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NOT BEAS PLEASED
Peter Shilton denied us our big moment in push for 125th cap at Italia 90, reveals Dave Beasant
PETER SHILTON’S record-breaking 125th cap in the final game of Italia 90 left a sour taste for England’s other goalkeepers.
Dave Beasant and Chris Woods reveal the hurt that has stayed with them in the final part of our serialisation of Italia 90 Revisited — The Players’ Stories by Harry Harris, available from Empire Publications.
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ALTHOUGH I was the fourth choice at the time, I’d had such a good season with Chelsea I felt I was in with a chance of making the cut and going to the World Cup.
The goalkeepers were Peter Shilton, Chris Woods, David Seaman and myself and as I had only had two caps it looked like the manager would go with the more experienced keepers.
But I felt I was in the group on merit and still had a chance.
I was rooming with Dave when the knock on the door came. The England manager looked at me and said, ‘Good news Dave . . .’
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Out of the corner of my eye I could see Seaman wince, he must have been thinking, ‘Oh Christ, I’m not going to the World Cup!’
Then Bobby Robson, still looking at me, finished his sentence, ‘Good news Dave . . . no more training for you!’
I was heading for home but he told me to keep myself ticking over, as you never know what might happen.
I was on a golf day and when I finished my round a few people said, ‘Well done on your call-up!’ I thought they were taking the p***.
SNUB WAS A CHRIS TAKE
By Chris Woods
IT was disappointing to have gone to two World Cups without getting a game but it was still unbelievable to have been part of both squads.
At Mexico 86 I didn’t really expect to play and was No 2 — but by 1990 I felt on par and thought I would be in the team for the third and fourth place play-off game.
But I wasn’t, despite being told that I would be playing.
After I was picked, the manager spoke to Peter Shilton — and he wanted to play.
You build yourself up for the game, then all of a sudden you are told you are not playing.
It was a kick in the teeth.
But they were insistent and told me I had to look up BBC Ceefax where there was an item which said Robson was trying to contact Beasant as Seaman was injured.
I contacted the FA and was on my way to Sardinia.
It was great to be part of such a wonderful experience.
We lost on penalties in the semi-final to West Germany but I came away with a World Cup bronze medal given to everyone who reached the last four.
That made the play-off for third and fourth place even more ludicrous and irrelevant.
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But it was important for everyone who hadn’t played, as it was an opportunity to earn a World Cup cap.
Robson told the squad that anyone who hadn’t played so far would be in the team.
Chris was overjoyed as this was his second World Cup and he hadn’t got a game, and I was happy as I was to come on in the second half.
Then Shilts had a word with Robson. He wanted to go out on his 125th cap, play in the whole game and then announce his retirement.
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I felt for Chris as his chance had now gone. We were both very much aggrieved.
If Shilts had realised the euphoria being generated back home he would have waited and it would have been more fitting if he’d been allowed to win his 125th cap at Wembley in front of an appreciative crowd.
Instead his farewell was in a meaningless game, when he was caught trying to dribble with the ball and Italy scored, as his England career fizzled out.
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