EdBed

I'm not sure it even needs hindsight. He only got the job because Man U fans sang his name ironically and the FA, who wanted a popular choice after the Hoddle affair, didn't understand the sarcasm.

Their qualifying record was excellent so I had a pre-tournament couple of pounds on Greece at 40/1 that year, it was no fluke. I also had a fiver on Baros to be top scorer, Jan Koller created a lot of space and opportunities for him.

England, of course.

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."

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.