Bit late now

[jimmy_onions]

Excellent doc...a few thoughts

 - oh to have a leader like TB nowadays, someone who bangs walls in the dressing room, points to the badge screams at people etc (I loved the bit inthe middle when they were talking about how they got motivated for that game, reminds me of Martin Johnson pre rugby world cup)
 - What unity they seemed to possess as a team...they seems to be having such a genuine crack.
 - Gazza did actually seem to have a mental age of about 15 back then
 - Oh to go back to an era of when players possessed the attitudes of linekar, beardsley, waddle etc.
 - those were the days when I supported England as much as STFC,
 - and now...dont have any time for any of them.
 

[Ardiles]

Thanks.

But why did it (Union Jack) do the job in the first place? Was there really a feeling of home nation "togetherness" despite haveing separate football teams? I have no recallation of that being true but my memory is hazy really.

One of the biggest gripes that Scots have with us is that (they say) we equate English with British.  I'm not so sure it's true any more, but it probably used to be.  (Lloyd George, a Welshman, used to refer to Great Britain as 'England' all the time, as was the norm back then.  It also explains why, even today, the commonly used French term for Brits is 'les anglais'.)

The truth is that people probably didn't see much point in making the distinction.  It was only in the mid-1990s that we woke up and realised it didn't make sense.  You never know...we may even find an English anthem to sing before games in future, rather than using the British anthem that's currently sung.

[Batch]

Fair enough. Makes sense to me. just seems so strange now and we are 'only' talking 20 years ago!

[SCM]

You could tell in the players voices it bitterly hurts them still to this day that they didn't progress. The pride taken by our players back then was twice as much as what it means for them to wear the Three Lions these days.

No out and out superstars (except one being born) just a team who had a great spirit and desire to wear the shirt.

I think we lack that now, we're a team made up of individual talent, who don't quite have bond Gazza and co had. When you look at the likes of Germany, their side isn't great, but they all work their socks off for one another. I watched last night with pride, and cared far more about seeing us lose to Germany (despite knowing the result!) than I did last Sunday. I was only 1 during Italia 90, but through highlights etc I feel more attached to that team than I do to this.

Seeing the great Sir Bobby Robson being wheeled out to the pitch in the charity match choked me up big time. A true legend.

[One F In Fitton]

repeated at 8pm tonight on itv.

Thank you - Sky+ duly set.

I've asked my Dad in the past why all the Union Jack nonsense until fairly recently - the answer is that the St George cross became frowned-upon because of the National Fronts' association with it, hence the UJ taking over. I went to all the England games in Euro 96, and the sight of thousands & thousands of St George crosses being waved all around Wembley, for the first time in my life, was just one of many happy memories of that tournament. The UJ means absolutely nothing to me.

[4D]

1990 was the last time we could hold our heads up after a World Cup. Seems like yesterday, but there are probably regular posters on here who were still in nappies in 1990!

A group of us watched the games in the same pub each time, we all wore our England shirts then went on clubbing in them (we must have stunk  ). I had the sky blue 3rd kit shirt 

[SCM]

I was close to buying one of those shirts before this World Cup started. Being 'retro' and all.

I feel rather young compared to quite a few of you 

Personally I think the team did us proud in France 98. First World Cup I can remember. Just let down by a moment of madness from Beckham against a class Argentinian outfit which ultimately cost us. That and letting David 'i've never taken a penalty before in my life so now's a good time to start' Batty have a spot kick.

[Batch]

I feel rather young compared to quite a few of you 

Personally I think the team did us proud in France 98. First World Cup I can remember.

You are young! The first World Cup I can really remember is Mexico '86 Must have seen a bit of Spain '82 though.

[4D]

I had the sticker album for Argentina '78 

[SCM]

My first tourny was Euro 96, at the grand old age of 7.

Apparently that's the first time I swore in a sentence.

[url width=450 height=450]http://www.offthepost.info/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/england-away-1996.jpg[/url]

'What the fuck is that"...I said. I still think I had a valid point.

[Highland Robin]

I've asked my Dad in the past why all the Union Jack nonsense until fairly recently - the answer is that the St George cross became frowned-upon because of the National Fronts' association with it, hence the UJ taking over.

My memory was exactly this, and that the St George's Cross was therefore widely used by some of the real trouble makers at football matches (especially at certain SE and E London clubs), so there was a general attempt to reclaim it from the far right.

[Old Duffer]

It was a real tear-jerker to see Bobby Robson in that state at the end. I never knew about the England v Germany re-match, I would have made the effort if I'd known.

[donkey]

proof that drinking  makes you ace at football

I must be the exception that proves the rule.