England Football Online
  Page Last Updated 3 September 2015

San Marino

 

 
701 vs. Netherlands
702
703 vs. Denmark

Wednesday, 17 November 1993
World Cup 1994 UEFA Group Two qualification match

San Marino 1 England 7 [1-3]
 

 

Match Summary
San Marino Squad
England Squad

Stadio Renato Dall' Ara, Barca, Bologna, Italy
Attendance:
2,378;
Kick-off: tbc BST
Live on
Sky Sports (UK) - Commentator: Martin Tyler and Phil Thompson. Also live on BBC (UK) - Commentator: John Motson and Trevor Brooking (did not complete).

San Marino - David Gualtieri (1 0:083)
England - Paul Ince (2), Ian Wright (4), Les Ferdinand
 
Results 1990-1995

? kicked-off. ? minutes (? & ?).

 

Match Summary

Officials from Malaysia

San Marino

Type

England

Referee (-) - M. Nazri Kathiraveloo
x (x), x, FIFA listed x.

Linesmen - Seenavasm and Subramaniam.

Reserve Linesman - tbc.

This match is the lowest ever attended match involving England in the modern era.  The reason is attributed to Italy taking on Portugal in another World Cup qualification match, which was live on Italian TV.

  Goal Attempts  
  Attempts on Target  
  Hit Bar/Post  
  Corner Kicks Won  
  Offside Calls Against  
  Fouls Conceded  
  Possession  

San Marino Team

 

Rank:

FIFA (23 Sept 1993) =117th
EFO ranking

ELO rating 187th
Colours: Made by Admiral - Sky blue collared jerseys with darker blue/white diagonal trim, sky blue shorts with darker blue sides, sky blue socks with white trim.
Capt:   Manager: Giorgio Leoni
San Marino Lineup
1 Benedettini     G     GA
2 Valentini            
3 Gennari            
4 Zanotti            
5 Canti            
6 Guerra            
7 Manzaroli            
8 Della Valle            
9 Bacciocchi            
10 Bonini            
11 Gualtieri            
San Marino Substitutes
1              

unused substitutes:

12-Muccioli, 13-P. Mazza, 14-Pasolini, 15-Gobbi, 16-Francini.
 
- -

Averages:

Age - Appearances/Goals - -

 

England Team

 

Rank:

FIFA (8 August 1993) 10th
EFO ranking

ELO rating 13th
Colours: The 1990 Umbro away uniform - Red collared jersey with shadowed diamonds and navy collar/white cuffs, white shorts with red/blue triangle, red socks with white tops.
Capt: Stuart Pearce, eighth captaincy Manager: Graham Taylor, 49 (15 September 1944), appointed 23 July 1990,
38th and final match, W 18 - D 13 - L 7 - F 62 - A 32.
England Lineup
1 Seaman, David A. 30 19 September 1963 G Arsenal FC 12 10 GA
2 Dixon, Lee            
3 Pearce, Stuart 31 24 April 1962 LB Nottingham Forest FC 55 4
4 Ripley, Stuart E. 25 20 November 1967 LM Blackburn Rovers FC 1 0
5 Walker, Desmond            
6 Pallister, Gary A. 28 30 June 1965 CD Manchester United FC 12 0
7 Platt, David A. 27 10 June 1966 M UC Sampdoria SpA, Italy 45 20
8
Wright, Ian E. 30 3 November 1963 F Arsenal FC 16 5
9 Ferdinand, Leslie            
10 Sinton, Andrew 27 19 March 1966 M Queens Park Rangers FC 12 0
11 Ince, Paul            
England Substitutes
1              

unused substitutes:

12-Carlton Palmer, 13-Tim Flowers, 14-Nigel Clough, 15-Paul Merson, 16-Andrew Cole.
 
- -

Averages:

Age - Appearances/Goals - -

 

    Match Report by Mike Payne

 

    Match Report by Norman Giller

Graham Taylor's final match as manager ended in farce and embarrassment as England conceded the quickest goal in their history to tiny San Marino. Part-timer Davide Gualtieri pounced on a Stuart Pearce back-pass to score after just nine seconds. Needing to win by seven clear goals to have any chance of qualifying for the World Cup finals, England never really recovered from this first-minute humiliation and a scrappy display was lifted only by Ian Wright's four-goal haul against woefully weak opposition. It all proved academic because Holland clinched the World Cup place with a victory in Poland. Taylor was in charge for 38 matches, of which 18 were won, 13 drawn and seven lost.  In retrospect it was easy to see that the Football Association were wrong to appoint Taylor and his righthand man Lawrie McMenemy. Neither kicked a ball in the (old) First Division let alone for England, and their first experience of the international game was when they took over the running of the England team.  Both are immensely likeable men with strong personalities, but they were handicapped by not having had even the tiniest taste of international football. It meant that both were learning as they went along from their first day in the job, and when things started to go wrong they struggled to get the respect of experienced players who were disdainful of their lack of playing achievements. Now, enter El Tel!

Source Notes

TheFA.com
Original newspaper reports
Official teamsheet
Rothman's Yearbooks
F.A. Yearbook
Norman Giller
, Football Author

____________________

CG