July 23 - Rattin Sees Red

After Germany, there is only one other nation that seems to stir up jingoistic sentiments in the English supporters whenever the Three Lions face them on the pitch. It is of course Argentina.

It seems the two teams cannot meet without some controversy or other, which only adds to the intensity of the matches between them.

Despite the vast distance between England and Argentina, the rivalry is intense on both sides. The Argentines consider matches against England second only in importance to those against Brazil.

The origins of this rivalry go much further back that Beckham’s red card at France 98, Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ in Mexico 86, or even the Falklands conflict in 1982.

To find the start point of this hate/hate relationship, you have to go back to this day in 1966, and the quarter-final of the World Cup at Wembley.

The Argentines had played the game in a ‘robust’ manner, which finally proved too much for the German referee who sent off their captain, Antonio Rattin.

Rattin was incensed and refused to leave the pitch, particularly as the ref claimed to be sending him off for bad language, despite the fact the German ref spoke no Spanish.

With Rattin refusing to leave, the English referee supervisor, Ken Aston, came down on to the pitch to try to sort things out. This seemed only to confirm to Rattin the Argentine suspicion that the English and Germans were collaborating to eliminate the Argentine team.

After briefly sitting down on the Queen’s red carpet, Rattin finally left the field of play, ten minutes after he had been shown the red card, and England won 1-0 thanks to a Geoff Hurst header.

On the final whistle the Argentine players made their feelings known in no uncertain terms to the ref, who had to be escorted away by police.

England Manager Alf Ramsey (he wasn’t a Sir in those days of course) was appalled by the spirit in which the Argentines had played the game and famously refused to allow his players to swap shirts with them at the end of the game.

Ramsey later told the press: “Our best football will come against the team which comes out to play football, and not to act as animals.”

You can see a clip of the sending-off here; try to ignore the bizarre musical soundtrack. Better yet, turn your speakers off.

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