You would be forgiven for thinking that England football history begins at 3pm on July 30th 1966 and ends a few hours later, just after Geoff Hurst has smashed home the fourth and final goal of their historic 4-2 win over West Germany at Wembley.

Coached by Alf Ramsey later to be Sir Alf, England were well organised and talented. They scrapped their way to the football final, cajoled by brilliant skipper Bobby Moore and inspired by Manchester United legend Bobby Charlton.

England football history wasn't always smooth. After conceding a dramatic equaliser in the dying seconds of normal time, controversy came in extra time when Hurst twisted in Germany's penalty box, firing a shot that bounced down off the bar and back into play. Russian linesman Tofik Bakhramov insisted it had crossed the line, though, and Hurst went on to add a fourth goal to seal England's win.

England had played in the first recognised international football matches, against Scotland in the 1870s, but they didn't recognise FIFA at first and didn't enter the first three World Cups. They travelled to Brazil in 1950, but went home in shame after losing to footballing minnows America, 1-0 in Belo Horizonte.

England football history continued with failures over the next few football tournaments gave way to glory in 1966, but perhaps their best side in history gave away a 2-0 lead in a quarter-final against West Germany in 1970 and since then the picture has been painfully similar.

A semi-final in Italy 1990 and a semi-final at Euro 96 at Wembley both ending in penalty shoot-out defeats to the Germans have been as close as England have got to glory in their football history since 1966.