Proud region key to England success now and in future
I MUST say as a former England international who was lucky enough to score six international goals at Wembley I will be sitting transfixed to the telly tomorrow tea-time cheering on the Lionesses.
England versus Germany is the hottest rivalry in football for us and, my, do I want our girls to be crowned European champions. I think they will.
I have to admit it straight away I am a late convert to women’s football.
Yet in their last couple of internationals England have won me over completely to such an extent watch all the games I can now, regardless of who is playing.
I have been so impressed. The Lionesses pass the ball round so stylishly and counterattack thrillingly.
The performance against Sweden, the topranked team in the Euros, was truly magnificent.
Tomorrow’s game will bring memories flooding back for me.
To most people, England versus Germany is all about 1966 when we won the World Cup with Ashington’s Charlton brothers making history.
However, for me you have to jump forward to March 12, 1975.
It was a significant day for two reasons.
England were playing their 100th full international at Wembley
and West Germany had won the World Cup just months earlier.
On a personal level it could not have gone better.
We beat the world champions 2-0 and I scored my first England goal.
In my next international, a European qualifier, I scored all five when we beat Cyprus 5-0 to set a Wembley record.
I never played there again for my country!
All my international caps came about when I was at Newcastle. I became a team-mate of three of England’s World Cup winners – Bobby Moore, Alan Ball and Martin Peters – and one of them, Bally, made my goal against Germany with a magnificent cross which I buried with my head.
We took them apart to such an extent that Franz Beckenbauer, the epitome of cool, rugby-tackled me to the ground. I took that as one of the greatest compliments of my career!
I know the excitement and the joy victory over the Germans at Wembley can bring and pray the Lionesses are going to experience that unique feeling.
They were terrific in beating
Sweden by four goals after a difficult start.
What is lovely is the North East has always had a great input into the England team.
The second goal against Sweden, which effectively sealed the match taking it beyond their opponents, was scored by Lucy Bronze who, believe it or not, was brought up on Holy Island.
How many top, top footballers can claim to have spent their childhood on the tiny island off the Northumbrian coast?
Bronze is so good she was voted World Player of the Year in 2020 and won the Champions League three times with Lyon the best club side in Europe.
She played for Sunderland, who have developed a string of England stars including top scorer Beth Mead and veteran Jill Scott, who has more than 160 caps. Steph Houghton and Jordan Nobbs would have been in the squad but for injury.
Newcastle owner Amanda Staveley is going to promote and push women’s football on Tyneside and bring the team under the umbrella of the Premier League club.
Remember when Newcastle played Alnwick Town in a fourth-tier game at St James’ Park in May their was an unbelievable crowd of 22,134.
Victory tomorrow at Wembley will bring an extra explosion of interest in women’s football, and NUFC would do well to become part of that revolution.
How many top, top footballers can claim to have spent their childhood on the tiny island off the Northumbrian coast?