Superstar Speakers return to Northampton Park Inn by Radisson with a huge event celebrating the legends of England's World Cup in 1990. One of the most important and exciting football tournaments in the history of English Football.
We reunite three of the legends of England's World Cup Campaign in which they came within touching distance of winning the World Cup for the second time
Tickets Available Here - CLICK THE IMAGE FOR TICKETS
The Downfall of English Football
It cannot be underestimated the importance of the 1990 World Cup and how the men who represented England transformed the reputation of English football at home and abroad, laying the foundations for the rise in popularity of football, the boost of Euro 96, the Premier League and the birth of 'its coming home'
Before Italia 90 English football was in a dark place. Violence was rife on the terraces and football had become a no go area for families. The public loved football, but the live experience was being taken away from them due to the risk of hooliganism.
This came to a head for English football with the Heysel disaster - a European game in 1985 between Liverpool and Juventus that resulted in the deaths of 39 fans and injured a further 600. This was the breaking point for UEFA and caused English football to be banned from European Competition indefinitely .
The Heysel Disaster has been called 'the darkest hour in the history of the UEFA competitions'
As the 1980s gave way to the 1990s - football was changing in England. Attitudes were changing and the generation that had been responsible for the hooliganism were making way for a new generation of English football fan.
On the pitch the same was happening, a new generation of footballers were making their mark in the league and desperate for European Competition.
The England Team and changing attitudes
Sir Bobby Robson was the man in charge of taking England to the World Cup in Italy. He had been in charge of the national team since replacing Ron Greenwood in 1982 after failing to qualify for Euro 84 he led England to World Cup 86 (going out in the Quarter Finals to Argentina with the Hand Of God incident) and Euro 88 (where England got knocked out in the Group stages)
Italia 90 would be Sir Bobby's last tournament in charge as the press and fans were ready for a change in direction for the England Team
The England team found success at the perfect time - They qualified for the World Cup without conceding a single goal - uniting the nation who were ready for a positive attitude towards the sport. Football has always had the ability to united the nation and the 1990 team were doing just that, playing great football and proving to the world that England belonged back in on the world stage of football.
Sir Bobby had put together a team that had a mix of experience and new talent - combining the steel of veterans such as Shilton, Butcher, Lineker, Waddle and Robson with new and exciting talent such as Gascoigne, Walker, Barnes, Pearce and Platt.
England were magnificent in the World Cup with Sir Bobby Robson guiding the team, learning from his experiences in previous tournaments and encouraging the passion and will to win in his team, which fed the nation. For the first time in years the entire nation was behind the England team and loving football. England were a tour-de-force winning the group stage and going on to defeat Belgium and Cameroon in the knock out stages.
Sir Bobby Robson guided England to their first World Cup Semi-final since Sir Alf Ramsey in 1966 - and it was their first ever on foreign soil. Finally England were in touching distance of being World Cup winners for the first time in a generation
Check out our Manchester United Cup Winners Cup Legends Tour Here
The Legacy of Italia 90
After the World Cup - Football in England Changed. A new fan was born and the nation was reminded of the power and beauty of football.
In 1991 the domestic ban on English teams in European Football was lifted and a new look Manchester United team under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson (who similar to Bobby Robson was being hounded by the fans and the press due to his lack of success)
After triumph in the FA Cup, Fergie led Manchester United to Cup Winners Cup glory and helped rebuild the reputation of English Football in Europe and kick start a new era of success.
These successes paved the way for a new look First Division as the Premier League was formed and started its path into becoming the best league in the world.
The reputation of English football grew to the point that England was allowed to host the European Championships in 1996 - 11 years after being banned from European Competition - and football came home
It all started with the England team of Italia 90
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