When We Were Lions: Euro 96 and the Last Great British Summer

by Paul Rees

2016 marks the 20th anniversary of the 1996 European Cup, hosted in England, when the national football team reached the semi-finals to be knocked out, on penalties, by Germany. It was also the end of a generation - these were the last footballers to be brought up on beer and sweat. In September '96 Arsene Wenger arrived at Arsenal with his 'continental' philosophy of diets and training, and by 1998 Beckham had arrived, changing the face of football the world over. 1996 was also a significant date across the British spectrum. It was the year that Brit-Pop went global. The Lad culture of the 90's peaked in 1996 when James Brown turned Loaded Magazine from a 100k readership into a 1 million+ readership, and Simon Fuller of 19 Management was making his first steps into turning footballers into the next celebrities. And, of course, Skinner and Baddiel wrote that song, which became an anthem for a generation who seemed to have never had it so good. The Tories were on their way out, although unemployment was at a record low, Blair could do no wrong, and it was a glorious summer, where everything seemed possible. Though it wasn't all a haze of a halcyon summer, it was the first time that England had played a unified Germany since before the war, old prejudices reared their heads and the marginalised hooligans of the game were hidden only by a lick of paint that the old Wembley stadium got ahead of the tournament. Starting with Gazza's goal against Scotland and ending later that summer when the dream was over, but the belief remained that this really was a great time for Britain. Through that narrative will be woven a portrait of an England which was proud to wear Three Lions on the Shirt.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports, Soccer

352 pages, Hardcover

First published August 30, 2016

Reviews

[Mahlon]

A well written book about Euro 96 A tournament that has come to occupy a special and even sanctified place in the hearts and minds of English football fans, particularly it seems, those of my generation. The author does a great job chronicling not only the tournament but outlining the social and political factors that contributed to it being remembered as such a halcyon time. The book is 60% tournament and 40% the social and political history of that summer. As a football fan who missed Euro 96 completely I would’ve liked to see the tournament fleshed out just a bit more. Also Paul Rees must be over 50 because he’s awfully cynical for somebody writing what is supposed to be a feel good book.

[John]

This was the summer I turned 16 and it was a lot of fun, as I recall. Euro 96 is a big part of those memories, for once the England football team seemed capable of justifying the hype the press churned out: the 4-1 win over the Netherlands is the finest England performance I've seen.

This book tries to be more than a history of that tournament, however. Rees goes looking for the broader significance of it and is only partially successful. You are left unclear as to why this was "the Last Great British Summer" (I don't think it was). Only belatedly does Rees' theme become clear, as he charts the replacement of Paul Gascoigne by David Beckham as England's premier footballing icon. Here, Rees argues, you see a decisive move away from the traditional 'mercurial genius' (read piss head) of the Frank Worthington tradition toward a slicker, more commercially viable model of footballing celebrity.

Still, if you are of a similar age to me, revisiting that summer a quarter of a century ago is warm, nostalgic fun.

[Mr J J Potts]

A great look back and Euro 96, a tournament which holds a special place in many, if not all, England fans of a certain age. While looking at the championship it also places it in a wider cultural context of the times, touching on the music and politics of the mid 90s. The book also looks beyond Euro 96 at the bigger changes it heralded to football but we’re imperceptible at the time.

[Ipswichblade]

Great memories from Euro 96 as well as the mood around at the time