Lillelien's 'hell of a beating' speech echoes 45 years on
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- Bjorge Lillelien, NRK's radio commentator, delivered the legendary 'your boys took a hell of a beating' speech aimed at Margaret Thatcher after Norway's 2-1 World Cup qualifier win over England in Oslo in September 1981; he died in 1987 aged 60.
- The upset at Ullevaal Stadium came against an England squad featuring Bryan Robson, Glenn Hoddle, Kevin Keegan and Trevor Francis, a year after England had won the first leg 4-0 at Wembley.
- Former Norway striker Egil Ostenstad told the Times that Lillelien's commentary 'summarised his personality,' calling his emotional delivery 'very untypical Norwegian'.
- England and Norway have never met in a men's major tournament; Saturday's match is their first meeting in 12 years, with England having won one, drawn one and lost two of four competitive encounters.
- The 2015 Women's World Cup in Ottawa saw England beat Norway 2-1 after Norwegian paper VG Sporten asked if Mark Sampson's side were 'ready for a hell of a beating.'
- Almost 100 Norwegian players have featured in the Premier League since its founding, from Jan Age Fjortoft and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to Martin Odegaard and Erling Haaland.
Why it matters: Saturday's quarterfinal marks the first men's major-tournament meeting between England and Norway in 45 years of rivalry anchored by Norway's 1981 upset of a Bryan Robson-led England side, and the source notes there is 'every chance' Lillelien's quote will be invoked again during the broadcast.
