"Wesjlaff", the Polish carpenter, was due to turn up at our house on Sunday morning to discuss some work. Poland's remarkable World Cup qualification last Saturday, however, got between Wesjlaff and our appointment. Like many of the exiled Polish community in our village, he had a "tired and emotional" Saturday night rejoicing over Poland's 3-0 win against Norway.

One suspects that Poles all around the world had a merry time last weekend celebrating just about the best Polish news since Karol Wojtyla was elected Pope in 1978. For Polish soccer, last Saturday's result ends a 15-year period in the international wilderness, given that Poland have not featured in a World Cup finals since being beaten 4-0 by Brazil in the second round in Mexico in 1986.

That painful defeat appeared to bring down the curtain on a remarkable decade. Thirteen years earlier, Poland had burst on to the international scene when eliminating England from the 1974 World Cup finals, winning 2-0 in Chorzow and drawing 1-1 at Wembley in two unforgettable qualifying ties.

In those far-off days, England were no pushover. The side eliminated by Poland had featured 1966 World Cup heroes such as the late, great Bobby Moore and midfield dynamo Alan Ball, not to mention talent such as goalkeeper Peter Shilton, enigmatic genius Martin Chivers and goalscorers Martin Peters and Alan Clarke.

Such was English bewilderment and cultural confusion that, even at half-time in the Wembley game, Notts Forest manager and TV pundit for the night, Brian Clough predicted an English win, calling Polish goalkeeper Tomaszewsky a "clown " in an infamous remark that betrayed decades of misplaced footballing arrogance.

At the 1974 finals, the Poles proved their qualification had been no fluke, getting all the way to a controversial 1-0 semi-final defeat by eventual tournament winners, West Germany. That match had been preceeded by a violent thunderstorm which forced a delay in kick-off and left the pitch barely playable, probably penalising the lightning fast Poles more than the Germans.

There were many, Poles and others, who believed that, had it not been for the downpour, Poland would have gone all the way to a final clash with Holland. Such retrospective speculation may mean little but what is sure is that the side containing the midfield genius Denya, "clown" Tomaszewsky, midfielder Kasperczak, winger Lato and strikers Lubansky and Gadocha was a useful unit, one that qualified for four successive World Cup finals even getting to a second semi-final when losing to Italy in 1982.

When Poland finally fell from international grace in Mexico it was their main man, Juventus and AS Roma star Zbigniew Boniek who prophesised tough times. Speaking in the immediate aftermath of that 4-0 drubbing by Brazil, he suggested that it could take up to 20 years for Polish soccer to rebuild its national team strength.

Boniek made that prediction even before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the break-up of the East Bloc communist system. In the wake of those momentous events, Polish soccer, like that of many Eastern European countries, has been struggling hard in a new world where its major role appears to be that of providing raw talent for wealthier Western European leagues.

Last weekend's qualification may raise the curtain on a new era. Whilst it is obvious that the Poles drew a relatively "easy" group (Ukraine, Bielorus, Wales, Armenia and Norway) it is also true that the squad is composed of experienced journeymen from top European leagues including newly-signed Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzey Dudek, Brescia defender Marek Kosminski, striker Pawel Kryszalowicz.

A brave new Poland is on the way.