1930
Stadio Centenario, Monte Video, Uruguay (Uruguay 4 Argentina
2) Att: 93,000
Purpose-built for the Final, the stadium used to hold
100,000, but its current capacity is between 65,000 and 76,000. Centenario is
situated smack bang between the home grounds of Central Espanol and Miramar
Misiones, and one can watch three games simultaneously from the top of the
Amsterdam stand.
Quality of Life Index 1930
Price of a pint: 1/4p
Average house price: £590
Gallon of petrol: 5p
Packet of cigarettes: 1p
Prime Minister: Ramsay MacDonald (Labour)
Also in the news: Clarence Birdseye sells his first frozen
products and Amy Johnson flies solo from England to Australia, the first woman
to do so.
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1934
Stadio Nazionale PNF, Rome, Italy (Italy 2 Czechoslovakia 1)
Att: 45,000
Yes, the final for 1934 was played at the Stadium for the
Nazi Party. The ground was built in 1927 as a multi-use stadium, and had a
capacity of 50,000. It hosted three matches in total for the World Cup Finals
and was the home to both Lazio and AS Roma before they moved to the Stadio
Olimpico. Demolished in 1953 and replaced with Stadio Flaminio.
Quality of Life Index 1934
Price of a pint: 1/2p
Average house price: £515
Gallon of petrol: 5p
Packet of cigarettes: 1p
Prime Minister: Ramsay MacDonald (Labour)
Also in the news: John Dillinger escapes from prison in
Indiana using a wooden pistol, but is later killed, and Adolf Hitler becomes
Fuhrer of Germany.
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1938
Stade Olympique de Colombes, Paris, France (Italy 4 Hungary
2) Att: 60,000
Built as the main stadium for the 1924 Olympic Games its
original capacity of 45,000 was expanded to 60,000 for the World Cup. Colombes
hosted football and rugby internationals until the 1970s until the renovated
Parc des Princes was opened in 1972. Now used by RC Paris football club.
Quality of Life Index 1938
Price of a pint: 1p
Average house price: £545
Gallon of petrol: 6p
Packet of cigarettes: 1p
Prime Minister: Neville Chamberlain (Conservative)
Also in the news: The nylon toothbrush and the ballpoint pen
are invented and Superman appears for the first time in Action Comics No. 1
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1950
Estadio do Maracana, Rio De Janero, Brazil (Brazil 1 Uruguay
2) Att: 199,954
The first World Cup in twelve years was also the only World
Cup to be decided on a group system: Uruguay beat Brazil in the final game to
end up group winners of a four-team group final. The final attendance figure is
generally accepted to be several thousand short of the actual gate. Due to host
the 2014 Final – currently seats 88,992.
Quality of Life Index 1950
Price of a pint: 2p
Average house price: £1,940
Gallon of petrol: 3p
Packet of cigarettes: 2p
Prime Minister: Clement Atlee (Labour)
Also in the news: Florence Chadwick swims the English
Channel in 13 hours and 22 minutes and the Great Brinks Robbery nets thieves
million
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1954
Wankdorf Stadium, Berne, Switzerland (West Germany 3 Hungary
2) Att: 64,000
Former home of the Swiss club BSC Young Boys, the ground
opened in 1925, holding 22,000. It was demolished and rebuilt for the finals,
with a capacity of 64,000. The Hungarians were huge favourites going into the
final –which became known as the Miracle of Bern in Germany, with the radio
broadcast by Herbert Zimmerman going down in legend: "Over! Over! Over!
The game is over! Germany are World Champions, beat Hungary 3-2!"
Quality of Life Index 1954
Price of a pint: 2p
Average house price: £1,970
Gallon of petrol: 5p
Packet of cigarettes: 2p
Prime Minister: Winston Churchill (Conservative)
Also in the news: The United States tests the hydrogen bomb
on the Bikini Atoll and Roger Bannister runs the first four-minute mile
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1958
Rasunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden (Brazil 5 Sweden 2) Att:
51,800
Opened in 1927 on the site of an old stadium, and still host
to the Swedish national games (as well as AIK’s home ground). In 2006 Sweden
announced it was to build a new national stadium, to be completed by 2011 – by
which time Rasunda will be demolished.
Quality of Life Index 1958
Price of a pint: 4p
Average house price: £2,390
Gallon of petrol: 6p
Packet of cigarettes: 2 1/2p
Prime Minister: Harold Macmillan (Conservative)
Also in the news: Bobby Fischer, 14, wins the Unites States
Chess Championship and the Munich Air Crash kills 23, including 8 Manchester
United players
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1962
Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile (Brazil 3 Czechoslovakia
1) Att: 68,679
The last World Cup not to be televised live to Europe
(telstar came in just months later, so matches had two day delays before being
broadcast in Europe). Still the national stadium of Chile with a current
capacity of 67,000. The ground was built in 1937 and is based on the
Olympiastadion in Berlin. Notorious for its use as an internment (and some say
execution) centre by Pinochet’s government in 1973.
Quality of Life Index 1962
Price of a pint: 5p
Average house price: £2,950
Gallon of petrol: 8p
Packet of cigarettes: 5p
Prime Minister: Harold Macmillan (Conservative)
In the news: Marilyn Monroe overdoses on sedatives and
Champagne and the first Bond film, Dr No, premieres in the UK
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1966
Wembley Stadium, London, England (England 4 West Germany 2) Att:
98,000
The most watched event ever on British Television – 32.60
million people tuned into see the wingless wonders. Known formerly as British
Empire Exhibition Stadium (it was built for the event in 1932) and British
Stadium, Wembley was opened in 1923 and demolished in 2003. Built by Sir Robert
McAlpine, the ground was originally intended to be demolished at the end of the
Exhibition. Famed for its Twin Towers, Wembley was the first pitch referred to
as Hallowed Turf.
Quality of Life Index 1966
Price of a pint: 8p
Average house price: £3,840
Gallon of petrol: 24p
Packet of cigarettes: 71/2p
Prime Minister: Harold Wilson (Labour)
In the news: John Lennon says, of the Beatles, “We’re more
popular than Jesus now,” and Myra Hindley and Ian Brady go on trial for murder
at Chester Crown Court.
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1970
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico (Brazil 4 Italy 1) Att:
107,412
The World Cup that introduced substitutions and red and
yellow cards saw its final played in the awesome Azteca. Still the national
stadium (and to Club America) and the only ground to host two World Cup Finals,
the Azteca also witnessed Diego Maradona’s Hand of God goal in 1986, and is the
fourth largest stadium in the world, with a capacity of 105,000.
Quality of Life Index 1970
Price of a pint: 14p
Average house price: £4,975
Gallon of petrol: 31p
Packet of cigarettes: 20p
Prime Minister: Edward Heath (Conservative)
In the news: Concorde makes its first supersonic flight,
breaking 700mph, and Jimi Hendrix dies.
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1974
Olympiastadion, Munich, West Germany (West Germany 2 Holland
1) Att: 75,200
Built for the 1972 Olympic Games, the stadium is situated
right in the heart of the Olympic Village and is perhaps most famous for
hosting England’s stunning 5-1 victory over Germany in 2001. The ground was
home to Bayern Munich and rivals TSV 1860 until 2005, when both clubs moved out
to the Allianz Arena.
Quality of Life Index 1974
Price of a pint: 18p
Average house price: £10,990
Gallon of petrol: 55p
Packet of cigarettes: 40p
Prime Minister: Harold Wilson (Labour)
In the news: Heiress Patty Hearst is kidnapped by the
Symbionese Liberation Army, and Richard Nixon resigns as President of the
United States.
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1978
Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentine (Argentina 3
Holland 1) Att: 71,483
Also known as River Plate Stadium, the ground opened in 1938
and has undergone several renovations since, with a current capacity of 65,645. Argentina won in 1978 after
reaching the final with a quite ridiculous 6-0 win over Peru to knock Brazil
out of the final on goal difference.
Quality of Life Index 1978
Price of a pint: 38p
Average house price: £15,594
Gallon of petrol: 76.5p
Packet of cigarettes: 50p
Prime Minister: James Callaghan (Labour)
In the news: Serial killer Ted Bundy is captured in Florida,
and Ian Botham becomes the first man to take eight wickets and score a century
in one Test match inning.
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1982
Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain (Italy 3 West
Germany 1) Att: 90,000
The home of Real Madrid was opened in 1947, and capacity at
peaked 190,000 in 1953. Since standing room was eliminated in 1999 the ground
holds 80,354. The stadium will host next year’s European Champion’s League
Final.
Quality of Life Index 1982
Price of a pint: 50p
Average house price: £23,644
Gallon of petrol: £1.64
Packet of cigarettes: £1.00
Prime Minister: Margaret Thatcher (Conservative)
In the news: Britain goes to war against Argentina over the
Falkland Islands, and Sony launches the first Compact Disc player
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1986
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico (Argentina 3 West
Germnay 2) Att: 114,600
Quality of Life Index 1986
Price of a pint: 87p
Average house price: £36,276
Gallon of petrol: £1.73
Packet of cigarettes: £1.50
Prime Minister: Margaret Thatcher (Conservative)
In the news: One of the reactors at the Chernobyl Nuclear
Plant explodes, and Mike Tyson wins his first world heavyweight title, beating
Trevor Berbick.
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1990
Stadio Olympico, Roma, Italy ( West Germany 1 Argentina 0) Att:
73,603
A replay of the 1986 World Cup Final. The stadium is also
host to Lazio and AS Roma –Lazio having a higher average home gate only once –
in 2003/4, when nearly 50,000 watched every home game, compared to Roma’s
46,000. Built in 1937 the ground had a capacity of 72,700.
Quality of Life Index 1990
Price of a pint: £1.10
Average house price: £59,785
Gallon of petrol: £1.82
Packet of cigarettes: £2.20
Prime Minister: Margaret Thatcher (Conservative)
In the news: Nelson Mandela is released from prison in South
Africa, and London sees huge anti-Poll Tax riots in Trafalgar Square.
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1994
The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, USA (Brazil 3 Italy 2) Att: 94,194
The highest average attendance for any world cup in history
– 69,000 - saw the US really take
soccer to their hearts . . . then immediately forget about it when the show
left town. The stadium was built to house the annual Rose Bowl college American
Football game. Current capacity is 93,000.
Quality of Life Index 1994
Price of a pint: £2.70
Average house price: £65,874
Gallon of petrol: £2.22
Packet of cigarettes: £2.80
Prime Minister: John Major (Conservative)
In the news: Kurt Cobain, lead singer and guitarist with
Nirvana, commits suicide, and OJ Simpson flees police following the murder of
his wife and a friend.
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1998
Stade de France, Paris, France (France 3 Brazil 0) Att:
80,000
Never mind the headbutt, Zindane tonked Brazil in the final,
held at this awesome stadium in the first ever final between host nation and
the reigning champions. The ground is used by the French rugby team and the
French football squad, but was built for these world cup finals. Paris rugby
side Stade Francais play home games here irregularly and attract huge crowds,
including a record 79,741 against Toulouse.
Quality of Life Index 1998
Price of a pint: £2.00
Average house price: £86,835
Gallon of petrol: £2.76
Packet of cigarettes: £3.36
Prime Minister: Tony Blair (Labour)
In the news: George Michael is arrested for a ‘lewd act’ in
a public toilet, and President Clinton admits to an ‘inappropriate relationship’
with Monica Lewinsky.
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2002
International Stadium, Yokohama, Japan (Germany 2 Brazil 0) Att:
69,029
Also known as the Nissan Stadium, and home of the Yokohama F
Marinos of the J League, it’s the biggest stadium in Japan, with a capacity of
72,327. Hosts the FIFA Club World Cup Finals, where 68,000 saw Manchester
United beat LDU Quito 1-0 in 2008.
Quality of Life Index 2002
Price of a pint: £2.34
Average house price: £135,884
Gallon of petrol: £3.17
Packet of cigarettes: £4.00
Prime Minister: Tony Blair (Labour)
In the news: Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother dies aged 101,
and the Beltway Sniper shoots the first of 13 victims
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2006
Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany (Italy 1 France 1, Italy win
5-3 on pens) Att: 69,000
Built for the 1936 Olympic Games – that’s right, the one
that athletes gave the Nazi salute – the stadium has, however, a very strong
footballing tradition. It is the home of Hertha BCS Berlin and also hosts the
German Cup Final each year.
Quality of Life Index 2006
Price of a pint: £2.55
Average house price: £192,648
Gallon of petrol: £4.04
Packet of cigarettes: £4.60
Prime Minister: Tony Blair (Labour)
In the news: Over £53 million are stolen during the
Securitas depot robbery in Kent, and Google buys YoutTube for .65 billion.
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2010
Soccer City, Johannesburg.
Capacity: 94,700
As well as hosting the opening match on June 11, Soccer City
will host the final on July 11. Built specifically for football and opened in
1989, the stadium has undergone a major upgrade for the 2010 World Cup Finals.
New executive boxes have been built, there are brand spanking new changing
rooms and the floodlights have been replaced. It’s supposed to look like an
African cooking pot from the outside, you know.
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