Top 10 England Debacles
If you're an England supporter, and despite the best efforts of the likes of Eriksson,
McClaren and Barwick, some of us still are, then you will be used to disappointment.
In fact, you will have a PhD in it. England are simply masters at falling short. This
article celebrates, if that is the right word, 10 of the worst experiences of being English
and interested in football. Interestingly we haven't included anything from between 1953
and 1981, a period which covers the 1970s. This decade was probably the worst ever for the
national team yet our failures to qualify for either the 1974 or 1978 World Cups never
produced anything as lamentable as this lot. Additionally we haven't added anything from the
Steve McClaren era. It's still too fresh. Too sore. When an updated version of this appears
(or a 20) we will correct this glaring omission.
Sadly there are many others which we could have included but didn't. Two in particular stand
out as 'nights we failed to qualify for the World Cup'. In 1973 a home draw with Poland ended
our hopes and Sir Alf's job, but we absolutely battered a team who were to come third in West
Germany. If Brian Clough's goalkeeping "clown" Jan Tomaszewski needs any introduction then
you're on the wrong website.
Twenty years later a hapless Graham Taylor was ruefully re-writing the rules on English grammar
as Holland defeated us 2-0 in Rotterdam. Yet he was the victim of possibly the worst ever
decision to hamper an England manager when Ronald Koeman wasn't sent off after rugby tackling
the clean through David Platt. Minutes later he chipped a twice taken free kick into David
Seaman's net and that was that. For that reason it doesn't get in. Anyhow, see number 4 for
Taylor's lowest ebb.