The names of historical figures like Lord Nelson, Sir Winston Churchill, and Lady Diana share a unique connection: on September 9, 1981, they were all overshadowed by Norway.
This was the sentiment expressed by the legendary Norwegian commentator Bjørge Lillelien, whose exuberant commentary following Norway’s 2-1 victory over England in a World Cup qualifier has become a cherished part of Norwegian sports history. Lillelien’s passionate outburst gained international recognition, with the Observer designating it as the greatest commentary ever in 2002.
“We have beaten England! England, the birthplace of giants!” Lillelien exclaimed, listing various notable figures. While Henry Cooper may seem an unusual mention alongside statesmen and Lady Di, Lillelien was known for his enthusiasm for boxing. “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!”
He switched to English for those last two sentences, hoping that Margaret Thatcher was indeed listening.
Lillelien’s jubilation may have appeared excessive to some English viewers at the time, especially since Norway was not the only team to defeat England that year. Earlier in 1981, England had also lost to Switzerland, Scotland, Spain, and Brazil, while drawing against Wales and Romania. The previous year, they had faced defeats against Romania, Italy, and Wales. England was far from being an unbeatable team. Nonetheless, in 1981, England held a special place in the hearts of Norwegian football fans that transcended any poor performance.
Since November 1969, the Norwegian broadcaster NRK had been airing live matches from the English first division during the winter months, when Norwegian football was paused due to weather. With just one television channel available, every person eager to watch on Saturday afternoons tuned in to English football, captivating the 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,” says Øyvind Alsaker, who will be commentating on Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against England for the Norwegian broadcaster TV2. “Would your team be shown?”
Alsaker, born in 1969, represents the first generation to grow up with these broadcasts. “You would run outside and pretend to be Keegan and Toshack and all of these heroes,” he recalls. However, it was not always the top teams that were featured. For example, on January 14, 1978, NRK unexpectedly aired a second division match between Mansfield and Southampton, which must have been quite puzzling for the Norwegian audience.
This unique broadcasting approach led many Norwegians to form deep emotional connections with unexpected clubs. Gabriel Høyland, the great uncle of Erling Haaland and a former Norwegian international with 23 caps, is a dedicated Burnley supporter. Similarly, Kasper Wikestad, who recently commented on Norway’s victory against Brazil for NRK, is a fan of Norwich City. He represents 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 reflects. “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 performing well either. “It was a Norwegian national team that hadn’t been to a tournament in any kind of way since the 1938 Olympics,” Wikestad shares. “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 flair as a commentator. “He was a man who made boring games fun,” Alsaker notes. “We would turn on the sound from the radio, and watch the game on with the TV on mute.” As Norway took a 2-1 lead, Lillelien was already reaching a fever pitch. When Phil Neal fouled local hero Tom Lund, Lillelien erupted, calling 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 clock ticked into added time, Lillelien felt the Polish referee, Jerzy Kacprzak, was taking too long to end the match. “Norway have beaten England 2-1 at football! We are the best in the world!” But just as he made this remark, Kacprzak finally blew the whistle, prompting Lillelien to shout, “We now have three generations of Norwegians who have received English football intravenously,” The rest is history.
Today, the passion for English football remains strong among Norwegians. Children across Norway aspire to play in England more than at elite 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 observes. As he prepares to commentate on the World Cup quarter-final, he feels the weight of the occasion.
“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.”
For Norwegians, facing England on the football pitch holds significance like no other.
