PERHAPS the most famous piece of football commentary was Kenneth Wolstenholme’s immortal words in the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley when a pitch invasion started seconds before Geoff Hurst scored England’s fourth goal. “Some people are on the pitch. They think it’s all over,” he said, before adding, “It is now,” after Hurst had scored.

Wolstenholme’s words were so special because of the occasion and the timing with which they were delivered, but today we remember a piece of football commentary that outstrips Ken’s for sheer emotion and spontaneous brilliance.

On this day in 1981 Ron Greenwood’s England were playing away in Norway in a qualifier for the 1982 World Cup and were favourites to win, and put out a side including Ray Clemence, Kevin Keegan, Trevor Francis, Bryan Robson and Glenn Hoddle.

Robson scored after a quarter of an hour to give England the lead but Norway hit back through Roger Albertsen and Hallvar Thoresen before half time. In the second half England could not force and equaliser, much less a winner, and Norway had their first ever win over England. Not only was it the first time England had lost to Norway, it was the first time they had failed to score more than four goals against the Scandinavians.

It was a famous victory and Norwegian radio commentator Bjørge Lillelien saw it all happen. Amid scenes of jubilation at the final whistle Lillelien cried: “Lord Nelson! Lord Beaverbrook! Sir Winston Churchill! Sir Anthony Eden! Clement Attlee! Henry Cooper! Lady Diana! Maggie Thatcher - can you hear me, Maggie Thatcher! Your boys took one hell of a beating! Your boys took one hell of a beating!”

It was a moment when impartiality went out of the window to be replaced by uninhibited passion and raw emotion, and it has become famous the world over.

In 2002 Lillelien’s words were designated the greatest piece of sports commentary ever by The Observer’s Sport Monthly magazine, and it has been parodied many times since, notably when England celebrated regaining the Ashes in 2005 with the words: “Kylie Minogue! Steve Irwin! Holly Valance! Crocodile Dundee! Natalie Imbruglia! Ian Thorpe! Mrs. Mangel! Can you hear me? Your boys took one hell of a beating!”

Listen to Lillelien’s impassioned commentary below, and as always, we will be back tomorrow. In an unhappy coincidence, today is also the day England lost to Northern Ireland in 2005 which you can read about here.

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