Spurs made it another English double in Europe by beating holders Anderlecht in the UEFA Cup Final. Both legs ended 1 -1 and Spurs came out on top in the first Final to be decided on penalties. This victory was to take a surprising twist 13 years later, when it was revealed diat Anderlecht had bribed the referee who took charge of the second leg of their semi-final against Nottingham Forest. In that game Anderlecht overturned a 2-0 deficit to win the tie 3-2. The Belgian side was awarded a dubious penalty, and Forest also had a goal disallowed. These decisions led some in the Forest camp to believe they had been cheated but it was not until 1997 that their suspicions were confirmed. The referee in question had been killed in a car crash by then, but that didn’t stop Forest instituting legal proceedings in pursuit of compensation. They came up against UEFA’s 10-year statute of limitations regarding retrospective disciplinary action. Financial reparation would hardly have made up for a night of European glory, and to Forest fans 1984 will be remembered as the year diey were robbed.
England fail again
The familiar pattern of success in Europe and failure at international level continued as England missed out on the 1984 European Championship. A penalty by former European Footballer of the Year AUan Simonsen gave Denmark a crucial 1-0 win at Wembley, and that country’s first-ever victory over England. This result, together with a goalless home draw against Greece, put paid to England’s chances and it was the Danes who went to France for the finals.
Barnes dazzles against Brazil
While drat tournament was being played out, England went on a three-match tour of South America. There was a defeat by Uruguay and and a draw against Chile, but it was the 2-0 win over Brazil which grabbed the headlines. The first goal, a towering header from Mark Hateley was typically English. The second, a dazzling solo effort by Watford’s John Barnes, bore comparison with any Brazil had ever scored.
World History
