At last.
A series that began back on 10 July comes to its conclusion.
I want to offer my thanks to those of you who dropped in so regularly to cast your votes. Let’s face it, the ICA World Cup 2022 would have been a monumental flop without audience participation, but I’ve been genuinely and pleasantly surprised and delighted that it proved to be popular from the outset and stayed that way through to the final. I’ve an idea to do a similar type of event in 2023, based on a much smaller scale than ICAs, that I’m going to work on over the festive period to see if it will work.
Here’s a couple of immense contributions in respect of the final.
Chaval : Takes me back to teenage years in 79-80 taping JD sessions off Peel by night, grinning along to Blondie chart smashes by day.
Blondie’s imperial phase from 78-80 coincided with JD’s entire span of existence. In the end, I think Debbie Harry was a more benign influence on the youth of the day (although Ian Curtis was probably a better dancer).
In short, Blondie.
Bagging Area (aka Adam) : Changing the rules while the tournament runs – a ruse even Gianni Infantino might have thought too much, but then the actual World Cup has been besmirched and despoiled, so I suppose it had to happen here too.
Joy Division clearly.
Isolation, Shadowplay, Decades and The Eternal are the back four of post- punk. Hannett, Gretton, Saville and Wilson the midfield, Curtis, Sumner, Hook and Morris the wide players.
‘Some of the crowd are on the pitch, they think it’s all over…’
The final was a fascinating affair. Blondie swarmed all over the Mancunians at the start, picking up six successive votes to establish a 7-2 lead just three hours after voting began. The Joy Division fans were obviously having a lie-in on Sunday as they then cast the next six votes and at 2pm, just as the coverage of the actual World Cup final began on the BBC, the score was 8-7 to JD.
By 7pm, it was still very tight, with JD enjoying a 13-11 lead, while there had been one person to admit they couldn’t split the duo and suggested the trophy be shared.
Midnight on Sunday. 40 votes had now come in. Two folk had now suggested a shared trophy. But the JD fans had clearly been raised from the slumbers as their votes had given their favourites a lead of 23-15, which, based on what had happened in earlier rounds, was looking decisive.
Very few votes came in between Monday and Wednesday. I’ve no doubt folk were distracted by the sad news of the deaths of Terry Hall and Martin Duffy.
The final score, by midnight on Wednesday, was:-
Joy Division 29 Blondie 16
So, the ICA World Cup trophy stays in England, and for the second time, a band whose name beings with the letter J takes the honours.
Wasn’t sure which song to offer up today. Do I go back to the ICA and pull something from there, or do something different? This kind of does both. The best known version was on the ICA:-
mp3 : Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart (Peel Session)
Recorded on 26 November 1979 and broadcast on 10 December 1979.
Which led me to also want to include this:-
mp3: Joy Division – Sound Of Music
A version of this song was also part of that same Peel Session. It was a brand-new song at the time. Joy Division would record a version in the Pennine Sound Studios in Oldham in January 1980 during the same sessions as they worked on Love Will Tear Us Apart as a potential single.
As it turned out, they decided against that particular version of LWTUA, and they reconvened in Strawberry Studios in Stockport in March 1980 where they came up with the take for what would prove to be their best-known song.
Sound Of Music was only given a posthumous release, as part of the compilation album Still, issued in October 1981.
Thanks again
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
I seem to have been on the wrong side with my choice of bands throughout this ICA World Cup but still I feel like a ‘winner’. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the journey but can’t claim to always understand the pundit analysis – my lack of knowledge, nothing to do with the pundit.
A LOT of work has gone into this. That hard work is appreciated.
Thanks, JC
See the BBC is using Atmosphere as the backing track for their ominous trailer for grim murder drama Happy Valley. Joy Division still have a powerful impact for our generation.
There were some shocking results during that World Cup, but that kept it interesting. Still feel if the Clash can get the squad fit and in form, the trophy will eventually be theirs.
Golden boot to Curtis.Harry inconsolable.A final for the ages.
Terrific fun and as FFF says a lot of hard work on your part JC.
You should be in charge of FIFA and show them how to do things properly!
Thanks, really enjoyed the world Cup, unusually we have eothy winners, merry Christmas
Pundit A: ‘At the end of the day Gary, football was the winner’.
Gary Lineker: ‘And Joy Division…’
Pundit B’Yes, and Joy Division, worthy winners’
Gary: ‘We can go over to Bernard Sumner now, live in the tunnel… Bernard how do you feel having lifted the trophy after such a contest?’
Bernard: ‘Yeah, its really nice thanks. It’s great to have played so well and it was a real team performance from the lads’
Gary: ‘Yes, very much the lads wasn’t it? Not many women in this contest were there, Blondie aside, maybe the ICA team need to spread their wings a little further going forward? Distinct lack of teams from the wider musical community too, not many players from ethnic minority backgrounds, the semi- finals were a very white affair…’
Roy Keane: It’s a fucking disgrace’
Gary: ‘Easy Roy, there may be younger readers reading…’
Roy Keane (glaring fiercely) ‘Yeah, sorry everyone. Big thanks to JC, he’s done a magnificent job here, I can’t commend him enough’
Gary: ‘Anyway, great effort from everyone involved, see you back here next year’
Montage of the great moments of the 2022 ICA world cup plays, Ian Curtis dancing, the Mancunian Way at night under the glare of street lights, Hooky’s bassline from Transmission pushing it on until the fade out….
Brilliant Adam!
Hurrah!!!!
Well Done JC – I voted for Blondie but I can concede to the boys from the North West..
Early Hurrah! could maybe make it out of the group stage.
Labor of love, JC, and well worth it. Even though I was forced to vote against my true love, Debbie H.
Impressive organisation around this WC, flawless- well, at least until the rules were suddenly changed for the final… 😉
It’s comforting to see even without the help of God’s hand the best team won.
Very much looking forward to the 2023 tournament.
Congratulations, and a big hand thanks, JC for all the hard work.
A spectacular effort, JC. Some controversial knock outs along the way, up to and including the final but never less than great fun, week in, week out. I loved reading the comments, including Swiss Adam’s brilliant post-match sum up. Thank you!
Just as with the FIFA version, the eventual winners are not the ones I would have chosen but are definitely worthy.
A few controversial results along the way, some total upsets, but a final between two strong teams.
Thanks for the work and fun JC. Are you going to drape Unknown Pleasures in a traditional Scottish outfit?
Ta for the entire thing, mate. It was a fun thing to look forward to each week. Rather wish more had explained their voting reasoning, appreciative of those that did, and loved the creativity of those who couched their answers in football analogies, even if I have eff all interest in it, neither the American nor the Rest of the World version!