Was England’s loss to Afghanistan the biggest upset in English sporting history.

Sheriff_John_Bunnell_ret said:
Biggest upset for the England national team was surely England 3 Hungary 6. This is generally viewed as the game in which English notions of footballing superiority were well and truly dismissed. Despite the 1 nil loss to USA and failure to take home the world cup a few years earlier.
Perhaps with it being at home and in full view of the press. Bobby Robson quote lifted from wiki.

Sir Bobby Robson said of the game: "We saw a style of play, a system of play that we had never seen before. None of these players meant anything to us. We didn't know about Puskás. All these fantastic players, they were men from Mars as far as we were concerned. They were coming to England, England had never been beaten at Wembley – this would be a 3–0, 4–0 maybe even 5–0 demolition of a small country who were just coming into European football. They called Puskás the 'Galloping Major' because he was in the army – how could this guy serving for the Hungarian army come to Wembley and rifle us to defeat? But the way they played, their technical brilliance and expertise – our WM formation was kyboshed in ninety minutes of football. The game had a profound effect, not just on myself but on all of us." Robson went on to say: "That one game alone changed our thinking. We thought we would demolish this team – England at Wembley, we are the masters, they are the pupils. It was absolutely the other way
Click to expand...
Admittedly I showed caution towards world rankings above, but Hungary were ranked #1 in the world (and were Olympic champions, in an era without World Cups) at the time....
 
Last edited:
atypical_boro said:
Jedi said 'English sporting history' though. Not sure it counts just because it was in England.
Click to expand...
Oh yes - good point. Being in England probably isn't good enough.
I once interviewed Wilf Mannion and asked him about the World Cup defeat to USA and he dismissed it as "ridiculous" or something like that. And that USA were very, very lucky. He also rounded on walter Winterbottom for trying to introduce "tactics."
It seemed to me that mighty England found it impossibly hard to come to terms with that defeat. England were still amateur at heart and the players and captain wrestled to control the flow of the game rather than the manager. Wilf and the others in the all-star 11 were not happy with England's first manager Walter Winterbottom meddling with his "tactics." But the world had changed and England did not learn that lesson until they were destroyed at Wembley by Hungary in 1953 by Hungary 3-6 - the first none British team to beat England on home soil. In some ways that was the most seismic shock ever in England football and maybe sport. It ripped apart once and for all time England's invincibility and total self belief. Future managers like Clough, Bobby Robson and Don Revie were inspired by what they saw of the Magyars and later set about rebuilding domestic club football and culture based on that epic night at Wembley. It took longer for England to learn however as they were hammered off the park 7-1 the very next year in Hungary. Winterbottom took much of the blame but the player power still ruled the roost and self expression.
 
Ha ha I should have been quicker writing my piece - was beaten to it.
I should also say two future Boro managers also learned a lot from that Hungary experience in Stan Anderson and Jack Charlton.
Stan was a lifelong believer in a passing football game. Big Jack was far more tactical in his approach.
It was was interesting in ruling a line in the sand between old style managers like Sir Matt Busby and the new school of Shankly, Revie, Clough, Bobby Robson etc.
 
In June 1950 England lost to USA in the World Cup 1-0.
England were favourites to win the cup and had wizards Wilf Mannion and Tom Finney playing. America were a bunch of part timers.
 
Lottowyn said:
In June 1950 England lost to USA in the World Cup 1-0.
England were favourites to win the cup and had wizards Wilf Mannion and Tom Finney playing. America were a bunch of part timers.
Click to expand...
In conclusion, this would surely still be the winning answer in my opinion.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top