On This Day in Football: 11th July

11th July 1966

On this day in 1966, England commenced their World Cup campaign with a goalless draw against Uruguay at Wembley Stadium. Despite the lacklustre start, this match featured nine of the players who would later secure victory in the World Cup final. Notably absent from the final line-up were Jimmy Greaves and Manchester United’s John Connelly. They were replaced by Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters, who both scored in the final, leading England to their historic win.

11th July 2021

Fast forward to 2021, and England found themselves in another major tournament final, this time in the covid-delayed Euro 2020. The final was held at Wembley, and the nation was hopeful for a repeat of the 1966 triumph. England’s hopes were buoyed early on when Luke Shaw scored just two minutes into the match against Italy. However, Italy equalised in the second half, and the match proceeded to a penalty shoot-out. England’s last three penalty takers—Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka—failed to score, resulting in Italy’s victory and England’s dashed dreams.

The disappointment on the pitch was compounded by troubling events off it. Thousands of ticketless fans, many under the influence of alcohol, caused chaos by storming turnstiles and gaining unauthorised entry to the stadium. The disorderly conduct extended to the stands, and after the match, the three England players who missed their penalties were subjected to racial abuse on social media. The fallout from these events led UEFA to impose a sanction on England, requiring them to play a home match behind closed doors and pay a fine of 100,000 Euros. The incidents also tarnished the reputation of English football, casting doubt on the country’s prospects of hosting a World Cup in the near future.