If Only.the Decline and Fall of England as a Major Football Superpower

England under achieved for a decade after the World Cup win in '66 but if the result had been different on that famous October night in 1973 against Poland and England had gone to the 1974 World Cup, how different would history have been? Poland reached the semi finals. England could have matched their feat. Or, it is asked, is there an inherent weakness in the England psyche which has seen them lose the crucial big matches from the 1940 through to present day? England’s history is littered with examples of much promise and the disappointment, for example in the 1970s, England’s clubs dominated Europe. But England struggled to compete. What lay at the heart of the problem? And what happened to the gifted players that should have qualified for West Germany 74? The 1970s was a golden period for English football bar for the International team. “If Only” seeks to understand a crucial problem that has plagued England for many years.

Chris Sheppardson is a writer and businessman from the world of Hospitality who owns both a consultancy practice plus a business magazine for the industry – EP Magazine. He has written and had published two books previously including one on the top leaders and entrepreneurs in the Global Hospitality Industry – Leaders and Entrepreneurs in Hospitality (2011). However, sports has always been Chris’s passion and he grew up in the 1970s and 80s. A keen supporter of Tottenham Hotspur in Football, Harlequins in Rugby and Middlesex in Cricket.