european football championship 1984

The 1984 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was the seventh European Championships and was held in France between 12 and 27 June 1984. France defeated Spain 2-0 in the final at the Parc des Princes, Paris claiming their first title. Michel Platini's nine goals in the tournament remains a record in a single European Championship.


Host selection

France and West Germany expressed an interest in hosting the 1984 UEFA European Football Championship with the French bid unanimously selected by the UEFA Executive Committee at a meeting on 10 December 1981.


Qualifying

Thirty two of UEFA's 34 members entered the qualification tournament for the 1984 UEFA European Football Championship. Liechtenstein did not enter with France qualifying automatically as hosts.

The teams were drawn into four groups of five teams and three groups of four teams. The group winners would qualify for the tournament proper.

Wales were drawn in Group 4 alongside Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Norway. This was the first time Wales had played Bulgaria and Norway.


Uefa qualifying group 4

no.datescorescorers (wales)venue 
37322/09/1982Wales 1-0 NorwayRushVetch Field, SwanseaECQ
 13/10/1982Norway 3-1 Yugoslavia Ullevaal Stadion, OsloECQ
 27/10/1982Bulgaria 2-2 Norway Vasil Levski National Stadium, SofiaECQ
 17/11/1982Bulgaria 0-1 Yugoslavia Vasil Levski National Stadium, SofiaECQ
37415/12/1982Yugoslavia 4-4 WalesFlynn, Rush, Jones, R JamesStadion Pod Goricom, TitogradECQ
37627/04/1983Wales 1-0 BulgariaCharlesRacecourse Ground, WrexhamECQ
 13/10/1982Norway 1-2 Bulgaria Ullevaal Stadion, OsloECQ
38021/09/1983Norway 0-0 Wales Ullevaal Stadion, OsloECQ
 12/10/1983Yugoslavia 2-1 Norway Stadion JNA, BelgradeECQ
38216/11/1983Bulgaria 1-0 Wales National Stadium Vasil Levski, SofiaECQ
38314/12/1983Wales 1-1 YugoslaviaR JamesNinian Park, CardiffECQ
 21/12/1983Yugoslavia 3-2 Bulgaria Gradski stadion u Poljudu, SplitECQ

Group standings

  PWDLFAPts1
1.Yugoslavia632112118
2.Wales6231767
3.Bulgaria6213785
4.Norway6123784

Wales and the 1984 European Championship

Wales were drawn in Group 4 alongside Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Norway. This was the first time Wales had played Bulgaria and Norway.

The campaign got off to a great start for Mike England's men with a win over Norway at the Vetch Field, Swansea as Ian Rush scored the only goal of the game.

An unexpected win for fourth seeds, Norway, over the group favourites, Yugoslavia, in the next game threw the group wide open ahead of Wales' visit to Podgorica.

Despite being 4-2 down with 20 minutes to go, Wales secured a point as Joey Jones scored his only international goal before Robbie James grabbed an equaliser. The game in Podgorica proved to be Dai Davies' 50th and final cap as young Everton goalkeeper, Neville Southall, took over in goal for the rest of the campaign.

A win against Bulgaria at The Racecourse, Wrexham and a scoreless draw in Norway meant Wales needed just two points from their final two matches to qualify for the European Championships.

Despite being bottom of the group, Bulgaria were still in with a chance of qualification themselves and weren't the pushovers the table might have suggested, winning 1-0 on a snow covered pitch in Sofia.

A victory for Wales in the final match of their campaign would secure their place in France, but despite taking the lead through Robbie James, Yugoslavia scored an equaliser with just nine minutes remaining.

Mike England's men now had to rely on Bulgaria taking points off Yugoslavia in the last match of the group. With 90 minutes on the clock and the score at 2-2 Wales were on their way to France on goal difference, however in the 92nd minute Ljubomir Radanović scored the winner for the home side breaking Welsh hearts in the process.


Players used during qualifying

Wales used a total of 19 players during the campaign with Kenny Jackett, Robbie James, Joey Jones and Paul Price playing every minute of every match and with Brian Flynn and Ian Rush playing some part of every match.

Kenny Jackett won his first cap in the opening match of the campaign against Norway whilst Nigel Vaughan of Newport County won his first cap in the 4-4 draw away to Yugoslavia.

Dai Davies won the last of his 52 caps in the 4-4 draw in Titograd, a match which saw Joey Jones score his only international goal and saw John Mahoney win his 50th cap.


PlayerNORYUGBULNORBULYUG
Jeremy Charles282331 318
Alan Curtis62     
Dai Davies 90    
Gordon Davies  90   
Brian Flynn909090909082
Jeff Hopkins   909090
Kenny Jackett909090909090
Robbie James909090909090
Joey Jones909090909090
John Mahoney 90    
Chris Marustik90     
Peter Nicholas 77909059 
Paul Price909090909090
Kevin Ratcliffe 9090909090
Ian Rush909069909090
Neville Southall90 90909090
Nigel Stevenson90     
Mickey Thomas905790 9090
Nigel Vaughan 13 909090

Notes

12 pts for a win / 1 pt for a draw