subject: Famous Sport News Events In English Football [print this page] Sport is an integral part of the lives of many people, and the major moments in sports news have touched the hearts of people from around the globe. In this article we'll look at some of the most important events in sport, both for their affects on the sport they occurred in and the emotional effects they had on fans.
World Cup 1966
For English sports fans, the 1966 World Cup marked a very important moment, and a major sports news story. The English soccer team reached the finals, which were held in London, UK. They played the then West Germany in an epic football match that saw the English win 4-2. There were plenty of twists and turns and the match was not without controversy. African nations boycotted the entire tournament because of a disagreement over the qualification rules, but nevertheless 70 nations took part - a new record at the time. In terms of sports news it really was a huge event, both for the English, and for the entire world - the London World Cup was the first since before the Second World War.
Hand Of God Goal
In 1986 England played Argentina in the 1986 World Cup Quarter Finals. This was always going to be a controversial sports news event because the bloody yet brief Falklands War took place just a few years previously in 1982. Diego Maradona scored the 2 goals, the first of which was the one labelled Hand of God - whereby Maradona performed an illegal handball which enabled him to score. It wasn't penalised and he followed it up with what is regarded as one of the most impressive goals in the history of football (as voted for by Fifa.com users in 2002). The final score was 2-1, and Argentina went on to win the World Cup.
The Munich Air Disaster
The tragic Munich Air Disaster took place on the 6th February 1958, and lead to the deaths of 22 people - many of whom were members of the Manchester United football team. The team at the time was known as Busby's Babes - so named because of Matt Busby managed the team. The crash was caused by a build up of slush on the runway, which meant the plane could not achieve the required velocity for take off and ploughed into a fence at the end of the runway. The effects of the crash are still felt today - as it wiped out many of the greatest football players in the world. It was certainly one of the most tragic sports news stories in English football history.
