From the luxury of my armchair I watched virtually every minute of the 2006 World Cup in Germany, and here's my reports on all 64 matches. The day after the final I was too ill to move. Soccer journalism is not as easy as it seems - trust me!

- Paul Rance, May 19th, 2013.

Paperback/Kindle link

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2006 World Cup Armchair Reports

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2006 World Cup Armchair Reports

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England's 50 Greatest Footballers

 

England's 50 Greatest Footballers Introduction

Football fans love an argument, and I'm happy to start another one! Deciding between the two Bobbys at the top of the list was difficult enough, so whittling the list down to 50 caused a few lie downs in a darkened room.

Obviously, the 1966 World Cup winning team is well represented in this list, with eight of that side here, but it was still a difficult decision in leaving out Nobby Stiles, George Cohen and Jack Charlton - as was having to leave out the likes of Neil Franklin, Bob Crompton, Len Shackleton, Ernest 'Nudger' Needham, Billy Bassett, Charles Roberts, David Platt, Ray Clemence, Gary Neville, David Seaman, Trevor Francis, Sol Campbell, Tony Adams, Stuart Pearce, Steve McManaman, et al.

The criteria I've used to select these 50 players are their achievements, their performances for England, and, to a lesser extent, for their club (such as with John Barnes and Glenn Hoddle). How these players were/are viewed by their peers, and the media and fans who saw them were also strong factors in determining my choices.

There have been many outstanding footballers who, for whatever reason, didn't win many caps for England. The 1970s was an excellent example of this, with so many good players often overlooked. So, the choice has been devilishly difficult, but if you fancy coming up with a better list, have a go and have as much fun as I did researching and writing this book.

- Paul Rance, November, 2017.
Copyright © Paul Rance/booksmusicfilmstv.com.

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Three Lions Still Hurting

The near highs and miserable lows of the England football team since 1970

There have been highs in the last 44 years, notably Italia 90 and Euro 96, but England are now the biggest underachievers in international football.

Paul Rance looks at key moments in the England story from 1970 to 2014, including their performances at all the European Championships and World Cups of the last 44 years. From highlighting the outstanding Bobby Moore at the 1970 World Cup to the end of the Golden Generation, the author also selects his best England managers and players from 1970 to 2014.