Out of the Shadows

Out of the Shadows:The Story of the 1982 England World Cup Team is a detailed account of how the national side—World Cup winners in 1966—went through years in the football wilderness, missing two World Cup finals through inglorious failure. The appointment of Ron Greenwood as manager, replacing Don Revie who left unceremoniously in 1977, led to a change of fortune on the field as he restored faith among the fans—some of whom were themselves letting down the country off the field. During a tumultuous qualifying campaign that saw the manager resign on a plane journey home, only to be talked into staying by his players, the team rallied around and reached the finals in Spain. The gamble in taking two injured but hugely influential star players, Trevor Brooking and Kevin Keegan, almost paid off after they breezed through the early stages. Ultimately, the lack of firepower proved their undoing, despite a late rolling of the dice. They went out of the tournament unbeaten, but Out of the Shadows.