1989: Poland v England

It is often stated that the line between success and failure is thin. On October 11, 1989, English football fans would witness a prime sporting example of this. The national football team may have qualified for the 1990 World Cup after a 0-0 draw in Chorzow, Poland. But it could have all been oh so different. As the clock ticked towards the 90-minute mark and Rysard Tarasiewicz pulled back his right foot, that line between success and failure was wafer thin.

England manager Bobby Robson really didn't need one final scare. After the disastrous showing at Euro 88, the pressure placed on Robson's shoulders may even have left Titan Atlas needing a rest. "A contributing factor was that the circulation war between the Sun and the Daily Mirror was turning medieval," Robson wrote in Farewell, But Not Goodbye. "The office of England manager was one of their battlegrounds."

1981: Hungary v England

As the summer arrived it was fair to say that 1981 was not going well for England manager Ron Greenwood. Just a year before hopes had been high as England prepared for the reformatted European Championship finals, but events on and off the pitch proved a pointer to the future.

Finishing third in their group behind Belgium and hosts Italy, sadly the main mark England left on the tournament were the images of rioting fans and tear gas during their 1-1 draw against the Belgians. But at least Greenwood had managed to get England into the finals of a major tournament, a crumb of comfort to provide after the setbacks of the 1970s.