Newcastle United and the World Cup: 1986

Newcastle United and the World Cup: 1986 - Peter Beardsley, Gary Lineker and Maradona

When Peter Beardsley stepped out for England at Mexico ‘86, he was the first Newcastle United player to feature at the World Cup finals since Ivor Broadis back in 1954.

As the 2022 finals in Qatar progress, we're looking back at previous tournaments, recalling any Magpie connections, and remembering what else was going on in those years. So far, we've covered the World Cup finals from 1950 to 1982.

The 25-year-old Beardsley had made his England debut earlier in the year on the back of some eye-catching performances for Newcastle. At St James’ Park, the 1985-86 campaign had started in disarray when manager Jack Charlton suddenly quit - but ended in mid-table consolidation as coach and former United keeper Willie McFaul calmly guided the team to eleventh in the league, while an emerging local teenage talent called Paul Gascoigne made a sizeable impact in his first full season for the club.

Beardsley had netted 19 goals. It was the continuation of a rapid rise for the Longbenton-born striker which would lead to a big-money transfer to Liverpool a year later that simultaneously broke the hearts of Newcastle fans. Out in Mexico, his first appearance was as a 78th-minute substitute in a dismal 1-0 defeat to Portugal in England's opening game.

After a drab 0-0 draw with Morocco, England manager Bobby Robson took the decision to throw Beardsley into the mix, and he became a regular in the starting XI for the rest of the tournament. Forming an instant understanding in attack with Gary Lineker, England went on to dispatch Poland then Paraguay 3-0 on both occasions, with Beardsley netting in the latter.

Maradona scoring his second goal in Argentina's 2-1 win over England at the World Cup finals, June 22, 1986 (Uncredited/AP/REX/Shutterstock)

A quarter-final beckoned which would be remembered as one of the most infamous games in the history of English football. Beardsley was on the pitch in Mexico City as a feverish 115,000 crowd saw England lose 2-1 to Diego Maradona’s Argentina.

The “Hand of God” goal and the number 10’s sublime solo strike would become the stuff of football legend but, yet again, England were out, while Maradona would go on to lift the World Cup.

Over in Mexico, Beardsley was joined by United teammates David McCreery and Ian Stewart who were both called up by Northern Ireland. Elsewhere at the tournament, others with past or future Magpie connections included Chris Waddle, John Barnes, Kenny Sansom, Roy Aitken, Graeme Souness and, notably, England boss Bobby Robson.

On the home front, 1986 saw the opening of a giant shopping complex in Gateshead called the Metrocentre, Freddie Mercury and Queen performed at St James’ Park in a momentous show that summer, and the Tall Ships’ Race visited the River Tyne for the first time.

In the wider world, tragedy hit the Space Shuttle Challenger which exploded in mid-flight, while Britain and France announced plans to construct the Channel Tunnel. Day-to-day living saw the average price for a house in the UK reach £44,000, while a gallon of petrol was £1.89.

READ NEXT:

Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.

Already a member? Sign in here