Long Read Features
Latest Long read features
![The Manchester City players line up during the penalty shoot-out during the Nationwide Division Two Play-Off Final match against Gillingham played at Wembley Stadium in London, England. The match finished in a 2-2 draw after extra-time andin the penalty shoot-out Manchester City won 3-1 and were promoted to Division One. \ Mandatory Credit: Alex Livesey /Allsport](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yUYM8RBJvtZhbLRuBviSqW-320-80.jpg)
When Manchester City were rubbish: How the 1998/99 season changed a football club’s destiny
By Nick Moore published
Manchester City may now be a slick footballing juggernaut, but three decades ago they were slumming it in the third tier - and could have sunk even lower
![Graham Taylor, England manager](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5j2HxLHfvf7HmePjnyKBea-320-80.jpg)
The inside story of ‘An Impossible Job’, the 1994 Graham Taylor England documentary
By Sam Delaney last updated
LONG READ FFT went behind the scenes of the film that hung the beleaguered boss out to dry with his Taylorisms and ruined the career of his right-hand man
![Fantasy Football Baddiel and Skinner](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2e9v33gM8jtHby9BVZ86gY-320-80.png)
Before Three Lions: How Baddiel and Skinner’s Fantasy Football defined football in the 1990s
By Chris Flanagan last updated
LONG READ In 1994, David Baddiel and Frank Skinner launched a television show which quickly outgrew its own name. Soon, they were hosting big name star guests and releasing record-breaking singles
![Sven-Goran Eriksson](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7oQ4btaucZL7JfkUsKW28J-320-80.jpg)
When Sven-Goran Eriksson came to England and won hearts and minds
By Steve Anglesey last updated
LONG READ When Sven-Goran Eriksson took over as England's first foreign manager in February 2001, he faced a staggering 'welcome' from high-level officials and gutter-level tabloids
![Gareth Southgate, England, Euro 96](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/H2YR6cCaP64uG5CSrudNgk-320-80.png)
'Why didn't you just belt it?' How Gareth Southgate's Euro 96 miss helped him as England manager
By Ryan Herman last updated
Gareth Southgate once feared the Euro 96 penalty would overshadow everything – before he realised he could use it to his advantage
![England](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/96bYJWin5QmrNDK9ChUBmY-320-80.jpg)
What happened to England's Golden Generation? Why the country's most talented squad never came good
By Chris Flanagan last updated
England’s world-class crop were tipped to bring home big honours during the 2000s, but fell short when it mattered most
![Euro 96 FourFourtwo](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nXKaw5FFMZoEAyFPfbXGvn-320-80.png)
Euro 96, the complete history, part six: England's dream dies in Germany semi-final shootout
By Gary Parkinson last updated
Twenty-two men chase a ball and at the end – spoiler – the Germans win. But what effect did Euro 96 have on football in England?
![Euro 96](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BV9qLJYQYLcZizLAepKDZ3-320-80.png)
Euro 96, the complete history, part five: England overcome shootout fear
By Andrew Murray last updated
Longread England's first Euro 96 knockout game against Spain saw the Three Lions finally put their Italia 90 penalty hoodoo to bed... didn't it?
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