Football finally came home to Yorkshire as England faced Sweden - on this day

A QUARTER-of-a-century ago today, England and Sweden shared six goals in an Umbro Cup encounter at Elland Road – the first home international to be staged away from Wembley in almost three decades.
Screen showing: Fans watch the England v Sweden match on the big screen in Millennium Square. Picture: Jonathan GawthorpeScreen showing: Fans watch the England v Sweden match on the big screen in Millennium Square. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe
Screen showing: Fans watch the England v Sweden match on the big screen in Millennium Square. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe

The date of June 8, 1995 proved an occasion in Leeds where the Football Association’s decision to stage the Three Lions’ first fixture away from their fabled home since lining up at Goodison Park against Poland on January 5, 1966 was thoroughly vindicated and begged the question: ‘why has it taken so long?’

It was not necessarily anything to do with the action on the pitch either.

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A 3-3 draw with the Swedes, an irritant in the side of England for many years, may have suggested that this was a pulsating, end-to-end affair in front of a Yorkshire crowd of 32,008.

Battling: Henrik Larsson and Darren Anderton. Picture: Getty ImagesBattling: Henrik Larsson and Darren Anderton. Picture: Getty Images
Battling: Henrik Larsson and Darren Anderton. Picture: Getty Images

In truth, it was not with England lucky to escape with a draw thanks to two goals at the death from David Platt and Darren Anderton.

It was a largely unsatisfactory display from Terry Venables’s side, whose defensive deficiencies left much to be desired.

England were 3-1 down after Kennet Andersson’s strike at the start of the second half. Had the Swedes been more clinical, the deficit could have got far worse.

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Commendably, the White Rose crowd stuck with the faltering hosts and were the real winners according to seasoned scribes on the England circuit.

Challenge: England captain David Platt and Hakan Mild. Picture: Getty ImagesChallenge: England captain David Platt and Hakan Mild. Picture: Getty Images
Challenge: England captain David Platt and Hakan Mild. Picture: Getty Images

The Independent’s Glenn Moore commented tellingly in his match report: “Although not full, Elland Road was a more passionate place than Wembley – and also a more patient one.

“The first chant of ‘What a load of rubbish’ did not come until five minutes from the end; at Wembley, it would have begun on the hour.”

The decampment to the provinces in the Noughties while the new Wembley was being constructed would later illustrate that England playing away from the capital did not diminish the national brand, but enhance it.

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Ask those who attended games at the likes of Villa Park, St James’ Park, Portman Road, the Stadium of Light, St Mary’s and the Riverside Stadium.

On that early summer evening at Elland Road, it was the inimitable presence of a gifted footballer who could have been lining up in the white of Leeds United the following season who turned the tide for England.

Trailing 3-1 and in need of inspiration, Venables turned to someone he knew well in Paul Gascogine, whose 63rd-minute introduction for John Barnes was loudly acclaimed.

In the final throes of his time at Lazio, the mercurial Geordie – who would ultimately rebuff interest from Leeds to join Rangers – galvanised England.

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A minute from time, Gascoigne won a fortunate free-kick on the left and delivered a well-struck centre to enable Platt to pull one back with his 26th goal for his country.

With the crowd urging them on, England restored parity when a delighted Darren Anderton crowned his eighth England cap with a sweetly-taken goal.

Graeme Le Saux’s punt forward was nodded down by Alan Shearer into his path before he unleashed an unstoppable volley which hit both posts before nestling safely in the net.

Much of what preceded those two quick-fire goals was not as edifying, on the pitch at least.

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A revamped backline featuring a debutant in Nottingham Forest defender Colin Cooper, with Newcastle United full-back Warren Barton also earning just his second cap – did not convince alongside goalkeeper Tim Flowers, in for the absent David Seaman.

England’s first senior international in Yorkshire since a draw with France in front of a Hillsborough crowd of 35,380 in a UEFA Euro 1964 qualifier on October 3, 1962 got off to a bad start against a Swedish side without talismanic forward Martin Dahlin and Tomas Brolin, who would join Leeds five months later for an ill-fated spell.

Without a victory in five matches and facing an England side who were unbeaten in 10 games, Sweden upset the formbook, with Tommy Svensson’s side taking the lead after just 11 minutes.

Hakan Mild’s cross-shot in front of the Kop evaded the unsighted Flowers, who had initially parried an effort from Niklas Gudmundsson.

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Worse was to come for England, with the Scandinavians doubling their advantage, courtesy of a real gift eight minutes before the interval.

Flowers erred, spilling a shot from Gary Sundgren and it rebounded straight into the path of Servette midfielder Mild, who stroked home from close range.

England, out of sorts in the first period, were afforded a lifeline in front of the South Stand patrons just before the interval when Teddy Sheringham struck his first international goal in his eighth appearance, firing home a volley in front of the South Stand.

But on the restart, momentum was instantly regained by the Swedes when Andersson – then a target for Sheffield Wednesday – coolly lobbed the ball over Flowers after being sent clear by future Leicester City player Pontus Kamark.

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It could and perhaps should have got bleaker for England, with Henrik Larsson and Mild spurning chances to add the hosts’ pains, while at the other end, visiting goalkeeper Thomas Ravelli, who eclipsed Peter Shilton’s international record of 125 caps on that evening, was relatively untroubled.

Gascoigne, who came on alongside Hull-born forward Nick Barmby, provided a much-needed catalyst. Another Yorkshireman would also enter the stage 10 minutes from time when Harrogate’s John Scales – who started his career at Leeds – replaced Gary Pallister.

The drama was reserved for the dying embers, more especially when Anderton crashed home his unstoppable volley to level it up.

On his strike, he commented: “As a kid growing up, you always dream of playing at Wembley, so this was completely different.

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“My goal was just one of those where it was the last minute and you go for it and think: ‘why not.’ It could have ended outside of the stadium or in the top corner.

“I don’t think I ever struck a ball so sweetly in my entire career. I was over the moon and never had a feeling like it.”

After the game, Venables was not in a particularly benevolent mood in firing a broadside to journalists who suggested that England should be doing better.

Elland Road often did bring out the worst out in El Tel.

In a departure from his trademark poise with the press, Venables retorted – albeit with more than a grain of truth – “The trouble is we think we’re the best in the world, but the facts don’t support that.

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“We were never the best in the world. We won the World Cup on our own territory and that made people believe we were.

“People talk of the days of Stanley Matthews, but we never won anything then. It’s an illusion, just not true.”

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