Wally meets... Former England hero Paul Mariner

By Mike Walters

Published 06:00 23/11/09

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There hasn’t been so much attention on Plymouth since comedian Paul Whitehouse signed up for the Green Army on those TV insurance adverts.

Argyle striker Rory Fallon is flavour of the month since he headed New Zealand into the World Cup finals last weekend with the winner against Bahrain - even if his coach at Home Park, Paul Mariner, got there first for England 28 years ago.

And manager Paul Sturrock’s hat, as seen on Sky Sports News, is one of the nattiest titfers since Malcolm Allison was at large under his fedora more than 30 years ago.

Mariner’s goal against Hungary at Wembley took Ron Greenwood’s side to Spain in 1982, they were eliminated from the tournament without losing and FIFA turned a blind eye to the greatest sham of all time - West Germany’s ’friendly fire’ tribute to pacifism against neighbours Austria.

Now 56, Mariner is back at Plymouth - the club where he is revered by many fans as the club’s finest striker of all time - guiding Argyle out of choppy waters in the Championship.

And results have picked up since he disembarked from his adventure in the States with New England Revolution, where he was assistant to former Liverpool warhorse Steve Nicol in the MLS.

Little wonder that the banter was flying thick and fast on the training ground when Fallon returned from his finest hour in Wellington.

“The lads have been giving him some stick, which is par for the course,” said Mariner, making a service station pit-stop yesterday on the long haul to today’s game at Leicester.

“But it’s fantastic for him and his country. It’s only the second time New Zealand have made it to a World Cup, and I’ve been telling him, ’Make sure you enjoy it - of all the billions of people on the planet, only a tiny handful play for their country at the World Cup.

“Of course, it’s much more fun when you are winning, but the experience lives with you for the rest of your life.

“I can remember my goal against Hungary which took us to Spain like it was only yesterday: it was wet night, tipping down with rain, and I adjusted my feet perfectly to divert Trevor Brooking’s scuffed shot into the opposite corner.

“That’s the official version - some people will tell you it just hit me!“

Mariner, who decorated his England career by scoring in six consecutive games - a hot streak which spilled over into the 1982 finals - was part of a side who went home after conceding just one goal.

It was Mariner who hauled the crestfallen Kevin Keegan to his feet after he had headed improbably wide in the goalless draw with Spain which cooked England’s goose.

Amazingly, he was allowed to drift abroad to Malta, Japan and the US before Sturrock invited him back to the club he originally joined for £6,000 from non-league Chorley back in 1973.

Mariner had been invited back to Plymouth as an ambassador for American and Japanese corporations backing Plymouth’s bid to become a host venue at the 2018 World Cup. Sturrock made sure his flying visit became an indefinite stopover.

“We got on like a house on fire from the start,” said Mariner. “We put a few ideas to the players, they have responded really well and the results have been pleasing so far.

“But the truth of the matter is that, when I was in the States, people kept asking me if I fancied coming back to England and I kept giving them the same answer - but nobody picked up the phone, offered me a job or gave me that opportunity.

“When that chance came, I’m just pleased it was Plymouth who offered it. I made my name as a striker with them and it has brought my career full circle.”

And Sturrock’s hat? “I can’t disclose the reason he wears it just yet, but I got a text from my old gaffer, Steve Nicol, in the States last night. It just said, ’What has ’Luggy’ got on his head?’ I just told him it rains a lot down here and it keeps his head dry.”