Memories of 1990 & 1994

In the space of five weeks in the summer of 1990, the late Sir Bobby Robson was elevated from traitor to national treasure.

England limped into the finals amid allegations about Robson's private life, the Football Association's decision not to renew his contract and his acceptance of a lucrative offer to manage PSV Eindhoven after the World Cup.

After a woeful draw with Ireland, Robson abandoned tradition and played with three centre-backs against Holland. It worked, with the added bonus of Paul Gascoigne finally proving his class in midfield.

Off the field, Gazza remained unpredictable, presenting himself to a horrified Robson covered in blood-stained bandages, claiming he'd fallen off the balcony! I also remember him throwing a glass of water over me as I talked to Paul Parker.

But it was Gascoigne who unlocked the Belgium defence to give David Platt the last-gasp goal that secured a quarter-final with Cameroon. A thrilling 3-2 win against the Africans then meant England faced West Germany in the semi finals.

After a 1-1 draw, missed penalties by Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle gave the Germans a place in the final against Argentina - a game they won 1-0 thanks to a late penalty.

England missed out four years later when the 15th World Cup was staged in the US, the first tournament outside the great football power bases of Europe and Latin America.

Sadly Diego Maradona's failed drugs tests and the tragic execution of Andres Escobar, shot on the streets of Medellin nine days after scoring the own goal that sent Colombia crashing out, overshadowed the '94 World Cup.

Despite the indifference of the US media, crowds were the best in World Cup history, with an average of 68,400 at each game.

With no home interest, Jack Charlton's Irish squad, knocked out in round two by the Dutch in Orlando, memorably beat Italy in their opening game.Purely from a football viewpoint, it was not a memorable tournament and needed a spectacular final. It didn't get one. Over 94,000 fans saw a poor game, won by Brazil on penalties after Roberto Baggio blazed his spot-kick over the bar to break Italian hearts.