A TALE OF THREE CITIES as well as Three Lions

1996 European Championships in England. 

   To begin with I was home in London, by the final stages of the competition I was neither here nor there. The one all draw with Switzerland was not the best start but a sunny Saturday afternoon at Wembley and a 2-0 win against Scotland got the crowd singing the 'Three Lions' anthem and the 4-1 victory over the Dutch really got the country dreaming after 30 years of hurt. England had a team full of leaders plus the maverick Paul Gascoigne and we had 'home' advantage.  

    The Quarter final game against Spain found me in Paris. A two-day charity triathlon had ended earlier that day and a crowd of us found a bar outside EuroDisney, where we were staying, and endured the goalless 120 minutes before a penalty shoot-out resulted in a win for England. Stuart Pearce exorcising some of his hurt of 6 years before with a thumping penalty.

      In the semi-finals England's old nemesis Germany awaited, but I'd flown out to Turkey for a holiday, two days before and was now 2 hours ahead but on time and in position for kick-off in the hotel terrace bar in Datca. England's goal was scored so quickly some people were not on the terrace they didn't think it had started. It wasn't long before it was 1-1 and then extra-time and the inevitable penalties approached. This tournament had for the first time used the 'Golden Goal' system, whereby the first team to score in extra-time were the winners. Three matches before this one had thrown up such a possibility and all had gone the distance, as would this game. Five penalties scored each and it's sudden death: England miss and the Germans score. More heartache, more hurt. From nearly 2,000 miles away it felt like Euro96 was all over. 

     We did get a 'Golden Goal' in the final and I did watch it, hoping for the Czech Republic to win, they didn't. 

      3 weeks in June. Never stops me dreaming… ?

The tournament begins tomorrow in France. In 1992 complete outsiders Denmark triumphed and then 12 years later unfancied Greece pulled off a similar victory. It's now 12 years on and time for another surprise winner… perhaps ?