Could Dave Beasant have won the World Cup for England?

Who knows? Dave Beasant was England’s substitute goalkeeper when England played Germany in that famous 1990 World Cup semi-final. In the 119th minute, with the game clearly going to penalties, should Beasant have been brought on? Peter Shilton was still England’s No.1 keeper but at 40, was well past his peak. Beasant was ten years younger, six inches taller and brilliant at saving penalties. I’ve always thought he’d have been a better choice for the shoot-out. But manager Bobby Robson stuck with Shilton. The Germans stepped up and despatched four perfect, clinical penalties. Shilton didn’t get close to any of them. Instead of going through to the final and almost certainly beating Argentina, England were out. Would Beasant have fared any better? We’ll never know. To quote the saddest words in the English language, it was “too late”.