England’s run in 1996–and everything that came with it–is the moment my love of football turned into a lifetime obsession.
As we all know by now, many of the most significant sporting events scheduled for 2020 have been postponed or canceled this year. While a massive gap in the sporting calendar, will no doubt be missed, it’s a good time to remember some of my favourite moments from a few of these events.
In this article, the event I will focus on is the football European Championships.
There have been many great past European Championship football tournaments, but, for me, none have been greater than Euro 96, the summer when football indeed came home.
It had been 30 years since England had last hosted a major football tournament, and the 1966 World Cup was the nation’s only major international trophy. As always, when a major football tournament comes around, England hopes were high, even more so as the host nation.
Going into the tournament, England’s form hadn’t been great. The had failed to qualify for the World Cup in 1994, and striker Alan Shearer hadn’t scored in twelve International matches before Euro 96. The opening match of the tournament wasn’t the ideal start–a disappointing 1-1 draw against Switzerland. But at least Shearer scored to break his barren spell.
It was from that moment, however, that the tournament kick-started for England. And as a young ten-year-old, I got swept up in the fever of the tournament and the love of the game.
The second match for England was the so-called ‘auld enemy,’ Scotland. Shearer scored again to give England the lead, but when a penalty went Scotland’s way, David Seaman stepped up to save Gary McAllister’s kick. It was still 1-0 England when it was time for one man to steal the show.
Since bursting on the international scene in the 1990 World Cup when he led England to the semi-finals, Paul ‘Gazza’ Gascoigne’s career had been one plagued by injury and controversy off the pitch. But on this occasion, Gazza was at his very best. He received a bouncing ball on the edge of the Scotland penalty area. With his first touch, he lobbed it over defender Colin Hendry and cut inside, and then struck a sweet half volley into the net. With one of the best goals of all-time, it was now 2-0 England.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y45fNsKqeKI
Thousands of other youngsters and I went straight outside to try and replicate that goal. But only Gazza could do it in such style.
Next, England faced Holland, the originators of total football. But on a glorious summer night at Wembley, it was England that was playing total football, crushing the Dutch 4-1, with two goals each for striker pair Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham.
England was now into the quarter-finals where they faced Spain, but the match failed to live up to the excitement and performances of those previous matches. After a goalless 90 minutes plus extra time, England and Spain did battle in a penalty shoot-out. Goalkeeper David Seaman was the penalty hero again, saving shots from Fernando Hierro and Miguel Nadal, as England progressed 4-2 on penalties and into the semi-finals.
There they faced long-time adversary Germany. These two have had a long football history, most memorably for the 1966 World Cup final where England triumphed 4-2 after extra-time–thanks to a Geoff Hurst hat-trick. The great Bobby More lifted the Jules Rimet trophy from the Wembley royal box!
Since that day in 1966, Germany had knocked England out of the 1970 and 1990 World Cup.
As fate would have it, the 1996 European Championship semi-final would also go to penalties after a 1-1 draw. Shearer gave England an early lead for his fifth goal of the competition, which eventually earned him a Golden Boot. But after a German equaliser, the sides could not be separated.
With penalties again, would this be a repeat or revenge from the heartache of 1990? After five successful penalties, up stepped Gareth Southgate for England. The German goalkeeper guessed right, and the rest, as they say, is history. Germany went onto win Euro 96, beating the Czech Republic in the final.
For me and many others in England, tears were shed. I may no longer be a child just learning the game, but major tournament defeats for England or relegation still hurt just as much.
England’s unbeaten run to the semi-finals in 1996–and everything that came with it–the nation is adopting “Football’s Coming Home” as its anthem. Today, it still lives with me and many others, and it will likely live with us forever. That is the moment my love of football turned into a lifetime obsession.
There have been many more great European Championship moments both before and since 1996, but that tournament was my highlight. Hopefully, 2021–with the final again at Wembley–will match it.
Those were just my memories, and I hope it will help you remember your personal favourite.
