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# England Fanzine

A Blog About England Football, Rugby and Cricket

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [England Scrape Through to Super 8 But Australia Out](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/england-scrape-through-to-super-8-but-australia-out/) - The T20 World Cup Group Stage should have been a walk in the park for England and Australia. The former were up against West Indies, Italy, Scotland and Nepal and the latter faced Sri Lanka, Ireland, Zimbabwe and Oman. With the top two from each quintet progressing to the Super 8, this should have been
- [England Trail Scotland and Italy at T20 World Cup](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/england-trail-scotland-and-italy-at-t20-world-cup/) - The 2026 T20 World Cup began on the 7th of February and will run until the 8th of March. As in 2024, when India prevailed, there will be 20 teams and 55 matches in total across the whole tournament. As with other ICC competitions and in events in other sports, it has expanded over the
- [Can England Get Back to Winning Ways at the T20 World Cup?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/can-england-get-back-to-winning-ways-at-the-t20-world-cup/) - Although they managed to prevent a whitewash, England’s 4–1 Ashes defeat in Australia remains a significant disappointment, to put it mildly. Some of the players involved in that poor showing Down Under will now have an opportunity to make amends by delivering on a very different stage, the upcoming T20 World Cup. With the action
- [The Ashes Are Lost – What Now for England?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/the-ashes-are-lost-what-now-for-england/) - England’s latest defeat to Australia in the Ashes could be seen as progress… if viewed through the rosiest of rose-tinted glasses. After all, the tourists made it to the fifth day of the third Test in Adelaide, which is better than the four days it took the Aussies in Brisbane or the two days in
- [Excessive World Cup Ticket Prices Anger Fans](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/excessive-world-cup-ticket-prices-anger-fans/) - Football has long been regarded as “The People’s Game” due to its accessibility and universal appeal, yet soaring ticket prices at the World Cup are putting that identity under serious strain. Many fans have found themselves priced out of what is a prohibitively expensive tournament. Not only does North American travel and hospitality come at
- [England Suffer Another Ashes Thrashing… Just in Time for a Spot of Golf](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/england-suffer-another-ashes-thrashing-just-in-time-for-a-spot-of-golf/) - England pushed Australia really hard in the second Test at the Gabba in Brisbane. Really hard, that is, by the standards of the first Test: the visitors managed to take the game into a fourth day as opposed to the clash in Perth which was wrapped up inside two. In statistical terms, the result was
- [England's Flawless World Cup Qualification Campaign](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/englands-flawless-world-cup-qualification-campaign/) - Thomas Tuchel’s England side ended their excellent World Cup qualification campaign as they’d started it: with a 2-0 victory over Albania. The Three Lions took UEFA Group K by storm, winning eight out of eight, scoring 22 goals and conceding zero. England thus became the first European side ever to win all their World Cup
- [England Slump to 3-0 Loss in New Zealand](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/england-slump-to-3-0-loss-in-new-zealand/) - England were easily beaten in the third ODI game against New Zealand on the 1st of November 2025. The loss meant that the Kiwis won all three games and the 3-0 defeat leaves England with a lot of work to do, both in terms of the 50-over side and also with the Ashes series in
- [Cummins Out of First Test But Boland Boasts Brilliant Stats](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/cummins-out-of-first-test-but-boland-boasts-brilliant-stats/) - The Ashes countdown is well and truly on, with the first Test set to begin in Perth on the 21st of November. Before then England will play just one red-ball warm-up fixture, taking on their own Lions team in a three-day clash, also in Perth, on the 13th of November. That limited preparation must surely
- [Cricket: England Ashes Squad Packed with Pace](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/england-ashes-squad-packed-with-pace/) - The cricket merry-go-round keeps on turning, and with England’s white-ball matches for the English “summer” complete following their brief sojourn to Ireland, the squad for the Ashes series has now been named. There is very little rest for England players involved in all formats of the game, but tired though they may be, Ben Stokes
- [Farrell Selects Lions Squad for Summer Tour Down Under](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/farrell-selects-lions-squad-for-summer-tour-down-under/) - The British and Irish Lions head to Australia in the summer, and Andy Farrell’s men will hope to emulate the successful team of 2013. Back then, the Lions won the series 2-1 under the guidance of then-Wales boss Warren Gatland, who included 15 Welsh players in his squad. In contrast, the squad announced by Farrell
- [England's Red Roses Win Women's Rugby World Cup](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/englands-red-roses-win-womens-rugby-world-cup/) - Saturday afternoon saw the latest addition to a vintage year for women’s sport in England. Hot on the heels of the Lionesses retaining their European crown at Euro 2025, the Red Roses conquered the rugby world for a third time. England’s women suffered heartbreaking defeats to New Zealand in the 2017 and 2022 finals. Three
- [Tuchel Not Pandering to Stars as Bellingham Omitted from England Squad](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/tuchel-not-pandering-to-stars-as-bellingham-omitted-from-england-squad/) - Ahead of England manager Thomas Tuchel’s latest squad announcement, it was widely expected he would recall the fit-again Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham. Manchester City’s Phil Foden and Everton loanee Jack Grealish were also touted as likely to be brought back into the fold. But Tuchel omitted all three in a sign that the German
- [England Record Biggest ODI Victory Ever](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/england-record-biggest-odi-victory-ever/) - For several years, England were the premier white-ball side in world cricket. They won the 2019 50-over World Cup and then backed that up by landing the T20 World Cup in 2022. At that time, their unrivalled batting power led to some huge scores, and they set the standard for how the game should be
- [Tuchel Seeking Wins and Big Performances from England](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/tuchel-seeking-wins-and-big-performances-from-england/) - Thomas Tuchel’s brief time as England manager so far has been somewhat underwhelming. England fans might have been spoiled by the relative success they enjoyed while Gareth Southgate was at the helm, but only managing a 1-0 victory over minnows Andorra in a World Cup qualifying match in June was well below par. Tuchel’s Three
- [Lionesses Crowned Queens of Europe Again as England Win the Euros](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/lionesses-crowned-queens-of-europe-again-as-england-win-the-euros/) - England have beaten Spain on penalties to win the UEFA Women’s European Championship, becoming the first English football team – men’s or women’s – to win a major tournament overseas. Sarina Wiegman’s side retained the title they won on home soil in 2022, and it’s the third European Championship on the bounce for the England
- [Defending Champions England Edge Through to Euros Final](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/defending-champions-england-edge-through-to-euros-final/) - On Tuesday, 22nd July 2025, Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses beat Italy 2-1 after extra time to make it to the third consecutive final of a major tournament. As in their edgy quarter-final victory over Sweden, England didn’t make it easy for themselves, but at least they didn’t leave it to the lottery of penalties this time.
- [Lucky Lionesses Make Last Four of the Women's Euros](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/lucky-lionesses-make-last-four-of-the-womens-euros/) - On Thursday, 17th July 2025, Sarina Wiegman’s defending champions beat Sweden on penalties to book their spot in the last four of the European Championship. The winners of the 2021 Euros did it the hard way, coming from 2-0 down to force extra-time, before an almost farcical penalty shootout saw them eventually triumph. Sweden had
- [England Under-21s Retain Euros Title with Extra-Time Victory Over Germany](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/england-under-21s-retain-euros-title-with-extra-time-victory-over-germany/) - The last time England’s (senior men’s) football team beat Germany in extra time in a major final was back in 1966. But Lee Carsley’s England U21 side made their own history on 28th June 2025 as they beat Germany 3-2 (AET) to win the UEFA European Under-21 Championship for the second time in a row.
- [England Beat India in Record-Packed First Test](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/england-beat-india-in-record-packed-first-test/) - On 24th June 2025, England completed a fine win over India in the first Test of their five-match series at Headingley. Yorkshire’s famous Leeds home is no stranger to brilliant Test matches, having been the scene of the brilliant Ashes clash in 1981, when Ian Botham and Bob Willis helped the hosts to an incredible
- [Woeful England Limp Past Andorra](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/woeful-england-limp-past-andorra/) - Football is a game of two halves, or more accurately, a game of cliches. So we might reflect, following England’s 1-0 over Andorra, that there are no easy games in international football. Or that you can only beat the team in front of you. Or that the three points are all that matters. Or that
- [Is England's Squad Good Enough to Win the World Cup?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/is-englands-squad-good-enough-to-win-the-world-cup/) - With only one summer remaining before the 2026 World Cup, we thought we would take a closer look at England’s squad to assess whether they have a group good enough to finally bring football home. There is no doubt that Thomas Tuchel has a lot of talent at his disposal, but his side will face
- [Harry Kane Finally Wins Something as Bayern Crowned German Champions](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/harry-kane-finally-wins-something-as-bayern-crowned-german-champions/) - At long last, Harry Kane’s trophy curse has been lifted as England’s all-time leading scorer helped his side Bayern Munich win the 2024/25 Bundesliga title. The likeable striker from Walthamstow has had plenty of close calls in the past, but in what has been an illustrious – if glitter-free – career to date, the German
- [Harry Brook Named England White-Ball Skipper](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/harry-brook-named-england-white-ball-skipper/) - On the 7th of April, 2025 Yorkshire batsman, Harry Brook, was named as new England captain for T20 matches and One Day Internationals. The 26-year-old was widely tipped to get the job but there had been various alternatives mooted with nothing apparently off the table. The possibility of a leftfield pick from outside the current
- [Tuchel's First Squad Brings Little Excitement](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/tuchels-first-squad-brings-little-excitement/) - Thomas Tuchel was announced as the new England manager way back on the 16th of October, 2024 and now, five months on, he has named his first squad as coach of the Three Lions. He only officially began his role on the 1st of January, 2025 and already he will have begun to understand what
- [Lookman: The One That Got Away?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/lookman-the-one-that-got-away/) - England have an enviable crop of youngsters, certainly in terms of midfield and attacking options, and fans will hope that in 2025 and beyond, Thomas Tuchel can get the best out of them. Any international manager in world football would love to have the likes of Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Anthony
- [England Secure Nations League Promotion as Carsley Finishes on a High](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/england-secure-nations-league-promotion-as-carsley-finishes-on-a-high/) - Lee Carsley’s stint as interim boss of the senior men’s England team came to an end in positive fashion as the Three Lions hammered the Republic of Ireland 5-0 at Wembley. The result means that Carsley won five of his six games in charge. But, more importantly in the greater scheme of things, it means
- [Carsley's England: What Have We Learned?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/carsleys-england-what-have-we-learned/) - Lee Carsley was appointed as the interim manager of the senior England men’s team on the 9th of August, 2024. He was initially appointed for the two Nations League games in September, against Ireland and then Finland. However, it was also stated by the Football Association that the appointment was "with a view to remaining
- [Meet Lee Carsley: Irish International and England's Newest Manager](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/meet-lee-carsley-irish-international-and-englands-newest-manager/) - As all English football fans will be well aware, within days of losing the final of Euro 2024 to Spain, boss Gareth Southgate stood down from his job as the Three Lions manager. The FA and many supporters wanted him to stay, although there were lots of fans who felt it was time for a
- [England's Record on Penalties](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/englands-record-on-penalties/) - On the 30th of April, 2024, Bayern Munich played Real Madrid in the Champions League. On the face of it, this shouldn’t have all that much to do with England’s record on penalties. However, during that game we witnessed the mildly amusing sight of one England star trying to distract another as they took a
- [What Was England's Starting XI for the 1966 World Cup Final?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/what-was-englands-starting-xi-for-the-1966-world-cup-final/) - The Premier League may be the best, most exciting and certainly the richest league in the world. England may be able to lay claim to having invented football and boast many of the oldest sides in the world. In recent times the Young Lions, the various age-group sides, have won various major trophies. But the
- [Who Will Make Southgate's Euro 2024 England Squad?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/who-will-make-southgates-euro-2024-england-squad/) - Picking the England squad was perhaps a little easier for Gareth Southgate in Euro 2020 than it will be for Euro 2024. In the last edition of the tournament, UEFA permitted nations to name 26 players due to the risk of COVID-19 disruption. This time around though the England boss will be limited to a
- [Which of England's 1966 World Cup Winners Became the Best Manager?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/which-of-englands-1966-world-cup-winners-became-the-best-manager/) - In January 2024, two of the greats of world football sadly passed away: Franz Beckenbauer and Mário Zagallo. These players were two of only three (along with Didier Deschamps) to have won the World Cup as both a player and a manager. Which leads us to the question, did any of England’s World Cup-winning squad
- [Have England Ever Topped the FIFA World Rankings?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/have-england-ever-topped-the-fifa-world-rankings/) - In recent years the men’s England team has probably been as strong as it ever has, aside from that year they won the World Cup, sometime way back in 1966 or something. Under current boss, Gareth Southgate, The Three Lions were fourth at the 2018 World Cup, lost the final of the Euros in 2021
- [Bobby Charlton: England's Greatest Ever Player?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/bobby-charlton-englands-greatest-ever-player/) - On the 21st of October, 2023 Sir Bobby Charlton died at the age of 86 after suffering from dementia for three years. He played almost 1,000 games in his long career for club and country, with 758 of those appearances coming for Man United and 106 for England. He will always be most associated with
- [The Boo Boys: England Players Booed by Own Fans](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/the-boo-boys-england-players-booed-by-own-fans/) - Jordan Henderson has been a great servant for the England team and has been capped 79 times over more than a decade playing for the Three Lions. And yet, when the 33-year-old appeared for England against Australia on Friday 13th October, he was booed … and not by the Aussie supporters, but by England fans.
- [Top Five Greatest Midfielders to Play for England](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/top-five-greatest-midfielders-to-play-for-england/) - Jude Bellingham played a blinder for England against Scotland in their friendly match on 12th September 2023, but how would the Real Madrid ace measure up against some of England’s best midfielders? In this article, we’ll run through our pick for the five greatest England midfielders ever. For us, it’s too early to include Bellingham
- [England vs Scotland Head-to-Head Record](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/england-vs-scotland-head-to-head-record/) - On 12th September, 2023, old rivals England and Scotland played in a match to celebrate the 150th anniversary of this historic fixture. The meeting back on 30th November, 1872 is classed as the first fully official international clash in football. That one ended 0-0 but the clash just over 150 years later was more entertaining
- [England Youth Team Trophies - Which Age Group Tournaments Have England Won?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/england-youth-team-trophies-which-age-group-tournaments-have-england-won/) - On the 8th of July, 2023 England won the U21 European Championship in dramatic fashion. In recent years, they have enjoyed a good degree of success in various age group tournaments and so following their recent victory in Georgia and Romania, we thought it was a good opportunity to take a look at all the
- [Who Has Scored the Most England Hat-Tricks?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/who-has-scored-the-most-england-hat-tricks/) - When Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick for England in their 7-0 demolition job on North Macedonia, it was the 90th time a player had scored three (or more) goals for the Three Lions*. The first two England hat-tricks were scored way back in February 1882 in a monster 13-0 drubbing of Ireland in Belfast.
- [Who Are the Biggest Rivals to the England Football Team?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/who-are-the-biggest-rivals-to-the-england-football-team/) - Football is a game that stirs passion and emotion like little else. Sport has the capacity to move people to tears of both joy and sadness, screams of delirium and, for some at least, fits of rage. Whilst other cultural pursuits (including some perhaps not entirely cultural and typically done in private!) can bring happiness,
- [England's Best Matches: 10 of the Biggest Games of All Time](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/englands-best-matches-10-of-the-biggest-games-of-all-time/) - Being an England fan can often be a painful experience. There have been so many years of trophyless hurt, despite all the talent that has proudly worn the Three Lions shirt. Despite this though, England supporters have certainly had their fair share of jubilant moments. Whether it is narrowly edging an important match or bettering
- [Do England Players Get Paid for Playing for the National Team?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/do-england-players-get-paid-for-playing-for-the-national-team/) - Although pride and a place in the English history books often drive participation in international football, this does not mean there are no financial rewards involved for England players. We are not talking about the kind of sums that players receive from their clubs, but international football can still be quite lucrative at times for
- [Why Do the England Team Sometimes Play in Blue?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/why-do-the-england-team-sometimes-play-in-blue/) - When you think of the England national team you probably picture them playing in either white (home) or red (away), the same two colours that feature on the English flag - the Saint George’s Cross on a white background. While England very regularly play in either a red or white shirt though, this is not
- [Why Do England Have the Nickname "The Three Lions"?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/why-do-england-have-the-nickname-the-three-lions/) - Football teams have had nicknames from the earliest days of the sport and that applies to both club sides and national teams. Often there are very obvious reasons for a team being given a particular nickname, such as the rather unimaginative monikers like “The Reds”, “The Blues” and so on. But there are some more
- [Have England Ever Won the Euros?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/have-england-ever-won-the-euros/) - Let’s cut straight to the chase here and – on the off chance you didn’t know – tell you that England have never won the UEFA European Championship, also known as the Euros. In all honesty, England haven’t won all that much since they played their first match way back in 1870. Of course, we
- [When Did England Last Win the World Cup?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/when-did-england-last-win-the-world-cup/) - Anyone who knows much about England football knows that our record at the FIFA World Cup is, shall we say, underwhelming. Or is it? Here we will explore the record of the men’s international football team at what is arguably the biggest event in world sport. We will look at when they won it, their
- [Who Pays for the England Football Team?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/who-pays-for-the-england-football-team/) - When it comes to club football, teams in England have a very open relationship with money. Major income, such as prize money and TV deals, are regularly reported, as are major expenses like transfer fees, salaries, new stadium builds and many other things. Especially at the higher levels, you can even find out, quite easily,
- [Which Players Have the Most Caps for England?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/which-players-have-the-most-caps-for-england/) - Playing professional football is an impossible dream for millions of boys and girls and few will ever be able to play at that level. Of those an even smaller elite will make it to international football. However, our focus here is not just on players who played for England (men’s team) but on the very
- [Why Do England Fans Sing Sweet Caroline?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/why-do-england-fans-sing-sweet-caroline/) - Given that it was an American singer, Neil Diamond, that originally wrote and performed the song Sweet Caroline, it seems something of an odd choice to be one of England’s footballing anthems. Despite its American origins though, it has recently cemented itself as one of the big hits for both the men’s and women’s national
- [Which Players Have Scored the Most Goals for England?](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/which-players-have-scored-the-most-goals-for-england/) - Scoring a goal is the greatest thrill possible for most footballers (unless you’re a grizzly Italian centre back, in which case it’s making a really good block). But scoring a goal for your country is surely the dream of every young who plays football. Of course, few will make the grade as a professional, let

## Pages

- [England Women's National Football Team](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/football/womens/) - In some ways, there is a natural link between the England men’s team and the women’s one. The surge of interest in the sport in the wake of the men’s team winning the World Cup in 1966, for example, put pressure on the Football Association to life the ban on women using the FA’s facilities
- [England National Football Team (Men's)](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/football/mens/) - The Three Lions have often wavered between being a team that people can feel a sense of pride in and one that is something of a joke on the international stage. For a long time, it seemed as though the World Cup win of 1966 was going to be the exception rather than the rule,
- [England Rugby League](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/rugby-league/) - Rugby is a sport that tends to be divisive, not just amongst sports lovers in general but even within the sport itself. It was back in 1895 that the Northern Rugby Football Union split from the Rugby Football Union to establish its own competition, with what followed being the development of two distinct forms of
- [England Rugby Union](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/rugby-union/) - It isn’t exactly outrageous to suggest that rugby is one of those sports that people tend to either love or hate. For the vast majority of football fans, for example, it is a sport that they abhor, with the same being true in reverse. Those that don’t like the sport might pay a passing interest
- [England Cricket](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/cricket/) - There are numerous people around the country that have what might best be described as a ‘difficult’ relationship with the national team when it comes to football. The same isn’t particularly true in terms of cricket, however, with those that might turn their nose up at the Three Lions being more than happy to celebrate
- [How to Buy England Football Tickets](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/football/tickets/) - If you support a domestic football club, you know pretty much where you have to start when it comes to buying tickets to see them play. You will also be aware that there may be issues doing so if you’re supporting one of the clubs that regularly sells out its matches, such as Liverpool or
- [England Football](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/football/) - 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
- [England Football Badge & the Origin of the Three Lions](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/football/badge/) - It isn’t exactly outrageous to suggest that there are more than a few football fans out there that don’t care about the England national team. On the whole, they tend to be supporters of teams that have enjoyed huge success, such as Liverpool and Manchester United. There are many, though, that love the Three Lions
- [England Football Under-21 Team](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/football/u21/) - Known as ‘the Young Lions’ for rather obvious reasons, England’s Under-21s side could be seen by some as the feeder team for the men’s national side. Whilst things don’t quite work like that, it is an opportunity for young players to impress in the hope that they earn a place in a domestic team’s squad,
- [England Football Captains (Full List)](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/football/mens/captains/) - For many players, one of the biggest honours that they could hope to enjoy is to wear the armband of their national side. There have been countless people who have had that experience during their lives, which we will look at in a bit more detail here. It took until after the end of the
- [Contact](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/contact/)
- [England Football Managers (Full List)](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/football/managers/) - One of the pinnacles of management, at least as far as England’s supporters are concerned, is to become the boss of the Three Lions. There have been more than a few people who have been bestowed with this honour over the years, with varying degrees of success. Some, such as Sam Allardyce, were in charge
- [England Football Songs](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/football/songs/) - The idea of a football team having an official song might seem more than a bit silly to many, which is entirely understandable. Yet it is also something that both teams and supporters have got on board with over the years, producing more than a few memorable tunes that will raise a smile. When it

## Categories

- [Football](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/category/football/)
- [Cricket](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/category/cricket/)
- [Rugby Union](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/category/rugby-union/)

## Tags

- [featured](https://www.englandfanzine.co.uk/tag/featured/)