I missed a glorious chance for a perfect throwback Thursday yesterday. Oh balls to it, here’s a belated throwback!
With England scrapping a last minute goal yesterday against Slovenia, I thought I would take the chance to share a memory of the last time England scored a last-minute goal to qualify in major tournament. It was England versus Greece in 2001 in the final qualifying game. England needed a point to automatically qualify but were trailing until the last few minut
es.
Beckham, the only player who looked alive that game, was single-handedly attempting to change around our fortunes but it seemed to be to no avail. I remember this vividly, we were sitting in my first house. With the crimson, slightly hideous looking settees filling the room. Me, my two younger brothers and my dad sat all on the edge of our seats, hoping to almighty god that we didn’t exit the Euros before we even got there.
I was probably the only one out of my siblings who truly understood the gravitas of the situation England were in. It was dire but you didn’t need to have a full comprehension of the rules of football to see how much we needed an increasingly elusive goal. You could feel it from the animated behaviour of my dad that gave off the strongest air of desperation.
Then we were awarded a free-kick in an inviting area. It was still a long-shot, literally, but Beckham was going to give it a go. Up he stepped, took a few steps back, breathed in and out, and again.
Then boom!
Glass smashed down from the heavens. My dad has leapt out of his seat in delight and smashed the lampshade with his hand. But who cared, England had scored! Who cared if he had three young children surrounded by shards of broken glass, we were going to the Euros!
I love Beckham to this day for that memory.
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