So we are at that time again, pull out your football shirts,
St George's Cross and novelty football compilation albums, another Football
Tournament is upon us. I do enjoy the
feeling of the country coming together in hope and expectation for a couple of
weeks every other year (well almost every other year, no one mention 1994 or
2008). I want to share some memories of
that I have tournaments gone by as we count down to another one and a new
chapter in this story!!
Italia 1990
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| Great Memories of this one |
The first time I can really remember being properly into a
World Cup, as every over 13 year old boy, Gary Lineker was my hero back then
but that was soon taken over by Gazza and for the first time the heartache of
penalties became a reality. Platt's volley, Lineker's goals, Pearce/Waddle and
of course those Tears from Gazza! I even
now have an Italia 90 England shirt, complete with Number 19 (see previous blog
for Kit obsession!!)
Euro 96, Football's coming home
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| Imagine Gary Neville commentating on this moment... |
The memories this brings back is a summer of fun, my first
tournament that saw me able to watch games in a pub (not that this was the fun
element in it but second only to be at the games being is watching England with
fellow supporters in a pub). So Three Lions, Grey England shirts and the
Germans! The highlight for me was sitting
watching that 15 minutes of football we played against Holland, unbelievable
scenes! Now-a-days would be seen as some
Barca-esque football and by the English national team!!
France 98
For tournament for me has one memory. David Beckham, no not the red card but the
game against Colombia. I remember being
in the pub when D.Beck lined up a free-kick and in what seemed to be slow
motion curl the ball over the wall and into the back of net, the slow motion
did not end there, as we all jumped up I have a vivid memory of several pints
of beer hanging in the air and then time catching up with us as stood
beer-soaked and finding the nearest person to embrace! And of course Michael Owen's goal wasn’t too
bad either but lets not dwell on that match too long!!
Euro 2000
For me hold the least memories for a tournament, in fact I
remember we lost a couple of games and beat Germany but apart from that this is
most memorable for the stories that a couple of friends who went to Holland for
the tournament told on their return, definitely not for public discussion!
Japan/South Korea 2002
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| Never in doubt... |
Now this was a memorable one, mainly for being in the pub at
7.30 in the morning ready to watch matches! The biggest highlight I take from
that is watching the Argentina game, it was a Friday and kicked off at lunchtime,
so got to the pub nice and early (only to ensure that I got the best seat
possible), D.Beck didn’t let that metatarsal get in the way and came up with
the goods and the rest of the day was spent celebrating, even ended up in the
local nightclub in my England Shirt a great party atmosphere and one of the best
football related days I've ever had! Also remember that reversible England
shirt, see it always comes back to the shirts!!
In fact this was the tournament where I developed a superstition of
wearing the opposite colour to what England are wearing, something I kept up
with until my first trip to the new Wembley to see that game with Croatia in
2007!
Euro 2004
This one seemed to be over before it got started, a new
saviour in Wayne Rooney which quickly ended with another metatarsal injury (I
think or was that just injury of choice at the time!) but remember those days
fondly as these where the one's when Quarter-finals were reached!! Sorry, no
shirt memories of this one!!
Germany 2006
Now this was the one, I remember reading in my football
magazines of the mid-nineties that this was the big one, our squad was would be
at its peak and likes of Jamie Redknapp, Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman
would be leading us to glory! I wish I
could find that squad now to see how close it was (Match circa 1994)!! I remember a lot of expectation around this
one but that seemed to disappear as quick as the stock in the boutiques of
Baden-Baden, (Sorry, cheap WAG-gag), in fact the introduction of the term WAG
into the English language was one of the highlights of the summer! Dreams
finally destroyed by our noughties version of the Germans, the Portuguese and a
sudden dislike to Cristiano Ronaldo developed thanks to a wink!
South Africa 2010
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| Not sure it would have much difference |
Another tournament full of expectation, that disappeared as
soon as ITV decided to go to ad-break just as we score against USA, the writing
was on the wall really from that point!! I watched most of these games at work,
luckily I had a desk that was just in the right spot to view the games, oh how
times had changed I went from watching England in World Cups as kid at home, in
the pub with friends and now I was sat at my desk catching a glimpse here and
there between doing this and that (I say a glimpse but we'll move quickly
on..). This culminated with going to a
friends to watch the young German team get spanked and then celebrating with
BBQ, well that didn’t work out and after practically losing my voice shouting
at the ref through the TV, goal-line technology debate anyone! So that was that and another tournament was
over for England, although this did end up with Spain winning and being in
Tenerife for the final was great, watching the Spanish celebrate and imagining
what it would be like if we won something their party was over the next day, I
know ours would go on for weeks!!!
So with Euro 2012 just a couple of weeks away, I wonder what
memories this one will leave with me, lets hope good ones, COME ON ENGLAND!!
