45 Years Later: England's Last Win Over Norway

As England prepare to face Norway once again, it's hard to believe that the Three Lions' last competitive victory over the Norwegians came more than four decades ago.

The date was 10 September 1980, hosted at Wembley Stadium. Ron Greenwood's England team welcomed Norway for a crucial qualifier on the road to the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain. It was a significant time for England, who were aiming to return to the World Cup after missing out on the previous two tournaments in 1974 and 1978.

England went into the match without captain Kevin Keegan, who was ruled out through injury, in his absence, Phil Thompson led the team.

Despite the changes, England produced one of their most convincing performances of the qualifying campaign. Terry McDermott opened the scoring before Tony Woodcock doubled the advantage in the second half.

McDermott then converted from the penalty spot to claim his second of the evening, before Paul Mariner scored to finalise a 4-0 victory in the closing minutes.

England and Norway have met several times since that night at Wembley. Norway claimed the return World Cup qualifier in Oslo in 1981, the sides drew another qualifier in 1992, and every meeting since has come in the form of an international friendly.

That means England's 4-0 victory on 10 September 1980 remains the last time the Three Lions defeated Norway in a competitive FIFA fixture, a result that has stood for more than 45 years.

With another meeting on the horizon this weekend, England will be hoping to create a new piece of history. Until then, Wembley in 1980 remains the benchmark.