In 1986 and 1990 I organised a school World Cup Tournament for Year 2-6 pupils (Primary 3-7) to celebrate the World Cup, where teams were made up of boys and girls of different ages. The 32 teams played the group, and knockout stages, over a number of weeks at Ropner Park and Grosvenor Road playing fields.
My 1985/6 class made up a replica World Cup in paper mache, and we had medals made for teams reaching the last four. In 1986 there is no record of which team won our first World Cup. But Scotland won the 1990 World Cup Final beating Italy on penalties, in front of the whole school at Ropner Park. Everyone gathered to support the last four teams, with a great fun atmosphere, where we even had a Mexican Wave going on round the crowd.
The mixed team of boys and girls beat all opposition, and did what Scotland’s national team had failed to do (and still fail to do), and lifted the World Cup in our second competition. The fact that I was Scottish was mere coincidence! A TV crew from BBC Look North, came and televised the top four teams playing for the last four winning places, and have immortalised the great moment in film. In the years between World Cups we had the Euro Championships and Two Nations cup, a tournament between Scottish and English club sides.
Scotland win World Cup 1990 Scotland win World Cup 1990 Scotland win World Cup 1990 Scotland win World Cup 1990 Scotland win World Cup 1990 Geoff Wigham presenting medals and cup Scotland win World Cup 1990 Geoff Wigham presents przes Italy runners up in World Cup 1990 Scotland and Italy with Northern Life presenter Geoff Wigham presenting medals Geoff Wigham presenting medals Geoff Wigham presenting medals Geoff Wigham presenting medals Geoff Wigham presenting medals Geoff Wigham presenting medals Oxbridge school come to Ropner Park to watch the World Cup Final between Scotland and Italy 1990
