On This Day – 2nd June
One of the most controversial games in World Cup history took place on this day back in 1962.
Hosts Chile played against Italy at the Chilean national stadium in Santiago. The game spiralled out of control as both sides resorted to kicking lumps out of each other. Fist fights and mass brawls also broke out across the pitch, leaving the world stunned at the spectacle. Most shockingly, the Chilean Police had to intervene on four separate occasions to try and diffuse the escalating violence on the pitch!
Chile won the game 2-0 but the result is rarely remembered. The match became known as ‘The Battle of Santiago’ as English referee Ken Aston sent two Italians off. Amazingly no players were cautioned.
Red and yellow cards weren’t used in football at this point so many of the crowd or those watching were able to fully understand what was going on at times. It was Ken Aston who came up with the idea of yellow cards a few years later.
I have included a video from YouTube of the game which shows the many incidents from the game. The introduction from David Coleman at the beginning was broadcast before the highlights were shown on the BBC coverage. The first sentence is so incredible that I thought I would include it in the write up. Coleman said:
“Good evening. The game you are about to see is the most stupid, appalling, disgusting, and disgraceful exhibition of football in the history of the game.”
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