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England 1-2 France 2004. Just 17 but I can still remember the nausea and sickly feeling I had in my stomach at full time. Within a matter of minutes, from that elated feeling I had, like England was going to win the Tournament, to feeling shame, embarrassment etc. It’s just never left me. 

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Euro 2000 is peak international football for me. I was like 14 years old, bang into football and the tournament had some many good games and moments.

Bunch of all time great players and a lot were at their peak top. Proper who's who of talent at that tournament. Zidane, Figo, Totti, Beckham, Raul, Rui Costa, Schmeichel, Maldini, Hakan Sukur, Bergkamp, Shearer, Kluivert, Guardiola, Henry even had an ancient Lothar Matthaus and Gheorghe Hagi rocking up. Like every country's team at that tournament was better then their team now

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1 minute ago, skybluedave said:

Euro 2000 is peak international football for me. I was like 14 years old, bang into football and the tournament had some many good games and moments.

Bunch of all time great players and a lot were at their peak top. Proper who's who of talent at that tournament. Zidane, Figo, Totti, Beckham, Raul, Rui Costa, Schmeichel, Maldini, Hakan Sukur, Bergkamp, Shearer, Kluivert, Guardiola, Henry even had an ancient Lothar Matthaus and Gheorghe Hagi rocking up. Like every country's team at that tournament was better then their team now

And it had the biggest bottling in history.

One of my favorite games ever as a neutral.

 

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Turkey vs Croatia 2008. Dreadful game, Croatia win it late on...but wait, no they don't! Just loved the sheer drama, and of course Turkey win on penalties after their last gasp equaliser.

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1 minute ago, Pukey said:

Turkey vs Croatia 2008. Dreadful game, Croatia win it late on...but wait, no they don't! Just loved the sheer drama, and of course Turkey win on penalties after their last gasp equaliser.

Turkey turned around the match against Switzerland in the group stage, 92nd minute winner.
Then they turned around 0-2 against Czech, won with Nihat's goals in 92nd and 94th.
Then that quarter-final.
Croatia already beat Germany in group with ease and would've likely made the final against Spain.

I mentioned it a couple of times, but ever since 2008 Croatia plays way better on EUROs and gets eliminated in most ridiculous fashions, but then we sh*thouse it on WC with poor play.

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11 minutes ago, GunmaN1905 said:

And it had the biggest bottling in history.

One of my favorite games ever as a neutral.

 

Yeah and Yugoslavia vs Spain too.

All 3 of France's knockout games were pretty wild

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That Yugoslavia v Spain game was wild... :D

Yugoslavia conceding twice in stoppage time, then thinking they were out, then realising they were through anyway because Norway hadn't beaten Slovenia.

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Posted (edited)
2 minutes ago, skybluedave said:

Yeah and Yugoslavia vs Spain too.

All 3 of France's knockout games were pretty wild

Del Piero should've made it 2-0 on multiple occasions in the final.

But this Netherlands game is just something unreal. They had a perfect roster, played at home, Italy had a red for an hour and extra time, they missed two penalties, ffs. And then a horrible shootout.

  

Just now, Rob1981 said:

That Yugoslavia v Spain game was wild... :D

Yugoslavia conceding twice in stoppage time, then thinking they were out, then realising they were through anyway because Norway hadn't beaten Slovenia.

Considering how QF went, they should've went out. :D

Edited by GunmaN1905
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England bottling the group stage of Euro 2000 - Losing 3-2 to Portugal (after being 2-0 up), beating Germany 1-0, then losing 3-2 to Romania after giving away a last minute penalty.

There was stunned silence in the pub at the end of that Romania game.

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2 hours ago, jonnybegood said:

England 1-2 France 2004. Just 17 but I can still remember the nausea and sickly feeling I had in my stomach at full time. Within a matter of minutes, from that elated feeling I had, like England was going to win the Tournament, to feeling shame, embarrassment etc. It’s just never left me. 

I was 17 then as well, about to turn 18. Was devastated for days.

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19 minutes ago, Anthrax Dave said:

England bottling the group stage of Euro 2000 - Losing 3-2 to Portugal (after being 2-0 up), beating Germany 1-0, then losing 3-2 to Romania after giving away a last minute penalty.

There was stunned silence in the pub at the end of that Romania game.

****ing Phil Neville

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My earliest Euro memories are of England doing terribly :D 

First one I saw was 1988, we lost to a Ray Houghton goal for Ireland, a Marco Van Basten hattrick including *that* goal, and then a dire 1-3 defeat to the USSR.  Just all round awful with a reasonably well fancied team.

Then 1992 wasn't much better as we again finished bottom of our group with zero wins, losing our final game 1-2 to Sweden with *that* Brolin goal and Lineker being subbed off in his final appearance.  Not a particularly well fancied team this time with Lineker ageing and Carlton Palmer and Andy Sinton mainstays of the team.

Got better in 96 of course.

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Posted (edited)
3 hours ago, Rob1981 said:

That Yugoslavia v Spain game was wild... :D

Yugoslavia conceding twice in stoppage time, then thinking they were out, then realising they were through anyway because Norway hadn't beaten Slovenia.

ALFONSSSSSSSSO :mad: the Yugoslavia V Slovenia game was a cracker as well if I remember correctly

that tournament alone has plenty, Italy doing everything and holding out until Wiltord scores in the final and then Trezeguet hits the golden goal to win it.  The Portuguese in the SF when they went mental at the penalty France were given and I think a few of their players were suspended for months? probably not memories for the English folk here but being 2-0 up against Portugal and then being hit by 3 goals, including a stunning 25 yarder from Figo, I won't mention the last game in the group ;)

not really a lot of highlights for Scotland, Euro 92 was probably the first Euros I remember although I do remember watching a TV and seeing Marco Van Basten's goal for Holland against USSR in 1988 but maybe not as much as when Italia 90/Euro 92 appeared when I was actually playing the game myself with mates.  Euro 96 is probably the best one, despite the fact how it ended

Edited by TM
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Posted (edited)

2000: My first Euros, aged 10, though my memories are a little hazier than for France '98. I remember England playing very well against Portugal... for a while. Then we stuffed the Germans. Then we were heading through against Romania until Phil Neville put his foot in it.

Also remember France's comeback to beat Italy in the Final. And that's about it.

 

2004: Now we're talking. An absolutely mad tournament. :D

Spain were rubbish. Germany were even worse and couldn't even beat Latvia. Italy cried about a fix because Denmark and Sweden got a convenient draw to knock them out. Milan Baros was the best striker in Europe for two weeks. And Otto Rehhagel's boring but effective tactics making Greece fans (and Cristiano Ronaldo) cry.

England were fun to watch, especially when the Liverpudlian Johan Vonlanthen was tearing everyone apart. And when we took an early lead against Portugal, 14-year-old me was convinced that we were going all the way... but then Rooney got injured. :(

 

2008: It's strange how much better tournaments are when you're watching purely as a neutral. Cheers, Schteve. :thup:

I randomly adopted Poland as my team for Euro 2008... and, er, it didn't go well for 'us'. Beaten 2-0 by Podolski, then conceding a last-minute penalty to a 63-year-old Ivica Vastic, and then out with a whimper.

I also remember Russia being really good, but my clearest memories are with Turkey. My next-door neighbour at the time was Turkish, so me and my dad would hear him cheering or moaning very loudly during the crazy Quarter Final against Croatia - and then against Germany in the Semis. I also remember being some thunderstorm or similar technical difficulties that disrupted the TV feed in one of those games.

 

2012: Spain win without any strikers. Who needs them anyway?

The Dutch were awful. Ireland were terrible. Alan Dzagoev looked pretty impressive for Russia.

England were... fine. Respectable draw against France, spirited win over Zlatan-land... and then the usual defeat on penalties.

 

2016: I remember missing much of the England vs Wales game because I was travelling up to the Midlands to visit my sister, and then celebrating our late winner in the hotel room. After that, I went out to have dinner with her and her future husband, which meant missing the start of Northern Ireland vs Ukraine - which was just as well, as it was perhaps THE worst first half in Euros history. :lol:

Iceland had a great tournament, ending in a crazy Quarter Final against France. I cannot remember their previous game... or at least I'd rather not.

Then Portugal did something even their golden generation couldn't - actually win something. All that despite their best player being injured on the turf feeding butterflies. And then Eder - yes, the Swansea guy - scoring the winner!

Oh yeah, and Simone Zaza with the worst penalty EVER.

 

2020 (in 2021): Football coming home. Empty stadiums in Azerbaijan. Schick scoring from the halfway line against Scotland. Jonathan Pearce talking non-stop for 37 hours after Hungary took the lead against France and demolished a journo's desk. :thup::D:thup:

Artem Dovbyk's bra. Pedri's own goal. Mbappé's penalty miss.

And Denmark coming together brilliantly after what happened to Christian Eriksen against Finland. In hindsight, they should probabky have beaten us and faced Italy in the Final. And then we wouldn't have had the bum flares before the match - or the abhorrent online abuse of Rashford, Sancho and Saka after.

But then again, that tournament made me as proud to be an England fan as I'd ever been since 2002. Even if I did have to sit through that 0-0 with Scotland.

Edited by CFuller
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88 was my first and main memory is Gullits bullet.

92 the Brolin, Dhalin, Brolin commentary line tookover school playgrounds

96 epic, 16 years old, finished school, lovely and hot... just couldnt ask for much more at the time

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England being utter **** in every tournament since 1996 up until Southgate came down from the stars. 

Save for Rooney being the most electric player to grace a pitch in 2004, England's euros have been largely forgettable for me up until the last one. 

 

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2 hours ago, CFuller said:

2008: It's strange how much better tournaments are when you're watching purely as a neutral. Cheers, Schteve. :thup:

They didn't call it Euro Two-Thousand-and-Great for nothing :brock:

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2004 - Crying after being told France had equalised, then being told almost immediately that they'd won, having had to go to bed before the end, I'd just turned 10 and it remains the only time I've cried at a football match. More positively the ball was absolutely great.

2008 - The storm game between Switzerland and Turkey, Holland with probably the best back to back tournament performances I've seen in beating France and Italy. Genuinely enjoyed watching it as a neutral but hope never to have to repeat that.

2012 - Almost all of my memories are centred on Chelsea winning the Champions League the month before. Mario Gomez was great which was funny because he was rubbish in the final, Ashley Cole missed his penalty for England but who cared because he scored his in the final, etc etc. Only other specific thing that comes to mind is a dreadfully one-sided final, but I remember the tournament as a whole being really good.

2016 - The only tournament in my life I've actively not enjoyed. The format was (and remains) atrocious, the football was bad, England were worse and it was all exacerbated by the general situation in this country at the time, just very bleak all round. Still, it was nice to see Wales and Northern Ireland doing well (Iain Dowie going mental when the latter beat Ukraine being probably my overall highlight) and Portugal winning the final was really funny. Also got me very excited for Conte joining us immediately afterwards.

2020(1) - Weird, weird, weird. Played in the wrong year, some games in front of fans, some not, games played in nations that hadn't qualified, once again a terrible format. The whole situation around Eriksen and Denmark which thank God turned out to be surreal rather than tragic. England were really good but it was a lot less fun than 2018 and again the final was so odd with all of the scenes around it, almost felt post-apocalyptic the way it went off.

Don't have all that many fond memories of the four major tournaments since 2014, so hopefully having one all in one place, in a less (overtly) problematic host nation makes it feel a bit less strange than the last couple of World Cups in particular have done. Format is still absolute ***** though.

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Euro96 - was lucky enough to win tickets through Match magazine to the opening ceremony :cool: 

Parachutists bringing in the flags was pretty cool as a child. Amazing memory with my dad at the old Wembley! 

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1 hour ago, Coulthard's Jaw said:

I think Euro 96 was the first time football ever hurt me.

You didn't witness Nayim scoring against us (Arsenal) from 500 yards in the last seconds of extra time then :D

Slightly too young to remember Euro 88 but remember 92 very well.

 

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Posted (edited)

To think, Euro 96 is to today, only 2 years out from what WC'66 was for us then.... 

:ackter:

Edited by Bliss Seeker
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1 minute ago, Bliss Seeker said:

To think, Euro 96 is to today, only 2 years out from what WC'66 was for us then.... 

:ackter:

Three Lions won't need a new song for 2026 WC, just play 30 years of hurt twice on repeat. :thup:

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My biggest memory is strangely one of my earliest ones of the Euro's.  Euro 88.  Mainly because of England doing so poorly throughout the competition.  Back then I used to get so nervous about the games I could barely watch them.  And the great Dutch team of the late 80s.  They'd been in the international wilderness for a long while but deserved their win.  And of course, Van Basten's goal, which I think is one of the most iconic of the Euro's.

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Walking away from the Allianz Riviera in 2016. So taken aback by what I had just seen that I couldn't stop talking about it.

Being stood by a coach with the driver during a cub scouts activity day, listening to us getting humped by the Netherlands in '88.

My fave is seeing us beat Germany in 2021, that atmosphere was unique, absolutely barmy. And then the 15 mins of Sweet Caroline on loop after the final whistle.

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I also recall being in central Lens for England Wales a few days after there had been crowd trouble in Marseille, and the media furore that comes with it. The high street was, from pub to pub, pocketed with crowds that couldn't fit indoors. Noisy chatter, cheers, standard pre-match drunkenness. A beach ball, etc.

As we walked to the ground, in my England shirt, I got vox popped by a Chinese TV news reporter:

"What do you think about the crowds you've seen here today?"

"I think it's quite normal. This is how a many British fans like to enjoy a game, many like to have a drink and enjoy a trip abroad in this way. It may look intimidating..."

It occured to me the next day that if there had been any crowd trouble they would show it, then me saying how "normal" it is. "...but it's just British people having fun."

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19 hours ago, Bliss Seeker said:

To think, Euro 96 is to today, only 2 years out from what WC'66 was for us then.... 

:ackter:

**** yeah.... 35-50 year olds in 1996 would be talking about 1966 with a clear memory. 

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I remember Euro 92 and going to Burger King before England playing France (Watching on TV) and getting ketchup on my England Shirt and before the Sweden game in a supermarket and the checkout girl saying to my Dad that Sweden are going to win. **** me that 32 years ago and i was only 9 

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1 hour ago, oche balboa said:

I remember Euro 92 and going to Burger King before England playing France (Watching on TV) and getting ketchup on my England Shirt and before the Sweden game in a supermarket and the checkout girl saying to my Dad that Sweden are going to win. **** me that 32 years ago and i was only 9 

Taylor substituted Lineker in that match too didn't he?  Lineker's last game for England as well, if i'm remembering correctly.  Tomas Brolin was the star of those Euro's I seem to remember.

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2 hours ago, mrw072 said:

Taylor substituted Lineker in that match too didn't he?  Lineker's last game for England as well, if i'm remembering correctly.  Tomas Brolin was the star of those Euro's I seem to remember.

Yeah thats right. Should have been the end of Taylor really 

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going back to Euro 92, the things I remember from the England games were Denmark/England being a really boring game, Pearce getting headbutted by Boli which would have definitely been a red card nowadays and Pearce hitting the bar with a 25-30 yard FK.  Also Brolin's goal for Sweden was a great finish with Barry Davies doing the commentary that makes it sound like he's singing a Dolly Parton song (Brolin, Dahlin, Brolin) :D

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21 hours ago, TM said:

going back to Euro 92, the things I remember from the England games were Denmark/England being a really boring game, Pearce getting headbutted by Boli which would have definitely been a red card nowadays and Pearce hitting the bar with a 25-30 yard FK.  Also Brolin's goal for Sweden was a great finish with Barry Davies doing the commentary that makes it sound like he's singing a Dolly Parton song (Brolin, Dahlin, Brolin) :D

Remember Psycho getting nutted and bouncing back up if nothing had happened, then absolutely clattering the bar with a beamer of a free kick

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2004 obviously 

 

But my favorite is 2000. Just so much talent concentrated there and a decent number of surprise or unexpected results.

 

Euro 1996 was the first I caught live but apart from rooting for Germany in that one and getting my way, it wasn't really as memorable. Can't think of any games that stand out apart from that game with the Smicer goal. VS Russia was it?

 

 

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