There is a curious thing when it comes to England and football, which is that the passion of the fans doesn’t really relate to the success of the team. That isn’t to say that there hasn’t been any success, of course; all three of the men’s team, the women’s team and the Under-21s side have all won tournaments at one point or another. It is more to do with the extreme nature of support that comes from those that love the national team and get behind it whenever possible. Such is the nature of support that numerous songs have done well in the charts as England fans got behind them.
In the October of 2012, the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the opening of St George’s Park National Football Centre. It was designed to be the base for all coaching undertaken by the Football Association, as well as all development work. Located in Burton upon Trent in Staffordshire, it is where any England team that plays football is based. That means that the likes of futsal and disabled teams are based there, alongside the men’s and women’s senior teams, the Under-21s, Under-20s, Under-19s and Under-17s of both genders.
For supporters, the main aim of the team should be to win whatever competition it is entered into. For those responsible for the development of the teams, that is obviously also their long-term aim, but shorter-term solutions are also sought. The development of the game in general is key, as is the desire to see the national sides representing their country with honour. That is why St George’s Park is such an important place in the pantheon of the English game, allowing players to work alongside those older than them so that there is an aim for what to do with their careers.
England Football Teams
The England men’s team is one that has been about glorious failure more often than it has been about roaring success. The World Cup win of 1966 was the pinnacle of the Three Lions’ achievements for a long time, bolstered by several occasions when they came close but ultimately missed out on the biggest honours. There have been standout moments for England supporters to get behind, such as the Terry Venables Euro ’96 squad or the finals reached by Gareth Southgate’s teams, only for the final moment of lifting the trophy to elude them each time.
Women’s Team
Known as the Lionesses, the England women’s team might well have enjoyed more success over the years if not for the Football Association’s short-sighted decision to ban female footballers from using its facilities in 1921, not lifting that ban until 1993. Even so, the women’s team has still enjoyed a modest level of success over the years. They won the European Championship before the men managed it, for example, thanks to their victory in the tournament in 2022. They were also unlucky to only finish as runners-up to Spain in the World Cup the following year.
Men’s Under-21s
If there is one part of the England setup that deserves constant praise for the success that it’s enjoyed, it is undoubtedly the Under-21 side. The only major competition that it is allowed to take part in is the UEFA Under-21 Championship, which it won for the first time in 1982. It followed that win up again two years later, then went several decades without another win. They returned to successful ways in 2023, mirroring the success of nearly 40 years earlier by winning the competition for a second time, two years later, to mean England had won it four times in 17 appearances.
