Journalist Andy Lines, who attended England's last World Cup win over Norway 46 years ago, still has his ticket from the match, which cost just £3.50. He found the ticket in a box in his loft before travelling to the United States for the upcoming match.
Ticket Prices Then and Now
The ticket for the 10 September 1980 match at Wembley cost £3.50, equivalent to about £19 today. In contrast, the cheapest tickets for the upcoming match in Miami are £1,500, with many selling for £3,000-£4,000.
The Match and Debutants
Lines was one of 48,000 spectators at the 4-0 victory. He has hazy memories of Ipswich Town's Eric Gates and Arsenal's Graham Rix making their debuts. England legends Peter Shilton, Bryan Robson, and Phil Thompson also played.
The Iconic Return Match
The win was overshadowed by the return match in Oslo on 9 September 1981, when Norway secured a historic 2-1 victory. Norwegian commentator Bjørge Lillelien delivered a famous rant, shouting: "Maggie Thatcher, can you hear me? We have knocked England out of the World Cup! Your boys took a hell of a beating!" He also invoked Lord Nelson, Lord Beaverbrook, Winston Churchill, and others.
England superfan Peter Robinson, 69, from Hayes, west London, attended both matches. He said: "I was at the game and I remember it quite well. It really was a big shock at the time. England were strong favourites and were expected to win. Norway certainly didn't have anyone like Erling Haaland. We left the ground on the final whistle and went into Oslo city centre for a beer. I obviously didn't hear the commentary at the time. But when we got home it was played. Over the years it's become quite iconic and what a memory for history that commentator had! Let's hope it's not the same result in Miami."
Historical Context
Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister at the time, with her popularity at a low point before the Falklands War in 1982. Despite the shock defeat, England still qualified for the 1982 World Cup in Spain.
