The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 18

THE GUARDIAN Saturday June 3 1989 Soccer Memories linger of a night dreams were poleaxed World Cup, Group Two: England Poland England rely on a wing and a prayer 18 SPORTS NEWS David Lacey Frank Keating on a defeat that nobody said could happen ship game, Robson chose to play Barnes and Waddle against the Republic of Ireland in Stuttgart and saw his wings clipped by Jack Charlton's concentration of strength across the midfield. The Poles are more likely to rely on defence in depth and the experience of Roman Wojcicki, their 6ft 4in sweeper, who is one of three survivors from the side that lost in Monterrey. Not for the first time the Poles are coming to Wembley with thoughts of a draw never far from their minds and to break down their defence England's attacks will require consistent width, speed on the flanks and, especially if Smith plays, the sort of accurate crosses which are Barnes's The England manager has delayed announcing his team because of lingering fitness doubts about Walker, who has a neck strain, and Beardsley, a twisted knee. Two Arsenal players, Adams and Smith, are standing by to replace them in defence and attack. Whatever happens, the more intriguing question will concern Robson's decision on who to play wide.

From what the England manager said yesterday he appears to be leaning injuries permitting towards Barnes and Waddle, with Ro-castle's relegation to the bench the only change in the team that beat Albania 5-0 just over a month ago. A year ago, in England's opening European Champion stock-in-trade. Waddle's performances against Albania and Scotland justify his retention. Although Beardsley looked jaded when he played for Liverpool against Arsenal in the championship decider at An-field eight days ago, he remains Lineker's most natural foil up front. The return of Smith as a target man would beg the familiar questions of this strategy when faced with a tight marking defence using a sweeper.

Smith, moreover, does not have Hate-ley's raw aggression and was frequently eased off the ball by sturdy Greek defenders in Athens in February. England's success going forward will depend on how well Bryan Robson and Webb con trol the midfield against Urban and Matysik. Thoughts of England in retreat would be happier for the knowledge that Walker was certain to play. Adams has finished the season well for Arsenal, but a return to the twin tower look at centre-half would be worrying. With Dziekanowski left behind for disciplinary reasons, Poland are likely to be less effective on the break than they might have been and if England are patient and keep their shape they should win.

They will be supported by a crowd close to Wembley's present capacity of 85,000, the largest for an England home game since the Brazil match two years ago. No tickets will be on sale today. ment they lead Group Two on goal difference and ideally would like to win today with Shilton keeping yet another clean sheet. However, those who remember the way the Poles frustrated the World Cup ambitions of Alf Ramsey's team at Wembley in 1973 will be taking little for granted. Jan Tomaszewski, the man with four pairs of arms, is no longer Poland's goalkeeper, but Jaroslav Bako plays for the same club, LKS Lodz.

That night, 16 years ago, saw the nadir of Ramsey's previously successful policy of operating without at least one orthodox winger. Shortly before the kick-off this afternoon Robson could well reveal his intention of playing with two. A master keeper of the goalie's art remain calm, patient and composed. We know what we have to do." The evening's live TV transmission began. Clips were shown of the Polish defender, a mountainous, seemingly muscle-bound blond called Gorgon, a name which made the panellist Brian Clough snort with derision.

"He's as uncoordinated as a Joe Bugner in boots." Then the Polish goalkeeper, Tomaszewski, was shown letting in a soft one in a previous match. "The lad's a right clown," said Clough. They kicked off and England's forwards erupted into a manic attacking frenzy which they were to keep up almost throughout. What the immense, grand Gorgon did not block, Tomaszewski did. Somebody counted 16 splendid chances for England in the first-half alone, six of them by Peters, Bell, Clarke, Channon and, twice, Chivers, all of them only a hair's breadth away.

The gangling Tomaszewski, like a slackly strung marionette with a smile on his face, heroically got in the way of the lot. On the hour, England's desperation now turning to blind panic. Hunter trotted after an innocuous loose ball on the halfway touchline under the Royal Box, dallied about with it, trying to be clever. A Polish forward, who had not had a touch all night, found himself given the thing on a plate by the hapless Hunter. He hared away with it down the left, swept a pass into his centre-forward, Domarski, who fired in a joyous, long-range daisy-cutter under the body of the young, bellyflopping Peter Shilton.

One-nil, and though England equalised with a penalty, they had been hook, line, Gorgoned and truly Tomas-zewskied long before the end at which Hunter pulled up his white shirt-front to his face and openly wept in front of the stunned then made for his car and the Ml. Hunter's England career was, to all intents, finished that night. So was Ramsey's. Chivers was never once remotely considered for England again. The end of the world to be sure.

Now, 16 years on, here it comes again. David Lacey salutes Peter Shilton on the day of his record-equalling England cap A fORMAN HUNTER drove home alone from I London to Yorkshire on the night of October 16, 1973. Once there, he attacked the fridge for a drink or two, lonely at the kitchen table. Then he went to bed. He was woken early by his youn" son, already in school uniform, who asked simply, but with loving innocence: "Daddy, is it true you lost us the World Cup yesterday?" Fleet Street had followed Hunter up the Ml.

The Daily Express headline condemned "Norman's Folly." The Sun's front-page comprised five words bordered in black: "The End of the The Polish football team the night before had come to Wembley expecting a drubbing after its impertinence at reaching this last qualifying stage needing only a draw to play in the following year's World Cup finals in West Germany. England, managed by the sombre, singular knight, Sir Alf Ramsey, had to win to ensure their place. Nobody doubted England would win: the only discussion was by how many. England had never failed to qualify for the World Cup finals since they first deigned to enter in 1950. There was an aura of assured certainty as the stadium began to fill to its brim of over 90,000.

They were the days of the "TV panel" not just one know-all, but up to five former players, all patting their trendy hairdos, straightening their pink collars and wrist-jangling their bracelets, for we were all trying hard to keep alive the already jadedly faded Sixties. That night was to prove the "end of an era" in other ways. That morning Ramsey had been interviewed when the team had a run-out at the BAC sportsfield at Stevenage. He spoke like (eerily unusual for him, even cocky) a pre-fight boxing manager. "We are in tip-top order and ready to go.

We are fully motivated and the only job before tonight is to ensure we harness the adrenalin and What happened 16 years ago is scarcely relevant today, yet England are again seeking to qualify for the World Cup in a group from which only the winners go straight through to the finals, again in urgent need of a win against Poland at Wembley, again in the charge of a former manager of Ipswich and again have Shilton in goal. If England win today the better will be Shilton's chances of playing for his country in the finals of football's most important competition at the age of '10. Certainly his hopes of appearing in a World Cup proper are higher now than they were four tournaments and as many England managers ago. If you asked Shilton how he felt about 1990 he would probably say he was looking forward to the United States in 1994 because, even if he was not still keeping goal for England, the Football Association would surely have seen sense by then and made him England manager. Lack of confidence has never been a problem.

Had there been a serious element of self-doubt in Shilton's make-up it would have defeated his international ambitions long ago because, until Bobby Robson took over the England squad after the 1982 World Cup, he was not an automatic choice. For a long time Greenwood alternated Shilton with Ray Clemence. Initially, he preferred Clemence because of his ability to initiate attacks with shrewd throws rather than long kicks, but Shilton eventually found favour because of the way his goalkeeping developed under Peter Taylor, Brian Clough's assistant at Nottingham Forest, and because eventually he commanded his penalty area physically and vocally. Shilton was Robson's preference from the start, as much because of his size as anything else: "When you're playing against him he seems to fill the goal. He never gives an attacker much space.

He has also got great agility and great courage. Day of reckoning in League play-offs Rovers can return to top spot THREE years ago, on a stifling June day in Monterrey, England's crumbling cause in the 1986 World Cup was redeemed with a 3-0 victory against Poland. Gary Lineker scored a first-half hat-trick and Bobby Robson was spared an ignominious return home. This afternoon England need to beat Poland at Wembley not so much to save a cause as to underline a case. If they win, then two points from their remaining qualifying matches in Sweden and Poland this autumn might be enough to ensure Robson's players a place in Italy next summer.

At the mo Keeping well, keeping fit European Under-21 England 2, Poland 1 Thomas David Foot at Plymouth INGLAND, with their cap-I tain Michael Thomas outstanding, held off Po land's vigorous second-half challenge to move to the top of Uroup Two ot tne European Under-21 Championship at Home Park last night. Thomas's goal a minute before half-time was to prove crucial. Steve Bull, watched dotingly by an amber-clad Molineux contingent, wasted no time in signalling his pragmatic threat. Jegor, perhaps aware of the reputation, brought down the old-fashioned marauder as early as the third minute and earned an inevitable booking. England's first goal after 10 minutes, however, came from an alternative source.

Russell Beardsmore, working well down the right, brushed off a challenge, darted goalward and, with great deliberation, chipped into the goalmouth. Steve Sedg-ley was waiting, grateful for some static covering in the Poles' defence, and he headed in efficiently. For a time Poland failed to match England's confidence and precision. The eccentrics pitch, slowed by numerous lines of sand-filling recently introduced to improve drainage, possibly bothered both sides. But the visitors suddenly produced an unpredictable spurt.

Three times within a minute Brian Home saved briskly. He foiled Gesior, spread his body to chest away a shot from Trszeciak, then went down bravely at the feet of Kubisztal. 1 TEN months on, promotion comes down to 90 nervous minutes in today's second legs of the play-off finals, writes Ian Ridley. A crowd of around 30,000 is expected at Selhurst Park to see if Mark Bright and Ian Wright 57 goals between them this season can make up the 3-1 leeway against Blackburn and take Crystal Palace back to a First Division they left in 1981. Rovers's return would be after 23 years.

Palace's captain Geoff Thomas returns to the squad for the first time this year after a stomach operation, while his Blackburn counterpart Colin Hendry is struggling with a leg injury. "And he's a tremendous talker. He controls the first 30 yards of the pitch. He's the skipper in his own penalty area. He keeps full-backs and centre-halves alert and that's a great asset to a team." Usually the noise of the crowd drowns the chat on the field, but when England defeated the Soviet Union 1-0 in Tblisi in a friendly just before the 1986 World Cup the relative silence of the Georgian crowd made it possible to pick up Shilton's stentorian commentary.

No wonder the defenders move out when Shilton makes the shooing gesture of a landlord at closing time. Shilton believes that once the ball has been cleared, the greater distance tbore is between the defence and himself the longer will be the range of the opposition's shots. This would not apply to all goalkeepers, but Shilton's presence is so inhibiting that attackers will often lose the advantage in one-to-one situations by shooting too early. The statistics speak for themselves. In 107 England appearances Shilton has achieved 57 shut-outs, 37 of them under Robson and six in seven matches this season.

Like a spin bowler, he is improving as he gets older. Shilton made his first League appearance at 16, for Leicester City during the 1965-66 season, when Bobby Robson was still playing regularly for Fulham. When he won his first England cap, against East Germany in November, 1970, footballers were still being paid in pounds, shillings and pence. Yet even now Shilton's training schedule leaves his contemporaries open-mouthed. "Newer goalkeepers have been astounded by the intensity of his training routine," says Robson.

Nothing Shilton embarks on is half-hearted. His agent, Jon Holmes, is likely to get a call at any time of the day or night about a business idea that has suddenly struck Had Holmes been born earlier, he would have had a quieter life handling the affairs of one of the Barrymores. But today Shilton is centre stage. without Ronnie Whelan, who is suspended, a fact that had escaped Hungary's manager Ber-talan Bicskei, who watched the game against Malta on television but did not see Whelan get the yellow card. "I can't say whether I'm pleased or not," he said, when he arrived in Dublin yesterday.

"It depends who plays in his place." The answer is probably Norwich's Andy Townsend, who has had one full game and came on as substitute twice, last time making an instant impression. Ray Houghton, who was also injured last week, is fit again: "The battle with him is to keep him off the pitch when he is not fit," said Charlton. Chris Morris, the Celtic fullback, who has only recently recovered from sore ribs sustained in the Scottish Cup final, is available for selection, but Charlton might decide to retain the successful full-back partnership of Steve Staunton, of Liverpool, and Chris Hughton, of Tottenham. Both countries are in contention for the second qualifying place in Group Six, but Hungary have much the tougher task and a capacity crowd of 49,000 is expected tomorrow. They have yet to meet Spain, the group leaders who have lost only one game prophetically, perhaps, against the Republic in Dublin.

The Republic have still to play Northern Ireland, who are out of the running, at Lansdowne Road. "If we win against Hungary we are flying," said Charlton, and for once the connotation had nothing to do with fishing. THE best goalkeepers are fussy, fastidious people who have an architect's eye for a bad angle and will size up the quality of a hastily constructed wall with the expertise of a master bricklayer. They believe that only litter louts clutter penalty areas and when the ball has to be retrieved from the back of the net, well that is sneer vandalism. The fact that Peter Shilton will equal Bobby Moore's record of 108 England caps when he plays against Poland in this afternoon's World Cup qualifier at Wembley will appeal to that sense of neatness possessed by all leading practitioners of the goalkeeper's art, and especially Shilton himself.

Gordon Banks will always be remembered for the save he made against Pele in Guadalajara during the 1970 World Cup. It has been Shilton's lot to carry the can for England's failure to qualify for the 1974 tournament, a burden that should never have been his alone. In October 1973, England had to beat the Poles at Wembley to make sure of reaching the competition proper in West Germany the following summer, but they were held 1-1, largely through the heroics of Tomaszewski, the Polish goalkeeper. Poland took the lead 10 minutes after half-time when Hunter lost the ball to Lato near the left-hand touchline and Gadocha drew the England defence with a decoy run through the middle which allowed an unmarked Do-marski a clear run at the 24-year-old Shilton, who was blamed for letting the shot pass underneath his body. Shilton, ever the perfectionist, feels he should have attempted merely to deflect the shot instead of trying to hold it.

At all events, England's elimination was the culmination of a sequence of setbacks the point dropped at home to Wales, Moore's errors in Katowice and Alf Ramsey's cautious team selections. representatives of the League, managers' and secretaries' associations and local authorities, are willing to help foot the bill, but are hoping that a manufacturer will pay the bulk and use the system as a showpiece. Meanwhile, an FA attempt to ban unruly England fans from the team's next foreign trips has failed. After the England team's recent game in Iceland, several England supporters were involved in drunken scenes, including chanting and singing during the national anthems. The FA uncovered the identity of the fans, and presented a list of a dozen names to the Home Office, who say they are powerless to act.

"We cannot confiscate people's passports under current legislation," said a Home Office spokesman. "So convicted hooligans at the moment cannot be stopped from travelling abroad. That is why we are pushing for part two of the Football Spectators Bill to be passed." hunt for Steven cause them huge problems in the European Cup and at home next season. Ray Wilkins had an Achilles tendon operation in London on Thursday while Ian Durrant is a long-term absentee with knee damage. Everton, meanwhile, have been offered 450,000 by Sheffield Wednesday for their striker Wayne Clarke.

Peter Shilton on the brink of a record photograph: dave shopland FA seek ground to test new fencing World Cup: Group Six Republic of Ireland Hungary Aldridge in line Motor Racing Senna is streets ahead off the tee Physiotherapists deserve a bonus for patching up participants for one last heave, but it will be the usually underpaid players of Bristol Rovers who will cash in should they win at Port Vale, favourites to regain the Second Division place lost 32 years ago. Rovers, whose 37-year-old player-manager Gerry Francis stands by to play, will give the players most of the 35,000 they stand to collect having insured themselves for promotion. The first legended 1-1. Leyton Orient will attract a 12,000 crowd to Brisbane Road as they seek to take the last Fourth Division promotion place against Wrexham. they hoisted the car away by its front, spilling several litres ot oil on the track.

This was eventually swept away with the aid of absorbent cat litter. The Phoenix authorities have done an excellent job preparing the course and the first day's activity was otherwise free of the organisational hitches that bedevilled inaugural races on similar street circuits at Long Beach, Detroit and Dallas in years gone by. Meanwhile, the March team enjoyed their first outing as an independent entity divorced from the March pic organisation, from which they split on May 30. The team's manager, Ian Phillips, fired off this parting broadside: "There was no management skill of any kind available to us from day one or any concept of how to do the job properly. Ultimately the contribution demanded of the Formula One team was entirely unacceptable and detrimental to our own work." Brundle fifth fastest Championship topping Burrows squandered an opportunity to increase England's lead soon afterwards.

A cross by Thomas was handled by Joz-wiak and the Liverpool left-back was entrusted with the penalty. He hit it to the goalkeeper's right but Matysek made a good save. Burrows tried to follow up but the chance had gone. A second goal came, however, a minute before the interval. Thomas, justifiably confident after the elation of his championship clincher for Arsenal against Liverpool, this time netted with a 25-yard left-foot shot.

The goal had followed a centre from Beardsmore which had only been half-cleared by Poland. Once more, that crucial touch of vision by Thomas had lifted the game. There was more resolve from Poland after the interval and they pulled back a goal after 62 minutes. From a free-kick Je-gor's attempt appeared to take a deflection before hobbling awkwardly in the sandy goalmouth well wide of the stranded Home. Thomas also impressed with his defensive help, while Bull was twice frustrated in attempting to reach crosses from his Wolves striking partner Mutch, who himself missed an excellent late chance.

ENGLAND UNDER-21. Horn IMlllwall). Laaa (Man C). Burrows (Liverpool). Thomaa (Arsenal).

Radmond (Man C), Chaltla (Nollm Foresl). Mulch (Wolves). Baardsmora (Man U). Bull (Wolves). Sadolay (Coventry).

Smith (Coventry). POUND UNDER-21. Hahjaalil Krvgar, Siaweiyx, Joxwlak, Jaa.nr, Oellor, Cyzlo, Skriyuesak, Diludlnakl, Kublailal, Tronctatu ttefaraai Houdan (Holland). Ian Ridley A NEW system of perime-Zal ter fencing is likely to I be seen at an English ground next season as a result of a fact-finding trip to France by the game's governing bodies this week. The Football Association will this summer be seeking a club to try out the system used by the French Second Division club Nimes.

Walsall, who are due to move to a new stadium December, could be the first club asked if they want to install the fencing, a series of large gates controlled electronically from a central point, which can be opened at the push of a button. "We need to look at fences working in an English context," said an FA spokesman. "At English grounds there is a different configuration of terraces and different load-bearing capacities." The FA and the Football Trust, who were accompanied on the trip to France by Rangers in the BANGERS will be among the BBI most serious bidders for Trevor Steven, the England midfielder whose contract with Everton expires at the end of the month, writes Patrick Glenn. The Scottish champions have already begun moves to lure him to Ibrox to strengthen an area of the field that could Cynthia Bateman In Dublin JACK CHARLTON sat his Republic of Ireland team round the television set at their country house hotel betwixt Dublin and the middle of nowhere, and switched on a video of their 0-0 draw in Budapest with Hungary, the team they meet at Lansdowne Road tomorrow in their second World Cup qualifying game in eight days then he went off fishing, and took John Aldridge with him. Aldridge, new to fly fishing, hooked four trout on a splendid evening on the Liffey.

"He's not a very good fisherman, but he's enthusiastic," said Charlton. It provoked a comparison with Aldridge's performances for the Republic. The Liverpool striker, who has scored 31 goals for his club this season, has managed only one in his 24-match international career. But in spite of opting out of the World Cup game against Spain soon after Hillsborough, Aldridge was brought on as substitute in the 2-0 defeat of Malta last Sunday, when the veteran Frank Stapleton injured himself, and he is likely to be called on again tomorrow to partner Tony Cascarino up front. Stapleton's knee was in plaster until Thursday, and although the player was hopeful of getting his 70th cap, and so beating Liam Brady's total, the manager was less optimistic and reserved his decision for later today.

The Republic are already Alan Henry In Phoenix AT ONE news conference here, Nigel Mansell drew analogies with his other great sporting passion: "Grand-prix racing isn't like golf, where it's basically down to you, the club, the ball and the way you take a swing at it, be it good or bad. In racing you need a good engine, a good team and good equipment behind you in order to succeed." His shrewd assessment emphasises that the driver is merely a component part of the larger technical equation in this complex sport. Put simply, a star driver in a mediocre car has no more hope of producing a decent result than a mediocre driver in a star car. The problem is that, between them, the McLaren-Honda drivers, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, are displaying an unrivalled ability to avoid every bunker and sink every putt. As temperatures nudged the 90-degree mark in Phoenix yesterday.

Senna dominated the first qualifying session for tomorrow's United States Grand Prix. He lapped the gruelling street circuit l.Ssec faster than Prost. Third fastest was Mansell's Ferrari, ahead of Derek Warwick's Arrows and Martin Brundle's Brabham. Warwick achieved this time despite crashing heavily and wrecking his car halfway through the session. Tne mar-shalls spread the problem when.