One Night in Turin

BBC Sport Football Gossip


This is a sports documentary film that gives a good insight into the footballing triumphs and problems that occurred during Sir Bobby Robson's England side during the 1990 World Cup finals. It was released straight to DVD recently. I am highly interested in football as I play for a disability football team and train every week. I watch a lot of football on the television and occasionally go and see Q.P.R. These are a few of the reasons I watched this film.
The story was simple and easy to understand in that England had to qualify for the knockout stages of the 1990 World Cup. Pressure was mounting on the England team. I found England's side use of the sweeper system very interesting, although modern football teams do not play the sweeper system as this result in defending too deeply and it plays the other team on side. There were other sub plots such as Paul Gascoigne crying after the West Germany match, a match in which he and the team worked their socks off and at least deserved to progress in to the final and claim revenge against Argentina.
They played a match against the Republic of Ireland and did not play well. The press media at important times made outrageous claims against star players of the England side that unsettled players and Sir Bobby Robson himself.  Against the Republic of Ireland, it was mentioned that England's performance was poor/
The England side was full of quality players who played well as a team, and who had then had quality players who could play a good game of football and get the job done. Key players for England included Peter Shilton in goal, Mark Wright, David Platt, John Barnes, Paul Parker, Peter Beardsley, Paul Gazza Gascoigne Gary Lineker and David Platt. The team it seemed had to prove to themselves and to everyone that they were a good footballing side.
It can be said almost that following 1990 or during Sir Bobby Robson's era in charge that not a lot of success and achievements have been made by the England footballing side. This point is made more interesting as the Premier league stars of the modern era get paid too much money and have failed to deliver success for England in Euro and World Cup tournaments ever since. This film is a shining example of Sir Bobby Robson's success as a manager as well as highlighting the then great players England once had.
So here in this movie was a presentation in a documentary format that highlighted a background of England been beaten by Argentina in the 1986 semi final. For me the 1990 World Cup made me think that this was England's best chance of success in a generation of very good football players, and Brazil were not at their best. The film also provided an interesting background of events in the United Kingdom such as the poll tax, and a sports minister Colin Moynihan who involved himself in a number of sports yet he did not have any budget in the bigger picture within the spectrum of sports. The part of politics in sport to me raised more questions
I liked the movie because it showed to a great extent how good Sir Bobby Robson was as a manager and a leader of the England footballing side. He was excellent in his media communications, a great trainer of the players and organised them well. He certainly got the best out of the players that were included in the squad.
There was the ending of the film which I found saddening to a certain extent which made me feel that today's players perhaps are not trying as hard as they should. Maybe it is the opposition players that have improved and the current England players have not.
The performance of the England side during the World Cup of 1990 was excellent in that it restored pride and trust into the England side. Pre 1990 there was a feeling of uncertainty and panic. The film highlighted that hooliganism was taking place and England fans in Sardinia and in Italy. Also the Heysel stadium incident of 1985 made 39 people lose their lives during a match between Juventus and Liverpool. British clubs got banned from playing in European competitions. The British fans made the headlines for bad public order behaviour before and after matches in the World Cup in Italy. The Italian fans after Argentina beat Italy were mentioned as being worse and in bigger numbers than the English fans.  It was not until shortly after the conclusion of the World Cup in 1990 that English teams could take part again in European competitions.
The film was excellent in its historical background, good in facts and well presented throughout. It was a film that held my interest throughout 90 minutes. Also the film gave the political side of football in that the then Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher were also shown on the film giving their opinions of the hooliganism issue that was taking place. In my view the hooliganism issue was a picture of British society and their distrust of politics in being tapped for extra cash through the poll tax, and having sides in football