What do historical figures like Lord Nelson, Sir Winston Churchill, and Lady Diana have in common? On September 9, 1981, they were all overshadowed by Norway’s remarkable football achievement.
This was encapsulated in the exuberant commentary of Norwegian radio broadcaster Bjørge Lillelien, whose fervent reaction to Norway’s 2-1 victory over England in a World Cup qualifier has since become a legendary part of Norwegian sports history. In 2002, the Observer even dubbed it the greatest commentary ever.
“We have beaten England! England, the birthplace of giants!” Lillelien exclaimed, listing notable figures such as Henry Cooper among them. While some may find Cooper’s inclusion unusual alongside statesmen, Lillelien was a devoted boxing fan. “Maggie Thatcher, can you hear me? I have a message for you, in the middle of your election campaign. I have a message for you … As they say in the boxing bars around Madison Square Garden in New York: your boys took a hell of a beating! Your boys took a hell of a beating!”
For those last two declarations, Lillelien switched to English, ensuring that Margaret Thatcher might actually hear his triumphant message.
At the time of the match, some English spectators might have viewed Lillelien’s exuberance as excessive. After all, Norway was not the only team to have defeated England in 1981; earlier that year, England had also lost to Switzerland, Scotland, Spain, and Brazil, and they had drawn with Wales and Romania. The previous year had seen losses to Romania, Italy, and Wales. Clearly, England was not an invincible team. Nevertheless, 1981 held a unique significance for Norwegian football fans.
Since November 1969, the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK had been airing live matches from the English first division during the winter break of Norwegian football. With only one television channel available, every viewer eager to watch on Saturday afternoons ended up tuning into English football. These matches captivated an entire nation.
“We would learn on Wednesday what game was going to be shown on NRK at the weekend, and there was a lot of excitement around that,” remarks Øyvind Alsaker, who will commentate on the upcoming World Cup quarter-final against England for TV2. “Would your team be shown?”
Alsaker, born in 1969, belongs to the first generation that grew up with these televised matches. “You would run outside and pretend to be Keegan and Toshack and all of these heroes,” he recalls. However, not every match featured the leading teams. For example, on January 14, 1978, NRK broadcast a second division clash between Mansfield and Southampton—an unexpected choice that likely baffled many Norwegian viewers.
This exposure to English football led many Norwegians to form emotional connections with less popular clubs. Gabriel Høyland, the great uncle of Erling Haaland, who earned 23 caps for Norway, is an ardent Burnley supporter. Kasper Wikestad, who recently commentated on Norway’s victory against Brazil, is a Norwich fan. He is one of many Norwegians who grew up idolizing English football. “It was the sound, the smell, the stars; it was the atmosphere, it was the chants from the stands,” he describes. “It was our promised land. It felt so close, but at the same time so far away.”
While England struggled in 1981, Norway was not faring much better. “It was a Norwegian national team that hadn’t been to a tournament in any kind of way since the 1938 Olympics,” Wikestad notes. “England were our idols and our reference point. For Norwegians at that time, England and English football was like a dream. How good England were, how big the stars were, everything to do with England was huge. The idea that we could beat England at football in a qualifying match, it was a totally unrealistic dream.”
Lillelien was known for his entertainment value. “He was a man who made boring games fun,” Alsaker explains. “We would turn on the sound from the radio, and watch the game on with the TV on mute.” With Norway leading 2-1 and edging towards an historic victory over England, Lillelien’s commentary became increasingly frenzied. After Phil Neal fouled local hero Tom Lund, Lillelien erupted, branding Neal “The thug Phil Neal kicks Tommy from behind! Phil ‘pig’ Neal! Start retaliating! The English have thugs both in the stands and on the pitch!” “The referee keeps adding and adding and adding, he is on track for an English citizenship!”
As the match approached its climax, Lillelien felt the Polish referee, Jerzy Kacprzak, was prolonging the game unnecessarily. “Norway have beaten England 2-1 at football! We are the best in the world!” Just as this comment was made, Kacprzak blew the final whistle, prompting another outburst from Lillelien. “We now have three generations of Norwegians who have received English football intravenously,” And the rest is history.
Today, English football retains a significant place in Norwegian culture. Norwegian children aspire to play in England more than they do at clubs like Barcelona or Real Madrid. “It feels unreal. When I look at what I’ve experienced with the Norwegian national team over the last 25 years, it feels unreal that this is happening. I was thinking that reaching the round of 16 was just fantastic. And now we are playing for being one of the top four teams at a World Cup. It’s wild. It is a task I approach with great humility and a feeling of responsibility. So many Norwegians will be following this, I hope I will succeed in doing a good job. “Norway-England, of all things. A week ago, we thought that it couldn’t get bigger than Norway-Brazil, but there you go.” Alsaker states. As he prepares to commentate on Saturday, he aims to convey the emotional weight of the occasion to the Norwegian audience.
“It feels unreal. When I reflect on my experiences with the Norwegian national team over the last 25 years, it feels surreal that this is happening. I previously thought reaching the round of 16 was incredible. Now, we are competing to be among the top four teams in a World Cup. It’s astonishing. I approach this role with great humility and a sense of responsibility. So many Norwegians will be watching, and I hope to do a good job.
“Norway-England, of all matches. Just a week ago, we thought nothing could surpass Norway-Brazil, but here we are.”
For Norwegians, no football opponent could ever hold more significance than England.
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