A soccer ball, a historic moment and Canada's World Cup dream
CBC
With the Canadian men's national team on the verge of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1986, a fan who was at the last qualifying match in Newfoundland and Labrador believes it's time to celebrate a piece of soccer history he's kept safe since then.
Up until just a few weeks ago, Faron Penney of Mount Pearl, N.L., was the owner of the initial game ball used in Canada's first — and last — World Cup qualifying victory, a hell of a souvenir from a game played on a damp day in St. John's in September 1985.
Penney, who was 23 at the time, picked up the ball during the Canada-Honduras qualifying match. The stakes were high: each country was one step away from earning a ticket to the big stage — the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
Penney and his friends walked through the streets of St. John's to the match, finding a party-like atmosphere in what would become one of Canada's most historic soccer moments.
"It was huge. I wish I wasn't so young at the time and ignorant to the facts," said Penney, recalling the scene as Canadian fans poured into King George V Park on the banks of Quidi Vidi Lake, in St. John's east end.
Taking his seat on the south-side bleachers, roughly five rows up from the pitch, Penney said he settled in to watch a shivering Honduras club take on Canada, who at that point had been in search of a qualifying bid for 28 years. With each challenge for the ball, roars from fans in the stands flooded the park.
Early in the match, the first game ball was launched out of play, over the heads of fans, Penney included. It landed in nearby Rennie's River, which trickles parallel with the pitch before entering Quidi Vidi Lake.
Fans gave chase and Penney was the first to find the ball, tangled in tall reeds on the far side of the river.
"I remember going through the stands and standing at the edge of the water," he recalled. "I was skeptical at first because I knew the water was at least up to my waist and … maybe 15 feet wide." And it was September, so it was chilly, too.
Still, Penney made his way across the river, wrapped his arms around the ball and crossed back, scrambling under the bleachers and climbing out the other side. By the time he returned to his seat, a substitute ball was in play and he had to "watch the rest of the game soaking wet."
Since no one asked for the ball back, Penney kept it, wrapping it in his wet T-shirt when he left so it would be as inconspicuous as possible.
Paul Dolan, one of two goalkeepers for Canada at the time, told CBC he remembers that 1985 game well — he was the backup keeper during the team's 2-1 win, and would later see action in the 1986 World Cup against France. Canada ultimately lost all three of its World Cup matches — 2-0 against the USSR, 2-0 against Hungary and 1-0 against France.
Still, the support from fans during the qualifier was unforgettable.
"The atmosphere was incredible. It was the best home support you could ask for," said Dolan, who has since had a long history with Canada Soccer.
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