World Cup: Southgate is aiming high to avoid '˜An Evening wth Gareth...'

When the Three Lions bowed out of the 1990 World Cup on penalties to West Germany the heartache of falling so agonisingly short had given way to pride quickly enough for the players to be afforded an open-top bus parade on their return to Luton Airport.

This was quickly followed by a cottage industry springing up around what other major football nations such as Italy or Argentina would have considered a failure.

First, An Evening with Gary Lineker became a hit stage play and, later, a TV special starring Clive Owen, Paul Merton and Caroline Quentin. ITV felt the 90-minute film captured the mood so well it was shown during the next two World Cups.

Then there was the book All Played Out as author Pete Davies made excellent use of the unprecedented access afforded him by Bobby Robson and his squad up to and beyond the moment Chris Waddle broke a country’s heart by skying ‘that’ penalty.

Two decades on from Italia ’90 the book would be renamed One Night in Turin to tie in with an unashamedly nostalgic documentary of the same name revisiting Gazza’s tears and those darned exemplary German penalties.

A similar offering hit our screens just a few weeks ago on the History Channel as Lineker, Terry Butcher and Paul Parker made the pilgrimage back to Stadio delle Alpi.

England’s other semi-final exit is similarly revered with Three Lions, the soundtrack to Euro ’96, last night firmly on course to reclaim the No 1 spot in what to a certain generation is still referred to as the ‘hit parade’.

There was also another TV drama from the same team behind An Evening with Gary Lineker as Neil Morrissey and Rachel Weisz this time provided the love interest to the backdrop of England’s shootout defeat to the Germans in My Summer with Des.

Twenty years on from Gareth Southgate’s miss and the country’s appetite for re-living glorious failure had clearly not been sated with the anniversary bringing a slew of articles celebrating a place in the last four rather than bemoaning why we had fallen short once again.

Maybe that has been part of the problem. No other major football nation would look back so fondly on losing a semi-final. Not Germany, not Spain, not France, not Brazil and not even Holland, who despite reaching three finals are yet to lift the trophy.

Falling twice at the final hurdle should not be a badge of honour to be worn with a smile. The only glory in both 1990 and 1996 went to the Germans for going on to win the tournament.

As Billy Bremner so succinctly put it with the title of his autobiography, You Get Nowt for Being Second.

Tonight will tell us if England have what it takes to exorcise those ghosts of the past. Southgate’s task is to make his players believe true glory is their destiny and, in that respect, the nation could not have a better man at the helm.

As the rabble in Parliament continue their Machiavellian squabbling oblivious to the damage being done to ordinary lives, Southgate has become a welcome beacon of decency.

Here is a thoroughly honorable man who is working for the common good. His players clearly trust and believe in Southgate. Having been given a brief insight a few years ago into the character of a man who has single-handedly revived the waistcoat market it is easy to understand why.

It came while putting together a series of articles for The Yorkshire Post to mark the impending 20th anniversary of the Premier League.

Several key figures were spoken to across four days, ranging from Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore and chairman Dave Richards through to then Football League chief Greg Clarke.

A request was made to the Football Association for an interview with a suitably senior figure, but no reply was forthcoming. A follow-up call fared no better.

So, the series began and it was only then that a member of the media team got in touch. Southgate, then a little under a year into his role as the FA’s head of elite development, had seen the first two days of the YP’s coverage and felt the governing body’s voice should be heard.

A telephone interview was hastily arranged and the resulting piece proved to be a fascinating way to round off the series as Southgate, displaying the same understated pride and passion that has characterised England’s time in Russia, outlined his vision for the future.

Changes were needed at junior level, he stressed, especially in terms of educating parents that shouts from the touchline did not help a child.

“Would they do the same if a child was struggling with his reading and go into the classroom to shout and bawl?” he asked. “The culture needs changing.”

The need for smaller pitches and goals was also high on his wish list along with an overhaul of how the season was structured for children.

As laudable as changing the ethos of grass-roots junior football was, however, Southgate also appreciated any success in what was then still a newish role would be decided by how England fared at senior level in the years to come.

“People ask me, ‘When will we win the World Cup?’” he added. “You can’t predict that because there is no guarantee. But if we don’t modernise and aspire to that challenge then we will never get there. We have to aim high.”

Six or so years on from that interview Southgate is doing his bit. The Three Lions stand potentially just three hours away from glory and ‘aim high’ is the mantra that can finally bring to an end the days of gallant failure for English football.

The World Cup is close enough to touch. Go on and bring it home.