"DON PULLS THE MASTER SWITCH!" Daily Mirror

A new manager, a new strip and a new challenge as England set off on their European Championship quest with a convincing victory over Czechoslovakia. Don Revie has been given the reins after Joe Mercer's cameo role and his first move was to give England a new outfit. Still white shirts and blue shorts, but each with a red, white and blue stripe down the sides. Very bright and a marketing man's dream!

As for the game, England took a long time to settle it after missing several good chances early on. Three times in the opening 15 minutes the home side should have scored. Mike Channon, twice, and Frank Worthington both missed from good positions and all too often the frustrations built up as the Czech's doggedly held out. Channon's two effort's were bad misses as he headed and then volleyed over the bar from close in after being set up by lovely crosses from Worthington. Worthington himself then went close when his header hit the upright after a corner by Emlyn Hughes. Even then, Channon might have scored from the rebound.

The match could and should have been all over by half-time, but as it was England had to wait until the 65th minute to finally reach a turning point. Revie made a double substitution, bringing on Dave Thomas and Trevor Brooking, and it proved a master-stroke.

Immediately the pair made their presence felt and within five minutes, Thomas made the first goal. The winger soon started to give his marker Varadín problems, and one run down the right ended with the defender tripping the England man. Thomas took the free-kick himself and floated the ball in for Channon to atone for his earlier misses by leaping high to head past Viktor.

That goal was just the lift England badly needed at that stage and within ten minutes of the opening goal they had another to celebrate. A break by the ever-willing Channon ended with a superb diagonal cross which Kevin Keegan dummied cleverly, allowing Bell to come in with a beautifully guided low shot. Almost at once it was 3-0. Again the Bell-Channon combination did the trick, first when Bell sent Channon galloping down the left, and then when Channon's cross came over for Bell to follow up at high speed to head home a magnificent goal.

Bell had gained his reward in his best game for England so far, and with the solid Dave Watson and the promising Gerry Francis also giving fine displays then it all augered well for the future. Needless to say, Revie could barely hide his delight, and neither could the crowd.
 

Don Revie boldly opened his career as England manager by making a double substitution in the seventieth minute of this European championship qualifier. Revie sent on Dave Thomas and Trevor Brooking for Frank Worthington  and Martin Dobson, and it was Thomas who created the first goal when his cross was headed in by Mike Channon. Two more goals followed in the next nine minutes. Channon found Bell with a superb diagonal pass, and he steered it into the net with a well placed shot. Then the inspired Channon crossed the ball for Bell to head in the third goal that sent choruses of 'Land of Hope and Glory' thundering around Wembley for an England team newly decked out in jerseys with red and blue shoulder stripes. The Admiral was in command, and there was huge criticism of the way England had sold their image to a sportswear company that had their name 'Admiral' splashed across the tracksuits.
 

Czechosloavkia had prevented England from scoring in their only previous Wembley appearance in 1966. England had beaten them in the 1970 World Cup in Guadalajara and 1973 had seen a 1-1 draw in Prague. They had reached the semi-finals of the first European Championship in 1960, but, like England, had failed to qualify for the recent World Cup, finishing runners-up in their qualifying group to Scotland. This was the opening match in Group One and England's first under new manager, Don Revie.
England, in their new red, white and blue kit, created several chances, but the Czechs held out until a cross from substitute Thomas was met with a superb header from Mike Channon. Viktor was rooted to the spot as the ball flew past him. Eight minutes later, Channon split the Czech defence and Colin Bell stretched to stab the ball past Viktor for the second. Within three minutes, Channon had crossed for Bell to rise above the defence and score again. After holding out for so long the Czechs had crumbled.
Following such a convincing victory, it was difficult to believe that Czechoslovakia would go on to win the European Championship, two years later after beating England 2-1 in the return in Bratislava, the following year. In the final, they beat West Germany, the reigning World and European Champions, on penalties in Belgrade. Yet Scotland, once again, prevented them from qualifying for the World Cup, in 1978. Later that year, the European Champions returned to Wembley.
 

England made a flying start in their bid to be Champions of Europe for the first time. Czechoslovakia were well and truly outplayed although for 70 frustrating minutes it looked as if the 1973-74 story of total ascendancy without goals would be repeated.
In spite of incessant pressure on the Czech goal, a none-too-safe goalkeeper, and, at times, shaky defence, it seemed that the all-important first goal would elude our forwards. Before a crowd of 82,00 and wearing the new strip, the experienced campaigners of the home country outmatched their opponents in speed, skill and attacking flair. In mid-field, Bell was having an outstanding game with new cap Francis providing plenty of action up front. Channon saw two chances just miss in the opening quarter of an hour while at the other end the Czechs in one rare break-away clipped the top of the bar from a shot by Pivarnik.
In a thrilling climax to the match England scored three times without reply. The spate of goals was preceded by a double substitution, when Worthington and Dobson were replaced by Thomas and Brooking. Thomas's pace down the right wing spread panic in the Czech defence and it was from a centre by the Q.P.R. winger that Channon opened the scoring with a well-judged header on the blind side of the defence.
With ten minutes to go Channon sent a magnificent diagonal pass through the middle which Bell met in full flight, steering the ball wide of Viktor in the Czech goal. This Manchester City player's anticipation and split-second timing were a feature of the game. Bell headed England's third goal a minute later as he again found himself in the right spot to head Channon's cross from the left flank.