England '66

[Vlad the Inhaler]

In ten days time it will be fifty years since England won the football world cup, I was working in a grocery shop at the time so all I saw live was the winning goal when I got home, a lot of people on here weren't born then and unfortunately a number of us will be dead before it ever happens again. 

[calnorth]

Don't remind me...I was in a German friends house in Germany watching it at the time. But hey ho its only a football match.

Nobody kicked off with bad mouth and fists anywhere..unlike today.

[BrenD]

Jul 20, 2016 9:51:14 GMT Vlad the Inhaler said:

In ten days time it will be fifty years since England won the football world cup, I was working in a grocery shop at the time so all I saw live was the winning goal when I got home, a lot of people on here weren't born then and unfortunately a number of us will be dead before it ever happens again. 

My folks were around for it, but... neither of them like football. What a waste

I have to keep the faith that we'll win something in my lifetime, the 13 year old me really didn't think it would take another 20 years+ after going so close at Euro 96

[Greg]

I missed it by a few years.

I don't think England will ever win it again

[BrenD]

Jul 20, 2016 10:06:13 GMT Greg said:

I missed it by a few years.

I don't think England will ever win it again

Kane will captain us to glory. He could still just about play for the u21s, as could Rashford, Alli, Dier and Shaw. I'm not sure one dodgy season makes Stones a bad player and Butland is young for a keeper...

Young Marcus Edwards at Spurs is going to be an absolute star and with a bit of Poch love, we've got a few more that could be England regulars given time. Josh Onomah was on the fringe of the first team last season and he'll kick on and make his breakthrough this.

The players are there, I'm convinced of it. We just need the right man in charge. I don't know who that is (Wenger? Klinsmann?), but I'm pretty sure it isn't Allardyce or Bruce.

[Bobsbeer]

I was around at the time but don't remember watching the match, I was only 10 so probably had better things to do playing outside. lol England should be able to win major international tournaments. We have a massive wealth of talent and football heritage. No less than other european nations such as Germany, France, Spain etc. Why we can't and don't is a mystery others have tried and failed to solve. Questions abound when it comes to the reasons. Is it our home grown talent is not allowed the opportunity to play at the top level? Is it that they are a bunch of pampered pr**ks, playing for self interest than national pride? Is it that the English and Welsh football leagues, and especially the Premier Division dominated by foreign players? Is it because our season is too long, and our players are knackered when they go to play in these tournaments? Is it because the Premier League teams are protecting their considerable investment?

I am sure there are many more, and varied questions asking why we don't play at the top level in these tournaments on a regular basis. Until they find the real reason, or combination of reasons, we will continue to languish near the bottom of international football. Club and Country should be the reason these players play for England, not financial reward. For a country that brought football to the world, that is a sad state of affairs and a blight on our heritage. Sadly as in most things in the UK money will win, and the Premier League certainly has plenty of that. So I don't expect the current situation to change in the near term, even if we signed up the best manager the world has to offer.

[Vlad the Inhaler]

My feeling is that the players are spoilt and pampered, too many people telling them how good they are instead of demanding they show how good they are.

[Bobsbeer]

You are probably right. When the likes of Wales and Iceland can do so well shows that much of it comes down to attitude. Whether their success can be repeated is an unknown, but it proves it can be done when they play as a team rather than a group of celebrities.

[striker42]

Jul 20, 2016 10:06:13 GMT Greg said:

I missed it by a few years.

I don't think England will ever win it again

I don't think Scotland will ever qualify again ! Which is a good thing as it get's the embarrassment over in the qualifiers.

BrenD, Allardyce or Bruce might not be the men to lead England to success, but one thing both possess is passion, which is more than can be say for Woy.

[Vlad the Inhaler]

Slightly off topic but lets hope referees have the guts to see it through.
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36844570

[BrenD]

I think how well Wales did is a sign that all is not lost for England. We are talking a squad of players who came through the same academies as the England team, a lot of whom knew they wouldn't make the England squad so used Welsh grandparents to play international football. Without meaning to be too disrespectful, it was largely an England B team.

But Coleman was one heck of a leader as a player and that has eventually transferred into management.

The FA need to find a leader of men. Look at what we did under Venables. Sadly I'm not sure the two front runners are the right person based on their records as managers. I'd be delighted to be wrong, though.

[yahoo2u2]

I was knocking around at the time, 6, so football was not part of our family, we only just had a telly. We had one with sound and one with picture and used both one on top of the other

But I do remember seeing JFK on the news when I was 3, how odd is that.

[Greg]

The class of 96 were in my opinion the best team we've had for many a year, that was our chance and whilst we might have some promising youngsters there not nor never will be in the class of Gascoigne, Sheringham, Fowler, Shearer, et al.

Not to mention a passionate manager with flair on the field (and off it )

A golden opportunity missed and unlikely to come around again.

I recall the ex English player pundits standing up for the latest bunch of failures saying how they'd be hurting, how they're proud yo play for their country and who they wanted to win so much. Well watching them they gave the appearance they couldn't give a rats ar$e about the shirt they were wearing.

Bring on the Olympics I say, we might have a few shine their and they'll be no lack of passion and effort in that arena I'm sure.

[erik514]

Speaking as a Scot who should shudder with embarrassment even thinking about football, I think you missed your best chance in 1990. Looking at your current squad it'll be a long time coming around again.

[Raffles]

I was 19 at the time, but cannot remember watching it... I think I had other things on my mind at that age and especially with my 'passion wagon'... my super, girl pulling, Ford Anglia... OR is that just a fantasy of my mind, rewriting history!

And NO, we'll never win anything until the clubs stop paying obscene wages to 'average' players who are financially secure in their teens and have no hunger. It would need a boycott of fans going to games, and especially subscribers to sports channels to change attitudes, and that ain't going to happen anytime soon. For the record, I'm not one of them, as you may have guessed.