IT IS PERHAPS a measure of how far England’s fortunes have fallen in international football that for many fans of a certain age, the World Cup of 1990 remains a golden age. Life – and fandom – always look better in the rearview mirror and the unlikely trip of Sir Bobby Robson’s men to the semi-finals was mostly a difficult, frustrating, backs-to-the-wall slog. We may remember Italia ’90 as the international coming out party for Paul Gascoigne and the last hurrah of Gary Lineker in his goalscoring pomp . But One Night in Turin, a 2010 British documentary just released by Revolver Entertainment over here, helps to set the record straight.
By now we are well used to the glitz and glamour and money of the English Premier League. Footballers earning six figure salaries every week and roistering around with supermodels in nightclubs is old news. Yet as this film shows, it was only 21 years ago that the old English football league was still an international pariah; English clubs were banned from Europe, Rupert Murdoch’s SKY TV millions were still over the horizon and football was mainly the province of the working class and the loutish. Hooliganism was widespread, and England was riven by a biting recession and a hugely unpopular tax. And oh yes, the England manager was a figure of ridicule for the tabloids. Sound familiar?
This is the backdrop upon which A Night in Turin plays out. We meet the English national team, led by the manager’s ‘trusted lieutenants’ the battle-scarred veterans Terry Butcher, Peter Shilton and Robson’s namesake captain Bryan. Still smarting from a three-and -out campaign at the European Championships two years earlier, they were widely considered to not have a prayer at the tournament. The only truly creative player in the squad, the young Paul Gascoigne, was considered a huge risk, both in terms of his inexperience and temperament.
Things started poorly for the English with an excruciating 1-1 draw against the Irish and a couple of mini-riots from England’s small but virulent hooligan element. Yet gradually it came together for Sir Bobby and his team of ‘donkeys’, as thrilling, last-gasp victories against Belgium and Cameroon propelled the team to the semi finals and united a nation. Despite all the pre-tournament scorn heaped upon them, England came within a post’s width and a couple of penalties of making the world cup final – and they returned to a heroes’ welcome as saviors of our national sport. It’s a funny old game, eh?
One Night in Turin , which refers of course to the semi-final defeat by the Germans, certainly has its virtues. The behind-the-scenes footage at the team’s hotel and the exasperation of the much-put-upon Sir Bobby make for engrossing viewing, but the match coverage itself is sparse and lacks the sort of tactical insight to which modern coverage has accustomed us. The narrative flow is also interrupted repeatedly by ‘specially shot imagery’ – usually of breaking glass or balls being kicked – that I could have done without. Absent this puffery, this project would have been a very serviceable one-hour TV special, which is perhaps its natural habitat.
Still, Italia ’90 lingers long in the memory for England fans, and this DVD provides a welcome pretext to wallow again in nostalgia for a remarkable time. The soundtrack includes music from Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, Inspiral Carpets, Joy Division, New Order and the The Charlatans, which adds greatly to the experience, as does the dulcet tones of Pavarotti’s Nessun Dorma over the closing credits, as Gazza exits stage left, sobbing his little heart out.
– Nick Stark
One Night in Turin. Running time: 93 minutes.
DVD SRP: $19.98 • www.onenightinturinmovie.com
