Folded Wing looks forward to the World Cup

30 May 2014, Posted in: Folded Wing Recommends

There's not long to go until the 2014 World Cup starts in Brazil, and it feels like the final countdown has begun in the Folded Wing office! For the blog this week we've all picked our favourite moments from World Cups gone by - the great thing about it is that even if you're not a die-hard football fan, it's such an international spectacle that there's something of interest for everyone. What are your favourite World Cup moments? Let us know on Twitter @FoldedWingUK

This blog is also in celebration of 'Just Like Hearing Brazil', a very special World Cup warm up programme that Folded Wing have produced in association with BBC Sport for BBC 5 live and BBC 6 Music. Presented by 6 Music's Gilles Peterson and 5 live's Jonathan Overend, it's a selection of Brazil's best World Cup goals from the BBC Sport archive, accompanied by the ultimate Brazilian soundtrack, provided by Gilles P! From Pele to Zico, and bossa nova to hip hop, it's the perfect curtain-raiser for the World Cup. 'Just Like Hearing Brazil' first goes out on Saturday 7th June at 8-9pm on 5 live and then again on Sunday 15th June at 1-2pm on 6 Music. And look out for a short video of Gilles and Jonathan chatting about the programme coming soon too.

Andrea's Choice

Chile - World Cup 1974

"I came across this amazing story about the Chilean World Cup team in the 70s in a very moving radio documentary called The Phantom Team (in Spanish unfortunately!). The team qualified for the first round of the World Cup in 1974 under very strange circumstances.

Chile drew the Soviet Union in the play-offs for a place in the first round of the cup but the USSR refused to play the return match in Chile in protest against Pinocet's recent overthrow of the government and so were disqualified. The national stadium in Chile where the match was going to be played was also housing 1000s of political prisoners, who were all hidden away when FIFA came to visit.

So Chile played the match with no opposition and won... They basically went up the other end of the pitch and scored a (very) open goal and qualified. They got knocked out straight away in the first round but the story of how they got there is bizarre."

Micky's Choice

Maradona - 1986

"I bet everyone has chosen this moment, but for me it's my first memory of watching a world cup... I was 10, it was 1986, he was Maradona.

... and this is Madonna, 'Live To Tell' from the same year. I introduced this record in this year on my local radio station, Radio 210. I was Graham Ledger's DJ of the Day. I then went to school straight after and did a show-and-tell about my moment of fame. Folded Wing's Executive Producer Ian Parkinson was reading the news on this station in about the same era. Funny how things work out...

Ian's Choice

France v Brazil 1998

"One of the least sensible things I've ever been responsible for in my career was taking the Radio 1 Roadshow around France for the World Cup in 1998. The idea was to put on shows outside the grounds before each England and Scotland game, but there were some unfortunate incidents at England v Tunisia in Marseilles and we were banned by French police. So the Roadshow went home, but we carried on broadcasting from bars and hotel rooms until the fateful Argentina match. I never got to any of the games, and I think I watched the final on a tiny TV in a BBC truck."

Jim's Choice

Spain 1982

"It has to be Spain 82 for me... as a kid it was the first World Cup I can remember so it was special. We had a family holiday to Marbella that year and I remember seeing the Spanish Orange mascot everywhere. And the Brazil v Italy match was a CLASSIC! Even if Brazil did lose. Junior, Zico, Socrates, Eder, Falcao... not just the most skilful, but the coolest, best looking team in World Cup history."

Pete's Choice

South Africa 2010

"I was lucky enough to go to the World Cup in 2010 in South Africa. The only England game I saw (v Algeria) was dreadful. But I did get to see Argentina v South Korea at Soccer City in Johannesburg. We managed to blag ourselves in to a box with some Independiente fans! They were actually crazy, but the most memorable football match I've ever been too. It finished Argentina 4 - South Korea 1."

Lucy's Choice

USA 1994

"The US really know how to do a killer opening ceremony, and the one for the 1994 World Cup, held across nine cities in America, rivalled the Superbowl ones that always make the headlines nowadays in its level of spectacle! It featured soul queen Diana Ross dancing and singing her way down the pitch surrounded by a legion of uniformed marching musicians, before taking a shot on goal - and missing in the most epic way possible! Absolute gold."

Karen's Choice

New Order - World In Motion

"A really obvious one, but as I can't remember any special goal moments I'm going to pick a song! I was 12 years old when it came out, it reminds me of growing up in Southend when I was just starting to discover football (and footballers!). This choice of anthem for the 1990 England squad was really clever as it got people like me to care about football during the World Cup. Even now if I think of the England team, I think of this song and just hearing it again still gets me excited about this world cup!

It's crazy that it was New Order's only number 1. It actually only held onto the top spot for two weeks but it seemed like forever when I was taping the Top 40 every Sunday!"

John's Choice

England v Columbia 1998

"I'm not a massive football fan, but I do remember watching England beat Columbia in the 1998 World Cup at the 333 on Old Street, just before we did a night there. Just remember the place had a great atmosphere after the match which carried on right through to the small hours. Having had a sherbet or two, both myself and Andy (the bloke I run a record label with) managed to fall asleep in the back of the taxi, having asked the driver to take us to Harrow On The Hill. We woke up in Herne Hill, which is basically the complete opposite end of London. Even that wasn't enough to dampen our spirits."