World Cups…aaaaah, World Cups, don’tcha just love ‘em?

In the build up to the 1970 competition, I wasn’t well. Both my brothers had the same bug. So mum and dad shunted us all into one room, whether for the company or to contain the germs I know not. Most importantly, they moved the telly into the room. The new colour telly.

Naturally, the three of us stayed ‘ill’ for some time…propped up in bed, thermometers in mouths…watching the fuzzy pictures from Mexico. The Brazil shirts like endless golden sands…the shimmering ocean-like blue of the Italians…the ropey, er sorry, ‘specially formulated’ aertex of England…

That competition lives with me always. My parents loved the game, but neither had ‘a team’, so it was Mexico 70 that crystallised my obsession with football. And ever since, whether home nations have qualified or not, I have lapped up the greatest show on earth every four years.

I can reel off lists of the greatest games (who can forget France vs Germany in 82, the Gallic masters undone by Schumacher the pantomime villain?), the coolest kits (Mexico in 98 was a belter), the best celebrations (Tardelli, Milla et al), the comedy moments (the Zaire defender breaking out from the wall to kick the ball away in 74)…

But what of the Euros?

In this media-dominated age, with its saturation coverage of the game, its love of footballers as celebrities, an age where the League Two Play Off final is treated like the second coming, the Euros is BIG BUSINESS, something to get JOLLY EXCITED about.

And it’s not only the media. Many fans think of it as “the World Cup without Argentina and Brazil”.

Not me, though. For me, the Euros is still a humble League Cup when put next to the World Cup as FA Cup (if you’re a ‘Big 4’ fan, you may like to read that as “a humble FA Cup when put next to the World Cup as Champions’ League”). As a supporter of a club whose only ever meaningful silverware was the much-maligned League Cup, I’d love to see England win the Euros (I don’t feel any ownership of the 66 triumph, having been 2 years old at the time). I’m sure fans of other nations feel the same, especially fellow perennial under-achievers like Spain. Equally, I’m sure the French and the Dutch, both of whom had memorable teams in the 80s, would have swapped their respective Euro wins in 84 and 88 for a World Cup win in 82 / 86.

So I set myself a test. Given my photographic recall of so many World Cup moments from 1970 onwards, I thought I’d see what my memory bank could trawl up from the last nine European Championships. Then, with the help of the UEFA website, I’d match that against what really happened…

1972 / 1976

Memory
The fact that I have had to band these two tournos together neatly demonstrates the core of my argument. I could go into truly painful detail about games from the 70, 74 and 78 World Cups, but the 72 & 76 Euros…

Right, who won? Well, I think (but am not sure) that West Germany won in 72, essentially with the team that would go on to win the 74 World Cup. I’m pretty sure that Czechoslovakia won in 76 – only because it’s the answer to a pub quiz question, namely what was the first major tournament to be settled by a penalty shoot out.

In addition, I know England didn’t qualify, confirming the 70s as their wilderness decade; and that neither did Scotland, despite their successful forays in World Cup qualifying for 74 and 78.

Beyond that…well somewhere along the line, I have visions of the Germans knocking England out, but from which of the two tournaments I can’t be sure. I recall what at the time I thought was a very cool green German away kit, and the press waxing lyrical about Günter Netzer, who took England to pieces at Wembley. I suspect the self same press questioned why we didn’t give a chance to our equivalent long-haired flair players….then at some point we did, with the false dawn of an Alan Husdon-inspired Wembley win over the Germans (qualifier or friendly I know not).

So…I think the events were won by two nations that no longer exist. Er. That’s it.

Reality

The UEFA website confirms that West Germany did indeed win in 1972, with essentially the same side that was to triumph in the World Cup two years later, beating the Soviet Union 3-0 in a “one-sided” Final.

Hosts Belgium overcame Hungary to get third place…and the site also confirms that Germany knocked out England in qualifying, their first ever win at Wembley (3-1) meaning a 0-0 in the return was sufficient.

UEFA’s team of the tournament was dominated by Germans…but featured Russian keeper Rudakov and defenders Dzodzuashvili and Khurtsilava alongside Beckenbauer and Breitner, and Belgian striker Lambert alongside Gerd Muller.

As for 1976, it sounds like a bit of a belter.

If I’ve read the site correctly there were the usual qualifying groups, followed by two legged home & away quarter finals, with the four winners progressing to semis & a final in Yugoslavia. I think.

The Czechs (or to accurately recall the era I guess that should be the Czechs & Slovaks) did indeed win on penalties against the Germans…but not only that, but the winning penalty by Antonin Panenka introduced the world to the idea of the dummy, waiting for the keeper to dive, then cockily chipping the ball into the unguarded centre of the goal. Take that, Sepp Maier!

Two facts I’d completely forgotten…England had actually been knocked out in the group stages by the eventual winners. They beat Czechoslovakia 3-0 at Wembley (I remember that game now!), but lost 2-1 in Bratislava (that one’s escaped me)…and presumably dropped points elsewhere too. And a Wales team “inspired by the likes of John Toshack and Leighton James” made the quarters, only to lose to Yugoslavia.

The fourth semi-finalists (predictably for the mid-70s) were the Dutch, who seem to have performed in a characteristic Jekyll and Hyde manner. Having demolished Belgium 7-1 in the quarters, they contrived to have two men sent off in the semi and went out.

1980

Memory
What I remember of 1980 is that England did qualify. And that, inevitably given events throughout the 70s (both domestically and in European club games) we took hooliganism to the international stage. I can recall an England game being stopped whilst the fans were tear gassed, and the teargas floating onto the pitch and affecting the players. The tournament was held in Italy, and I think that game was in Turin.

I’ve got an image of Ray Wilkins in my head….I think Bryan Robson too, though I may be getting confused with Spain 82. I’m guessing this would’ve been prime Keegan / Brooking era, but despite remembering every last detail about their battles with injury in Spain (even Brooking’s famous goal that stuck in the stanchion in Hungary during qualifying for 82)…1980, the mind’s blank.

England would have had an Admiral kit….I think by then we’d discarded the one with the stripes down the arms, but suspect we had yet to wear the now iconic one used in Spain with the red & blue bands across the top.

Most tellingly of all…I don’t know who won the tournament.

Reality
Right, I’m getting the picture now.

This was the first 8 team tourno (ha, that’s why England managed to get through!), with the hosts (in this case Italy) qualifying automatically, World Cup style. Two groups of 4, the winners going straight to the final.

UEFA tells us how “England had stormed through qualifying and possessed a world-class striker in 1978 and 1979 European Footballer of the Year, Kevin Keegan. The Hamburger SV ace was unable to find the target, however, and after opening with a 1-1 draw against Belgium, England’s ambitions evaporated with a 1-0 loss to Italy.”

The Belgians snuck through the group, and inevitably faced the Germans who, despite a much changed team, won with equal inevitability. Schuster was now the main man, whilst the winner was scored by Horst Hrubesch (ah yes, the name Jack Charlton used to love pronouncing as “rubbish”).

Tellingly, no Englishmen in the team of the tourno. So Keegan didn’t only blow the 82 World Cup when missing that easy header against Spain, then. Well they say the true greats leave their mark on the biggest of international stages (Pele, Maradona, Platini, Cruyff…) – what chance young Cristiano in 08?

1984

Memory
France were fantastic. Platini, Tigana, Giresse, what a midfield. The best team I’d seen since Brazil 70 and Holland 74. They won, 2-0 in the final I think….hmmm…Yugoslavia? And I’m pretty sure they hosted the event.

No home nations involved. Bobby Robson got a lot of flak. Can’t remember who knocked us out, presumably someone we were meant to roll over with ease.

Reality

UEFA embellishes my memories somewhat.

First off, the Germans fell in the group stages – blimey! As did Yugoslavia, so I got that one wrong…it was Denmark, Portugal and Spain who made up the semis…the French beat Portugal 3-2 a.e.t. in an “epic” during which they went 2-1 down (Platini won it in the last minute, natch), Spain overcame the Danes on penalties, and blew the Final. France were nervy, but an Arconada keeping error gifted them the lead, and when Le Roux was sent off, all they did was allow the hosts a second.

1988

Memory
England qualified, and were demolished by the brilliant Dutch in the group stages. Captain Marvel put us 1-0 up, but then Gullit and Van Basten took us apart, the latter scoring a hat trick and making a young Tony Adams look like a complete novice.

The Republic qualified too, and were put in the same group. I suspect we played out some tedious draw with each other…or did we…I know we did in Italia 90…hang on, didn’t the Irish win this one, so the 90 game was billed as a chance for revenge…regardless, we lost to the Soviet Union anyway…as I’m guessing the Irish did too, as they didn’t progress either

Knives out for Bobby again. I have to say I recall us being crap, and totally over-reliant on Bryan Robson.

The Dutch won, deservedly. Van Basten scored that volley in the Final…in Munich…2-0 against….Soviet Union?

Reality

Again memory has served me relatively well here, but courtesy of UEFA we can still flesh things out.

Holders France failed to qualify, so Germany and Italy were pre-event favourites. Presumably, despite the heroics of Gullit, Van Basten and Rijkaard in Milan, the Dutch were still judged to be too grumpy.

Yes, Ireland did beat England, and came within 8 minutes of holding the Dutch and progressing, but conceding in the 82nd minute allowed the Soviets through with the Oranje. In the other group, favourites Italy and Germany progressed, only both to fall unexpectedly in the semis…amazingly, my memories of the Final are correct, and the Dutch proved suitably day-glo winners for the acid house summer of love (tho they did have a shirt design that gave the classic orange a somewhat bedraggled look, as if it had been washed a few too many times, then someone had gobbed all over it)

1992

Memory
Sweden…Thomas Brolin…Graham Taylor…

Sweden were hosts, and in our group. We went 1-0 up, but threw it away in the second half, Brolin scoring a cracker after a nifty one-two. Taylor took off all-time scoring record seeker Saint Gary and brought on Alan Smith. Cue tabloid hysteria. For a more reasoned appraisal, see one of our other articles this month.

Mind you, I do recall in his interviews at the tournament, GT already seemed like a broken man.

Famously, Denmark won, despite only being there after Yugoslavia were kicked out due to the Balkans war. I’ve got a feeling it may have been on penalties…in which case Schmeichel no doubt played a starring role. And didn’t John Jensen trick Arsenal into thinking he was a goal-scoring mid fielder…?

Reality

Right, I’ve got things a bit mixed up. Red nose’s penalty heroics came in a semi final win over the Dutch, who with a young Dennis Bergkamp added to much of the victorious 88 squad, must have fancied their chances.

Jensen did score…the only goal in the final, no less, against a now unified Germany - not the only political change reflected at the event…with the old USSR disbanding, its former member states were allowed to compete as the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS was deemed a little catchier by organisers & media alike).

Having qualified through the back door, in the group phase the Danes drew with a “workmanlike” England, lost to neighbours Sweden, and only progressed through a 2-1 surprise win vs the French. Add on the penalties win in the semi, and the fact that the Germans did everything but score in a Final perhaps most notable for the amount of facial hair sported by both sets of players, and you could say the fates were on their side…

1996

Memory
Naturally I remember everything about this tournament.

Looking beyond the obvious (the penalty shoot outs, England 4 Holland 1, McCallister’s pen miss / Gazza’s goal and celebration, sulky Dutchmen being sent home, Italy’s surprise early exit, Poborsky’s chip), and this tournament was still memorable for many reasons.

As an England fan, I vividly remember the nationwide euphoria, and much as Italia 90 is widely seen as a turning point in how the game was perceived in this country, for me Euro 96 was the true turning point.

Some of this was for the good, be it England fans suddenly realising their flag was the St George’s Cross not the Union Jack, or the fact that women and kids attended games in large numbers without feeling intimidated by neo-nazi neanderthals (most of whom were successfully kept well away from match days).

Some of it was not so good, for example ticket prices were atrocious (I paid less for tickets for Grade A games at Euro 2004 than I did for less than attractive games in 96), and along with the general razzmatazz around the event can only have encouraged Sky and the Premier League that they could get away with the direction in which they were trying to push the domestic game (they never looked back).

It’s the first event I remember being given the snappy ‘Euros’ heading rather than the somewhat cumbersome ‘European Championships’. This, together with 16 teams qualifying for the Finals for the first time rather than 8, began to give the tournament the feel of a mini-World Cup.

Reality

Little to add, other than that Shearer and Gazza made team of the tournament. The respective current fortunes of the two Geordie icons could hardly be more contrasting…

2000

Memory
2-0 up in 20 minutes, England contrived to lose 3-2 to Figo’s Portugal. Then famously beat Germany 1-0 (crap game but who cared?). Then the crunch against Romania…Nigel Martyn cast in the role of Peter Bonnetti in Mexico…Phil Neville making a crude lunge that was badly-timed in every sense of the word…compo over for England (the only home nation present)

What happened after that? D’you know what, I really can’t remember. This isn’t some little Englander thing, I routinely enjoy international football events in which England have either not featured, or departed early.

More to the point, given that it’s relatively recent history we’re discussing, I can only conclude it was a drab tournament without a stand out team. Which probably means the Germans won.

Reality

Now this is where it gets really embarrassing…or conversely, this is where my argument holds up, namely that we just don’t remember Euros like we remember World Cups.

The French won it…of course they bleedin’ did…2-1 against Italy with the majority of the 98 team intact, Sylvain Wiltord grabbing an equaliser in the dying moments of normal time, then sub Trezeuget sealing it with a golden goal

Now I’ve read it, I can remember the match quite vividly…and indeed much of what UEFA dubs “a high quality tournament”…though strangely (and again perhaps proving my point), I don’t recall Holland blowing their semi against the Italians by contriving to miss two penalties in regulation time, never mind a further three in the shoot out…

And of course the Germans didn’t win this time…having lost to England, their somewhat crap team also exited at the group stages to Portugal’s (ahem) “golden generation”. Mind you, they were equally poor at the 2002 World Cup, but still managed to make the final…

2004

Memory
A slightly different scenario, this one, inasmuch as I went to some of this tournament…and indeed wrote about it right here.

And we all remember Rooney’s star shining bright and the unlikely Greek win.

To my mind a pretty decent tournament for the most part, be interesting to see if Euro 2008 matches up.

Reality

As my previous article demonstrates, not only did I, like tens of thousands of others, have a whale of a time on my trip, but the group stages produced some scintillating matches.

Unfortunately the knock out phase failed to build on that…perhaps typified by the Greeks’ progress, which UEFA’s best PR spinners have managed to conclude demonstrated that  “with hard work, belief, the necessary good fortune, and unbending team spirit, anything is possible.”

So, I think I’ve certainly proved that, for this correspondent, the Euros simply don’t conjure up the same magic as the World Cup. Maybe all the opponents are just too familiar (especially in this day and age); maybe the event still seems somewhat parochial in comparison to the big one.

That said, researching this piece certainly brought back many good football memories and, even without the home nations, I’m still looking forward to the tournament. I couldn’t get tickets this time round, so feel free to join me via my ‘Armchair Euros’ blog elsewhere on the site…