In Harry’s Heroes: Euro Having a Laugh, Harry Redknapp rounded up a team of 90’s English football legends in an attempt to get them back into shape. In this, the second episode, the team come to Italy, arriving in Florence. where they take part in a calcio storico match – a type of football unique to Florence and more like a cross between rugby and wrestling but with fewer rules.
But the real reason for this trip is revenge: 30 years ago, England had to beat San Marino by 7 clear goals to stand a chance of qualifying for the World Cup. With goalkeeping Goliath David Seaman on the team, surely this bunch of part-time Footballers stood no chance…. Or at least that’s what everybody thought, before Computer Science Student Davide Gualtieri scored, what was then, the fastest International Goal in history past Safe Hands Seaman in just 8 seconds. It was a national humiliation and ruined England’s chances to qualify. Just to put things in perspective, San Marino is one of the smallest countries in the world with only 62 square miles and 34,000 residents.
When the Heroes arrived in San Marino to film this episode, national pride was at stake and Harry Redknapp’s geriatric warriors were on a personal revenge mission to bring Gualtieri to justice, save Seaman from any more sleepless nights and restore national pride – in a friendly.
Redknapp’s rag-tag group of retired football stars, ravaged by injuries, had been forced to bring in Vinnie Jones, the Hollywood star and former ‘Crazy Gang’ hard nut to bring some much-needed steel to the England line-up.
It started well enough, Seaman lasted eight seconds without conceding and was immediately subbed off, and thanks to some first-half heroics from Lee Hendrie, England took a 3-0 lead going into the break.
“We just need four more,” says Redknapp, giddy at the prospect of washing away that 30-year-old stain from English footballing memory.
After adding another two goals to make it 5-0, disaster struck deep into the second half, with England’s former legends beginning to tire and with no replacements on the bench, San Marino began to get a foothold and within minutes had pulled three goals back. By some miracle, the Three Lions held out for the win despite some late scares.
To produce this episode of Harry’s Heroes, Talkback TV (part of Fremantle) called on Fabio Di Segni as their Location Producer. The challenges were several: getting permission for the England players to participate in calcio storico, arranging the San Marino match and all the access and film permits required, and organizing transport, accommodation and catering for the entire team and crew.
Produced by Talkback TV (Fremantle). Broadcast by ITV.
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