Euro '96 What might have been.

[kushiro]

Everyone knows about the butterfly effect, right? The idea that if a goalkeeper flaps at a cross in Leicester, a tidal wave is generated on the other side of the world (sorry Kasper - still love you really).  Well, I've always thought that applied to Euro '96. If other things had been only slightly altered, Gazza would have stretched an extra inch and got to that cross in extra time to put us in the final - with only an average Czech side then standing between us and a farewell to '30 years of hurt'. 

 

Anyone around at the time will remember that football, music and politics all seemed to be somehow interlinked - Three Lions was a fantastic football song, Liverpool were called 'The Spice Boys', Oasis went around wearing Man City tops and played historic gigs at Maine Road, Chris Evans and Danny Baker were the coolest DJs on the radio - and both talked constantly about football. Even our own Steve Walsh found himself on the cover of 'Definitely Maybe' (if you look closely enough). Did I mention politics too? Oh yeah - Tony Blair tried to hitch a ride on the zeitgist by doing that (actually pretty impressive) keepy-up headers thing wth Kevin Keegan, and then told his party conference that 'Labour's Coming Home' (and what's more, most of us fools believed him).

 

This heady brew of cultural miscegeny was, for people born too late to experience the real thing (like me), the closest we ever came to 1960s-style euphoria. There was something in the air, and as Euro '96 progressed, it seemed like a wave of optimism would somehow carry England all the way to the trophy.

 

But - the problem was, this wave wasn't quite powerful enough. And that's because two things failed to happen:

 

1) After the final whistle in the England - Scotland game in the group stages, England fans started a spontaneous song of celebration. 'It's coming home, it's coming home, it's coming, football's coming home'....It spread round every corner of the old Wembley stadium (well, apart from the away end, of course) - and Frank Skinner and David Baddiel stood gobsmacked as the words they'd written became the new England anthem before their eyes. When they wrote the track (along with Ian Broudie of the Lightning Seeds), they'd given it a glorious climax, where the 'coming home' part and the 'three lions on a shirt' part are sung in unison.  Watching the Scotland game on TV in Wiggy, I waited excitedly to see how the England fans would handle this climactic section - surely they'd play ball -  one section of the crowd would take one part, another section the other - and there would be 80,000 England fans enjoying a scintillating symphonic sing along. Just like the England rugby fans, with that wonderfully evocative 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot', where some sing the high line, some the low.

 

Except it simply didn't happen. Somehow, Wembley was, collectively, a little too uptight, a little too 'manly', to go for it. We're not quite ready for that, England supporters decided en masse. We'll do the St George's face paint, we'll read Nick Hornby novels, and we'll even sing about emotional hurt (at least in an unthreatening football context), but somewhere, a line must be drawn. We will not sing a round!  What next? Morris Dancing? Co-counsellling? Reading the Guardian like Graeme Le Saux?   (Robert Crumb, the wonderful American satirist, once captured this idea perfecly in a cartoon in which a tough looking bloke's thought bubble reads 'I must maintain this macho pose or all is lost')

 

Had England fans cast off their inhibitions and fully lost themselves in the moment, who knows where it would have led? Instead, the message was 'We won't go all the way'. That, in the end, was precisely England's fate.    

 

2) This one's Noel Gallagher's fault. He was trying 'not to be too commercial'. Don't Look Back in Anger had been the fourth single from (What's the Story) Morning Glory back in January, and it soared to number one. The Oasis TOTP performance where Noel swings his Union Jack guitar around just as Sally comes back again was one of the signature moments of the era.  At the Brit Awards in February, Liam taunted the defeated Blur boys with a wonderfully witty parody of 'Park Life' (I'd like to thank all the people...'), (a moment that ranks alongside Gazza's dentist's chair celebration in the 'We may be louts, but we're smart louts' stakes). The whole country was singing along. One of my clearest recollections of the time is trying to work out the chords to Wonderwall on the guitar but not being able to concentrate because someone in the neighbouring flat was trying to work out the chords to Wonderwall on the guitar. 

 

But, implausibly, there was still one more track on the album that was even more anthemic. Noel thought about putting out Champagne Supernova as the fifth single. The seven minute epic could have been all over the airwaves as Euro 96 approached, blaring from every radio, annoying Damon Albarn even more as he walked round the streets of Hoxton, with people constantly winding their car windows down to taunt him with another blast of the Gallagher boys. The track would have been sitting proudly at number one - the perfect soundtrack as the BBC put Gazza's volley and the 4-1 hammering of Holland on heavy rotation. That soaring, triumphant climax to the track would have sent out the message loud and clear - more clearly than a thousand hired aircraft circling the skies above London, each with a streamer saying 'This is going to end gloriously'.

 

But Noel decided that five singles was one too many. He didn't want to fleece the fans. So instead, we had The Fugees at number one for a month, and while Killing Me Softly was a fine tune which stood proudly outside the whole britpop mania, it was, for our current purposes, useless. It was never going to give the national mood that final boost- the one that would have, somehow, allowed Gazza to stretch that extra inch against the Germans.  

 

So - in the words of a scally from a different decade, that's my theory and I'm sticking to it.

 

Feel free to add whatever you wish to this mixture of bitter sweet recollection and wild fantasy.

[leicesterlad1989]

Fantastic post.

 

I was a 6 year old when the tournament started (7 by the time it finished). Euro 96 is possibly my earliest football memory. I went to a number of Leicester games prior to the tournament kicking off but the euphoria of Euro 96 gripped me, even as a young kid.

 

I remember going to school the next day believing it was the final that we had just lost. It certainly felt like it. Even at that age I seemed to understand the importance of England v Germany...I blame my Dad!

Three Lions still gives me goosebumps now.

 

Unfortunately it's the best England have ever been in my lifetime. Not just in terms of tournament football but the passion of the players and fans alike. Maybe that's just football in general now but that's for a different conversation.

Edited 20 March 2018 by leicesterlad1989

[Voll Blau]

1 hour ago, leicesterlad1989 said:

Fantastic post.

 

I was a 6 year old when the tournament started (7 by the time it finished). Euro 96 is possibly my earliest football memory. I went to a number of Leicester games prior to the tournament kicking off but the euphoria of Euro 96 gripped me, even as a young kid.

 

I remember going to school the next day believing it was the final that we had just lost. It certainly felt like it. Even at that age I seemed to understand the importance of England v Germany...I blame my Dad!

Three Lions still gives me goosebumps now.

 

Unfortunately it's the best England have ever been in my lifetime. Not just in terms of tournament football but the passion of the players and fans alike. Maybe that's just football in general now but that's for a different conversation.

 

Looks like you're a few days older than me, but by and large my experience was the same. Still gutted that I missed seeing Gazza's goal against Scotland because I'd been forced to go to someone's birthday party, was listening on the radio as I was being driven home and still remember that. It was an England team and squad to be proud of.

 

As with you, I'd been to a few Leicester games by that point but this really opened my eyes to world football - players like Suker and Poborsky are who I remember from that tournament.

[stripeyfox]

That first period of extra time in the semi final at Wembley was some of the most intense football I've ever watched. it was Golden Goal of course. There was the chance where Anderton (I think) hit the post and it bounced back straight into the keeper's arms. Then the ball across the six yard box with Gascoinge stretching to get the touch in front of the open goal but not quite making it.

Germany had the ball in the net too, but the goal was disallowed for a push.

 

It was pulsating, breathless stuff.

 

 

[Guest Electric Yetis]

My school team won the league that year, we had our presentation evening the night we beat Netherlands 4-1. Still upset I never got to see that game.

Remember watching the Semi-Final in the bar of New Parks Leisure Centre where my dad worked, with a bunch of strangers. Was devastating and a real eye-opener seeing so many seemingly tough old blokes crying their eyes out.

[boots60]

Gazza's goal against the sweaties has to go down as my all time non Leicester City footballing moment,

Sheer class.

[SouthStandUpperTier]

The semi-final was the day before my 18th birthday. I knew we'd shit out as per usual.

 

When I think of Euro 96 one of the first images that springs to mind is thousands of idiots wearing those plastic St. George's cross bowler hats with 'The Sun' emblasoned on them.

[Stadt]

I was thinking about what Euro 96 must have been like the other week, I was born the year after and to me at least seemed like a zenith age of British or more likely, English, culture. A very stirring post.

[leicesterlad1989]

4 hours ago, Voll Blau said:

 

Looks like you're a few days older than me, but by and large my experience was the same. Still gutted that I missed seeing Gazza's goal against Scotland because I'd been forced to go to someone's birthday party, was listening on the radio as I was being driven home and still remember that. It was an England team and squad to be proud of.

 

As with you, I'd been to a few Leicester games by that point but this really opened my eyes to world football - players like Suker and Poborsky are who I remember from that tournament.

See, I am not sure if I saw Gazza's goal live or not. I am certain I did but my memory is very hazy. I've watched it so many times since that I feel like I was in the stadium watching it live.

Winning on penalties against Spain will always stick in my mind. Again, we've never got better since. I just remember jumping on my brother, who is two years younger than me and making him cry. I don't think I quite understood what I was celebrating at the time but it's always stuck in my mind.

 

I can remember from Euro 96 onwards I became football obsessed. That tournament I have a lot to thank for really. I have no doubt that if we held a tournament again, there would be similar frenzy (look at the Olympics). It's just a shame that I can't see it happening and my kids will miss out.  

[stripeyfox]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIkDl3DyQJg

 

Anderton hit post 1.23, Gascoinge miss 1.32

 

[Vacamion]

 

I'd been in Scotland for 2 years. 

 

I was single and in my prime.  Oh what times...

 

Given the references to Britpop, my very ginger flatmate, a mad Oasis fan, would later make himself a laughing stock by colouring his mop of hair a darker shade, to try to look like his heroes, but forgetting to do his ginger eyebrows.

 

Anyway, back to 1996, I watched the Scotland game at a work function we had laid on for clients in Edinburgh. I made myself very unpopular with my colleagues and clients by celebrating Gary Mac's miss and Gazza's goal straight after it a bit too raucously.

 

I watched the Holland thrashing a few days later with some English mates and we danced around the room.

 

We looked the business.  We could have won by more. I'd never seen us take a side apart at a time when it mattered like that.  We looked like we could beat anyone, so I was properly gutted after ze Germans did us on penalties again. 

 

Little did we know, we were set for a LOT more of that kind of failure.

 

Whilst it was a chance missed, I always though we would have had a great chance of winning the World Cup in 2002, too, as we had Brazil on the rack until the famous lobbing of Seaman (hopes this phrase freaks out the millennials).

 

And maybe if Rooney had not lost his head and stayed on the pitch, we'd have beaten Portugal in 2006 and progressed.

 

Ah well....

[CosbehFox]

18 hours ago, stripeyfox said:

That first period of extra time in the semi final at Wembley was some of the most intense football I've ever watched. it was Golden Goal of course. There was the chance where Anderton (I think) hit the post and it bounced back straight into the keeper's arms. Then the ball across the six yard box with Gascoinge stretching to get the touch in front of the open goal but not quite making it.

Germany had the ball in the net too, but the goal was disallowed for a push.

 

It was pulsating, breathless stuff.

 

 

Anderton has said he thought he’d score when he hit the shot. 

 

Hes also said with the new golden goal rule, the England players had planned a celebration where they would all just run down the tunnel because the game was immediately over. 

[stripeyfox]

I missed the Holland game. A fact that still rankles with me now. I'd just started seeing a girl and we were invited round to dinner at her friend and her partner. I thought it would be fine - the girls could chat and we (or at least, I) could watch the game. But when we got there he was a right boring bastard. They didn't even have a TV! We sat and ate dinner whilst I wondered about the score which I didn't learn until I got into the car. I'd kind of consoled myself that we'd probably be getting pasted by the Dutch anyway so I was better off not seeing it, so when I switched the radio on after the game, I was gutted to learn that I'd missed what was probably England's greatest performance in my lifetime.

 

And the dinner was shit!

 

[Izzy]

I was in my mid 20's and in my drinking prime years during Euro 96 so the timing was perfect. No wife or kids to worry about, just all day sessions on the piss before the games - happy days. The music scene was great and there was a real buzz in the country that we could win it. As stripey says above, some of the football we played against the Dutch was the best I've seen from an England team.

 

One of the criticisms I have of the current England team is the lack of creativity but also the lack of leaders. Just look at the Euro 96 squad below and see how many leaders there are - at least half a dozen of them.

 

Losing to Germany again hurt like hell, especially after Italia 90. As always we did a great job of staging the event and just proved that hosting the WC would have been a piece of piss for us.  

 

That Skinner and Badiel song had the whole country singing and behind the team. Great times to be an England fan but it ultimately ended in pain as usual. We really could/should have won it.

 

1	GK	David Seaman	19 September 1963 (aged 32)	24	Arsenal
2	DF	Gary Neville	18 February 1975 (aged 21)	10	Manchester United
3	DF	Stuart Pearce	24 April 1962 (aged 34)	65	Nottingham Forest
4	MF	Paul Ince	21 October 1967 (aged 28)	19	Internazionale
5	DF	Tony Adams (captain)	10 October 1966 (aged 29)	40	Arsenal
6	DF	Gareth Southgate	3 September 1970 (aged 25)	4	Aston Villa
7	MF	David Platt	10 June 1966 (aged 29)	58	Arsenal
8	MF	Paul Gascoigne	27 May 1967 (aged 29)	38	Rangers
9	FW	Alan Shearer	13 August 1970 (aged 25)	23	Blackburn Rovers
10	FW	Teddy Sheringham	2 April 1966 (aged 30)	15	Tottenham Hotspur
11	MF	Darren Anderton	3 March 1972 (aged 24)	11	Tottenham Hotspur
12	DF	Steve Howey	26 October 1971 (aged 24)	4	Newcastle United
13	GK	Tim Flowers	3 February 1967 (aged 29)	8	Blackburn Rovers
14	MF	Nick Barmby	11 February 1974 (aged 22)	6	Middlesbrough
15	MF	Jamie Redknapp	25 June 1973 (aged 22)	4	Liverpool
16	DF	Sol Campbell	18 September 1974 (aged 21)	1	Tottenham Hotspur
17	MF	Steve McManaman	11 February 1972 (aged 24)	10	Liverpool
18	FW	Les Ferdinand	8 December 1966 (aged 29)	10	Newcastle United
19	DF	Phil Neville	21 January 1977 (aged 19)	1	Manchester United
20	MF	Steve Stone	20 August 1971 (aged 24)	6	Nottingham Forest
21	FW	Robbie Fowler	9 April 1975 (aged 21)	3	Liverpool
22	GK	Ian Walker	31 October 1971 (aged 24)	2	Tottenham Hotspur

[NorthfieldsFox]

We can’t win international championships because we fcuk up our players heads and paralyse them with fear , our media and following who buy that media needs to shoulder a lot of responsibility for the fact we will never win a championship again  

[Rogstanley]

Great post OP. It got me thinking about whether the tragedy of Gascoigne's failure to reach that ball is directly responsible for the later tragedy where he went to the offie first thing in the morning with his balls out. 

[Tuna]

It was my first tournament as an England fan (too young for Italia 90) and got completely swept up in the excitement (already buzzing after a certain mr claridge scored at Wembley a few weeks earlier) despite being only 11 years old at the time.

 

It really felt like we were going to win the thing and gave me the belief that eventually we'd win a tournament in the years to come, which has been sadly eroded thanks to repeated failures ever since.

 

 

[Kitchandro]

5 hours ago, NorthfieldsFox said:

We can’t win international championships because we fcuk up our players heads and paralyse them with fear , our media and following who buy that media needs to shoulder a lot of responsibility for the fact we will never win a championship again  

No, we are crap because a) our players aren’t good enough and b) our managers are shambolic.

 

The England team used to play as an actual team with a philosophy. Now we just move the ball around with no real idea why.

 

That’s not the media’s fault (as much as I don’t like them) and it’s not their fault if players are mentally weak either. You don’t get these complaints from the Italians or the Brazilians, and they’re always chastised by the media.

[Voll Blau]

 

 

Was absolutely delighted when I finally managed to do something vaguely similar to this in a knockabout lunchtime game at school about 10 years later after a decade of trying. 

 

Despised Man United as a kid and hated that he signed for them straight after the tournament.

Edited 21 March 2018 by Voll Blau

[winteriscoming]

The euro 96 side was the best england side I've seen (was too young to remember italia 90). At the time it seemed like the whole country got behind the team. I always despair looking at whose in charge now of the national team and what he is remembered for. Still can't believe gazza didn't get a touch to score. The so called golden generation (beckham, Gerrard, Lampard etc) were no where near as good as the 96 side. 

[Nalis]

The fact there are 2 Forest players in the squad just shows how long ago it was.

 

Cue someone saying the same thing about us 22 years from now though...

[fuchsntf]

On 21.3.2018 at 19:03, Nalis said:

The fact there are 2 Forest players in the squad just shows how long ago it was.

 

Cue someone saying the same thing about us 22 years from now though...

Yup!! In 22 years time,our Grankids will be asking ," but how did we win that WCup in Russia"

 

Our children,will look them lovingly in the eye and explain,

" Your grandad ,Said spite @kitchandros concerns and @fifs am I Mad,Happy clapper Posts,

 

A certain Young Maguire,kept Out the floods, and an old Mongrel Vardy,Produced simple Magic,

by being the only golden boot Winner ever  Recorded who scored by starting every game from the

Bench.also Breaking the record of Most Goals scored. After Beating  Germany in the final,and Vardy

sinking Putin under the table in a drink-off,

Then to top it Off an Expat Recording on YouTube,Burning His German-citizenship-certificate,

in Disgust, expecting His new homeland would make him a unique double world-cup winner.!!! 

1st as a Young happy crazy Englishman,then as a grumpy but highly disciplined German".

 

 

Edited 23 March 2018 by fuchsntf

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

This and the 1978 World Cup ( even though we weren’t in it) are my 2 favourite tournaments, Euro 96 really did capture the nation, and we were good back then! Now I can’t even be bothered with England. 

[Out Foxed]

i was lucky enough to see England win on penalties, in the flesh. 

 

Not sure much can top that. 

 

apart from seeing us lift the prem 

Edited 23 March 2018 by Out Foxed

[Finnegan]

Personally I'm absolutely delighted that champagne supernova isn't forever associated with an English trophy win. 

 

What a tune ruined that would have been.