RaW

It was just after Euro 96 and it was new manager Glenn Hoddle's first game in charge. England, by the sound of things, convincingly thrashed the Moldavians 3-0 and our World Cup expedition to France 98 was well and truly under way. Being ‘on point’ at the Carlton Tower hotel is not the place you want to be unless you fancy a ‘legal’ to Edgware road, but out of the darkness of the hotel porch, a short stocky gent beckoned me in. It was ‘El Tel’ Terry Venables. “Brook Green please” he said, and before you could say ‘Barcelona’ we were off up Sloane Street.

“What did you think of the game Tel? Did you see it, did we play well?” I asked waiting for an expert analysis of the game. “ Well I wasn’t expecting anything else really as it is basically my team that almost won Euro 96” he ruefully replied. “ I wish you could of sorted out all your off pitch problems because you had all English football fans behind you” I told him, “I wanted to stay on as manager but look, all I wanted from the F.A. was a longer contract and financial security. What makes me smile is the fact that the money that I was asking for, the F.A. had given to Hoddle without any questions,” Venners went on “ I’m just like you, bills to pay, mortgage etc and all I wanted was some backing.”

Euro 96

I felt genuinely sorry for Terry, as I believe he was on the verge of producing a football force the world would fear. In that epic Euro 96 competition when we absolutely mullered the Dutch 4-1, I mean, have you ever witnessed a better performance since? (that includes our 5-1 thumping of the Germans recently), Paul Gascoigne's outrageous flick over Colin Hendrie's head before volleying home the winner against Scotland and then celebrating ‘dentist chair’ style.

We arrived at Brook Green and as he paid me off I thanked him for giving me some great football memories that I will always cherish. “ Well it beats a ‘legal’ to Edgware Rd Tel,” I shouted as I pulled away. Terry looked a bit puzzled but you know what I mean don’t you!