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England national football team

the England national football team are have recently been in a football wilderness having failed to qualify for their most recent major championship, the Euro 2008 European Championships held in Austria and Switzerland.  England sit outside the top 10 in Fifa’s world rankings (fifa, the federation internationale de football association) despite having players like David Beckham, Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Theo Walcott, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and Frank Lampard in their squad.  Fabio Capello was appointed England team manager in December 2007, following the sacking of Steve MacClaren, his influence at the start of the England team's campaign to qualify for the South Africa 2010 World Cup Finals has been positive.

the England football team is the oldest in the world, they have qualified for 12 out of 15 World Cup finals and were triumphant on the one occasion they hosted the competition in 1966.  Alf Ramsey became England team manager in 1963 and was the first England manager to have responsibility for choosing the squad (previously a committee chose the team).  Ramsey led the England team  to it’s greatest success winning the 1966 World Cup final 4-2 against West Germany when Bobby Moore captained the side and Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick.  Following thier 1966 triumph England languished through the 70's and didn’t technically qualify for any of the 3 tournaments, as holders they gained automatic entry in 1970 and then failed to qualify for both Germany 74 and Argentina 78. 

the England team were back in the Spain '82 World Cup under the leadership of manager Ron Greenwood but failed to progress past the second phase of the competition.  Injury to Kevin Keegan was partly to blame along with a lack of inventiveness from a squad that included Trevor Brooking, Steve Coppell, Kevin Keegan, Trevor Francis, Glenn Hoddle, Paul Mariner, Bryan Robson, Ray Wilkins, Ray Clemence and Peter Shilton.  England reached the quarter final stages of the Mexico '86 tournament but suffered at the 'hand' of Diego Maradona.  In the 2-1 quarter final defeat by Argentina, Maradona scored a superb solo effort goal which was slightly overshadowed by his self named 'hand of God' goal when he punched the ball over England keeper Peter Shilton.  The England team managed by Bobby Robson included Glenn Hoddle, Terry Butcher, Bryan Robson, Gary Lineker, John Barnes, Peter Beardsley and Peter Shilton.

the England team's best World Cup performance, since winning the tournament in 1966, came in Italia '90 when they reached the semi finals under the management of Bobby Robson.  After winning their group England saw off Cameroon in the quarter finals only to lose to Germany in the infamous penalty shoot-out when both Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle missed their spot kicks.  Other members of the squad included Peter Shilton, Bryan Robson, Peter Beardsley, Gary Lineker, John Barnes and Paul Gascoigne. England failed to qualify for USA '94, when managed by Graham Taylor, and, under Glenn Hoddle's management, exited France '98 in the second round.  The second round loss to Argentina was in part due to the sending off of David Beckham, an event that proved to be a turning point in the match.  France '98 saw the coming of Michael Owen in a squad that also included Tony Adams, Alan Shearer, Teddy Sheringham, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, and Rio Ferdinand. 

Sven Goran Eriksson, the first foreigner to become England manager, was in charge for the campaigns in Korea/Japan '02 and Germany '06.  On both occasions they were beaten quarter finalists, by Brazil in '02 and Portugal in '06, David Beckham captained both squads which also included David Seaman, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen. Emile Heskey and Teddy Sheringham in 2002 and Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen, Jamie Carragher, Owen Hargreaves and Peter Crouch in 2006.