for international recognition. His cameo against Albania only increased the volume behind those arguing that Gascoigne was what England needed.
Gascoigne immediately demanded the ball. “You need two balls when he plays,” Robson later joked. “One for him and another for the rest of us.” Instructed to play on the right after coming on for David Rocastle, Gascoigne roamed where he wanted. “I can tell you how much he listened to me because he played in every position except the one I had told him to play in,” Robson said with a twinkle in his eye. But, with Albania on the ropes, Gascoigne’s free spirit was a welcome sight for England fans.
Setting up Chris Waddle for England’s fourth goal in the 72nd minute, Gascoigne was just warming up. One mesmerising piece of skill that would have made Ricky Villa jealous earned a roar of appreciation from the Wembley crowd, Gascoigne’s hips wiggling and feet shuffling completely foxing three Albanian defenders. But in the 89th minute came a first international goal that his display deserved.
Picking up the ball from debutant Paul Parker, Gascoigne had one thing on his mind as he made his way to the Albanian penalty area. Using his strength to hold off one player, Gascoigne moved away from another as the shirts in front of him parted. Finishing with his left foot from roughly 12 yards out, the boyish delight on the face of the scorer was heartwarming.
“This really is a shining talent we’re watching perhaps in its infancy here in international terms,” said commentator John Motson, as replays of the goal highlighted the dazzling ability Gascoigne clearly possessed. David Lacey, writing in the Guardian, called it “a fitting finale” and a “typically impudent piece of skill”. The hype surrounding Gascoigne was growing.
Robson spoke with the energy of a proud father. “Paul Gascoigne has a rare and rich talent. I have never seen anybody oozing such confidence. Nothing frightens him. The kid can go out at Wembley with that cockiness and excite the crowd.” But Robson also urged caution.
“Gascoigne will be a gem of a player once he understands what teamwork is,” said Robson, adding that the older members of the squad would do their best to guide the young star. Robson admitted that Gascoigne needed to prove himself against stronger opposition. A stunning display against Czechoslovakia in April 1990 officially booked his ticket to Italia 90.
“Releasing himself with the exuberance of a pup in the park was fine against the unravelling Albanians but, as his manager pointed out, it wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun for the spectators or his teammates against such as Holland or West Germany,” Hugh McIlvanney noted after Gascoigne’s glorious display at Wembley, an accurate assessment at the time.
Could Gascoigne do it at a World Cup against the best sides on the planet? For one glorious summer he proved he could. If it took the tragedy of Hillsborough to improve conditions for fans in the future, Gascoigne’s personality and skills, plus England’s run to the last four. was proof that football could be cool. Football changed forever that summer.
This article is by Steven Pye for That 1980s Sports Blog