On 9 September 1981, Norway defeated England 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier, prompting legendary Norwegian radio commentator Bjørge Lillelien to deliver an iconic, unhinged rant. He declared that Lord Nelson, Lord Beaverbrook, Sir Winston Churchill, Sir Anthony Eden, Clement Attlee, Henry Cooper, and Lady Diana had all been beaten by Norway. The commentary has since become Norwegian folklore and was named the greatest bit of commentary ever by the Observer in 2002.
The Rant That Captivated a Nation
Lillelien shouted, "We have beaten England! England, the birthplace of giants!" before listing British icons. He then switched to English: "Maggie Thatcher, can you hear me? I have a message for you, in the middle of your election campaign. As they say in the boxing bars around Madison Square Garden in New York: your boys took a hell of a beating!" Henry Cooper, a boxer, was included due to Lillelien's love of boxing.
At the time, England was in a poor run, having lost to Switzerland, Scotland, Spain, and Brazil in 1981, and drawn with Wales and Romania. Yet England held a special place in Norwegian hearts because of televised English football.
Norwegian Obsession with English Football
Since November 1969, Norwegian public broadcaster NRK had shown live English First Division matches during winter, when Norwegian football was on hiatus. With only one TV channel, every viewer watched English football on Saturday afternoons. "We would learn on Wednesday what game was going to be shown, and there was a lot of excitement," says Øyvind Alsaker, commentator for TV2. "You would run outside and pretend to be Keegan and Toshack."
This led to Norwegians forming attachments to unlikely clubs. Gabriel Høyland, Erling Haaland's great uncle, is a Burnley fan. Kasper Wikestad, who commentated on Norway's win against Brazil, supports Norwich. "England were our idols and our reference point," Wikestad says. "The idea that we could beat England was a totally unrealistic dream."
The Match and Commentary
Lillelien was known for making boring games fun. As Norway held a 2-1 lead, he called England's Phil Neal "a pig" after a foul. He also criticized the Polish referee for added time, saying he was "on track for an English citizenship!" When the final whistle blew, Lillelien erupted: "Norway have beaten England 2-1 at football! We are the best in the world!"
Today, Norwegian obsession with English football continues. "We now have three generations of Norwegians who have received English football intravenously," Alsaker says. He will commentate on the World Cup quarter-final between Norway and England, calling it "unreal" and "a task I approach with great humility." For Norwegians, no opponent means more than England.
