This Saturday, an English footballing legend (for all those under the age of 30 and over the age of 23) quietly ended his long career at Dean Court in Bournmouth. Darren Anderton, the last remaining playing member of England's Euro 96 squad retired. He hangs up his boots just one short of 600 games - having made 569 club appearances for Portsmouth, Spurs, Birmingham, Wolves and Bournemouth, as well as winning 30 England caps. He had so much potential, but was hampered by constant niggling injures and consequently earned the nickname 'sicknote'.
I'm writing a blog about this because it makes me feel like an era has ended and the world has moved on. Euro 96 was the first football tournament I truly got into, and was my first experience of England losing on penalties to the Germans. Anderton retiring makes me feel older and strangley nostalgic- it is as if a link with a long gone summer and some happy memories has been snapped. Anderton was at the peak of his powers during Euro 96 when I was in year 8, playing lots of sport, listening way too obsessively to Oasis and watching Shooting Stars with Vic and Bob- coo coo!It all seems a long time ago now!
In many ways it is hugely ironic that he is the last to retire given his horrific injury record. My hat comes off to a fantastic player, who soldiered on for his love of the game, when all to many are mercenary and in it for the money!
So long Sicknote! We'll remember you for that summer in 96...
Posts
3 comments:
Good post Graham! Well well I didn't realise he was the last remaining Euro 96 player playing. The first football tournament I really got into was the World Cup in 1994. Around that time when I got into something boy did I get into it. I remember the Olympics in 1992 which I was obsessed about. I remember reading a book about every sport in the Olympics that year and I watched the coverage on tele every day. I loved the ITV theme tune as well cos it was Freddie Mercury's Barcelona. Then the World Cup in 94 with Klinsmann, Stoichkov, Baggio, that Mexican keeper Campos with the multicoloured kit, Valderama and Ireland being the only 'home' nation involved (and Wales just missing out actually!) and the chap who got murdered on his return to Colombia because he scored an own goal and Bulgaria beating Germany to knock them out. I followed that tournament with a wall chart and everything. And I'm sure I had Premier League sticker books. And I used to get Match magazine and follow United's progress with this massive wall chart that lasted all season. Cheers for reminding me of such happy memories!
Anderton was my fav Spurs player - his name on my shirt even!
He scored some bootiful goals.
Euro '96: football's coming home...!
I have vague recollections of USA 94, the opening ceremony and Ireland vs Italy, but that is about it I think- and I was just too young for Italia 90 must've been 6 or just 7. By Euro 96 I too had moved to obsession, wall charts, stickers, singing 3 lions every morning in the form room!
I was a shoot magazine reader- there was always a rivalry between shoot and match readers,right up there with the megadrive snes rivalry!
Post a Comment