STONES ROCKED AND THE TEARS ROLLED
IT WAS an occasion I will never forget – a night when a nation and one particular player was left in floods of tears with the soundtrack supplied by arguably the world’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll band.
It had drama, both on stage and off, and an 80,000 strong crowd who
For me, these two events played out ing Pavarotti’s Nessun Dorma, and within 24 hours of each other will prodashing Des Lynam’s urbane cool. voke a solitary but spectacular remiEngland had built up a head of niscence. Almost 28 years previously, steam after a narrow passage from the the World Cup and The Rolling Stones group stage. There was a close-fought met in a head-on collision on one of 1-0 victory over Belgium, a titanic the most bizarre evenings I have ever quarter-final victory against Camewitnessed. roon, and then that semi-final.
The date was Wednesday, July 4, As a Welshman I was attuned to 1990. I was a Welshman, at the home World Cup failure and Wales not being of English football, Wembley Stadium, there. My abiding memory of arriving to watch The Rolling Stones on the at Wembley then was sheer ambivanight when England held its breath. lence. This was their biggest game since I was more excited by the thought of some people were on the pitch thinkwitnessing one of the world’s greatest ing it was all over, as the national team rock ‘n’ roll bands for the very first time took on Franz Beckenbauer’s West than paying much attention to EngGermany in the Italia a ’90 ’ 90 World Cup land’s semi-final showdown semi-final in Turin. with West Germany. Germ
I was 21, in my first t year working However, I hasten to as a journalist at Thomson mson Regional add there was wa no hate, Newspapers. I was s dispatched dislike or ma malice. I felt from Thomson House e in Cardiff to nothing exc except sumpreview The Rolling Stones’ forthmary indiffere indifference. coming gig at The Arms Park as At the VIP VI area at part of their Urban Jungle Tour, Wembley there was tasked with letting the he readmuch talk about how ers of the South Wales ales the T TVs would Echo know what they ey be turned off could expect from m at 8.15pm atw Mick Jagger and Co o when The before the Stones s S Stones took rolled into Cardiff. t to the stage.
Italia ’ 90 had capHowever, tured the imaginaas the tion. There were game prothose evocative and d g gressed, stirring BBC opening ng E England World Cup titles featur- ur- do dominating, didn’t know whether to look at the stage, clasp a radio to their ear – or sit with a portable TV on their lap.
What should have been an evening of victory and celebration turned sour in the cruellest way possible.
This week the memories of that fateful night will come flooding back.
On Thursday, the greatest show on earth will roll into Russia for the 21st World Cup.
A day later The Rolling Stones, who themselves know something about putting on a show, will take to the stage at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff as part of their No Filter Tour.