Bygones: When the fiercest of international rivalries left Trevor Cherry with two front teeth missing

'ENGLAND is the classic rival. It is for reasons of politics and history, but also because we feel football is our game. And so, when we play England, we are claiming back what we see as ours and what you see as belonging to you.'
Trevor Cherry, during his time at Leeds in the 1970sTrevor Cherry, during his time at Leeds in the 1970s
Trevor Cherry, during his time at Leeds in the 1970s

Those words were once fatefully uttered by former Independente player Daniel Bertoni to describe the deep-seated footballing antagonism between Argentina and England. They are particularly pertinent given the events of 40 years ago today at Boca Juniors’ famous La Bombonera home on June 12, 1977.

What definitely did not belong to Bertoni or Argentina were the two front teeth of former Leeds United and England defender Trevor Cherry, which were famously knocked out by a hefty punch from the feisty Argentine winger on a combustive occasion in Buenos Aires.

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The incident came with seven minutes remaining of what was purportedly a ‘friendly’ encounter, the second game in England’s summer tour of South America during the dying embers of the Don Revie era.

FIERCE RIVALRY: Maradona's hand of God incident, left, is just one of a number of flashpoints between England and Argentina over the years.FIERCE RIVALRY: Maradona's hand of God incident, left, is just one of a number of flashpoints between England and Argentina over the years.
FIERCE RIVALRY: Maradona's hand of God incident, left, is just one of a number of flashpoints between England and Argentina over the years.

Cherry fouled Bertoni, invoking fury of 60,000 aghast Argentines, with Bertoni quick in his retaliation when he got up and promptly punched the Yorkshireman and knocked out two of his front teeth in the process.

Legend even has it that Bertoni still even bears two marks on his right knuckle from that particular punch.

The pair, who had been booked before, were immediately sent off, with Cherry making unwanted history by becoming the first England player to be dismissed in a friendly – and just the third ever to receive his matching orders after Alan Mullery and Alan Ball saw red in 1968 and 1973, in games against Yugoslavia and Poland, respectively.

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Events subsequently absolved Cherry of blame in the flashpoint, with the Argentine Federation suspending Bertoni for four matches and also exonerating the Leeds defender.

Former Leeds United and England star Trevor CherryFormer Leeds United and England star Trevor Cherry
Former Leeds United and England star Trevor Cherry

All the same, it still represented another distasteful file entry in what has proved one of the nastiest international rivalries in world football over the decades – and perhaps the only true inter-continental rivalry.

Other headings in the Argentina and England story include Wembley 1966, Mexico 1986 and Saint-Etienne 1998. Antonio Rattin, ‘Hand of God’, Diego Simeone and all that...

Referring to that transcontinental rivalry and perhaps even a grudging respect for the English, deep down, Bertoni – who later played for Napoli alongside Diego Maradona in the Eighties – commented: “In South America, we are the most passionate football nation, and then you have the Brazilians. In Europe, it is the English. Not even the Spanish or the Italians are as devoted to football as the English.”

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The fracas of 40 years ago in Buenos Aires belied the considerable fact that the summer of 1977 was supposedly all about Argentina preparing for the following year’s World Cup with a number of ‘friendly’ matches against European nations, invited over by the Argentine Federation.

FLASHPOINT: The dismissal of Antonio Rattin, against England in the 1966 is another fiery incident in the long-running rivalry between the two football-mad nations.FLASHPOINT: The dismissal of Antonio Rattin, against England in the 1966 is another fiery incident in the long-running rivalry between the two football-mad nations.
FLASHPOINT: The dismissal of Antonio Rattin, against England in the 1966 is another fiery incident in the long-running rivalry between the two football-mad nations.

Argentina, under the control of a Junta led by General Videla, was beset by political problems and terrorism, while there were questions about their ability to host the event.

The authorities wanted to showcase the friendlies to display their competence and willingness to host the main event without any problems to the rest of the world, with the incident involving Bertoni creating headlines which they needed like a hole in the head.

For their part, England were not in a great place heading out to South America for three friendlies against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. Beaten twice at Wembley in the Home Championships against Wales and Scotland, their World Cup qualification hopes were also in serious peril with Enzo Bearzot’s Italy in the box seat.

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Manager Revie missed the first match against Brazil in Rio, which ended 0-0, to attend Italy’s game versus Finland in Helsinki.

FIERCE RIVALRY: Maradona's hand of God incident, left, is just one of a number of flashpoints between England and Argentina over the years.FIERCE RIVALRY: Maradona's hand of God incident, left, is just one of a number of flashpoints between England and Argentina over the years.
FIERCE RIVALRY: Maradona's hand of God incident, left, is just one of a number of flashpoints between England and Argentina over the years.

Ostensibly, it was to check on the Azzurri – whose 3-0 victory all but dashed England’s hopes of reaching the World Cup.

But events subsequently transpired later that summer that Revie was, in fact, negotiating with officials from the United Arab Emirates, with the story broken by the Daily Mail.

Revie was subsequently banned for breach of contract and replaced by Ron Greenwood.

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It was Les Cocker who picked the team for the game in Brazil with the visitors showing defensive resolution to register a goalless draw, with Ray Clemence also making some impressive saves to deny the hosts, including from dangerman Rivellino.

It was the first time that England had not lost in Brazil and ensured a confidence boost ahead of the second leg of the tour which saw Revie’s side jet south to Buenos Aires before facing Luis César Menotti’s Argentina at La Bombonera.

England’s starting line-up included three players from champions Liverpool in Clemence, Phil Neal and Emlyn Hughes, with Doncaster-born Kevin Keegan captaining the visitors, fresh from his recent move from the Reds to Hamburg.

Former Leeds United and England star Trevor CherryFormer Leeds United and England star Trevor Cherry
Former Leeds United and England star Trevor Cherry

At the ground nicknamed ‘The Chocolate Box’, a highly-charged tinderbox atmosphere ensued with home fans booing the English national anthem and then chanting ‘Animals’, in reference to Alf Ramsey’s insult from the 1966 World Cup.

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They also chanted ‘Pirates’, in reference to the Falkland Islands dispute, which descended into warfare between both nations just under five years later.

The atmosphere got even more febrile when the hosts – minus the key duo of Rene Houseman and Ricardo Villa – went behind when Hull-born Manchester United striker Stuart Pearson fired England into a third-minute lead from Mick Channon’s cross.

Another Yorkshireman in the shape of Barnsley-born Brian Greenhoff also had a telling impact in conceding the 15th-minute free-kick which enabled Bertoni to fire home a leveller – his positive contribution to an occasion which ultimately proved ignominious for him.

Little else occurred of note in a cautious affair which ended 1-1 before Cherry’s foul on Bertoni lit the blue-touch paper amid thoroughly unsavoury scenes to mar England’s first game in Argentina since a 0-0 draw at the Estadio Monumental in May, 1953 – a match which lasted just 36 minutes before being abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch.

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England wrapped up the tour on June 15, with their third draw and second goalless stalemate when meeting Uruguay in Montevideo.

Another defensive encounter was played out in what proved to be Revie’s last game in charge of England.

Both sides were booed off at the end, a rancourous end to a largely forgettable tour.