The Football History Boys

Hosting a major tournament on home soil is always a wonderful occasion that helps to unite a country, and with England recognised as one of the strongest teams on the international stage, there was overwhelming euphoria and support for the Three Lions. It was exactly thirty years since Bobby Moore lifted the Jules Rimet trophy aloft at Wembley in a truly iconic image that remains the pinnacle of sporting achievement in English football, but not only did Terry Venables have the squad to end a thirty year-long wait for success in a major international tournament, the whole country was right behind them. Euro 1996 provided a feel-good factor that has been sorely lacking ever since, and even though England ultimately failed in their quest to go all the way, it will always be remembered as a magical tournament that resembles the last time that fans could truly be proud of their team. Alan Shearer describes the England side in 1996 as the best he played in during his eight-year internati

During our first year writing for The Football History Boys we decided to create a number of different 'series' in which we would discuss various aspects of the beautiful game. These included: 'The Crest Dissected'; 'Footballers At War'; and 'Football by Decade'. The latter of which provides the inspiration for today's piece. One decade in particular appealed to me more than any other - the 1950s. Of course, when discussing the pivotal moments of the twentieth-century, they are often attributed to the 'Roaring Twenties' or the 'Swinging Sixties'. However, in terms of football - the 50s provided perhaps the most important period of ten years throughout the history of the sport. What do you think about when someone says to you - "the 1950s"? Elvis Presley...Rock and Roll...Cold War...Civil Rights...Television. Following the Second World War (1939-45), the global situation was at times on a knife-edge with US-Soviet relatio