Twenty years ago today England were defeated on penalties by Germany in the semi-finals of Euro '96 on home soil, bringing to an end the Three Lions' best performance at a major tournament since 1966. Despite losing to Germany, who went on to win the final against surprise package Czech Republic, the tournament is remembered fondly having gripped the nation as England progressed to the semis, enjoying performances and creating memories that will last a lifetime. Craig Stoddart looks back on England’s Euro 96, when football came home...

ENGLAND 1 SWITZERLAND 1
Group stage
At Wembley Stadium
Saturday, June 8

THE hosts’ first game of Euro 96 was a major disappointment. After all the build-up and an opening ceremony on the Wembley pitch, a drab draw was all England could muster.

Alan Shearer’s first international strike in 14 matches midway through the first-half put England ahead, but the goal Switzerland had been threatening throughout the second-half came from a Kubilay Turkyilmaz penalty eight minutes from time following a handball by Stuart Pearce.

It could have been worse, as only a magnificent save by David Seaman in the closing moments prevented Switzerland from snatching a winner.

“‘We were dead on our feet in the second-half,” said England boss Terry Venables. “We know we must improve on this, and our next game against Scotland is going to be absolutely vital.”

England: Seaman, G Neville, Pearce, Ince, Adams, Southgate, McManaman (Stone), Gascoigne (Platt), Shearer, Sheringham (Barmby), Anderton
Switzerland: Pascolo, Jeanneret, Quentin, Henchov, Geiger (Koller 71), Vega, Vogel, Turkyilmaz, Grassi, Sforza, Bonvin (Chapuisat 67)
Attendance: 76,567

ENGLAND 2 SCOTLAND 0
Group stage
At Wembley Stadium
Saturday, June 15

SEVEN days later England returned to Wembley and this time enjoyed a much more enjoyable outcome, overturning the Scots with Paul Gascoigne crowning the occasion with a truly special goal.

The first half was scrappy, before Shearer scored again, this time a bullet header when meeting a Gary Neville cross, five minutes into the second period, then came a dramatic sequence of events which helped shape England’s tournament.

Eleven minutes from time Seaman magnificently saved a Gary McAllister penalty, and moments later the action was at the other end, where Gascoigne looped the ball over the head of Colin Hendry and volleyed it past Rangers club-mate Andy Goram.

The resulting celebration stands as one of the iconic moments in England’s football history. Gascoigne lay on the turf while team-mates sprayed water at him in reference to a headline-grabbing pre-tournament social occasion in China.

England: Seaman, Neville, Pearce (Redknapp 46, Campbell 85), Ince (Stone 80), Adams, Southgate, McManaman, Gascoigne, Shearer, Sheringham, Anderton
Scotland: Goram, McKimmie, Boyd, Calderwood, Hendry, McKinlay (Burley 82), Spencer (McCoist 67), McCall, Durie (Jess 87), McAllister, Collins.
Attendance: 76,864


ENGLAND 4 HOLLAND 1
Group stage
At Wembley Stadium
Tuesday, June 18

A POINT in the final group game on a warm evening at Wembley would have been enough to seal a quarter-final place, yet England produced one of their greatest ever performances, smashing four goals past a team who were many observers’ pre-tournament favourites.

Shearer netted goal number one from the penalty spot in the first half, setting up a second half in which manager Terry Venables looked on proudly as the Dutch were demolished.

Sheringham headed home on 51 minutes and six minutes later came a wonderful team goal: Steve McManaman and Gascoigne combined to find Sheringham, who unselfishly pushed the ball into the path of Shearer to blast beyond Edwin van der Saar.

Sheringham forced home a loose ball for the fourth, giving England a quarter-final with Spain. Holland only made sure of qualification by Patrick Kluivert’s late goal, which meant an exit for unlucky Scotland.

Eight years earlier the Dutch had won the European Championships, while in the 1970s, a decade in which England twice failed to qualify for the World Cup, Holland had made their mark as one of the best teams of all time, so beating them so convincingly at Wembley made for a truly memorable occasion. 

England: Seaman, G Neville, Pearce, Ince (Platt 68), Adams, Southgate, McManaman (Stone), Gascoigne, Shearer (Barmby 76), Sheringham (Fowler 77), Anderton
Holland: van der Sar, Reiziger, Blind, Seedorf, Bogarde, de Boer (Kluivert (72), Cruyff, Winter, Witschge (de Kock 46), Bergkamp, Hoekstra (Cocu 73)
Attendance: 76,798


ENGLAND 0 SPAIN 0
(England won 4-2 on penalties)
Quarter-final
At Wembley Stadium
Saturday, June 22

THE day Stuart Pearce showed immense levels of bravery to atone for his penalty miss in Turin six years earlier. Before the shoot-out, however, it was a drab quarter-final that Spain could count themselves unlucky not to win.

Only some excellent saves by Seaman kept the game goalless after 90 minutes and extra-time, leading to what was England’s second ever penalty shoot-out – their first since losing to West Germany at Italia ’90.

Shearer, David Platt, Pearce and Gascoigne all found the net and Robbie Fowler was in line to take England’s fifth penalty, but he was not required as Seaman saved from Miguel Angel Nadal to give England a 4-2 victory.

It is the vision of Pearce, however, which is most celebrated, the courageous defender bursting with pride and relief.

England: Seaman, Neville, Pearce, McManman (Stone 108), Adams, Southgate, Platt, Gascoigne, Shearer, Sheringham (Fowler 108), Anderton (Barmby 108)
Spain: Zubizarreta, Sergi, Belsue, Alkorta, Abelardo, Hierro, Nedal, Amor, Kiko, Manjarin, Salinas.
Attendance: 75,440


ENGLAND 1 GERMANY 1
(Germany won 6-5 on penalties)
Semi-final
At Wembley Stadium
Wednesday, June 26

A REPLAY of the World Cup semi-final final six years earlier, and whereas Pearce and Chris Waddle had missed from the spot then, this time it was Gareth Southgate who became the fall guy on a heart-breaking night for England.

The nation’s interest in the tournament had grown as England progressed, but suddenly it was all over. “It’s like getting ready to sit down at a wonderful banquet when somebody takes the chair away from under you,” said Venables.

When Shearer scored his fifth goal, making him the tournament’s leading scorer, after only three minutes England’s prospects looked much brighter.

Three Lions, the soundtrack of the summer written by David Baddiel and Frank Skinner, reverberated around Wembley yet the Germans remained focused and levelled on 16 minutes, Stefan Kuntz stabbing home after evading Pearce.

There were no further goals, though in extra-time both teams had chances, England coming closest with Anderson hitting the post and Gascoigne just inches away from connecting with the ball when Shearer passed across the face of goal.

Losing the shoot-out was agony, particularly for Southgate. Shearer, Platt, Pearce, Gascoigne and Sheringham had converted, but Southgate’s miss, followed by Andreas Moeller’s conversion, meant the end for England and Venables. He stood down as manager, replaced by Glenn Hoddle, and he said: “I am disappointed with the way it ended because there is nothing more heart-breaking than to go out on penalties in a semi-final. But I am immensely proud of the players, and they can go away with heads high.

“The performances against Scotland and, in particular, Holland provided exactly the football we had planned, and we gave as good as we got against Germany until the lottery of the shoot-out.”

England: Seaman, McManaman, Pearce, Ince, Adams, Southgate, Platt, Gascoigne, Shearer, Sheringham, Anderton
Germany: Kopke, Reuter, Babbel, Freund (Strunz), Helmer (Bode), Sammer, Moller, Scholl (Hassler), Ziege, Eilts, Kuntz. 
Attendance: 75,862