On This Day – 26th June
It was on this day back in 1990 that David Platt scored a last-minute winner for England against Belgium.
The two countries were playing each other in a Second Round knockout match in the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Both were top seeds in the draw for the group stages in the first round after performing well in the previous tournament in Mexico four years previously.
England had reached the Quarter Finals in 1986 before losing to Argentina, who then beat Belgium in the Semi Finals on their way to winning the competition.
Belgium had finished second in Group E behind Spain. They beat South Korea and Uruguay before losing 2-1 against Spain in their final group game. They played all of their group matches in Verona.
England were based over in Cagliari and had started slowly, drawing 1-1 with Ireland and 0-0 with Holland before scraping a 1-0 win over Egypt. They topped the group, with Ireland finsihing in second and Holland went through in third place.
The Second Round match was played in Bologna, a new venue for both clubs. It was a cagey game, both sides struggled to break down each other’s stubborn defences.
The game was largely uneventful, with only one booking over the course of the two hours played. It was given to England;s Paul Gascoigne and would have greater implications later in the tournament.
As the clock ticked over to the 29th minute of extra-time, England’s Paul Gascoigne was needlessly fouled by Belgiums’s right-back Eric Gerets. The infringement happened about 40 yards from goal and in the middle of the pitch.
Gascoigne picked himself up and dinked a magnificent ball into the penalty area. It fell kindly to David Platt, who had come on as a second half substitute for Liverpool’s Steve McMahon.
Platt had his back to goal and he let the ball drop over his shoulder before he swivelled 180 degrees and volleyed the ball across Michel Preud’homme and into the far corner of the net.
England went on and beat Cameroon 3-2 in the Quarter Finals, but had to come back from a 2-1 deficit.
They then lost on penalties to West Germanuy in the semi-final after the game finished 1-1 after extra-time. Paul Gascoigne had picked up another yellow card in that Semi-Final meaning that if England had won, he would not play in the Final. He began crying after realising the full implications of his actions. The image of Gazza crying on the pitch remains an iconic moment of the 1990 World Cup.
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